She slowly turned the handle and pushed open the door. Holding her breath, she moved quietly into the darkened room. The light from a single candle on the mantelpiece cast the bedchamber in a warm glow. She’d barely taken two steps inside when she saw them. There, standing next to the bed facing her was Isabella Langford, and she was passionately kissing Garrett!

Jane clamped a hand over her mouth to stifle her scream.

She took one more awful look and saw his broad shoulders, his dark, curly hair, and his mouth on Isabella’s breast as he bent his head to her chest. That was enough. Isabella’s chin was thrown back and her eyes were tightly closed.

Covering her mouth this time because she thought she might retch, Jane whirled and ran. She ran out of the room, heedless of the pain that throbbed in her ankle, heedless of anyone who might see her rushing from Garrett’s bedchamber in her dressing gown. She didn’t even bother to go back the way she’d come. She ran down the long corridor, around the corner, and down a second long corridor, back to her bedchamber. She had to get inside her room. She had to hide. Had to—

She’d nearly made it to her door when her ankle gave way. She collapsed to the floor. The pain in her leg and the pain in her heart collided, causing the floodgates to open. Tears poured down her cheeks. She swiped them away with the backs of her hands and forced herself to stand. She dragged open her door and staggered to the bed where she fell on the mattress, her head jerked to the side.

She sobbed and sobbed as her heart broke into a thousand tiny pieces.

Chapter 34

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

Somewhere around the time dawn cracked above the horizon and spread its insistent tendrils past the curtains, Jane rolled over and groaned. She’d cried so much her face was puffy and her eyes felt as if they bulged from her skull.

She’d been haunted by the horrifying moments in Garrett’s bedchamber again and again. She wanted to believe it wasn’t true. But when she replayed the awful scene in her mind’s eye, she knew it wasn’t a dream. Jane had seen it. Nothing about the scenario Jane had stumbled onto appeared to be forced. Quite the opposite actually, it was entirely apparent that both the participants had been greatly enjoying themselves.