Page 65 of Adeline

Her cheeks were streaked with tears as they continued to roll down her face and off her chin, turning her light blue gown to a darker hue from the moisture.

“…not that I am to wed Lord Ailesbury, or that we’ve even spoken of mutual affection,” she stammered, her eyes locking on his as all color drained from her face, leaving her skin pale—almost green.

“And what if I desire to speak of marriage?” Jasper’s brow rose in question.

“Then I would think this is a subject better discussed in private.” Lord Melton stepped forward, gesturing back toward the foyer. “If you will follow me, Lord Ailesbury, we can discuss this in my study.”

“I will have Adeline present,” he said without thinking. He could offend Melton as women were not usually present during business negotiations, and Jasper was not fool enough to think this was anything but a business and a negotiation—even if it was a matter of the heart for him.

“Oh, have you not met my sister?” Lord Melton asked, his smirk hard to hide. “She would beat down the door—or climb down the hearth flue—if I did not allow her in. It is safer for all involved if we invite her straight away. Besides, this is her future as much as yours, Ailesbury. I do hope you’ve thought this through.”

“There is naught to think through, my lord, though I appreciate your warning.”

Jasper glanced in Adeline’s direction. She’d remained quiet during Melton’s and his back and forth; however, her eyes swelled with a fresh round of tears, and they spilled over her lids and down her cheeks.

Without thinking, Jasper took the final steps to her, brought his palms to the sides of her face, and brushed the tears away. If they’d been alone, he would have placed a kiss to each cheek where the moisture had left matching trails.

If they wed, he silently vowed she would never have need to shed another tear—unless it was in joy.

That was one promise he could make her.

Chapter 26

Adeline stared into Jasper’s green eyes, the warmth of his hands framing her face and his body near hers was all it took to banish her tears.

Jasper was here. He hadn’t fled the ball.

As she’d pleaded with Alistair, she’d feared that Jasper was gone forever. That thought hadn’t deterred her from confessing her love for the man or any consequences that followed, though. She’d been prepared to suffer them in silence, resolved to her fate, and all because she’d found the strength to speak her true feelings. If Alistair cast her from their family home, so be it. If her friends turned their backs on her, she would live. If society shunned her, Adeline would only be better for it.

She loved the man standing before her—his hurt, his sorrow, his loyalty, his compassion, his heart. She loved and cherished every inch of him.

And the way he looked at her now—his reserved smile, the yearning in his eyes, his labored breaths—told Adeline he felt the same soul-deep love for her.

Adeline’s entire body flushed with heat as time seemed to slow to a standstill, only to find her heart jumping back into action as it raced in her chest.

This love—their love—was more than a fluttering of the stomach or a weakening of the knees.

“Jasper, I—“ she started.

“Adeline, my study…now!” Her brother’s tone left no room for argument. “Come. This is a family matter and not one suitable for the entire ballroom.”

Adeline glanced over Jasper’s shoulder and, sure enough, guests had started to mill about outside the main ballroom door, attempting to hear their conversation.

She had no choice but to follow Alistair.

To her surprise, Jasper grasped her arm, while Josie and Georgie fell into ranks on either side of them.

Adeline wanted to scream that she didn’t need their protection, she was confident in everything she’d said and every emotion coursing through her. For once in her life, she needn’t hide behind petty retorts and snide comments.

The only thing that could harm her now was if Jasper turned her away.

Much like a funeral precession, they all trampled down the hall, past the onlookers in the foyer and into Alistair’s study, the door solidly thudding closed behind them. Adeline was certain that Donovan would station himself directly outside to keep the guests from attempting to move close and hear what transpired behind the closed doors.

The quiet of the room only intensified Adeline’s knowledge of Jasper’s presence.

His hulking frame stood by her side, while Josie and Georgie took seats on the lounge closest to the hearth. Alistair immediately sought the safety—and separation—the seat behind his desk provided, and Theo sank into her usual chair. The same seat she’d resided in the first time Adeline had brought Jasper to meet the pair.

Had that been only the previous day?