you are fond of that someone.”
“But then again might it not be better if one did not give one’s heart too deeply to one’s partner? Death is indiscriminate and if one’s partner were to die, the pain would be almost more than one could bear.”
He sounded bleak and suddenly Marissa remembered that Valentine had been married himself. Here she was blathering on about love and marriage and it was obvious he had loved his wife and still suffered deeply from her loss. How could she be so stupid? Nevertheless, as she opened her mouth to apologize,it occurred to her that his argument was flawed, and really she could not let it pass.
“So you believe one should encase one’s heart in ice and avoid feeling too deeply in case one is hurt?”
“It makes sense.”
“Or bury your emotions by taking on a task so intellectually stimulating that you never miss love at all. Something like a…quest to find the Crusader’s Rose?”
His eyes narrowed, his mouth thinned.
Marissa’s fingers gripped the sill harder, waiting for his anger to wash over her.
Footsteps came hurrying toward the room and Jasper appeared, flushed, his hair standing on end, and then her grandmother arrived behind him, wide-eyed and gasping for breath.
“Kent, you’ll never believe it,” Jasper burst out. “The utter gall of the man. The sheer arrogance—”
“Jasper…”
“It defies belief, Kent. If I could have caught him I swear I would have—”
Valentine poured a glass of brandy from the decanter, handing it to his friend. “Drink this, Jasper, and then tell me, slowly, what on earth you’re talking about.”
Lady Bethany had tottered to a chair and collapsed into it. “How very…exciting,” she managed. “I don’t think I’ve attempted to run like that since the Earl of Southmoor cornered me in an arbor at Vauxhall Gardens.”
Thankfully, Jasper found his voice and interrupted her wicked reminiscences.
“He was standing outside in the park, Kent. Staring in through the window at you and Miss Rotherhild. I tell you it was him. I’d recognize him anywhere.”
“Who, Jasper? Who?” Valentine cried in frustration.
“Von Hautt.”
Valentine froze, and then strode across to the window, reaching it just as Marissa turned to also gaze out into the darkness. The soft summer breeze stirred against her cheek, bringing with it the scent of mown grass and the hum of crickets. His shoulder brushed hers and she felt his indrawn breath, and when he turned his head to meet her eyes she could see his own were full of passion and excitement.
“Are you sure you want to join me on tomorrow’s quest, Marissa?” he said softly, for her alone. “I will think no less of you if you wish to bow out.”
“But you told me Baron Von Hautt was not dangerous,” she accused.
“I lied.”
Her eyes narrowed at his unrepentant smile. “So Baron Von Hautt is dangerous?”
“Yes, I believe he is. I believe he will do anything in his power to beat me to the finish line.”
He expected her to turn tail and run. Marissa had no intention of being seen as a coward, and besides, she wasn’t afraid of Von Hautt. His possible presence made tomorrow’s expedition far more exciting than any botanical adventure she’d been on with her parents. “I will not be bowing out, Valentine.”
Some emotion flared in his gaze at the sound of his name on her lips, but before she could decidewhat it was he was turning away, moving back into the room.
“Which way did he go, Jasper?”
“Into the trees. He probably had a horse tethered there.” Jasper was pouring himself another glass of brandy, and Lady Bethany gestured for him to pour one for her, too.
“Well, at least now we are prepared for him,” Valentine said grimly.
“As prepared as we can be,” Jasper added. “The damnable thing of it is I was just this moment telling Lady B about the theft you suspected Von Hautt of committing, and then there he stood.”
“Theft?” Marissa looked
“But then again might it not be better if one did not give one’s heart too deeply to one’s partner? Death is indiscriminate and if one’s partner were to die, the pain would be almost more than one could bear.”
He sounded bleak and suddenly Marissa remembered that Valentine had been married himself. Here she was blathering on about love and marriage and it was obvious he had loved his wife and still suffered deeply from her loss. How could she be so stupid? Nevertheless, as she opened her mouth to apologize,it occurred to her that his argument was flawed, and really she could not let it pass.
“So you believe one should encase one’s heart in ice and avoid feeling too deeply in case one is hurt?”
“It makes sense.”
“Or bury your emotions by taking on a task so intellectually stimulating that you never miss love at all. Something like a…quest to find the Crusader’s Rose?”
His eyes narrowed, his mouth thinned.
Marissa’s fingers gripped the sill harder, waiting for his anger to wash over her.
Footsteps came hurrying toward the room and Jasper appeared, flushed, his hair standing on end, and then her grandmother arrived behind him, wide-eyed and gasping for breath.
“Kent, you’ll never believe it,” Jasper burst out. “The utter gall of the man. The sheer arrogance—”
“Jasper…”
“It defies belief, Kent. If I could have caught him I swear I would have—”
Valentine poured a glass of brandy from the decanter, handing it to his friend. “Drink this, Jasper, and then tell me, slowly, what on earth you’re talking about.”
Lady Bethany had tottered to a chair and collapsed into it. “How very…exciting,” she managed. “I don’t think I’ve attempted to run like that since the Earl of Southmoor cornered me in an arbor at Vauxhall Gardens.”
Thankfully, Jasper found his voice and interrupted her wicked reminiscences.
“He was standing outside in the park, Kent. Staring in through the window at you and Miss Rotherhild. I tell you it was him. I’d recognize him anywhere.”
“Who, Jasper? Who?” Valentine cried in frustration.
“Von Hautt.”
Valentine froze, and then strode across to the window, reaching it just as Marissa turned to also gaze out into the darkness. The soft summer breeze stirred against her cheek, bringing with it the scent of mown grass and the hum of crickets. His shoulder brushed hers and she felt his indrawn breath, and when he turned his head to meet her eyes she could see his own were full of passion and excitement.
“Are you sure you want to join me on tomorrow’s quest, Marissa?” he said softly, for her alone. “I will think no less of you if you wish to bow out.”
“But you told me Baron Von Hautt was not dangerous,” she accused.
“I lied.”
Her eyes narrowed at his unrepentant smile. “So Baron Von Hautt is dangerous?”
“Yes, I believe he is. I believe he will do anything in his power to beat me to the finish line.”
He expected her to turn tail and run. Marissa had no intention of being seen as a coward, and besides, she wasn’t afraid of Von Hautt. His possible presence made tomorrow’s expedition far more exciting than any botanical adventure she’d been on with her parents. “I will not be bowing out, Valentine.”
Some emotion flared in his gaze at the sound of his name on her lips, but before she could decidewhat it was he was turning away, moving back into the room.
“Which way did he go, Jasper?”
“Into the trees. He probably had a horse tethered there.” Jasper was pouring himself another glass of brandy, and Lady Bethany gestured for him to pour one for her, too.
“Well, at least now we are prepared for him,” Valentine said grimly.
“As prepared as we can be,” Jasper added. “The damnable thing of it is I was just this moment telling Lady B about the theft you suspected Von Hautt of committing, and then there he stood.”
“Theft?” Marissa looked
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