Always a Rogue, Forever Her Love (Scandalous Seasons #4)(26)

He expected her to speak on their behaviors, instead, she hurried after them. Jonathan stood a moment to appreciate the delicate curve of her buttocks and then paused at the slightly off-kilter gait. “Miss Marsh?” he called after her.

She paused, a hand on the handle of the shop’s door. “My lord?”

He frowned. “Have you been injured?”

“Injured?” Juliet cocked her head. “Certainly not.” With that she spun on her heel and rushed inside the shop.

Jonathan started after her. He entered the shop and winced at Prudence’s high-pitched giggle as she held up a ribbon in each hand. She touched first one, a golden ribbon with black stripes to her hair, then the next, a pale blue satin ribbon. “Which do you like, Penny?”

Penny, in the midst of perusing the ribbons that dangled above, paused with a frown. “I’ve instructed you not to call me Penny,” she hissed.

Prudence gave an older sister’s beleaguered sigh. “Very well, which do you prefer, Penelope?”

He didn’t pause to listen for Penelope’s reply. Instead, he moved deeper into the shop, studying Juliet who walked a path about the space, distractedly touching the ribbons.

The shopkeeper approached her and Juliet smiled at the woman. She gave a slight wave of a hand, and the gray-haired, plump woman continued on.

Juliet grasped an emerald green ribbon. He studied her long fingers and imagined vastly more enjoyable activities for those fingers. As if she felt his gaze upon her, Juliet looked up, and her hand fell back to her side, as though burned.

Jonathan continued walking until he came to stop beside her. “It is a splendid ribbon, Miss Marsh.” He freed the green scrap of fabric from her grasp. “It would look glorious woven through your hair, Juliet,” he said on a soft whisper.

Her gaze darted about as if to ascertain whether anyone was privy to their exchange.

The shopkeeper rushed forward and he turned it over to the woman’s hands. “Please have this wrapped,” he instructed.

The woman nodded and hurried off, leaving him once again alone with Juliet.

“It is not appropriate to give a lady who is not your wife a gift, my lord.”

If she’d but let him, he’d give her far more than a mere scrap of fabric. He’d shower her with diamonds and the bluest sapphires, drape her in the finest silk and satin fabrics. Yet, in the brief time he’d come to know Juliet, he’d come to appreciate how vastly different than any other woman she happened to be. She didn’t seem to have a singular focus on trinkets and baubles. “What makes you believe I’ve purchased it for you?” he inquired teasingly.

“I…” She blushed. “Oh…I had…”

He chuckled. “I’m merely teasing. The ribbon is yours, Juliet. And as your employer I can give you a gift should I so desire.”

Juliet shook her head emphatically. “No. No, that is not true in the least. It isn’t appropriate. It will raise eyebrows, and questions and will result in my dismissal.”

Jonathan would be the only one to dismiss her, and he’d sooner slice off his left little finger than send her back on her way. He followed her pointed glance to Prudence who eyed them interestingly.

“Please,” Juliet implored from the side of her mouth. “This is not at all a proper discussion.”

Perfectly kissable lips like hers were wasted on words such as proper. “Then what is proper discourse?” he asked, striking a nonchalant pose.

“Your sisters. That is all that is appropriate,” she retorted.

The last thing he cared to speak with Juliet Marshville about were his sisters. Though that was in fact the one matter he should want to speak with her about. He sighed and gave a wave of a hand. “Well, then, shall we discuss your intentions for the girls’ lessons?”

She nodded curtly, and said, “I had hoped to begin on the subject of art.”

“Art? Very well, Miss Marsh.”

Juliet’s eyes roved over his face. “That is it? There are no further questions?”

“I have no further questions,” he concurred. “For now,” he added.

Later, much later, when there are no strangers about, and my sisters are otherwise occupied, then, I will have questions for you, sweet Juliet.

“Very well, then,” she said with what he detected as disappointment in her husky alto.

Jonathan continued to study her as she rushed over to his sisters, seeming unaware of his scrutiny. He acknowledged to himself for the first time since he’d come upon her battling Lord Whitby in the streets, he wanted her. Not in a single exchange of two lovers coming together for a fleeting night of passion. He wanted her for more than a governess, but rather as a mistress he could freely shower with lavish gifts and pretty compliments without the scrutiny of his family and Society in watch.

He silently cursed. What in hell had he done?





Chapter 8


Juliet sat at the window seat of the parlor. The handful of sconces along the wall cast the room in a soft glow, far greater than the single sconce in the modest chambers assigned to her on the main living quarters of the earl’s townhouse.

The night moon flooded the room and, illuminated the cover of the sketchpad on her lap.

She rustled the ends of the pages, fanning them distractedly. The faint breeze she created sent the emerald green ribbon on her lap fluttering to the cushion of the window seat.