Page 68 of The Library of Borrowed Hearts

And with that, he was gone. Jasper had thought that nothing could be more uncomfortable than the long, silent drive from the radar base, but he was wrong.

This was worse. This was so much worse.

“I suppose you had to get it out of your system, didn’t you?” Catherine’s mother said as she led Jasper to the couch and urged him to sit in it. “I don’t know why men always turn to violence in troubled times, but it’s good to know you’re just like the rest of them.”

“I’m not like them,” Jasper tried protesting, but she only chuckled and patted him gently on his uninjured hand.

“It wasn’t meant as an insult,” she said with a smile. “In fact, I expect it will make this next part a lot easier. Relax and pour yourself a cup of tea, if you’d like one. I’ll be right back with the steak.”

Jasper neither relaxed nor poured himself a cup of anything. Instead, he examined the room for signs of an exit route. There was a promising-looking window toward the back, but what would be the use? Colville was a small town. There was only so far he could run and nowhere he could hide.

“Catherine tells me you’re a long way from home,” her mother said upon her reentry. Instead of handing him the cold wrapped beef, she took care to rearrange it on top of his knuckles for him. It had been such a long time since anyone had taken such maternal care of him that he could only sit in a daze and let her. “Your people are from Aberdeen? Is that right?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he found himself saying.

Her laugh rang through the air. It sounded exactly like Catherine’s. “Please don’t call me ma’am. It’s bad enough that I’m going to be a grandmother.” She gave a ladylike shudder and lowered herself to the seat opposite Jasper. “Such a strange idea, isn’t it? Me, agrandmother?”

“Please, I—” he croaked.

She stopped him with one hand. “I’m not here to yell at you. I only wanted to meet you and to…talk.”

“Talk?” he echoed blankly. “About what?”

Already, his hand was starting to feel better, the numbing creep of the expensive cut of steak doing its work. The rest of him, unfortunately, was starting to show serious signs of strain.

Mrs. Martin pursed her lips. “Well, that’s up to you, I suppose. I’m sure this all came as a shock to you. It certainly was one to the Major. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him turn that shade of purple before. Aubergine, my mother would have called it, but she always had a flair for the dramatic. All the women in my family do. I’m sure you’ve noticed by now.”

Jasper had the feeling this conversational overload was meant to subdue him, and it was working in a big way. He swallowed heavily and attempted to veer the conversation back on course.

“Does that mean it wasn’t a surprise to you?” he asked.

That laughter sounded again, a little quieter this time. “Well, no, to be honest. I know Catherine, and I know what happens in quiet, cozy towns where the only thing to do on a Saturday night is slip out the drive-in with the local bit of rough.”

“Oh,” Jasper said—just that, justoh. That single syllable said everything and nothing.

“And that’s just it, isn’t it?” she added with a cluck of her tongue. “She was bored and you were interested, and nature took care of the rest. Did you ask her to marry you?”

“Well, no,” Jasper admitted, his head spinning with the blunt rapidity of her questions. “Iwantedto, but—”

“It wouldn’t have mattered if you had. She’d have turned you down.” Catherine’s mother paused and looked at Jasper then—reallylooked at him, her eyes kind but penetrating, her findings clear. “I’m not saying you’re a bad man, Jasper Holmes, or even that you bear any more of theresponsibility for this situation than she does, but you understand my position, yes?”

He nodded, not only because words were impossible by this point, but because hedidunderstand. These people were everything his family wasn’t—genteel and well-to-do, more concerned with the appearance of the shameful pregnancy than its actual cause.

They were also determined to see that their daughter carried on the tradition no matter what the cost—to him or to her.

As if to drive this point home, Mrs. Martin tapped a thoughtful finger in the middle of her chin. “Aberdeen… Aberdeen… I think we met a sailor from there once. Lovely young man. Tragic backstory. One of those families that fell on hard times during the Depression and never found their way back on solid ground.”

Jasper could tell where this was headed.

“I believe Catherine had a fancy for him, too. Isn’t it funny how girls her age have a certain type they come back to time and time again?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said. He knew that nothing more was expected—or, at this point, the least bit necessary.

“Well,” she said brightly as she folded her hands in her lap. “I can see that you’re every bit as intelligent as Catherine painted you out to be, so this next part will come as no surprise to you. The Major and I are prepared to offer you a lump sum for your troubles, provided you relinquish any and all paternal interest in the child.”

The steak fell to the floor with a wet flop. “I’m…sorry? A lump sum?”

“I know it’s unseemly to discuss these things, but I’d like to ensure that there are no misunderstandings going forward. It’s what Catherine wants.”