throat, he left just enough space between their bodies that Amelia saw the captured Lord Winters slide a hand into his overcoat.
‘Jasper!’ she screamed in warning just as the shot rang out, deafening in the small hallway. As if in slow motion she saw her lover fall and scrambled to her feet to run to him, only for a triumphantly leering Horatio to grab her, pistol still in hand.
He made as if to drag her off, Amelia struggling against him, panicking at the sight of a deathly still Jasper crumpled on the floor, blood spreading like a crimson flower across his white shirt.
Then Vimes was in front of her, the butt of his shotgun pressed right into Horatio’s gut. Horatio looked pleadingly at his henchman, who promptly strode over, but not to offer him aid. Rather he swung one meaty fist straight into Horatio’s jaw crumpling him like a tower of cards.
‘Good job,’ Vimes acknowledged gruffly. Amelia ran to Jasper’s side, her pulse roaring in her ears. Thank God, his eyelids fluttered as she knelt next to him.
‘Amelia.’ He opened those beautiful green eyes to look at her and smiled weakly. ‘Stay with me,’ he said before lapsing into unconsciousness.
* * *
When he came to, he was in Amelia’s bed, his side bandaged and throbbing, with Amelia next to him holding his hand in hers. She leaned over him in both concern and delight as she saw him wake.
‘Don’t try to sit up,’ she admonished as he attempted to do just that, ‘the doctor said it’s a flesh wound only but you’ve lost a lot of blood.’
‘Horatio?’ he asked. Amelia smiled.
‘Vimes locked him up in the pantry until the law came. They’ve taken him to Edinburgh, awaiting your evidence. I’m sure you’ll have a lot of people to talk to, my brave spy, but not yet.’ She pushed him gently back down as he once more attempted to raise himself up and kissed him lightly on the lips.
With surprising strength for one wounded he pulled her down with his good side and kissed her back passionately, then pulled away and looked seriously at her until she blushed under his intent gaze.
‘I meant what I said before. I want you to stay. As my wife.’
Amelia looked shocked. The words had been going round and round in her head while she had sat by his side, but she had put them down to delirium. ‘I thought you never wished to marry?’ she gasped.
‘I didn’t. Or I thought I didn’t. But then I met you, and you have changed everything. When I thought I would never see you again… I want you to be mine, and all mine. I know you said you did not want to marry either, but I will not take away your freedom, Amelia. I don’t want some pampered society wife. Unless, after all this, you have decided you do want that life?’
Amelia shook her head. ‘No, I want you, too, Jasper. I love you. You’ve set me free. But what of your work?’
‘It’s time I came home. This is my land and my responsibility. The English government will have to get along without me for a while.’ He smiled weakly.
‘You know my father is all but impoverished? I have no dowry—only Trevan House.’ Amelia felt a surge of possessiveness over this little piece of land she had so quickly come to love.
‘The Glendir fortune can easily rival that of Lord Winters. I will let your father know that you are with me, and safe. I don’t want your money, Amelia, and you can gladly keep Trevan. I want you.’
Amelia’s eyes glistened with tears as she realized what he was offering her.
‘Yes,’ she said, and leaned down to kiss him again. He buried a hand in her hair and tentatively reached for her with the other. Gently she slid her hand down the front of his body, smiling with pleasure as she felt him growing under his breeches in response to her touch.
‘You’re a wicked woman,’ he murmured in her ear, nipping at her lobe.
‘Now that,’ she chided as she slipped into bed next to him, ‘is no way at all to speak to your future wife.’
Then she proceeded
‘Jasper!’ she screamed in warning just as the shot rang out, deafening in the small hallway. As if in slow motion she saw her lover fall and scrambled to her feet to run to him, only for a triumphantly leering Horatio to grab her, pistol still in hand.
He made as if to drag her off, Amelia struggling against him, panicking at the sight of a deathly still Jasper crumpled on the floor, blood spreading like a crimson flower across his white shirt.
Then Vimes was in front of her, the butt of his shotgun pressed right into Horatio’s gut. Horatio looked pleadingly at his henchman, who promptly strode over, but not to offer him aid. Rather he swung one meaty fist straight into Horatio’s jaw crumpling him like a tower of cards.
‘Good job,’ Vimes acknowledged gruffly. Amelia ran to Jasper’s side, her pulse roaring in her ears. Thank God, his eyelids fluttered as she knelt next to him.
‘Amelia.’ He opened those beautiful green eyes to look at her and smiled weakly. ‘Stay with me,’ he said before lapsing into unconsciousness.
* * *
When he came to, he was in Amelia’s bed, his side bandaged and throbbing, with Amelia next to him holding his hand in hers. She leaned over him in both concern and delight as she saw him wake.
‘Don’t try to sit up,’ she admonished as he attempted to do just that, ‘the doctor said it’s a flesh wound only but you’ve lost a lot of blood.’
‘Horatio?’ he asked. Amelia smiled.
‘Vimes locked him up in the pantry until the law came. They’ve taken him to Edinburgh, awaiting your evidence. I’m sure you’ll have a lot of people to talk to, my brave spy, but not yet.’ She pushed him gently back down as he once more attempted to raise himself up and kissed him lightly on the lips.
With surprising strength for one wounded he pulled her down with his good side and kissed her back passionately, then pulled away and looked seriously at her until she blushed under his intent gaze.
‘I meant what I said before. I want you to stay. As my wife.’
Amelia looked shocked. The words had been going round and round in her head while she had sat by his side, but she had put them down to delirium. ‘I thought you never wished to marry?’ she gasped.
‘I didn’t. Or I thought I didn’t. But then I met you, and you have changed everything. When I thought I would never see you again… I want you to be mine, and all mine. I know you said you did not want to marry either, but I will not take away your freedom, Amelia. I don’t want some pampered society wife. Unless, after all this, you have decided you do want that life?’
Amelia shook her head. ‘No, I want you, too, Jasper. I love you. You’ve set me free. But what of your work?’
‘It’s time I came home. This is my land and my responsibility. The English government will have to get along without me for a while.’ He smiled weakly.
‘You know my father is all but impoverished? I have no dowry—only Trevan House.’ Amelia felt a surge of possessiveness over this little piece of land she had so quickly come to love.
‘The Glendir fortune can easily rival that of Lord Winters. I will let your father know that you are with me, and safe. I don’t want your money, Amelia, and you can gladly keep Trevan. I want you.’
Amelia’s eyes glistened with tears as she realized what he was offering her.
‘Yes,’ she said, and leaned down to kiss him again. He buried a hand in her hair and tentatively reached for her with the other. Gently she slid her hand down the front of his body, smiling with pleasure as she felt him growing under his breeches in response to her touch.
‘You’re a wicked woman,’ he murmured in her ear, nipping at her lobe.
‘Now that,’ she chided as she slipped into bed next to him, ‘is no way at all to speak to your future wife.’
Then she proceeded
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