Chapter Seven
Joy paced back and forth across the parlor, occasionally pausing to part the curtains and glance out the window, up and down St. James’s Street. Where on earth was Jansen? He needed to arrive while Chance and Serendipity were out.
Merry and Felicity sat together on the settee, offering her no comfort whatsoever.
“Pacing will not make him arrive any quicker.” Felicity rose and headed for the bellpull. “Shall I ring for tea and biscuits? My newest recipe is quite tasty, if I do say so myself.”
Joy remembered the last new recipe Felicity had tricked her into trying and shook her head. “No, thank you. As soon as Jansen arrives, he and I will proceed to the hollow tree in the mews. The payment has to be in place by teatime, remember?”
Felicity yanked on the pull. “Well, it won’t hurt for you to have a little something to nibble on until he gets here. It might settle you.” Remorse crept into her tone. “And I promise this recipe won’t make you spit the biscuit into your teacup like last time.”
“Which of us is going with you?” Merry asked.
“Going with me? Why?” Momentary panic fed the frustration already churning Joy into a knot of misery. Why would either of them wish to come with her?
Merry laughed. “To keep Serendipity from having nine kinds of fits, for one thing, when she returns and discovers you gone with your intended…” She pointed at herself and Felicity.
“One of us had better be gone with you. Even though you are engaged, you’re still expected to have a proper chaperone.
You know that. What happened at the ball last night—and I am referring to your going out into the garden without a chaperone—was not wise.
Especially with you worried about the release of rumors so vicious they could ruin us all. ”
Joy glared at her usually fun-loving and adventurous sister. “You sound just like Seri.”
Merry jumped to her feet. “You take that back, or I am off to find crickets for your stocking drawer.”
“Well, at least that would keep one of you busy while I attempt to snare a blackmailer this afternoon.”
“One of us must come with you,” Felicity said. “What would Mama say?”
Joy halted halfway across the room, ending her fourth or fifth circuit. She had walked back and forth so many times, she’d lost count. “Do not bring Mama into this. You know as well as I that she would be thrilled with Jansen. A lot more thrilled than our bacon-brained brother seems to be.”
“She would still insist upon a chaperone,” Merry said. “Look at it this way, at least it’s one of us and not Seri.”
“Seri and Chance won’t be back until well after teatime, and it’s my turn to plan next week’s meals with Cook and Mrs. Flackney. So…” Felicity nodded at Merry. “Merry wins the title of chaperone for today.”
“Fine. Do what you must, since you are too cowardly to cross Seri.” Joy threw up her hands. “I won’t need a chaperone if he never arrives!”
Walters appeared at the door and cleared his throat. “Sir…” He paused and frowned before turning to whoever stood behind him in the hallway. “Your name again, sir?”
“Sir Jansen.”
“Let him in, Walters. Thank you ever so much for announcing him.” Joy rushed to the door and smiled at the elderly butler, who frequently forgot what he was attempting to do mid-task of late. “That will be all, Walters. Thank you again.”
He gave her a solemn bow and shuffled off.
Even though she wanted to rush into Jansen’s arms, she restrained herself because of her loose-tongued sisters.
Felicity and Merry were the worst of the bunch when it came to tattling.
Probably because they were the youngest and had always been coddled and indulged.
“Do come in, Sir Jansen. I realize we don’t have much time.
I have the money ready. We can leave right away. ”
“We?”
He gave her a look she didn’t like one bit. A look that said he intended to see to this task alone. To the devil with that. She jutted her chin higher. “Yes. We, as in I intend to accompany you.”
“No, you will not.”
She let her jaw drop, shocked that he would even suggest she should remain at home, while he planted the payment the blackmailer had demanded and then lay in wait to snare them. “I most certainly will go if I wish to, and I do wish to. The money came out of my personal account.”
“She means her personal stocking drawer,” Merry said. “And I agree. She needs to stay here. This is not a task for a woman.”
“I also agree.” Felicity linked arms with Merry. The two always banded together.
“Shut your gobs,” Joy told her sisters, then whirled about as Jansen snorted with laughter.
He threw up his hands as if to fend her off. “Forgive me, my angel. I should not have laughed.” He cleared his throat. “But you are still not coming with me. I will not have it.”
“You have no right to refuse me.”
“I have every right. You are my intended. My future wife. You know as well as I that my decisions carry the final word in my household.”
“As I said, I am going. This is not your household, and I am not your wife.”
“Joy—”
“Do not utter my name in that tone. I am neither a child nor a dog.”
“You are not going. I forbid it.”
“You forbid it?” Enraged amazement swept across her. He dared to forbid her? Was this what it would be like if she became his wife? She pointed at the door. “Get out.”
“What?”
“I said, get out. Go home. I will handle this myself.”
“The devil you will.” He charged toward her, thrilling her immensely, much to her dismay.
When he caught hold of her by the shoulders, she readied herself for the opportune moment to surprise him with a punch in the nose.
But it didn’t come. He somehow mesmerized her, glaring at her as if trying to make her burst into flames.
“You will remain here, where it is safe. End of discussion.”
“I will go or we will not marry.” She glared back at him, daring him to refuse her further.
“What?”
“You heard me.” She fisted her hands so tightly that her knuckles popped.
“I am going. You may come along and protect me, but I am going, or we will not marry. This is my situation to handle, and I will not be treated like a child sent to the nursery with Nanny while the adults go off and do exciting adult things.”
“Exciting adult things?”
“Stop repeating my words. It is most irritating.” She would not have the sort of marriage where her husband was a gamekeeper, and she was the contented little guinea fowl who always obeyed.
“I am of age, and I like to think I am an intelligent individual capable of tending to myself and making my own decisions. I realize usual husbands treat their wives little better than their horses or hounds, but I will not be married to a usual man. I am an equal and intend to remain that way. Exactly as my mama was with my papa.”
Unsmiling, Jansen widened his stance and folded his arms across his broad chest. “You will not leave here to deliver that money. Either I take it there and wait to capture the devil, or you miss the deadline and deal with the repercussions.”
It was then that she realized he was between her and the only door. Drat it all. She had not planned this battle well, and that was quite unusual for her. But she could still call his bluff. “Fine. Our engagement has ended, then. I release you. Get out.”
“I do not release you, my lady.” He eased back and placed himself directly in the doorway.
There was absolutely no way she could skitter around him now.
“And since everyone saw you accept my proposal at the ball last night, I am certain the ton would be most interested to discover why you broke our engagement when we appeared to be so smitten with one another.” And then he smiled.
A smug, victorious smirk that made her itch to throw something at his head.
So angry she was about to cry—and that made her even angrier—she stamped her foot. “I am going!”
“You are not going.”
She shrieked and shook her fists. “Then I will never marry you, and if you refuse to release me from our engagement, then we will be engaged forever, and neither of us will ever marry. I will never choose a date.” She stamped her foot again. “There. What say you to that?”
He shrugged. “Fine. At least you will be safe.” He held out his hand. “Give me the money so I may place the bait in the tree. The hour grows late, and I need time to hide myself and lie in wait for our scoundrel.”
“I will not give you the money.”
“Fine. I will use my own money.” He turned to go.
“Stop!” How could one person be so bloody infuriating? She charged toward him, shaking a finger. “You will stop this very minute!” She had used her last bargaining chip by refusing to marry him, and yet the fool persisted. Did his stubbornness know no boundaries? “I want to go.”
“I realize that.” His calm tone made her ready to scream. “But you are not going because it is not safe. I love you, Joy, and will not allow you to put yourself in danger just because you’re too hardheaded to know I am doing this for your own good.”
“I am not a child!”
“Then stop behaving like one and see sense for both our sakes.”
He had the way blocked, and there was nothing she could do. It also didn’t help that her two infernal sisters weren’t siding with her. Whatever happened to family loyalty?
She marched over to the desk, yanked open the center drawer, retrieved the velvet pouch containing one hundred pounds sterling, and threw it at him. “Take it straight to the devil for all I care!”
“Thank you.” He caught it and tucked it into his coat pocket, then nodded at Merry and Felicity. “I trust you two can keep her here, or must we tie her to a chair?”
“You wouldn’t dare,” Joy said, ready to scream.
He grinned. “I would dare, my lady. I would dare anything to keep you safe.” He returned his attention to her sisters. “Well?”
“We will keep her here,” Merry said.
“Definitely,” Felicity agreed. “Even if we have to recruit helpers to come sit on her until you return.”