Debacle was an apt description, Jacques had to ruefully agree, but there was no one to blame but himself.
“What is your fault?”
“I should never have assisted Lord and Lady Ashcombe in escaping from the palace.”
With gentle care he cradled her against his chest, savoring the beauty of her pale face in the cresting dawn.
“That is in the past,” he assured her. “We will not speak of it again.”
“And tonight?” she persisted, almost as if she needed to punish herself. “If I had not intruded, they would not have been allowed to escape yet again.”
The path led them beyond the trees and between the rolling fields that were bathed in a glistening dew.
“You were concerned for me.”
“Only in part.” She heaved a sigh. “I knew you were in your private chambers with Talia and when I heard the sound of crashing glass I used it as an excuse to interrupt. I was afraid…”
“And you were afraid of what?” he prompted as her words faltered.
“I was afraid that you intended to take her to your bed.”
“And you thought you could prevent the seduction?”
“I was not thinking,” she professed huskily. “I was following my poor heart that could not bear the thought of you with another.”
He slowed the pace of his mount at her unexpected confession. The beautiful actress had always been successful in keeping her feelings hidden even as she pandered to his needs. Now he found himself instinctively shying from the emotions that smoldered in her dark eyes.
“Sophia.”
She averted her face to stare at the passing fields, effectively hiding her expression.
“I know you do not wish to be burdened with my unwanted affections, Jacques.” The words were so low he could barely catch them. “But I very nearly lost you this evening and I could not bear the thought of you dying without knowing that I love you.”
“I…” He shifted in the saddle, shying from her blunt confession. “We will discuss this later,” he muttered.
He felt her stiffen in his arms. “There is no need for discussion, chérie.”
But Jacques found himself annoyed by the stark resignation that hardened her profile. A preference to discuss such a…delicate subject in the comfort of his home rather than on the back of a horse when they were both so weary was considerably different than hoping to ignore it altogether.
“Are you so certain?”
“Oui.” She turned back to meet his gaze, understandably confused by his unpredictable reactions. “I comprehend that I have overstepped the boundaries of our liaison.”
“I was not aware our liaison had boundaries.”
Her brows jerked together. “Do not mock me, Jacques.”
“That was not my intent—”
“A courtesan’s first lesson is never to allow her emotions to become entangled,” she interrupted, a faint color staining her cheeks. “Gentlemen seek our companionship for pleasure, not duty.”
Duty? His blood heated at the mere thought of their time together.
Both in and out of bed.
“Well, it is certainly true that I have never considered you a duty, ma belle,” he said wryly.
Her expression remained bleak. “And you never shall.” She tilted her chin. “It was not my place to interfere in your relationship with Talia. She is obviously a lady of quality and if you desire to claim her as your own then I shall wish you happiness.”