to talk to Victoria
again first.
“Of course. I will enjoy a coffee while I wait until you are free.”
Infuriating man! How dare he dismiss her rudeness as if it never happened? And Victoria
wanted her to align herself with this man? She might as well get it over with; she’d
lost her appetite anyway. She pushed her chair back from the table and winced at the
sound it made as it scrapped the tiled floor. “I’m free to see you now, My Lord.”
Jasper paused in pouring coffee into his cup and raised a brow in her direction. “As
you wish. Victoria, may I use your drawing room?”
“Of course you may.” She smiled at her brother and then turned to Grace. “Remember
what I said.”
As if she could forget.
Grace followed Lord Bingham down the hallway to the drawing room near the front door.
Even after Mrs Walters gave her a tour this morning she was awed at the grandeur of
this home. She was amazed it was so clean. Everything sparkled, even the rooms that
were so obviously not in use. She couldn’t even keep her one-bedroom apartment this
clean. She was so busy gazing at the crystal chandelier, she didn’t notice Lord Bingham
stop at the doorway.
“Ouf.” Strong arms wrapped around her body and his scent invaded her nostrils. Suddenly
she was back at the ball and her body melted into his.
Jasper tightened his arms and planted his feet so he didn’t topple over. He tried
to move his hips back so the bundle in his arms wouldn’t feel his sudden desire. She
was having none of it. Her prickliness earlier at breakfast melted away and she became
the woman who seduced him last night. Her arms wrapped around his neck and her lips
begged to be kissed. Well, he was a gentleman after all, and if that was what the
lady wanted…
“I thought you would have more sense than making love in full view of my staff, Bingham.
And you miss, if you intend to stay under my roof, you will act with some restraint
and decorum.”
Lord Harrison’s voice had the effect of a bucket of cold water on Grace. She leapt
out of Jasper’s arms, tripped on the hem of her borrowed dress and landed soundly
on her bottom on the cold marble floor. Tears sprang to her eyes, partly from the
pain but mostly from the humiliation of being caught again; and being made to feel
like a slut. Good Lord, this whole time-warp was going to take some getting used to.
Really, who thought a kiss was an act of sin?
“You keep this up much longer, Bingham, and you will need to procure a special licence.”
“Thank you, Neal. I will be sure to heed your advice.” Sarcasm dripped from his lips.
“Come, Miss Lancaster, I believe we have a few things to discuss.”
She was so glad to see the door shut in Lord Harrison’s face that she almost broke
out in giggles. She managed to cover them with a cough that lasted so long Jasper
stepped towards her to smack her back.
“Are you quite well? Now then, Grace, I may call you Grace, can I not? I think we
are past formalities.” A cheeky smile spread on his face.
“Of course,” she snorted.
“Good, call me Jasper.” He raised his hand and almost brushed a wayward strand of
hair from her eyes but turned to pace the room instead. “Maybe Neal’s right. Maybe
we shouldn’t have a long engagement. There’s really no reason to wait; my family consists
of Victoria and you say you no longer have one.” He turned to face her. “What do you
say? We get married in a week?”
“A week?” she squeaked and collapsed into the nearest chair. She couldn’t get married,
and certainly not in a week’s time! For the second time in five minutes hysteria set
in, but this time instead of laughter there was a body-numbing panic. What if she
couldn’t figure out how to get home before then? What if there
was
no reason that she time-travelled? What if she just disappeared without a trace,
anyone she married would be frantic for her. She couldn’t
again first.
“Of course. I will enjoy a coffee while I wait until you are free.”
Infuriating man! How dare he dismiss her rudeness as if it never happened? And Victoria
wanted her to align herself with this man? She might as well get it over with; she’d
lost her appetite anyway. She pushed her chair back from the table and winced at the
sound it made as it scrapped the tiled floor. “I’m free to see you now, My Lord.”
Jasper paused in pouring coffee into his cup and raised a brow in her direction. “As
you wish. Victoria, may I use your drawing room?”
“Of course you may.” She smiled at her brother and then turned to Grace. “Remember
what I said.”
As if she could forget.
Grace followed Lord Bingham down the hallway to the drawing room near the front door.
Even after Mrs Walters gave her a tour this morning she was awed at the grandeur of
this home. She was amazed it was so clean. Everything sparkled, even the rooms that
were so obviously not in use. She couldn’t even keep her one-bedroom apartment this
clean. She was so busy gazing at the crystal chandelier, she didn’t notice Lord Bingham
stop at the doorway.
“Ouf.” Strong arms wrapped around her body and his scent invaded her nostrils. Suddenly
she was back at the ball and her body melted into his.
Jasper tightened his arms and planted his feet so he didn’t topple over. He tried
to move his hips back so the bundle in his arms wouldn’t feel his sudden desire. She
was having none of it. Her prickliness earlier at breakfast melted away and she became
the woman who seduced him last night. Her arms wrapped around his neck and her lips
begged to be kissed. Well, he was a gentleman after all, and if that was what the
lady wanted…
“I thought you would have more sense than making love in full view of my staff, Bingham.
And you miss, if you intend to stay under my roof, you will act with some restraint
and decorum.”
Lord Harrison’s voice had the effect of a bucket of cold water on Grace. She leapt
out of Jasper’s arms, tripped on the hem of her borrowed dress and landed soundly
on her bottom on the cold marble floor. Tears sprang to her eyes, partly from the
pain but mostly from the humiliation of being caught again; and being made to feel
like a slut. Good Lord, this whole time-warp was going to take some getting used to.
Really, who thought a kiss was an act of sin?
“You keep this up much longer, Bingham, and you will need to procure a special licence.”
“Thank you, Neal. I will be sure to heed your advice.” Sarcasm dripped from his lips.
“Come, Miss Lancaster, I believe we have a few things to discuss.”
She was so glad to see the door shut in Lord Harrison’s face that she almost broke
out in giggles. She managed to cover them with a cough that lasted so long Jasper
stepped towards her to smack her back.
“Are you quite well? Now then, Grace, I may call you Grace, can I not? I think we
are past formalities.” A cheeky smile spread on his face.
“Of course,” she snorted.
“Good, call me Jasper.” He raised his hand and almost brushed a wayward strand of
hair from her eyes but turned to pace the room instead. “Maybe Neal’s right. Maybe
we shouldn’t have a long engagement. There’s really no reason to wait; my family consists
of Victoria and you say you no longer have one.” He turned to face her. “What do you
say? We get married in a week?”
“A week?” she squeaked and collapsed into the nearest chair. She couldn’t get married,
and certainly not in a week’s time! For the second time in five minutes hysteria set
in, but this time instead of laughter there was a body-numbing panic. What if she
couldn’t figure out how to get home before then? What if there
was
no reason that she time-travelled? What if she just disappeared without a trace,
anyone she married would be frantic for her. She couldn’t
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