Treating a Sinful Earl by Henrietta Harding
Chapter 28
As she sat at her desk, Catherine relished in the letter. She read it several times, soaking in each beautiful word. There was no man in the world that could capture her imagination, heart, and soul like Jasper could. Yet, there was a growing tension, as well. It was a tension that sprung from the erotic nature of their last encounter. Catherine wanted nothing more than to give herself to Jasper fully, but she feared that she could not hold out before their wedding day…if there was a wedding day.
Amid her love, there was fear that her father would not approve of the match. What would she do then? Surely, she would have to escape and elope, for there was no other option. She needed to be with Jasper, and nothing was going to stop them, no matter the consequences. This lingering fear was replaced by marvellous anticipation as she thought of the evening ahead when she would once more be in Jasper’s arms. Oh, to feel him holding her once more! That thought alone would cause the fear to be banished.
As she readied herself in the mirror, Selina was once again by her side. “Do you really think that you can go through with this again?” she asked.
“I cannot prevent what will happen, but I know that I must go to him.”
Selina sighed. “I fear that you will be discovered this time. Last time, everything worked perfectly. Your parents were informed that you were not well and wished for privacy. What will be the excuse this time?”
“I shall tell them that the same malady returned.”
“Surely, that will be suspicious.”
“But why should they be? It is common for ladies to have monthly maladies. I shall inform my chaperone that this month is particularly bad.”
In the mirror, Selina examined her. “It was just as I feared. You were not able to rebuff his advances?”
Catherine turned to her incredulously. “Nothing ill took place. Jasper was a gentleman the entire time. I explained this to you.”
“Yes, but I sense that you are not telling me the whole truth,” Selina protested. “Tell me, is your honour intact?”
Catherine thought it useless to even answer this question, for she had already revealed the truth. Still, Selina would not let up until Catherine explained it again. “My honour is still intact and shall remain so until Jasper and I are wed. I do not wish to discuss this further.”
Selina fell silent. She walked over to a chair and seated herself whilst Catherine remained at the mirror, putting a pearl earring into her ear. Within this silence, Catherine felt ill at ease. What if Selina told her parents the truth? Her friend had been acting strange of late, and it would not surprise Catherine if Selina gave her away. But none of that mattered now. All that truly mattered was her future happiness with Jasper.
Catherine managed to leave Selina, all the while crossing her fingers that the plan might work yet again. But she had already resolved herself for if it did not. Felton was once again waiting for her out the back door, but this time, he had a sad expression on his face.
“Is something amiss?” Catherine asked, quickly rushing away from her home as they spoke.
“Nothing,” he mumbled. “Jasper is waiting for you.”
“Perhaps this would be an agreeable time for us to discuss Abigail,” Catherine suggested, considering that they had not done so on the previous occasion.
“Jasper wishes for me to take the same initiative that he has taken with you. I do not know…if I have his strength.”
As they continued to rush along, Catherine assured him, “You must keep trying, Felton. Abigail loves you. I am sure of it. She is merely headstrong and perhaps afraid.”
“I appreciate you telling me this,” Felton went on. “It is so difficult to gauge what is going on inside of her head. Sometimes, I wonder if I am wasting my time entirely.”
“You are not,” she assured him. “Please, hold onto hope. You will find that Abigail will reveal herself in time.”
“Perhaps your own marriage will inspire her,” Felton said humorously. “That is…if the wedding is plausible,” he added darkly.
Catherine froze. Even though it was best to continue to hurry along, this last matter needed to be spoken of in stillness. “What do you mean, plausible?”
He sighed weightily. “You know that Jasper is in ill health.”
“I do. That does not change my love for him.”
“And you know that he does not know…how long he has.”
Her response was breathless. “I know this, as well.”
“Then, however much you are both enraptured in this moment, understand that this might be a more trying situation than you realize.”
Catherine assumed that she knew everything, but now Felton was making it sound as though she was not aware of something much darker and deeper. She felt her heart race in her chest but there was no time to discuss this matter with Felton any further. She continued on their journey, suddenly filled with fear that the evening ahead would not be as perfect as she had assumed it would be.
The only faint hint of relief came when Catherine reached Jasper’s estate, where the lights were shining and everything surrounding it was silent. She finally exhaled, filled with excitement for seeing him again, for being alone with him again. Perhaps, his words would make it all well again. There was something ever so healing about Jasper’s words, his voice, his sentiments.
She quickly rushed to the door and was escorted in by Felton, just as she had been the first time. Once inside, Catherine finally felt at home, for truly, the brief time that she had spent at Jasper’s home had felt more like home than the home that she was raised in!
Felton dutifully led her to the study, where Jasper was yet again seated at his desk. Catherine could not help but grin from ear to ear upon seeing him. Yes, this man felt like home as much as his estate felt like home. She wished to rush into his arms, but to do so would be hasty, considering that Felton was still there.
“Should I go?” Felton asked.
Jasper put up a steady hand. “Stay for a moment.”
Catherine thought this odd, for she was desperate to be alone with Jasper, but she sensed from her previous conversation with Felton that something was certainly amiss.
Felton pulled out a chair for Catherine and then seated himself. Once all three were situated, Jasper spoke with an official air. “It was a success?” he asked.
Felton nodded. “Indeed. I think that you might just pull it off, but I do not know for how long.”
Finally, Jasper’s gaze turned on Catherine, and her eyes implored him to tell her what was going on. Instead, she said simply, “I am most happy to be here, and I am grateful for your letter.”
Jasper released a smile. “I meant every word.”
Catherine examined his face. Although he was being most business-like, there was something tense in Jasper’s expression. It was all too clear that something was amiss when he brought a hand up to his forehead. Felton sprang to his feet, “Shall I procure the tincture?”
Jasper shook his head. “There is no need. All is well.” He coughed. “I merely wanted to know if everything was done safely. You are free to go, Felton.”
Felton remained in his seat as though he had trepidation about this command. “I can stay longer.”
“Go,” Jasper said softly, prompting Felton to get up and walk slowly to the door.
Once they were finally alone, Catherine could not help but ask, “What has happened? I feel as though I am not being told something.”
He fell silent for but a brief moment. “I fear that my symptoms have been strong since the last time that we saw one another.”
It was the very explanation that Catherine feared. “I can make more tinctures!” she offered. “Perhaps your supply is low.”
Jasper shook his head definitively. “I have plenty. It has been a trying morning, and all that was on my mind was your safe return to your future home.”
“But I want this future home to contain you…all of you. Let us focus on your health first.”
“You have already revived me,” Jasper said with a smile. “I have been struggling all day, but now that you are here, I feel my strength returning.”
Catherine could not help but get up from her chair to join him. She came around the desk, placing her hands softly upon his shoulders and leaning down to kiss him upon the cheek. Jasper quickly circumvented this and placed his lips where his cheek had been.
“You are so terribly sneaky!” Catherine teased once the kiss was done.
“You have no idea.”
With perfect ease, Jasper managed to pull Catherine onto his lap and there she sat, breathing him in and continuing to kiss him. There she wished to remain for the rest of her days; there was where she could eternally sit once they were wed.
Just when Catherine thought her passion could not grow any further, Jasper quickly pulled away, and his coughing ensued. She quickly got up, placed a concerned hand behind his back and asked, “What can I do?”
“Go and procure the tinctures.”
She knew exactly where to go. The evening before, he had instructed her where to find his tinctures in his room. She ran from the study and rushed up the stairs, passing several housemaids as she did so. Catherine did not care what they thought. She needed to help the man that she loved. Once in his room, there was no time to reminisce about the last occasion that they had slept there together. She opened the bureau and procured the tinctures that he required. These being secured, she ran back to the study.
After entering, she saw that Jasper was sitting up straight and massaging his temples. She brought him the tinctures and administered them herself. Once this was done, she heaved a sigh of relief.
“Any better?” she asked.
“I am starting to come to.” He reached out his hands and grasped her hips, pulling her onto him again. As she sat there—on the most perfect throne she had ever known—Catherine brought her hand through his hair.
“You frightened me.”
“I hate when I do that,” he shared.
“There’s nothing to hate about it. I merely want to help you. Your sickness does not temper my love. Nor does it increase it. It is merely the state of affairs.”
“I admire your attitude,” he said with a wry smile. “All day, I feared that you would see me in this state. But all of this is behind us now, and we are free to enjoy our supper…and one another’s company.”
Finally, the beating of her heart slowed, and she exhaled. “Yes, that is all that matters. I merely wish to be in your company.”
They sat there for some time, gazing into one another’s eyes. There was a twinkle in his eye, which she had not seen after she first arrived. “I am happy that you have arrived safely.”
“I fear that Selina does not approve of all of this,” Catherine shared.
“It matters little whether she approves or no.”
“But I fear that she might reveal all of this to my father.”
“And as I said, I am going to speak with him, so even that is of no importance.”
“Yes, I suppose that you are right. It does not matter what my father thinks. I love you, and nothing can come in the way of that.”
Jasper rocked her to and fro as he said, “For now, I wish to feed you, for you might be famished.”
“I am only famished for your love.”
“Then allow me to fully satiate you,” he said warmly.