Chapter Eleven #2
Lord Dorchester stood with arms crossed.
His pale skin glowed in the dim light. His thin grey eyebrows formed a flat line.
Jasmine scrambled to her feet. Her shaking hands smoothed her dress into place.
Matthew dropped into the deepest bow, so low he almost fell to the floor. Speechless and immobile, he waited.
An irritated sigh sounded from Lord Dorchester. “Jasmine, go to your room. Do not let your mother—or anyone else—see you. And for God’s sake, put your clothes on.”
Keeping his eyes trained on the floor, Matthew saw one of Jasmine’s legs disappear into her stockings, then the other. After she donned her slippers, she fled from the room.
“Rise, Lord Lincolnshire.” Matthew rose to meet Lord Dorchester’s arresting stare. “Come to my study. You and I are about to have a long talk.”
Lord Dorchester’s study used to be a place of refuge and intrigue.
As a boy, he played under the mahogany desk.
Later, once he had grown, he borrowed books and listened to conversations concerning history, politics, and ethics.
When he lost his father and became a lord overnight—adrift, confused, and crushed under pressure—he came here for guidance.
Lamps lit the corners of an expansive room where bookshelves covered every wall. Shelves between the windows allowed for even more volumes. It smelled of leather, ink, and aged parchment.
When Matthew considered what a man should be, he thought of his own father, and this man. The Marquess of Dorchester. Uncle Edward. It felt wrong to call him that now. Matthew lost the right to address him with such familiarity.
Matthew’s words spilled out. “I must apologize for my behavior tonight, my lord. This is the very last thing that I wanted to happen. I was reckless. I disrespected you and Jasmine—Lady Jasmine. Whatever I can do to make it right—”
“Enough.” Lord Dorchester cut him off. “I was young once, Lord Lincolnshire. I know the affections you harbor for my daughter. Until tonight I hadn’t realized that those affections were reciprocated.” He paused. “In fact, I had never seen her more disinterested in a man.”
“I’m still not sure of her affections,” Matthew admitted.
“They seemed rather clear tonight.”
Lord Dorchester moved to his liquor cabinet and pulled out a crystal decanter. “Brandy?”
Matthew shook his head. “I don’t think I should drink anything else, my lord.”
“Wise decision. I’ll drink yours, then.” Lord Dorchester filled a glass and took a long drink. He sank into his chair and gestured to the chair across from him. “Sit.”
Matthew did as he was told and remained silent.
“You were raised to act with intention. Which leads me to believe you intended to compromise my daughter tonight. Now, you’re going to tell me why.”
Already caught, Matthew confessed, “I didn’t think I had another choice. I wasn’t on Lady Dorchester’s list.” His voice broke. “She didn’t want me to marry Jasmine. She wouldn’t even let me speak with her. I thought—”
“You thought that by publicly scandalizing my daughter, you could go around my wife?” Lord Dorchester raised a quizzing glass to his eye. “And me?”
Matthew winced. “It was foolish.”
“And Jasmine? What was her role in this?”
“She asked me to marry her. And that last bit—that is, the part you saw—” Matthew swallowed hard and laid blame where it was due. “That was her idea.”
“I’m not surprised.” Lord Dorchester sighed. “I told Valentine that forcing Jasmine into a corner was the wrong move. My daughter is impulsive—it’s a miracle this is her first scandal.”
Matthew remained silent.
Lord Dorchester asked quietly, “Do you love each other?”
“She doesn’t love me.” Matthew lowered his head. “She asked for a marriage of convenience.”
“Does she know you love her?” Lord Dorchester’s eyes were gentle, and Matthew wished for his anger instead of his pity. “Is that why…?”
“No.” With that small confession, Matthew’s throat dried, and he wanted to cry. “I think she felt trapped.” He looked at Lord Dorchester. “Did you give Lord Rothwell or Don Lorenzo permission to propose?”
“I did not,” Lord Dorchester said. “I have only given you permission, and I have never rescinded it. And to be fair, I am glad that she has chosen you.”
Taken aback, Matthew asked, “Why is that, my lord?”
Lord Dorchester’s eyes traveled to the windows, and he whispered, “Spain is far away.”
The pain in Lord Dorchester’s expression was the same pain Matthew saw in the mirror each morning. It was Matthew’s fault that either of them felt it at all.
“I promise I’ll keep her close to you. I should have proposed when you gave me permission, but—” Matthew cut himself off.
Excuses didn’t matter and Lord Dorchester knew every one of them.
“I’ve brought shame upon your daughter, and I’ll marry her as soon as possible. I’ll purchase the special license—”
“No.”
Matthew’s stomach dropped.
Lord Dorchester set his brandy off to the side, and steepled his fingers on his desk. “To make this simple, I’ll do the talking. The only answers I want from you are ‘yes, sir’ or ‘no, sir.’ Is that clear?”
Matthew swallowed and nodded. “Yes, sir.”
“Did anyone else see you tonight?”
“No, sir.”
“Assuming that Jasmine made it to her room undetected, the three of us are the only ones who know what happened tonight. That means we have options.” Lord Dorchester said pointedly, “To keep those options, this needs to remain quiet—if you understand my meaning.”
Don’t tell Lady Dorchester.
“Yes, sir.”
“My daughter deserves to be married in a church. My wife will expect a large wedding.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Tomorrow, with my permission, you will begin courting my daughter for no less than two weeks. At the end of your courtship, you will propose to her with a suitable ring, and she will accept.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Then banns will need to be read.”
Matthew’s brows rose. “Banns?!”
Banns would need to be read for three Sundays in a row.
Three Sundays of opportunities for people to object.
And if no one did, he could marry her in five weeks at the earliest!
Duke Kendall’s birthday party was six weeks from now.
On that timeline, he couldn’t take her on a honeymoon until after that!
“There is no reason to rush.” Lord Dorchester narrowed his eyes. “Or is there?”
Matthew gave a solid shake of his head. “No, sir.”
“After church, I want you back here—with flowers—to publicly ask my wife for permission to court Jasmine. Do not be late tomorrow, I will not be patient. We’ll leave it here for tonight.” Lord Dorchester murmured, “I imagine I won’t sleep once I break the news to my wife.”
“I’ll be here tomorrow, with flowers for Lady Jasmine and Lady Dorchester.”
With a wave of his hand, Lord Dorchester dismissed him. “That’ll be all, Lord Lincolnshire.”
“Thank you for your understanding.” Matthew stood and bowed. “Goodnight, my lord.”
As he made his way to the door, Lord Dorchester called out.
“And Matthew?”
Matthew turned to him. The older man released a long exhale, and his shoulders fell. The disappointment in his eyes broke something deep inside Matthew.
“You could have asked.”
For the first time in months, Matthew considered spending the night in his own townhouse.
But that empty house wasn’t home to him anymore.
Home was behind Cassandra’s front door, where there was an abundance of love and plenty of noise.
The house was silent now. He stood at his sister’s front door, knowing she had left it unlocked for him—and he was too ashamed to walk inside.
How am I supposed to face them?
Making as little noise as possible, Matthew let himself into the house.
As he approached the sitting room, the flicker of orange candlelight caught his attention.
Moving closer, he heard hushed feminine voices, and he peered inside.
Cassandra and Caroline sat cross-legged on the sofa in their dressing gowns, sipping from steaming teacups.
Giggling.
Matthew lingered in the doorway and watched. After their parents passed, when it was only the three of them, he often wondered if he would ever hear his sisters laugh again. Even when Caroline drove him to frustration or Cassandra tried to mother him, he loved them dearly.
How would he feel if someone trapped them in marriage?
Cassandra lifted her head and noticed him in the doorway. She offered a welcoming smile. “You’re home late.”
“Or early, depending,” Caroline quipped.
Matthew removed his coat and folded it over the back of a chair. His sisters moved to either side of the sofa to make room for him in the center. Matthew settled between them and leaned back.
“Why are you two still awake?”
Cassandra sighed and rubbed her belly. “It’s getting harder to sleep. Seth is snoring. Rose climbed in with us, and she kicks.” She shook her head. “Sometimes I’m better off on the sofa.”
“And I’m enjoying a cup of chocolate with my sister, who I have not seen in months.” Caroline met his gaze with a raised brow. “Are you about to ruin that?”
Matthew whispered, “Yes, I believe I am.”
The weight of what he had done settled in. Now the initial shock and excitement had worn off, he was filled with dread.
Caroline’s face shifted to one of concern. She placed her teacup on the table and reached for his hand. “Brother, you’re trembling.”
Alert, Cassandra placed her teacup on the table as well, and focused all of her attention on Matthew. “What’s wrong? What happened?”
“I… I think I made a really big mistake.”
Cassandra gently took his face in her hands and met his gaze. “Talk to me.”
Where would he start?
“I’m marrying Lady Jasmine.”
“That was fast!” Caroline exclaimed.
Matthew shook his head and looked away.
“I forced her into it.”
Caroline’s shrill voice pierced the room. “You what?”
“Keep it down.” Cassandra held a finger to her own lips and shushed Caroline, then turned back to Matthew. Intently, she asked, “What did you do?”
“At the soirée, Jasmine went to the wine cellar alone. I followed her, with the full expectation that we would be caught alone together.” Matthew took a shuddering breath. “And we were.”
Glaring at him, Cassandra hissed, “Matthew.”
“Don’t, Cassandra, please. Can we spare the lecture until tomorrow?”
“You’ve entrapped my best friend—”
“And I meant to take it back! I kissed her, and I couldn’t go through with it. But I was careless, and the door locked when I closed it. Either way, I trapped her.”
“The door locked behind you?” Caroline frowned. “What type of lock was it?”
“A lever lock.” Matthew’s shoulders slumped. “Slid right into place when I closed the door.”
“How did you get out?” Caroline asked.
Matthew cringed. “Lord Dorchester opened the door.”
Caroline’s eyes went as wide as saucers.
“I cannot believe you,” Cassandra hissed. “After what you did to Seth, and how you treated me when I was compromised—your actions are so much worse. And with Jasmine! How dare you take away her choices?”
Caroline opened her mouth and closed it. After a moment, she lifted her finger. “How did Jasmine get into the wine cellar?”
“Caroline, it doesn’t matter,” Matthew said. “Now—”
“Now, you come clean with Jasmine,” Cassandra said firmly. “She needs to know this before the wedding. You’ll tell her, or I will.”
The blood drained from Matthew’s face. “Sister, you cannot tell her.”
“You cannot trust me with this secret, Matthew!”
“I’ll tell her,” he promised. “Before the wedding. I’ll have five weeks.”
Minimum.
“Why did you do it?” Cassandra demanded. “You had permission—”
“No, I didn’t! My name wasn’t on the list, Cassandra!” Matthew cried out. His sisters’ eyes widened, and he lowered his voice. “I wasn’t on it.”
Cassandra dropped her guard, and her face fell. “That can’t be true. The Sinclairs love you.”
“I saw it for myself. Aunt Valentine was cold to me tonight.” Tears that threatened to fall all night poured, and he ground the palms of his hands into his eyes.
“Once Jasmine knows who I am and what I’ve done, she won’t choose me on her own.
I couldn’t risk losing her again. I’ve never wanted anyone else.
” As he said the words, they sounded cheap.
His voice cracked. “I’ve never loved anyone else. ”
Knowing exactly what to do, Cassandra placed her arms around his shoulders.
On the other side of him, Caroline hugged him around his middle.
A knot the size of a fist formed in Matthew’s throat, and he choked on bitter, all-consuming sobs.
In a huddle on the sofa, his sisters held him while he fractured.
After what felt like hours, his breathing calmed and his shaking subsided.
“I don’t know what to do,” Matthew admitted.
“We take it one day at a time, like we always do.” Caroline held onto his hands and gave him a rare smile. “As a family.”
“Starting tomorrow,” Cassandra said. “There’s nothing that can be done tonight. I say we all get some rest. We’ll face this problem tomorrow, and we’ll all do the best we can.”
“To what?” Matthew asked.
Cassandra’s eyes met his softly. “To get her to fall in love with you.”