Treating a Sinful Earl by Henrietta Harding
Chapter 39
As they sat in the dining room of the inn, Catherine had to wonder if the day could possibly be more complete. Jasper had suggested a fancy restaurant so that they might celebrate, but Catherine had expressed that she wished for something simpler and quieter, so they would have no distractions. The dining room of the inn was perfect. Candles were lit, various other diners feasted on their suppers, and Jasper and Catherine shared a quiet corner to themselves.
He reached over and took her by the hand. “This is all thanks to you.”
“What do you mean?”
“You suggested that I see another doctor, and now we have both been set free due to your good sense.”
“I just had a feeling, Jasper…I had a feeling that we did not know the whole truth. I could not be happier.”
“What did the shaman say?” Jasper asked, curiosity overtaking him.
“That he knew all along. He could not give your condition a name, but he informed me that the diagnosis was in line with what he sensed. He also said that he wishes for me to return to London once a month so that he can slowly teach me.”
Jasper’s chest brimmed with pride. “Then you shall do it. You have a remarkable talent, my love, and it must be nurtured.”
Catherine grinned from ear to ear. “I am so grateful that you allow me.”
“Allow you? You know that from this day forth, you are allowed to do whatever you please. I do not own you, nor do I wish to. You are too remarkable of a woman to be owned by anyone.”
“But if anyone on this earth were allowed to own me, I would choose you.”
There was a tinge of seduction in this statement, and Jasper felt it keenly throughout his body. Could he have ownership of her, he would. But he wished in all things for Catherine to be set free. Could he own her body…he would. But Jasper could never possess her soul, no matter how much he wished to.
It was a suspended moment, staring into her eyes and seeing his future there. This woman that sat in front of him had changed the entire course of his life. Had it not been for her remedies and suggestions, would Jasper have removed himself from all of society by now? Certainly, he thought that he might have, for he had that very inclination right before meeting Catherine Trowbridge.
“Last night, when you slept in my arms,” he said softly, “I thought that I could die from happiness.”
“Well, I am glad that you did not because this appointment was important,” she quipped.
He could not help but laugh. “Yes, it was very important. But not as important as the woman sitting across from me. That is the most important jewel of all.”
“Do you wish to live in London?”
Jasper scoffed. “Not for the world. But if it made you happy, then I would live here.”
“I wish to live in Bath for the rest of my days. Oh, it seems so silly to live in the same place all of one’s life, but I have a great affinity for it, and I want…I want our children to be raised there.”
Jasper replied in a hushed voice, “Then we shall live there. Anything that you want is yours. I shall build a cottage for my mother.”
Catherine’s eyebrows shot up. “Build a cottage for your mother? But why?”
“I wish to have you all to myself. I have made this clear.”
“But I love your dear mother, and I want her close.”
“The cottage shall be on the estate. That was what was intended. She shall be nearby, but there is no reason to discover her in the parlour every time I set foot in my own home,” Jasper stated, humour in his voice.
“I will leave that decision up to you. It is your home, after all. Has your mother been stern with you?”
Jasper paused to consider how to answer this question. “My illness has frightened her terribly, that much is plain. Although it was kind of her to be so concerned, I did not like the feeling of it. I did not like being treated as a child when I am a grown man. Sadly, I fear that now that this ordeal is done, Mother will find something else to pester me about. That is why I have come to the decision to build the cottage.”
Just then, there was a scuffle in the dining room, and Jasper turned to discover Felton standing there, looking purely exhausted. In confusion, Jasper stood as Felton approached, his waistcoat undone and hair awry.
“What the devil?”
“Your mother told me that you were here,” Felton said.
“And you came?” Jasper asked, thinking it improbable.
“Indeed.”
“Whatever for?”
“Might I be seated?”
Jasper rolled his eyes. The last thing that he wished for was to have Felton intrude on his intimate evening with Catherine. But considering that it was his best friend in the world, he obliged. “As you will.”
Felton seated himself and said to Catherine, “I know that this seems abrupt.”
“Is everything all right?” she asked.
He smiled broadly and said, “I am to be married.”
The table fell silent, but Jasper was sure that all three of them were filled with joy to hear it. “Abigail?” he asked.
“No, the Queen of Sheba. Yes, Abigail! I asked for her hand this morning and she casually accepted. Perhaps far too casually? I shall not overthink it.”
“I could not be more proud of you,” Jasper said warmly, clapping him on the back. “But was it really necessary to come all the way to London to tell me so?”
Felton nodded. “It very much was. I have not told a soul, and I was not going to wait around in Bath for you to return.”
“Felton, you often surprise me, but this takes the cake.”
“Hear me out. I went to Abigail in the morning to pay a call. I brought flowers.”
Catherine interjected, “That was a fine choice.”
“Thank you. It was upon handing her the flowers that I remarked on how beautiful she looked.”
“Also a fine choice,” Jasper added with a grin.
“She blushed after I spoke of her beauty, and from there, I told Abigail that I wished to see her more often, for it seemed like we did not encounter one another much. She expressed the same sentiment. Then I told her that I wish to see her for a lifetime, and she consented to this.”
“What?” Catherine asked. “Just like that?”
“Indeed. So, I got down upon one knee and asked her to be my bride.”
The table cheered, and the other guests in the restaurant turned to see what all the commotion was about. Once they hushed, the diners returned to their meals, and Felton went on, “I might very well be the happiest man on this earth. I did not know that I would come to Abigail’s that day and leave with a betrothed, but I am ever so happy that I did!”
Jasper clapped him on the back once more. “You have done it, my friend. You have secured the object of your affection.” He turned to Catherine. “And I have secured mine. We are complete men. And…there is something else that I wish to inform you.”
Felton turned to him. “Speak.”
“I am no longer a dying man. The doctor said that my condition is not fatal and can be treated with medicine.”
He saw tears form in Felton’s eyes. He brushed these away, no doubt not wanting to show his vulnerability. “Words cannot express how I feel in this moment,” was Felton’s reply. “I think that perhaps this is the greatest day of my life.”
“I certainly know that it is the greatest day of my life,” Jasper said, relieved. “Tomorrow we shall return to Bath, and there we will begin our new lives together, Catherine and I. It is in the morning when I shall secure the special license from the cardinal, and we are free to hold the wedding ceremony wherever we choose. You shall be my best man, and I am quite sure that Abigail will be Catherine’s maid of honour.” He looked to Catherine for reassurance, and she nodded her head. “Then it is all settled. What can be amiss when life has given us such rich gifts?”
Jasper ordered champagne for the table, and the three of them sat there for some hours, remarking upon their happiness, and enjoying the afterglow of their successes. It was at a late hour when Catherine and Jasper finally returned to their room, and once they were inside, it was Catherine who began to undress Jasper, removing his coat and shirt.
Standing there and feeling her pressed against his bare chest, Jasper knew that he had finally come home. “Where will Felton go?” Catherine asked softly.
“He has many acquaintances in London. He will find somewhere.”
“I cannot believe it. Abigail gave in so quickly.”
“Because she is a smart woman,” he replied with a grin.
“That she is. I told her that she should choose love, and she did. To think, mere weeks ago everything was so different, and now nothing is the same. It warms my heart in so many ways.”
He brought his hand to the back of her head. “This is all your doing, you realize. Felton and Abigail, you and I.”
“That is not true. If you were not so tall and handsome, none of this ever would have happened,” she said playfully.
“I fear that I might be the luckiest man on this earth.”
“I was thinking the same of myself.”
“You are the most beautiful man I have ever seen,” he quipped.
Catherine beat her hand against his chest. “But truly, did anyone ever imagine that this would happen? It all feels like a dream.”
“Life is a dream,” he assured her.
“Then I never wish for this dream to end.” Catherine pressed her lips against his, and he held her tightly, knowing that it would be considerably more difficult for him to hold back this evening. Yet still, alas, he would have to. There was too much anticipation surrounding their wedding night, and Jasper did not wish to tarnish that for all the world. She pulled away breathlessly and Jasper looked deep into her eyes, never wanting to turn away.
“Come lay with me,” she said, taking both of his hands.
Catherine led him to the bed, and Jasper felt pride swell in his chest. She was taking the initiative, and there was nothing more intoxicating. She laid herself down upon the bed, and Jasper watched as she did so. That was his wife lying there, beckoning him. That was the woman who had stolen his heart, and he wished that she would be in possession of it for the rest of his waking life and beyond.
Lying in bed, he held her, again feeling her breath, her warmth, and smelling her intoxicating scent. Jasper combed his hand through her hair and watched as she gently fell asleep. If only she knew how much he desired her. He hoped that she did know, for being so close to her, there were a million things that he wished to get away with, but all of this would have to wait.
Jasper gazed up at the ceiling and said a little prayer—something that he had never done before. In this prayer, he thanked the heavens for everything that was in his life this very moment. Even though she could not admit to it, Catherine had changed everything in his world. Although he wished to set Catherine free, it was truly the opposite. She had set him free.