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Authors: Sabrina Jeffries
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far tenser than she’d expected, and not just on his side, either. Lady Devonmont had seemed determined to provoke him. Perhaps this hadn’t been such a good idea after all.
But as the dessert plates were carried away, Lady Devonmont smiled broadly at her. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For making him join us for dinner.”
“You don’t know your son very well if you think anyone could make him do anything he doesn’t want to,” Camilla said dryly.
“I know him better than you think,” the countess said enigmatically. “You must have said something to convince him todine with us. He would never have done so just to please me.”
“You’re wrong,” she lied. “He may be gruff, but I’m sure he loves you in his own way.”
What else could she tell the woman without breaking her heart? She would walk through fire before she would see her ladyship hurt.
The countess sighed. “Perhaps.” She seemed to brood a moment, then shook it off and rose from the table. “Shall we go say good night to our boy?”
“Certainly.” It had become a nightly ritual for them to tuck Jasper in before they settled down with needlework or books or whatever their choice of amusement was for the evening.
Her mind wandered as they headed up the stairs. What had his lordship meant, he’d be spending his Christmas at the Waverlys’ “as usual”? Camilla knew he had cousins near London, but why would he prefer to spend Christmas with them over his mother? She was tempted to ask the countess, but she hated to spoil her ladyship’s happiness at having him here, however briefly.
Camilla and Jasper’s room was on the third floor, next to what used to be the nursery. The earl’s tutor had originally occupied their room, but it had been years since anyone had lived in it, so her ladyship had suggested it would be perfect for Camilla. Once Jasper had come to live here, too, the countess had ordered the tutor’s bed changed out for a trundle bed so mother and son could be together.
It was the perfect arrangement to keep Jasper safe from discovery. Mr. Fowler was often in the servants’ quarters, but hewould find it highly inappropriate to invade the floor where supposedly only Camilla lived. And the room was still close enough to her ladyship’s for Camilla’s purposes.
As they entered, Maisie was trying futilely to get Jasper to settle down. He practically bounced in his trundle bed. “Mrs. Beasley said his lordship is very big and scary,” he pronounced. “Is that true?”
“Only with young boys who don’t do what they’re told,” Camilla said. It was a bit of a falsehood, but she couldn’t take any chance that the earl would see Jasper and banish him from Montcliff. It would break her heart. “So behave yourself.”
Her ladyship sat down on the bed and chucked Jasper under the chin. “But he’ll be gone tomorrow. Just stay with Maisie, all right? And if the earl should happen to see you and ask who you are, tell him your mother is a servant. Don’t say her name.”
“But Mama isn’t a servant,” he protested.
“Actually—” Camilla began.
“Your mother is a special kind of servant very important to me,” Lady Devonmont said. “And you’re important to me, too. So if you’ll be a good boy and stay out of his lordship’s sight until he leaves tomorrow, I’ll let you keep one of those tin soldiers that you like to play with so much.”
As Jasper’s face lit up, Camilla’s heart caught in her throat. The countess was always doing such lovely things for Jasper. Her ladyship had rapidly become the closest thing to a grandmother that he would ever have.
But her ladyship didn’t have to buy Jasper’s love—she had it already, whether or not she realized it. “You needn’t give himanything,” Camilla murmured. “I know he’ll be good just for your sake.”
“Even so, he deserves a prize for it. And there are a hundred in the set—one won’t be missed. Let me spoil the lad a
But as the dessert plates were carried away, Lady Devonmont smiled broadly at her. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For making him join us for dinner.”
“You don’t know your son very well if you think anyone could make him do anything he doesn’t want to,” Camilla said dryly.
“I know him better than you think,” the countess said enigmatically. “You must have said something to convince him todine with us. He would never have done so just to please me.”
“You’re wrong,” she lied. “He may be gruff, but I’m sure he loves you in his own way.”
What else could she tell the woman without breaking her heart? She would walk through fire before she would see her ladyship hurt.
The countess sighed. “Perhaps.” She seemed to brood a moment, then shook it off and rose from the table. “Shall we go say good night to our boy?”
“Certainly.” It had become a nightly ritual for them to tuck Jasper in before they settled down with needlework or books or whatever their choice of amusement was for the evening.
Her mind wandered as they headed up the stairs. What had his lordship meant, he’d be spending his Christmas at the Waverlys’ “as usual”? Camilla knew he had cousins near London, but why would he prefer to spend Christmas with them over his mother? She was tempted to ask the countess, but she hated to spoil her ladyship’s happiness at having him here, however briefly.
Camilla and Jasper’s room was on the third floor, next to what used to be the nursery. The earl’s tutor had originally occupied their room, but it had been years since anyone had lived in it, so her ladyship had suggested it would be perfect for Camilla. Once Jasper had come to live here, too, the countess had ordered the tutor’s bed changed out for a trundle bed so mother and son could be together.
It was the perfect arrangement to keep Jasper safe from discovery. Mr. Fowler was often in the servants’ quarters, but hewould find it highly inappropriate to invade the floor where supposedly only Camilla lived. And the room was still close enough to her ladyship’s for Camilla’s purposes.
As they entered, Maisie was trying futilely to get Jasper to settle down. He practically bounced in his trundle bed. “Mrs. Beasley said his lordship is very big and scary,” he pronounced. “Is that true?”
“Only with young boys who don’t do what they’re told,” Camilla said. It was a bit of a falsehood, but she couldn’t take any chance that the earl would see Jasper and banish him from Montcliff. It would break her heart. “So behave yourself.”
Her ladyship sat down on the bed and chucked Jasper under the chin. “But he’ll be gone tomorrow. Just stay with Maisie, all right? And if the earl should happen to see you and ask who you are, tell him your mother is a servant. Don’t say her name.”
“But Mama isn’t a servant,” he protested.
“Actually—” Camilla began.
“Your mother is a special kind of servant very important to me,” Lady Devonmont said. “And you’re important to me, too. So if you’ll be a good boy and stay out of his lordship’s sight until he leaves tomorrow, I’ll let you keep one of those tin soldiers that you like to play with so much.”
As Jasper’s face lit up, Camilla’s heart caught in her throat. The countess was always doing such lovely things for Jasper. Her ladyship had rapidly become the closest thing to a grandmother that he would ever have.
But her ladyship didn’t have to buy Jasper’s love—she had it already, whether or not she realized it. “You needn’t give himanything,” Camilla murmured. “I know he’ll be good just for your sake.”
“Even so, he deserves a prize for it. And there are a hundred in the set—one won’t be missed. Let me spoil the lad a
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