Almost A Spinster (7 page)

Jane covered her mouth to stifle a traitorous giggle at her ladyship’s description.

“You may laugh,” Lady Stanton said with a shake of her head. “Although it did require a saw and a lot of rather ridiculous screaming on the boy’s part to get him free.”

Jane’s laughter bubbled forth at the image that popped into her mind. To her surprise, she could easily see David in such a silly, undignified position that was created by his own lack of forethought. As her laughter faded, she caught Lady Stanton watching her.

“It has not been long since David declared his engagement to someone else, yet already you have transferred your affections to my grandson.” She cocked her head. “And so I am torn by two reactions. One is to be pleased by the match… but the other is to wonder at your intentions.”

Jane sobered completely as Lady Stanton put her back in a corner where she was unsure how to answer.

“If you kissed him, as my sources say you did, then you clearly have some feeling for him. But could you truly love him? Or would he only be a replacement for a lost love? Or even a way to stay near David despite your marriages.”

Jane’s eyes went wide. “You-You are direct, my lady.”

Lady Stanton shrugged one shoulder slowly. “I don’t have much time left on this earth my dear. Being direct may be the only way I will get answers. Do you care for my grandson?”

“I-” Jane struggled to say something. Anything. Lady Stanton was asking her the very questions she had begun to ask herself in the past few days. Her feelings had changed, rapidly, overtaking her when she least expected it. And now she was upside down, inside out.

“Your grandson is… I have a high regard for him, my lady. We share a true friendship. And I-I do care for him, of course.”

Her ladyship’s face wrinkled and she did not look completely pleased by Jane’s response. But she could not ask another question because the door to her parlor opened and Wesley himself stepped inside.

The look on his face, the gleam in his eye, instantly told Jane that he had overheard at least part of their conversation. That he had heard her inadequate explanation of her feelings and wasn’t pleased.

What she could not determine was whether his annoyance came from a wish for her to declare herself for the benefit of his grandmother… or something else. Something deeper that she couldn’t dare to wish for.

“Grandmother, Jane,” he drawled, sparing Jane just a mere glance before he dropped a kiss against Lady Stanton’s cheek. “You didn’t mention you would have other guests when you invited me here.”

Lady Stanton’s eyes shone as she smiled up at Wesley. “My dearest, I’m so glad to see you.”

“Yes, I have arrived just in time to hear you interrogating Lady Jane here.” Wes cast another glance over his shoulder at Jane, but didn’t let his eyes hold on her too long.

Jane’s heart sank as a terrible thought crossed her mind. While she had spent a night reliving that kiss… did Wesley regret it? Worse, would it change the friendship they had developed? A relationship she cherished in ways she had never known until they began this strange bargain.

“Interrogating?” Lady Stanton pressed hand to her breast even as her sharp eyes brightened. “My goodness, that was not my intention.”

Jane shifted as Wesley took a seat between them and poured himself a cup of tea. “Wasn’t it? Then I must have heard incorrectly.”

“I was merely relaying a rumor to Jane that I heard about the two of you,” Lady Stanton leaned forward. “I was trying to verify its veracity and determine what kind of courtship the two of you are involved in.”

Wesley sighed as he took a long swig of tea. From the expression in his eyes, Jane could see he was wishing for a stronger brew. Truth be told, she could use one herself. Now that he was here where she could smell the masculine hint of shaving soap, where she could see the harsh angle of his jaw and knew exactly what it felt like to touch his face as he pressed his mouth to hers… well, it was all she could think about.

And that was a very bad thing, especially considering the fact that he refused to spare her more than a very few dismissive glances. He seemed… angry.

He set his cup into the saucer and sighed. “Grandmother, you have never made it a habit of interviewing any other woman I have expressed an interest in.”

Lady Stanton barked out a laugh. “Perhaps because you’ve never really expressed an interest in anyone before.”

Wesley leaned back, draping one muscular arm over the back of the chair that he dwarfed and grinned. “Bald lies, my lady! I have danced with an abundance of women, chatted with a plethora of debutantes-”

“You have never been seen kissing a lady of quality on a terrace during an important ball before.”

Wesley stopped speaking and swung his gaze to Jane. She met his eyes with difficulty and hoped he could read her thoughts in them. His mouth thinned, lips pursing together before he said, “Such gossip, Grandmother. Normally I do not hear you repeating what you know is likely idle talk.”

“My source is impeccable.” Lady Stanton’s face softened. “You know I only wish the best for you. I only want you to be happy. Since you have not brought this young lady to meet me, I took in into my own hands. If this report is true, tell me, do you intend to marry?”

The room went deathly still as Wesley stiffened, his shoulders bunching. Jane caught a gasp before it escaped her lips, her fingers digging into the chair arm. In all their plotting to fool the
ton
and the woman before them, she had never considered that someone would be so bold as to question their intentions directly. Breaking off a courtship would be easy. To break an engagement would be much more complicated. Someone would end up looking the injured party… someone the callous rejecter.

Jane slowly got to her feet, her hands shaking and her mind spinning. Telling the lady yes would give her the peace she clearly yearned for, but the ramifications were endless.

“I-” she stammered, looking to Wes to help her. He stared back, holding her gaze for a long moment… almost as if he were waiting for her answer as much as Lady Stanton.

Then he shook his head and reached out to grasp her arm. He turned to his grandmother with a frown. “I will come back here in a moment to discuss this with you further, Grandmother. But for now I will escort Jane downstairs. She is expected at home, I’m sure.”

Lady Stanton nodded, blinking up with wide, innocent eyes. But as Wesley turned Jane away and lead her to the parlor door, Jane looked back to find Lady Stanton with a sly smile on her face.

Almost as if her bold questions were by design. Almost as if this entire afternoon had been a trap. But for Jane? Or for Wesley?

***

Wesley stood outside the sitting room where he had left Jane alone for a moment while he sent for her carriage. His whole body ached like he had been in a fist fight, his head throbbed and he was finding it very difficult to step inside.

All because he knew he had something to say, something to do. Something he feared… and he never feared anything.

Drawing a calming breath, he stepped inside. Jane spun from the window where she had been standing and stared at him. She didn’t say a word, she didn’t move, she just looked. Somehow that was worse than her usual bubbling words. Her smiles. Her teasing grins. Because it brought home that the relationship they had once shared was gone. Lost to this ruse. Lost to a stolen kiss. Lost to the direct questions of a well-meaning grandmother.

One who he was starting to doubt was as sick as she had led him to believe. This afternoon Lady Stanton had seemed the epitome of spirit and inner strength. But that was an issue to be dealt with after Jane had gone.

He stepped forward and ignored the way Jane jumped in response. “Jane-” he began.

She lifted her hands to stop him. “I didn’t know how to respond when she asked me about my intentions to marry you. I know you want her to believe you have a future ahead of you, that you will be taken care of and loved-”

He shut his eyes briefly. “If you had told her you intended to marry me, she would have taken an advertisement in the
Times
before supper and had it circulating in society by midnight,” he said softly. “And I would not want that.”

His statement cut her off and when he opened his eyes, it was to see her staring at him, eyes filled with hurt. “Of course,” she whispered, straightening her spine with dignity. “Of course you would not want this charade to go so far. To marry me would be… well, you would not want that.”

He shook his head. “No. I would not want to marry you. Not if all you feel for me is-” He shrugged off the pain. “How did you put it, Jane? A high regard? A sincere friendship?” He barked out a humorless laugh. “You
care
for me.”

She wrinkled her brow in confusion even as her cheeks darkened with embarrassment to hear her words repeated back to her. “Wesley-”

He didn’t let her finish. “That might be enough for me with another woman. Regard. Friendship. Caring. And… I shall add the one thing you did not share with my grandmother… desire.”

Her lip trembled at the mention of that word, but she didn’t deny it. “But you don’t want any of that from me.”

“No.” He held his breath. “I wouldn’t accept anything less from you than
everything
, Jane. Perhaps from some other woman, but not from you.”

She stared at him for a moment as comprehension flooded her face. She stumbled back, eyes wide and flushed skin growing deathly pale as she realized what he was asking for.

Her heart. Her love.

Her mouth opened and shut as she searched for words that would not come. Words he longed to hear, but didn’t expect. Not yet, at any rate.

“Don’t say anything,” he warned, moving closer. “Because I don’t want what you say to be something you don’t mean. Today has been trying, confusing for you, I know, between my grandmother and this. I want you to think about what I have said to you. Think very carefully. I want you to speak to whomever you need to speak to.” He drew in a breath. “Including David if necessary.”

Jane swallowed hard, her throat working with the motion.

“Tomorrow night Madeline’s father and mother are holding a ball to celebrate her upcoming nuptials.” Wesley watched Jane’s face carefully, willing her not to wince at the mention of David’s future bride. She didn’t and his heart soared, even though he knew her lack of response could be due more to shock than a lack of emotion on the subject. “You will attend because the
ton
will talk if you don’t. I will also attend. It will be the last night of this charade.”

“The-the last night?” she croaked.

“Yes,” Wesley sighed. “Because after tomorrow night, you will either tell me if you want to go back into society with your new popularity to guide you… or-or-”

He reached out and caught her hand. It trembled beneath his touch, but Jane didn’t resist when he gently pulled her closer. He put a palm beneath her chin and tilted her face up. She shivered again and triumph filled him. She might not love him, but by God she wanted him.

Dropping his mouth down, Wes let his lips brush over hers. A little whimper escaped her lips as she leaned in, but he didn’t give her what she craved. He didn’t deepen the kiss, didn’t claim. Desire couldn’t rule whatever decision she made. Because he wanted so much more than mere desire.

Drawing back, Wes ignored the pain that shot through him at the withdrawal. “Tomorrow night Jane. I will expect your answer by midnight.”

Jane nodded slowly, regaining her composure. “Midnight, Wesley.”

Then she stumbled to the sitting room door and was gone.

Chapter 6

“You are very out of spirits tonight.”

Jane jolted at the sound of Felicity’s voice. She turned on her friend with a weak smile. “My apologies. I have much on my mind.”

Felicity’s eyes narrowed and she slipped her hand through Jane’s arm. Slowly, she guided her away from the spinning couples on the dance floor and out the veranda doors onto the terrace. Jane blushed as she thought of the last time she’d been on a terrace at a ball… two nights ago. And that had ended with Wesley’s arms around her, his lips on hers.

“You’ve been out of spirits since the night I found you with Lord Stanton,” Felicity whispered. “But you’ve kept your council far too well. Please, won’t you talk to me now about what has happened? Perhaps I could be of some assistance.”

Jane looked at her friend. Wesley had told her to speak to whoever she needed to speak to, even David, before she gave him an answer to his shocking offer of making their courtship real. But she hadn’t told anyone yet. Hadn’t let a word of their exchange cross her lips, though she relived that conversation and his kiss over and over in her mind.

And the reason she hadn’t shared her tangled thoughts was becoming clearer. The only person she wished to speak to about anything of importance was Wesley, himself.

But she couldn’t talk to him. Because he would demand an answer. He deserved an answer. And she was still trying to figure out how her heart had turned from girlish dreams of one man to womanly desires for another in such a short time. Was there something wrong with her?

“Jane?” Felicity took her hand.

She sighed. “What would you say if a man told you he would settle for no less than everything when it came to you?”