"You can't scare away every man who shows up at my door!"
"I can damn well try." He kept his tone quiet as he stepped closer to her. "You have no idea of the grip you have on me Hanford and I'll be damned if you fall in love with someone who isn't m...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"There was a Prince at the gallery?" Perched atop her bed, Jasper caught his sister up on the latest gossip she'd missed whilst she was off rendezvousing with her betrothed. "Cressida must be having a field day with his presence."
"Oh, you'd be correct!" Jasper gave a wry laugh. It wasn't an unusual sight to see the two Hanford siblings gabbing about like a pair of nosy Mamas. The male held the latest scandal sheet in his hand while his sister read over his shoulder. "She's sunk her talons into him, her ruthless mother has ensured it."
"That poor man," they giggled. "At the very least, Cressida will get the fairytale she's dreamt of."
"You think the poor sap will secure that pairing?" He gave her a look that said he knew more gossip than he was revealing.
"What is it you know!" She gasped, pushing his shoulder.
"Cressida may have his time but Daphne holds his attention," he smirked. "It seems your dearest friend is making quite the roster for herself." Aurora gasped delightfully, her eyes shining at the information.
"Oh, Violet must be loving this!"
"Loving what?" A deep voice interrupted their chatting, the two of them jolting at the intrusion. They faced their father with sheepish smiles on their faces as Jasper tried to discreetly hide the leaflet behind his back. Jedidiah rolled his eyes and held his hand out for it. He watched as his two children shared a look before the paper was in his grasp. He folded it and tucked into his pocket, having a read for later. "I forget how much you two enjoy gossiping."
"You act as if you don't gab yourself," Aurora teased her father. "I've heard from uncle Theo that—"
"That fool," Jedidiah cursed under his breath. "Don't listen to a word he says," he pointed a finger at her in warning before he stomped off to find said man.
"Works every time," Aurora grinned slyly at her brother. She stuck a hand under her pillow and passed her hidden scandal sheet to Jasper. "Have mine."
"Now I know how you kept your courtship with Benjamin hidden from me," he chuckled. "Is he under there also?"
"Hilarious," she deadpanned. Her eyes darted to the ring on her finger. Only the pair's families knew, not even their closest friends. They wanted their engagement to be kept a secret as long as they could, neither of them wanting the likes of the ton inserting themselves in their business. "I truly didn't think I'd be marrying him."
"Sister, with the way he only held eyes for you, I'd be surprised if you hadn't." Jasper scoffed.
"And what of you then? Has Oliver promised you a future?" She knew in their own society that her brother's partnership with the Scottish male would never be accepted but she'd learned that the ginger male had already told his own family of their pairing and not a negative word was said back.
