Page 62 of The Rake’s Convenient Bride

“Take Devil’s Snare to the physician.” Elizabeth relinquished her hold on Jasper and pushed to her feet. “I’ll drive the wagon.”

The stable master drew up. “My lady, I cannot let you⁠—”

“You can.” She bent to help lift Jasper. “His life is more important than anything else.”

He did not protest as she helped him carry Jasper’s limp form to the bed of the wagon, a reassuring groan emanating from somewhere in Jasper’s throat.

Good. If he was groaning, he was alive.

There was still a chance he wouldn’t…

No. She refused to even think of that horrible outcome.

It was too impossible to imagine his strength, his vitality, the caring affection of his person, snuffed out forever.

The stable master drew up into Devil’s Snare’s saddle and the two of them were off as Elizabeth sat on the plank seat and took the reins of the mare, careful to drive quickly while also keeping the wagon as steady as possible.

Back at the manor, the footman from earlier rushed out to meet her, his hair still damp and his uniform limp from having been drenched once before by the rain. Together with the butler, they carried Jasper into the manor, only this time he did not move or groan, his face impossibly pale.

He was settled on the bed in one of the many rooms, and there was nothing for it but to wait for the physician.

The abrupt end of activity was Elizabeth’s undoing. Without her hands busy, her thoughts were wont to trail to places she did not want them to wander.

Thoughts of what could happen if the doctor was delayed, if he did not arrive in time. If there was nothing he could do.

Elizabeth had accepted weeks ago that she was in love with Jasper. What she had not allowed herself to realize was that he also loved her.

Though he said he did not, his love was evident—in the number of times he caught her as she tripped, in his nonchalant ease at helping her, and in his lack of chastisement for her clumsiness. And even in the times he himself had taken the attention to spare her, like when he spilled the sauce on his cravat.

She had been a fool to think he did not love her. And there was surely a reason for his hesitation to accept that he did. Likely the same reason that drew him towards the arms of many lovers during his grand tour.

The tears came faster, hot where they tracked down her cheeks as she clasped his hand and silently prayed for the physician to hurry.

She could not lose him, not when she only just realized she truly had him…and he had her.

16

Light winked in and out of Jasper’s consciousness amid gentle, soothing touches that graced his brow. A man’s authoritative voice mixed with a soft, familiar one that made Jasper’s chest ache worse than his head.

Elizabeth.

He needed to tell her…His thoughts fractured and he frowned, his eyes closed against his sensitivity to the light.

He needed to tell her…

That he loved her.

He squinted his eyes open, his resolve strengthening as he fought the shards of pain splintering in his brain.

He needed to tell her he loved her, damn it.

“Elizabeth,” he groaned aloud.

A cool hand folded around his. “I’m here.”

He blinked his eyes fully open, fixing his attention on the beautiful face coming into focus before him. Her broad forehead and high cheekbones, a lush mouth with a full lower lip that brought back memories he loved to savor, and those wide blue eyes that captured his soul. Her hair was down, a riot of waves that appeared to be somewhat damp.

“Elizabeth,” he said softly.