Seven Years to Sin(35)

“That isn’t to say adjustments cannot be made,” he corrected quickly. “There is always room for improvement.”

The look she gave him was both grateful and knowing. Though new to the game of seduction and sexual conquest, she was yet aware that he was making concessions to woo her. “I hope so. At the very least, I should like to keep it running smoothly.”

He grinned. “Nothing intriguing about you, you say.”

Jessica looked down at her hand and the large sapphire gracing it. “Maybe a little something,” she conceded. “At least in your view.”

“No other view matters.” He would have selected a ruby for her. Red would suit the inner fire she kept carefully banked.

“Can you … will you, help me?” She looked up, her eyes veiled beneath thick lashes. “You started with nothing. I would expect you know everything there is to know about growing and selling sugarcane.”

The surge of relieved triumph he felt was accompanied by a softer, warmer emotion. “Absolutely. Once you gain your bearings and feel settled enough, I can expand your knowledge. I wouldn’t want to intrude too soon, but if you ever have any questions or difficulties, I would be honored to assist you.”

“Thank you.”

They ate in companionable silence for a time. While Alistair was content just to share a meal and a lovely day with Jessica, he noted that the set of her shoulders relaxed the longer he held his tongue. Which led him to wonder just how deeply she allowed people to know her. She evaded more questions than she answered. Altogether, it was clear that her upbringing had known moments of harshness, with “consequences” grave enough to mold her into a skin she did not wear comfortably.

He looked again at the sapphire wedding ring on her slender hand and wondered how well Tarley had known her. Most peerage marriages were shallow associations based on the mutual understanding that disruptive discussions would not take place. It was not unusual for spouses to touch upon only brief highlights of their separate daily schedules and delve not at all beneath the surface to discover how each other felt about any particular event or acquaintance.

Was there anyone in Jessica’s life who shared her confidence?

“You had a dog,” he remembered. “It was always with you.”

“Temperance,” she said with a note of wistfulness. “She passed away a few years ago. I miss her terribly. There are times when my skirts will brush my ankles in a certain way, and for a moment I forget and think it might be her.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Have you ever had an animal you were attached to?”

“My brother Aaron had a beagle I liked well enough. Albert had a mastiff that drooled a lake every hour. And Andrew had a terrier named Lawrence who was indeed a terror, which made us fast friends. Alas, by the time Lawrence was done ruining the furniture and rugs, Masterson had decreed there would be no more animals in our household. My poor luck to be the youngest and last in line.”

Her smile was soft. “I suspect you’d spoil a pet.”

He wanted to spoil her, lavish her with gifts, drape her nude body in jewels …

Clearing his throat, he said, “Does Lady Regmont also have a fondness for animals?”

“Hester has always been too busy to dedicate time to a pet. It is the rare day when she does not have a full schedule.”

Alistair recalled how vivacious Hester had been during his long-ago acquaintance with her. “Michael was quite enamored of that quality in her. He, too, enjoys the companionship of many people.”

“Everyone loves Hester.” A breeze pushed a thick blond curl across her cheek, and she brushed it back. “It’s impossible not to.”

“Michael had eyes for no one else when she was in the same room.”

“She can be the brightest light in any company.”

He caught the wistfulness in her words. “You miss her.”

Jessica sighed. “In many ways. She’s altered a great deal in the last year. I am ashamed to say I don’t know if the change was gradual or sudden. After Tarley became ill, I had little time to visit with anyone.”

“Altered in what way?”

She lifted one shoulder in a helpless shrug. “I fear she might be ill. She has become quite thin and is often pale. There are times when there is a pinching around her eyes and mouth, as if she might be in pain. But when I’ve begged her to call for the doctor, she insists nothing is amiss.”

“If anything is wrong, I am certain Michael will see to it in your absence. You can rest easy.”

“With everything demanding his attention, I doubt he has time to see to himself. Dear man. He needs a wife to ease some of his burdens.”

“Your sister still has the ability to garner the whole of his attention, which is why, I believe, he hasn’t wed.”

Her eyes widened. “Are you saying Michael has a tendre for Hester?”

“Has for years,” Alistair said dryly. He knew well how consuming such an obsession could be.

“No,” she breathed. “I can’t credit it. He’s never shown any signs of affection greater than friendship.”

“And you have paid strict attention to be certain?”

She stared at him for a long moment, then smiled sheepishly. “I had no idea.”

“Neither does Lady Regmont, which was the bulk of his problem.”