“Yes, both Robby and I have decided to join your little party, for I intend to put a great deal of blunt on Lightning.”
She smiled. “Ah, you will make a great deal of money—or at least, I hope you do. I hope we all do …” A sigh escaped with the words as they trailed into the breeze.
“Jewelene … I know you are worried. Won’t you let me help?”
“No, how can I?”
He took her shoulders. “By marrying me,” he said softly.
She couldn’t believe her ears and scanned his face. He put a finger to her lips and said, “I have already spoken with your aunt and your brother … you have only to say yes.”
“I … I … oh, you are too good … too good, and I am not worthy.” She hung her head.
“You were made for me, as I was for you. Don’t you see that …?” he countered.
“You don’t know what I have done,” she cried, holding his hands. “I cannot marry you until I have extricated myself from a situation that has grown out of proportions.” She shook her head. “How can I dump all my financial worries onto you?”
“Is that because you believe me a second son without a substantial income?” He looked into her eyes. “If I were titled and wealthy … would it make a difference?”
“No, it would make no difference. What has title or wealth to do with it? You deserve better than I.” She tried pulling away from him and rushing off, but he had her by the arm.
“Stay … confess to me … let me make it better,” he said softly.
“No—you will hate me,” she said in a hushed tone.
“Hate you? I adore you. Don’t think I don’t see who you are. Don’t think I don’t know you.” He shook his head. “Would it help to tell you that I am not whom you think? Would it help to tell you that I have my own secrets to confess?”
“What mean you?” she asked in surprise.
“Oh, there you are …” said Ben Clay, coming around the corner of the house. “Good—we need to talk, because we have trouble brewing.”
*
Jewelene was forced to wield her cob horse and wagon to the back of the supply store because of the inordinate amount of traffic in town. The pugilism match had brought in a great number of gentlemen to the White Stag and the one other inn at the other end of town.
She sighed and, with the list her aunt had given her, tethered the sweet old cob to the hitching post and made her way towards the front of the store. As she rounded the corner, she saw Ryker and Robby just across the street. Her eyebrows rose with surprise—Ben was with them. She had bee
n startled to see that a genuine friendship had been struck up between her old friend and Ryker.
Ryker saw her at once and started towards her when another gentleman, a stranger, put up his hand and shouted, “Ryker … egad, Ryker! You here too?” The gentleman turned to a group of his friends who were nearby and shouted out, “Now we are in for a devil of time … look who is here! The marquis himself!”
Ryker frowned at them, and as Jewelene looked at him and then at the group coming towards him to take his hand, she knew—Ryker, Ryker was the Marquis of Lyndhurst. He had led her to believe he was but a second son … he had tricked not only her, but her entire family … why? For a prank? Was it all just a prank? Was everything just a joke to while away his ennui?
She backed away from the sight of him as though she had been slammed bodily. She reached out and held the wooden two-by-four post at her side. She went into the supply store and, still in a daze, handed the storeowner the list, not really hearing his greeting and subsequent remarks, unable to respond.
The storefront door squeaked open again, and Ryker was there filling the entrance like a mountain, stiff and unmoving and infinitely magical, but she saw past it all to the lie. “Let me explain …” he said softly.
“No … there can be no explanation that would satisfy,” she answered as she tried to sort it all out in her head. Her words were scarcely a whisper as she said, “It was all sport for you—wasn’t it? Your mama tried telling you what to do, so you did what you wanted … if only to show her that you wouldn’t be led …” She backed away from him, from the sound of her own words.
“You are wrong. Is that what you think of me? You think at my age I have to prove anything to m’mother? Jewels … you are not thinking …”
“I was not thinking … I am now …”
The storeowner was already loading up her wagon in the back with the flour and other items on the list. Why was she here—why had she come to Yarmouth today? Why couldn’t she be home and ignorant?
She was here only because the livery boy who usually came for supplies was busy guarding Lightning. They were all taking turns guarding the stallion. And now, her entire world was falling apart …
Ryker moved in to reach for her, and Jewelene jumped back as though she saw a hot poker coming at her. “Do not dare … to touch me …” She shook her head as tears filled her eyes. “To think that I was worried because I thought my misdeeds … would offend you, do a disservice to your name, and all the while you were only playing with me … and my family—treating us like fools …” She shook her head.