His Wicked Heart (43 page)

“I won’t, but if I have to, I’ll have no
trouble ruining you. Society’s approval is far more important to
you than it is to me.” Or so Jasper had come to realize. Nothing
was more important than Olivia’s approval, and right now that was
the only thing worth fighting for.

The duke wavered another moment, his gaze
flicking back and forth between Jasper and the men from the Black
Horse. At last he said, “Keep her away from me.” Then he stalked
from the room.

Sevrin grinned. “Now, I think our work really
is done. Congratulations, Saxton.”

All of them surrounded Jasper and either
shook his hand or clapped his back. One laid a hand on his wounded
shoulder and Jasper flinched. “Eh, sorry about that,” Hopkins said
sheepishly.

“I’m only sorry we can’t tar that fellow,
Gifford,” one man said.

“I think he’ll spend plenty of time in
Newgate,” Sevrin said. “Now, lads, let’s leave Saxton and his bride
to themselves. I’m sure they have things to discuss.” He bowed to
Olivia and the other men did the same. Olivia’s cheeks pinked while
Louisa grinned broadly.

After they departed, his aunt rushed to hug
him. “My dear boy. Well done! Who were those men?”

“I belong to a fighting club. They’re my
friends.”

“Indeed? How extraordinary. I knew there had
to be a reason for your various bruises. There was no way you’d
suddenly turned into the clumsiest man in England.” She glanced
back at Olivia who hadn’t moved. “I’m going to return to Queen
Street. I’m sure you’ll deliver Olivia at some point. Olivia, dear,
I’ll have our things packed for York. We’ll leave on the
morrow.”

She gave Jasper’s hand a squeeze before
sweeping from the room.

Jasper stood and watched Olivia a moment,
unsure of what she was thinking. He took one step forward, but she
took one back. “I’m sorry.”

“What agreement was Holborn speaking of?” she
asked.

Jasper steeled himself for her anger. “I’d
agreed to marry Philippa in exchange for him leaving you alone. I
wanted you to be happy with Louisa, and he guaranteed it.”

“So you did plan to marry her. What were you
doing with me last night?” Her voice was so wounded, her face so
pale.

Jasper wanted to hold her, but he daren’t
move for fear that she’d flee. “I did plan to marry her—for about
an hour. I went to the Black Horse and my friends—Sevrin and that
lot—talked sense into my foolish brain. Then I came to see you.
Unfortunately, the duke got ahead of himself and shared the news
with a reporter at the
Times
.”

“But you said Philippa refused you.”

“I had to. Philippa’s reputation is at stake.
I have to let Society believe she refused me.”

“Won’t your reputation suffer?”

“I don’t give a fig about that.”

Her eyes flashed with disappointment. “Why,
because by marrying me you’ll be ruined anyway?”

He couldn’t stand the distance between them
another moment. In three large strides he was before her. He took
her hands in his. “No, because now that I have you, nothing else
matters. I do still have you, don’t I?” He sank to his knees,
prepared to beg if necessary. “I know you’re probably feeling
distrustful. I felt the same last night when I heard you’d received
a threatening letter and didn’t tell me about it.” Her eyes
widened. “But I decided it didn’t matter. I trust you, Olivia. I
know you had a reason for not telling me.”

She nodded sheepishly. “I assumed the duke
sent it. I didn’t want to further damage an already horrid
relationship.”

He smiled at her. “You needn’t worry on that
count—I’m certain there’s nothing else that could further tarnish
how I view the duke.”

She blinked at him, and he realized there
were tears in her eyes.

He squeezed her hands. “Please don’t cry,
Olivia. See, I’m begging. Trust me, love me, marry me.”

“I think I like your fighting club friends. I
won’t mind if you continue with your membership.”

He laughed, joy coursing through him.
“They’re good sorts.”

“The best since they chose you.”

“Does this mean you choose me too?” His heart
stopped a moment as he waited for her response.

She pulled on his hands. “Oh, stand up and
kiss me, Jasper.”

London, March 1818

“ARE YOU sure you want to go?” Jasper asked
as Olivia pulled her gloves on. “I’ll understand if you’d rather
stay home and rest.” His gaze flicked to her waistline, which
hadn’t yet begun to reveal the child growing inside of her.

She smiled in response. “I know you’d rather
stay home, but we promised Louisa we’d go to Lady Badby’s dinner
party.” Furthermore, she wanted to show everyone, particularly
Jasper’s parents who would no doubt be there, that she was more
than capable of being Countess of Saxton.

He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled
her against him then nuzzled her neck. “I’d much prefer you here,
alone, but I suppose I can share you for one night.”

Thirty minutes later they ascended the steps
to Lady Badby’s townhouse. If the line of carriages were any
indication, her dinner party would be far too populated for a
sit-down meal.

They’d offered to bring Louisa with them, but
she’d declined, saying she wanted to watch their grand entrance.
Olivia stifled an urgent stab of anxiety. Everyone’s attention
would be fixed on her and Jasper. They hadn’t been out in Society
since they’d quietly wed in York the previous September.

As promised, Louisa was waiting for them in
the drawing room, though she was hard to spot at first given the
thick crowd. She cut a path to them, beaming. “You look splendid,
dears.”

“Louisa, I thought you said this was a
moderately-sized dinner party?” Olivia said, though she’d long ago
learned Louisa’s idea of “moderate” was perhaps not what others
would define.

Louisa shrugged. “I can’t imagine all of
these people had legitimate invitations, but Augusta won’t turn
them away. She’s over there preening under her success. You’re the
toast of London already, and she snagged your first
appearance.”

Lady Badby was speaking with several people,
her befeathered head bobbing and her beringed hands gesticulating.
Just behind her stood the Duke of Holborn. Olivia looked about for
the duchess, but didn’t see her. They hadn’t seen or heard from
either of Jasper’s parents since leaving London in the fall.

They had, however, spent time with Jasper’s
sister, Miranda, and her husband, Fox, who’d come to their wedding.
And now they were here as well. Miranda strode toward them, her
husband trailing in her wake.

She beamed at Olivia and took her hands. “Ah,
there you are.” She lowered her voice. “You’re glowing, dear. Is
there something I should know?” She arched a brow at Jasper.

“How can you tell?” Olivia asked.

Fox slid his hand around his wife’s waist,
completely unaware—or perhaps uncaring—that such public affection
was frowned upon in London. “You should know by now that Miranda
notices everything.”

Miranda gave Fox a playful look. “A mother
senses these things.” Their son was just a few months old.

“Is Alexander here in London with you?”
Olivia asked. They’d visited after his birth, but she dearly hoped
to see him again.

“Of course.” Miranda’s eyes sparkled with
merriment. “You don’t think the duke and duchess would deign to
visit their grandson in rural Wiltshire?”

Olivia felt Jasper’s arm tense beneath her
fingertips. She looked up at him and saw him staring at the duke.
“Everything all right?”

“Mmm, yes. I think so.” Jasper had visited
his father before they’d traveled to York. He’d assured Olivia that
despite the duke’s behavior up to that point, he wouldn’t trouble
them. He’d also sworn that he hadn’t threatened his father in
return, but Olivia still wondered why the duke had so easily agreed
to leave them to their happiness. “I’ll just go and see.”

“I’m coming with you,” Olivia said.

“Brave girl,” Fox noted. “I’d offer my
support, but I don’t think my presence will help your cause.”

Miranda grinned at him. “Oh, he was
practically pleasant when we visited them yesterday with
Alexander.”

Jasper arched a brow at his sister as if he
didn’t believe that at all. Miranda laughed and winked at Olivia as
Jasper drew her toward the duke. Holborn clasped his hands behind
his back as they approached.

“Good evening, Your Grace.” Olivia offered a
curtsey.

“Good evening.” The duke gave a slight bow.
Olivia slid a glance at Jasper, whose eyes widened almost
imperceptibly. He hadn’t expected anything so polite. Neither had
Olivia, but she was acutely aware of how closely everyone in the
room was watching them so she’d hoped for civility at the
least.

“Is Her Grace here?” Jasper asked.

“Yes, somewhere about.” The duke attempted a
tight smile, but to Olivia he looked as if he were suffering a stab
of arthritic pain. “I trust you are both well?”

Jasper covered her hand with his. “We are,
thank you. Your solicitude is much appreciated.”

“Of course.” The duke inclined his head, but
his eyes were frigid. He’d publicly accepted them, but not
privately. Still, it was precisely what they’d hoped. After all of
his threats and thwarted attempts to drive Olivia away, he’d
surrendered.

People began to move toward them tentatively.
The evening passed in a blur for Olivia until just before midnight
when she found herself alone while Jasper fetched her a glass of
lemonade. The duke appeared at her side.

“Have you been waiting to pounce?” she
asked.

“A bit, yes.”

Olivia didn’t want to play games. She knew
where she stood with this man and accepted it. “Tell me why.”

“Why I’ve allowed you to stay?” He looked out
at the drawing room instead of at her. “You’re an actress. You can
play the part of Jasper’s wife at least well enough to fool
Society.”

She laughed softly. “You don’t think much of
me or Society.”

“He was going to marry you, no matter what I
said or did.”

Olivia’s heart warmed, knowing the duke was
right. Jasper would never let her go. “We’re going to have a child.
Probably late in the summer. Don’t tell Jasper I told you.”

The duke looked at her now. The faintest
sheen glowed in his eyes. Not tears, but there was something inside
him keeping his soul from shriveling completely. “Will you send
word when he comes?”

He
. Holborn expected nothing else.
Olivia nodded. “I will.”

Later, Olivia sleepily curled against her
husband’s side in their massive four-poster bed at Saxton House. “I
had a nice time. I still prefer York, but I can manage a few months
in London each year. Especially with Louisa, and hopefully your
sister can come periodically, when the orphanage allows.”

His fingers stroked her upper arm. “I will
follow wherever you lead.”

She looked up at him. “Did you enjoy
tonight?”

“You’re trying to ask about my parents. I
admit I was shocked by their polite behavior.”

“You didn’t really expect them to cause a
scene?”

“Not particularly, but I’ve given up trying
to predict Holborn. I’d like to think he has more sense than to
cause the very thing he’s so afraid of, but he can sometimes be
rash, as he was in my youth.” He’d told Olivia plenty of tales of
his father’s cruelty, but her heart never failed to squeeze when
she thought of Jasper’s childhood. It actually made her lack of a
father preferable.

She’d come to accept that she would never
know the identity of her father, but she also accepted that she’d
spent fourteen somewhat happy years with foster parents who had
given her kindness if not love. And she supposed Fiona had loved
her in her own way. But now she had the love of a true parent in
Louisa, and that was more than she could have dreamed. Instead of
feeling as if her life were missing something, she felt full,
complete. Loved.

She snuggled up against Jasper and pressed a
kiss to his throat. “I love you.”

He clasped her tightly. “I love you, too.” He
turned toward her and kissed her lightly. “And did I tell you how
proud I am of you? How gratifying it is to see every other man in
the room glare at me with envy?”

She smiled against his lips. “I know the
feeling, though the women also bare their teeth.”

He laughed. “How ferocious.” He kissed a
trail along her jaw to her ear.

“I was surprised you didn’t want to visit the
Black Horse this evening. I know you want to see Sevrin and the
others.”

He nibbled at her neck, just below her ear.
“I thought I might go tomorrow, if you’re amenable.”

Olivia was fast losing interest in
conversing. “Of course, they’re your friends.”

Jasper pulled back. “Have I told you how
lucky I am, how happy you make me, how I couldn’t possibly deserve
you?”