Always a Rogue, Forever Her Love (Scandalous Seasons #4)(35)

She gave a brusque nod. “I do, my lord. Vigorous activity has a clearing effect on a young lady’s mind. It provides for a strong constitution. In fact, I quite enjoy vigorous activity, myself.”

Jonathan choked mid-swallow, and proceeded to cough uncontrollably.

Juliet looked to him questioningly. “Are you all right, my lord?”

He waved a hand. “Fine, fine. Nothing that a little vigorous activity wouldn’t help, Miss Marsh.”

Her green eyes flew wide in her face and then narrowed into the smallest slits and he knew that she knew exactly what scandalous thoughts he spoke of.

“Can we, then?”

“Can you what, Poppy?” Jonathan forced his attention to his youngest sister.

She threw her arms up in a manner entirely too reminiscent of Mother. “Go for a walk with Miss Marsh?”

Jonathan slowly climbed to his feet. He extended his arm toward Juliet. “How can a gentleman such as myself deprive a lady of much needed vigorous activity?”

Juliet hesitated, and then with the spirit he’d come to admire in her, placed her fingertips along his coat sleeves.





Juliet shifted the basket of sketchpads and charcoal she held over to her other hand. As she strolled behind the Earl of Sinclair and his three sisters along the Serpentine River in Hyde Park, she became aware of a few things all at once. One, the scent of sandalwood that clung to Jonathan had a heady pull that would cloud any young lady’s good judgment. Two, Jonathan was a hopeless rogue. Three, she didn’t trust herself to be alone with the gentleman who inspired all the most wicked thoughts and longings within her.

Her gaze lingered upon the sapphire blue of his expertly cut coat. He murmured something to Penelope, his words lost to Juliet, but the young girl burst out into a healthy round of laughter. Bold laughter, which she suspected, would have made most governesses cringe, but she was not most governesses. She chewed her lower lip. Then could one be considered a governess a mere two days within the terms of one’s service? Juliet shifted the basket again, and faltered at the quick pace set by the Tidemore siblings. She silently cursed her bothersome leg and righted herself.

As though attune to her body’s every movement, Jonathan paused and glanced back at her. He frowned. “Are you all right, Miss Marsh? Might I relieve you of your burden?” He quirked an eyebrow, having surely realized after four previous offers of assistance that she had little intention of relinquishing her basket.

Heat climbed up her neck and filled her cheeks at the curious stares directed their way by passing lords and ladies in the crowded park. “I am well, my lord. I—”

“It’s merely her crippled leg,” Prudence interjected on a yawn.

Before Juliet could even attempt to muster a reply, Jonathan turned a fierce glower on the eldest of his sisters. “Be silent,” he hissed.

Prudence planted her hands on her hips and a defiant tilt to her chin. “I believed a gentleman was to value honesty and forthrightness, and I was merely pointing out that Miss Marsh surely fell because she’s a cripple.”

“She didn’t fall,” Poppy quickly defended.

Jonathan’s black eyebrows met in a single line. “What are you on about, Prudence?”

She made her eyes go wide. “Surely you knew Miss Marsh was a cripple.”

Penelope gasped. “Prudence,” she scolded.

Jonathan’s gaze fell to Juliet’s lower legs as if he could see through the fabric of her modest floral patterned skirts. Oh God, she had been scalded before by the burn of her brother’s cruel words and deliberate taunting, but this, this very public shaming from her charge, amidst the sea of peering lords and ladies… Nay, she didn’t care in the least about the strangers’ opinions, but Jonathan, his opinion, for some reason mattered. Then, he yanked his attention away and he, who towered over Prudence by more than a foot, leaned down and whispered something close to his sister’s ear.

The girl blanched and gave a tight nod.

Pain and humiliation blended together to create an aching hurt that went far beyond the aching muscles of her calf. Juliet sucked in a shuddery breath.

“I am sorry, Miss Marsh,” Prudence said between gritted teeth.

That long ago day, nine years past, after she’d been knocked from the tree, Juliet had awakened to find her leg shattered and Albert at her bedside. He’d scuffed the tip of his boot along the wood floor; Father’s firm hand had anchored the boy to the spot. “I am sorry, Juliet.” From his cold eyes and flat, emotionless tone, Juliet had learned the emptiness of a meaningless apology.

Juliet forced her feet to move and walked over to Prudence. The girl glanced out to the river as though she contemplated diving in and swimming free of Juliet’s company. She stopped beside Prudence, so close the fabrics of their skirts brushed. “Never apologize because someone has instructed you to do so, Prudence,” she said quietly. She ran her gaze over the angry frown pulling on the girl’s lips, the sparks that shot from within her blue eyes. “Someday you’ll learn that there is a vast difference between honesty and cruelty,” she said quietly. “Being cruel will never make you feel good inside, but being kind will cost you nothing but a smile.”

Jonathan touched her elbow and she jumped. The quick grin, and the usual light in Jonathan’s eyes replaced by this dark, foreboding man she didn’t recognize. He held out his arm. She eyed it a moment, far longer than she should, desperately wanting to place her hand along his sleeve and forget that she was nothing more than his sisters’ governess, instead wanting to pretend she was any other young lady courted by this dashing gentleman whose mere presence increased the steady beat of her heart.