Chapter Twenty-One #2
Jasmine rolled onto her back and glanced up at her mother, sitting at the edge of her bed.
Jasmine rubbed her eyes and smelled the leftover rose water still on her palms, with just a hint of the factory underneath.
Her body was sore, her legs and abdomen in particular, and a memory flashed through her mind of Matthew—with his head between her thighs.
A flush covered her, and all traces of sleep evaporated. “I apologize, I didn’t mean to sleep so late.”
“Are you unwell?” Mama reached out to touch the back of her hand to Jasmine’s brow. “When you said you were exhausted yesterday, it’s plain to see you meant it. You slept through breakfast.”
Jasmine’s stomach growled in response to the word.
Mama smiled and tucked Jasmine’s hair behind her ear. “I’ll have a tray prepared. You can have lunch in the sitting room while you wait for your caller.”
“Mother, I truly don’t feel up to visitors today.”
“I think you’ll feel up to this visitor,” Mama said mischievously. “A certain curly-haired viscount is in your father’s study.”
“Matthew is here?” Jasmine jolted up. “But we saw each other yesterday. He wasn’t supposed to call today.”
Mama had a twinkle in her eye, similar to one she gave days before Christmas—when she purchased the perfect gift and couldn’t keep it to herself. “Today might be a special day. You should wear your best dress, just in case.”
A special day with her best dress? Her heart soared as she met her mother’s smile.
Could it be?
Mama held Jasmine’s face in both of her hands and kissed her brow. “But first, a bath.” She sniffed her and cringed. “You smell like turpentine.”
Mama rang for Minnie, who bathed and dressed Jasmine in her forest-green silk dress, with a light dusting of powder on her face. No rouge was needed. The apples of her cheeks glowed, and a smile tugged at her lips. Maybe her life was about to change for the better.
With a skip in her step, she made her way to her father’s study. She would wait for Matthew outside the door, so she could see him the second he emerged. But as she approached, a faint rumbling reverberated through the halls. It almost sounded like…
Shouting.
She slowed her steps and listened. With each step, the volume of Matthew’s voice rose until she heard his words, “I’m doing this for her!”
Followed by the CLAP of a slammed door.
Heavy footsteps thumped on the floor, matching her rising heartbeat. Rushing ahead, she turned the corner to her father’s study—
And collided with Matthew.
“Oh!” she called out.
Losing her balance, she tripped over her skirt. He caught her before she fell, stabilizing her against his chest.
“Jasmine?” he breathed. Face red and jaw tense, his bloodshot eyes blazed onto hers. For the briefest of moments, his face fell as if he might cry. Then, faster than she could blink, he grabbed her hand and tugged her into the closest room.
As soon as the door closed behind them, he took her face in both of his hands and kissed her.
One hand moved to hold the nape of her neck, angling her for a better fit.
A surprised gasp left her, and he deepened their kiss—roughly sliding his tongue into her mouth.
Leaning over her, he created a cage with his body and pulled her to him.
Breathless, she turned her head to the side. She managed a shaky, “Matthew—” before he kissed her again, with such force her head spun, as if he was memorizing her. As if this was the last time he would see her.
She ripped herself from him.
“Matthew, stop.”
With a tortured groan, he tucked her under his chin and held her in his trembling arms. She placed her hands on his shoulders, easing him just far enough away to meet his eyes.
“You’re frightening me. Tell me what’s wrong.”
“Your father has banned me from seeing you.”
“Not to see me?” Her heart dropped into her stomach. “Because of last night?”
“Because of Rothwell. Our courtship has been suspended until I’ve forgiven every penny of his debts.”
She heard every word, but couldn’t make sense of any of them. Her father wouldn’t side with Lord Rothwell. Not over Matthew.
“I’ll talk to him,” she said. “My father is a reasonable man. He’ll see sense.”
“Reasoning is not going to work this time. I’ve tried.”
“What are you going to do, then? You cannot give in to Lord Rothwell’s demands. If you do—”
“It’s not an argument, Jasmine. If it’s you or him, it’s you.” He cursed. “But it’s not a simple fix. It might take weeks.”
“Weeks?!”
“I will work relentlessly to shorten that time.” He buried his face in her hair and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “I need to leave, but I need you to know that I care for you, Jasmine. Only you. I promise you, I am yours.”
A truth she already knew. And there was only one thing to say in return. She brought her mouth to his and whispered against his lips, “I’m yours, Matthew. I’ll wait for you, I promise.”
And she kissed him the way she should have all along. Soft and slow. Savoring him. Lingering on his lips, she gave him a kiss to hold his heart. One that would tide him over until she could kiss him again.
A kiss to remember.
After one more crushing hug, he released her then strode from the room. She turned to the wall and slammed the pad of her fist into it. A fractured sob caught in her throat. Tears threatened, but tears would do nothing.
I will not wait weeks!
She stormed from the room and stomped to her father’s study. The footman dove out of her way. She flung the door open, then slammed it behind her. “You’re suspending my courtship?!”
Papa lifted a glass of amber liquid to his lips and drank the contents with one swallow.
He stood and faced her with a glower. “Lower your voice when you speak to me. I have been lenient with you, and you spit in my face. Consider yourself fortunate that I am only suspending your courtship. I should refuse the match outright.”
“Matthew did nothing wrong!”
The door opened behind her and Mama came into the room. “Why are we shouting?”
“Did you know?” Jasmine demanded. “Is this why you had me wear my best dress today?”
“Know of what?” Mama’s eyes went from Jasmine to Papa. “Someone had better give me answers, now!”
“Papa told Matthew he wasn’t to speak to me!”
“And he already disobeyed!” Papa snapped.
Mama scowled at Papa. “Last night you told me you would allow him to propose!”
“You were going to give him permission to propose?” Jasmine repeated numbly. They were so close. “And you changed your mind over Lord Rothwell?!”
“This is not what we discussed.” Mama stomped her foot. “That boy has done everything right.”
“That man is blackmailing another viscount because my family keeps secrets from me!” Papa turned to Jasmine. “Show me your hands!”
Shaking, she stepped forward to obey. She removed her gloves, exposing a yellowing bruise around her wrist and healing knuckles.
“Damn it!” Papa roared. “I should not have to find out from Matthew Cooper that my daughter was assaulted!”
“You’ve been busy.” Mama lowered her gaze to the floor. “I didn’t want to put any undue pressure on you—”
“I am never too busy for that. If my child has been injured, I am the first to know! Am I understood?!”
Both women flinched, then nodded.
“Yes, my lord,” they said together.
“If you had come to me instead of hiding this, an Earl would not have screamed at me over an injustice that not only did my daughter break his son’s nose, but her preferred suitor publicly and financially humiliated him!”
“He deserved it, Papa!”
“Do you think scandal so easily undone? And don’t think I don’t know about a high-flyer phaeton on my street at three o’clock in the morning—you could show some discretion!”
A gasp escaped Mama. “Jasmine!”
“I am twenty-six years old!” Jasmine cried out. “I shouldn’t need your permission to be with the man I love!”
She slapped her hands over her mouth, trying to take the words back and swallow them. The first time she spoke those words should have been to Matthew.
One tear escaped her, and then another. Tears fell hot and heavy down her cheeks, flooding her vision. Warm pressure surrounded her, enveloping her in the sweet scent of sherry, and Jasmine fell into her mother’s embrace and sobbed.
Mama pleaded over her shoulder, “Edward, you must let them marry.”
Papa shook his head and walked to the window. Facing away from them, he took a series of steady breaths. Then, he returned his attention to them, and the cool finality in his voice dashed all hope in Jasmine’s heart.
“We are in this position because we do not talk to each other. That ends now. I will not bring another person into this family until it is functional. And that is final.”