Under The Moonlight

Chapter 15

Chapter 15

In the drawing room, Jasmine had told her family and the Martins what happened at the ball with Andrew - of course, not mentioning their intimate moments. She received comforting looks and gestures when she had talked about how Andrew was hurt. Afterwards, her mother had instructed Louisa to help her get cleaned up before bed.

But Jasmine couldn't sleep. Not after the night she'd had. Instead, she sat by the hearth in the drawing room, clutching a blanket draped over her shoulders. Everyone else, satisfied with her safety, had already retired after she told them she would be fine.

Hearing the sound of faint whispers and dainty footsteps, Jasmine turned around and saw Juliet, Charlotte and Rosaline creeping towards her. They paused when they realised they'd been caught.

"Jasmine,'' Rosaline began unsurely.

''Neither of us could sleep so we came to talk,'' Charlotte finished for her sister.

Jasmine patted the space on the carpet next to her. ''If you don't mind sitting on the floor with me,''

Juliet and the twins sat on either side of her, looking uncertain of what to say next.

''You must really love Lord Huntingdon if you were willing to actually assist him with his injury,'' Rosaline said. ''I know how much the sight of blood frightens you.''

''I couldn't just sit there and let him bleed to death,'' then Jasmine registered Rosaline's previous statement.

Love? Could she be in love with him?

''I think you do love him,'' Juliet shifted in her seat slightly. ''Aunt Cathy and I saw you kiss him the other night in the front yard. She made me promise not to say anything.''

''You saw that?" Jasmine's face turned scarlet.

''Yes,'' her sister answered. ''And you wouldn't have allowed some fellow to kiss you anyhow like Lord Devil-shire. And he's a handsome duke - so I've heard.''

"So do you?" Charlotte asked impatiently.

''I...'' She thought back to when they'd first been introduced at the ball and he'd tried to flatter her and all the events that had taken place after that. She surely wouldn't bother herself with a man who might get her killed for no reason... but Andrew... She would even go so far as to help him find the culprit so that they could be together. It would have been a perfect reason not to marry men like Lord Devonshire or Lord Torrington but her heart felt heavy at the thought of it being the reason she could not be with Andrew.

Oh, heavens! She loved him.

"I love him,'' she blurted, not believing it even after she'd said it.

"I'm so happy for you,'' Rosaline hugged her.

"Not just yet, Rosaline,'' her twin spoke. "We still need to find out who's doing all this so that Jasmine and Andrew can be together. There won't be any happy endings if either of them are murdered.''

"What are we supposed to do?" Juliet asked. "We're only women. We surely can't investigate.''

"No, we can't,'' Jasmine agreed. ''But we can gossip.''

Charlotte's eyes sparkled at the word 'gossip'. A juicy story was always worth telling twice. "First thing today,'' she said. ''we'll go to another luncheon. There are bound to be women who know more about Cordelia or who her suitor was.''

"Which reminds me,'' Jasmine asked her Rosaline. ''How was your evening with Mr Rogers and Mr Lawrence?"

Rosaline blushed slightly. "Mr Rogers was very charming. But Mr Lawrence,'' she wrinkled her nose in disgust. ''Ugh! He was such a beast, clearly eyeing other women while we talked. And he didn't even dance like a proper gentleman. Honestly, I can't believe Father would allow this marriage to take place. The man probably has several mistresses the way he acted.''