Chapter Thirty-Seven
“Silk gauze,” Matthew explained, handing the cloth to Jasmine. It was sheer black on the outside, but nearly translucent when stretched tight. He was glad to be rid of it. He never wanted to see another blindfold in his life—fake or not.
Don Lorenzo sat on their receiving room’s sofa and laughed. “Most convincing, is it not?”
“You could see everything the entire time?” Jasmine asked.
“Not quite.” Matthew cringed. “It was difficult to see, but not total darkness.”
He lifted a glass of brandy to his lips, the liquid burned down his throat.
Jasmine handed the cloth back to Don Lorenzo and glared at him. “You should have told me that’s what you were planning.”
“It would have ruined it.” Don Lorenzo lifted his own glass of brandy and placed it to his lips. “Your fear needed to be genuine.”
“Thank you,” she muttered. “It was.”
“I don’t understand why you helped me,” Matthew said.
Jasmine shared a glance with Don Lorenzo. “I asked him to.”
“I do not care for men who impose their will by force.” Don Lorenzo scoffed. “Who would not wish to see an evil man punished?”
“So you did it for fun?” Matthew asked.
“I was curious what type of man you were. A man shows his true face when you’re his enemy.
” He drank and chuckled. “After what I’ve witnessed tonight, I would much rather be your friend.
” His gaze flicked to Jasmine. “I had asked Lady Lincolnshire to have you speak to me, but it appears she cannot be trusted to relay a message.”
“Insult my wife again, and I’ll remove you from my home,” Matthew growled.
Don Lorenzo shrugged. “It is a difficult habit to break.”
“Try.” Matthew sat on the settee next to Jasmine and draped a blanket around her shoulders. Her eyelids were swollen, red splotches stained her cheeks from her earlier tears. He glanced to the clock. It was past two-thirty in the morning.
“Please say what you’ve been patiently waiting to say, Don Lorenzo—how may I help you?”
“I believe it is I who can help you. Tomorrow morning, I plan to submit a formal grievance to His Majesty. I imagine the Prince Regent will have strong opinions of Duke Kendall’s gross displays of violence in front of foreign nobility.”
“You’re not doing it for free, are you?”
“Nothing is ever free, Lord Lincolnshire.” Don Lorenzo placed his elbows on his knees and leaned forward. “I only have one request. I do not want you to sell weapons to Spain ever again.”
Matthew frowned. “That is quite the demand—”
“Escúchame.” Don Lorenzo held up his finger. “When my country purchases weapons from you, your countrymen are fed, your nation profits. What of Spain? If you value the safety of my country, then teach her citizens how to protect their homeland. Partner with me, and we will outfit Spain together.”
Matthew thought back to their conversation at the Jewel Ball and groaned. “You came here to offer me partnership.”
“As I’ve said multiple times.” Don Lorenzo sighed. “But you’re never in a frame of mind to listen.”
“I thought you were here for Jasmine,” Matthew said.
Don Lorenzo raised a brow. “When a lady says no, a man stops.” He winked at her. “But it’s fun to see her fluff her feathers. She’s lovely when she yells.”
“This is your last warning.”
“Can’t compliment her either.”
“Don’t even look at her.”
“Enough.” Jasmine released a small laugh and placed her hand in Matthew’s. “What are you proposing?”
“Equality of profits and progress,” Don Lorenzo said. “Build a factory in Spain with me. I will oversee it. When there is innovation on either side, we will share it with each other.”
Matthew paused and glanced at Jasmine. After the scandal they had caused tonight, the next few days would be a whirlwind of newspapers and curious guests. Uncertain consequences would follow, and business negotiations would have to wait.
“I don’t make decisions alone,” Matthew said. “I’ll need time to discuss it with my family.”
“Do not hurry on my account.” Don Lorenzo stood. “I’ll remain in London until you’ve made your decision, but I’m certain we can come to an agreement. That is what I’m here for.” He smirked and offered his hand. “Diplomacy.”
The corner of Matthew’s lip lifted. Irritating little weasel—he was starting to grow on him. He grasped the man’s hand. “You saved my life tonight. How can I repay you?”
Don Lorenzo waved his hand in the air. “Helping you was selfish.” His eyes traveled to Jasmine and he grinned. “But if you are set on a reward, I do enjoy a good bottle of wine.”
Matthew shared a smile with Jasmine. “I know exactly where to find the best.”
Don Lorenzo left the room, and Matthew returned to the settee. Jasmine lay bonelessly, her dress’s jewels digging into her skin. She reached for him. “Mi amor. Come hold me.”
“If I lie down with you, we’ll both fall asleep. Come upstairs.”
She yawned. “I don’t want to move.”
“You can’t sleep like that, love.”
With a tired sigh, he urged her to sit up and began unfastening the buttons on the back of her dress, slowly revealing her to him. Pressing a kiss to her shoulder, she breathed her in. She shifted out of each article of clothing until she was in only her chemise.
She turned in his arms and kissed him. She gently pulled his shirt over his head. He would have loved to lose himself in her, make love and forget everything, but he wouldn’t have asked it of her.
Hours ago, he had been ready to sacrifice himself, as he always did.
The only way to stop Duke Kendall was to put him in the ground…
but on that final shot, he thought of Jasmine.
Burying his nose in her hair, he imagined a time in the future where it turned grey.
When they were surrounded by their children and grandchildren, when this evening would be a distant memory.
How could he have considered, even for a second, taking that away from them?
Jasmine held his face and kissed both of his eyelids. He hadn’t realized he was crying until he tasted his tears on her lips. He laid down fully, positioning her with her head on his chest, his feet hanging off the edge of the settee. It was a tight fit, but they stayed there in a tangle of limbs.
“Do you think he’ll leave us alone?” She traced her fingertip over his chest.
“I don’t know,” he answered honestly. “I’d like to say so. He has no leverage over me anymore. The pistol is as good as useless. The ton saw the darker side of him, but who knows how their favor will swing tomorrow.”
“Let me handle that. I’m certain I’ll be able to fix it. First thing in the morning, I’ll—”
He pressed his fingertip over her lips. “It’s morning now, and all we’re doing is resting. When we wake up, we’ll have a nice breakfast, and then we’ll work. Until then, try to sleep, love.”
She nestled into him with a sigh. He brushed the hair back from her face and kissed her brow. Lulled by the steady rise and fall of her breathing, he surrendered to sleep—right as the dawn’s light peeked through the windows.
***
November, 1814
Portsmouth
On Banishment and New Beginnings.
Following a beastly scandal brimming with brutality, Duke Kendall remains in his ancestral home—for far longer than anticipated.
Could it be that he is still licking his wounds from his brush with the merchant of death?
Or is his absence—dare I write it?—permanent?
My sincerest apologies to the most desperate of debutantes with dark desires, but Duke Kendall seems to be off the marriage mart.
There is one birthday gift that keeps giving. Hold onto your bonnets, ladies and gentlemen, for the coup of the year goes to Lady Ravenshaw—or shall I say, Lady Rothwell? After a lengthy courtship with no shortage of groveling and extravagant gifts, the pair held a private ceremony on Wednesday—
“Stop reading that drivel.” Matthew took the paper from Jasmine, crumpled it into a ball, and tossed it into a waste basket on the docks. “I cannot believe gossip from London travels to Portsmouth.”
Jasmine moved out of the way as a man came to load their luggage onto the ship. She thanked him and stayed close to Matthew. He was dressed in a heavy cloak, with a slight redness to his nose from the chill.
Around them, crews shouted orders to each other. Sails flapped in the wind. Passengers boarded a tall ship bound for Spain. Gulls picked at scraps of food on the ground nearby, and Matthew shooed them away.
“I cannot believe she married him, after everything!”
“I’m not surprised at all. Rothwell is exactly her type—he’s wealthy and he’s weak. Trust me, she’ll be all right. It’s him I worry for.”
“The article says Duke Kendall is still cowering in his castle. It’s hardly news, but it brings me peace.”
Following Duke Kendall’s ball, public scorn had flipped.
He had embarrassed himself, not only in front of the ton, but before the nation.
Don Lorenzo had delivered a scathing report to the Prince Regent, a grievance backed by the Spanish Crown.
The word banishment was never spoken louder than a whisper, but everyone knew the truth of it.
Where Duke Kendall had fallen from grace, Matthew rose higher. He had been petitioned at length for custom pistols, but he retired from personal commissions. He had more than enough work establishing business in Spain, and it was finally time to break ground on the new factory.
In Jasmine’s absence, Honora agreed to oversee their shared veteran’s hospital. The Benevolent Ladies all shed a tear to see her go, but Honora pushed her out of the house with a firm order to enjoy her belated honeymoon.
She didn’t look forward to a week at sea, but her company would be better this time. She leaned her head on Matthew’s shoulder. There were so many places she wanted to show him, foods she wanted him to try. She couldn’t wait to introduce him to her grandparents.
They were going to love him as much as she did.
Matthew tapped his toes against the wooden planks, glancing around. She placed her toes over his and squeezed his hand.
“They’ll be here.”
“They are rather late. We should have waited for them at the inn, or told them to go on ahead. The ship will be departing any moment.”
“We have time,” she soothed.
As if summoned by her confidence, Caroline’s voice broke through the crowd. “Brother!”
She walked to them, followed by Cassandra, holding a bundle close to her chest. Seth carried Rose, with Trevor at his heels.
“Thank goodness we made it.” Cassandra sighed. “There was a problem with the carriage wheel.”
“Thank you for coming to see us off.” Jasmine hugged her gently and peeked at the bundle in her arms. “All of you.”
Heavily swaddled in blankets, baby Rebecca slumbered, oblivious to the noise. Her eyes were as blue as the ocean and her hair as black as Seth’s. Jasmine placed a small kiss on her brow.
“When will you be departing for Hampshire?” she asked.
“The moment you set sail,” Seth said. “Blackmoor is riding ahead to inform the Earl of our arrival.” He glanced warmly at his daughters, then Cassandra.
“It’ll be a slow journey, but we’ll manage.
” He turned to Matthew and extended his hand.
“I’ll look after the family. Zeke will manage the factory. ”
“I trust you.” Matthew shook his hand. “You’ll speak for me in my absence, and we’ll meet back in London in the spring.”
Caroline launched herself at Jasmine. “Watch after my brother, don’t let him make any foolish decisions.”
Jasmine met Matthew’s gaze and winked. “I’ll do my best, but I make no promises.”
Trevor embraced her next—the boy now almost as tall as Matthew. She squeezed him tight, and heard a familiar voice calling out. Maternal, authoritative… it almost sounded like—
“Jasmine!”
“Mama?!”
With flushed cheeks and her hair falling out of her pins, paths parted for Mama. Behind her, Papa looked pristine, as if he stood in the halls of Parliament. Stoic all the same, but with a softness to his eyes.
“What are you doing here?” Jasmine cried. “It’s so far out of your way. You spent days of travel—”
Mama crushed Jasmine to her. “I couldn’t bear the thought of you leaving without saying goodbye.”
“It’s a temporary detour, and worth the trip,” Papa assured her. “We’re traveling to Bolderwood as well. We’ll be spending Christmas as a family.”
“We wanted to surprise you,” Mama explained. “We decided to meet here, and together we’ll travel the rest of the way.”
Jasmine wiped the tears from her eyes with her fingertip. “This is wonderful, thank you all. I’ll miss you so much.”
“It’ll only be for a little while. We’ll see you in the spring.” Mama glanced to Caroline with a conspiratorial gleam in her eyes. “We have one more Cooper to see married, and Caroline will have her pick of gentlemen. I’m already writing my list.”
“Don’t get ahead of yourselves,” Matthew said. “No weddings until I get back.”
“We’ll see.” Caroline gave him a sly grin. “Don’t be surprised if you come back and I have a serious suitor. I’ll have no issue securing a match without your interference.”
Matthew tucked her under his arm and ruffled her hair until she screeched.
Mama held both of Jasmine’s hands and kissed her cheeks. “Give my parents my love, and please take care of yourselves. Send word as soon as you arrive.”
Jasmine nodded. “I will.”
Mama moved to the side, and Papa hugged her, whispering in her hair, “I’m proud of you, and I love you.”
“I love you too, Papa.”
Papa shook Matthew’s hand, then stepped back.
The ship’s bell interrupted their farewells, and a sailor bellowed, “All aboard for San Sebastián!”
Jasmine left her family’s embrace and stepped onto the gangway. It swayed over the water, shifting under her feet. Her breath caught, and she stopped before taking another step.
Matthew was still on the docks.
Right where she left him.
His amber eyes met hers. A moment of hesitation. A flicker of vulnerability. Time slowed, narrowing down to this one moment. They had been there before, but this time was different. This time, neither of them would be alone.
Jasmine offered Matthew her hand. With a grin wider than she had ever seen, he placed his hand in hers.
And together, they boarded the ship for Spain.