Jenny’s cheeks heated. “The problem is not how long it will take, my lord.”
His frown deepened for a moment before he smiled. “Of course. I realize that bringing you to my room—especially unchaperoned—is improper, but I was so excited, I’m afraid I made an irrational request.”
Jenny sighed with relief. Finally, common sense had prevailed.
“It doesn’t matter,” he continued. “We can return to the parlor and use the couch if you prefer. Or perhaps my study? Yes, my desk would be far better.”
Jenny gaped at him. He was as vile as Lord Tulk! “I don’t wish to engage in such an act anywhere! Forgive me for giving you the wrong impression, but I’m certainly not going to give you my virtue in your study. On a… on a desk!”
For a moment, Lord Dowding stared at her, his brows scrunched. Then his eyes went wide, and he began to laugh. “You mean… you thought…” He clutched at his side and doubled over, his laughter turning into guffaws. Tears were running down his cheeks, and all Jenny could do was gape. “You mistook me, Miss Jenny! I only meant to show you some documents I keep hidden in my room. And you thought… oh, my!”
“Documents?” Jenny repeated, still confused.
“Here,” he said, handing her several pages of parchment.
She stared down at the pages as realization filled her. “I… I’m sorry, my lord. I feel so foolish. I did not mean to accuse you!”
Out of all the predicaments in which Jenny had found herself over the years, this one seemed the worst. Had her imagination betrayed her? Or had it been the dreams she had been having as of late? Regardless, her cheeks burned with embarrassment.
Until the earl’s laughter filled the room.
Suddenly, Jenny appreciated the moment, allowing the man’s hearty laugh to invade her heart. For she saw a man far different from who she had believed him to be. His eyes held the world, and she found herself wanting him to allow her to share it with him.
Lord Dowding wiped tears from his eyes and smiled. “I should have stated outright my intentions. I’ve been so preoccupied as of late that I’m afraid my senses have completely left me. If I were in my right mind, I would never have considered bringing you to my bedroom. You’ve no reason to apologize, Miss Jenny. The fault lies with me, and solely with me.”
Heaving a sigh of relief, Jenny followed Lord Dowding back to the parlor, where they sat beside one another on the couch. The blazing fire warmed the room as the earl thumbed through the pages and selected one.
“What I’m about to share with you is known by few,” he said. “Five years ago, my father made a deathbed confession. He admitted to having a relationship with a maid before he married my mother. The maid was sent away, and he never saw her again. But he knew about the child yet did nothing for her. His guilt consumed him over the years, however, so he tasked me with finding her and apologizing for his abandonment of her.”
“Did you find her?” Jenny asked.
Lord Dowding shook his head. “No. I learned during my search that she died several years ago. But her life of servitude was not the only hardship about which I learned.”
He went on to explain about his sister. Her first employer had wagered her as a “private servant” in a card game, promising that she would see toallhis needs. When the second man grew weary of her, he had gifted her to another lord. That third man had done the same, as had the fourth. It was a sorrowful tale of a woman being traded or wagered from home to home until she was sold to a brothel in London. Jenny’s heart ached at the thought.
“So, that is why I’ve been doing all I can to bring down the men who had treated her—as well as others like her—worse than cattle,” he said when he finished his tale.
“What you’ve done is honorable and brave,” Jenny said. “But how did you know where to find the men involved? It can’t be public knowledge, not if they are wealthy or noblemen. Forgive me for saying so, but they keep their private information close to the vest.”
“As I made inquiries, word of my search reached the right ears. I received a letter one day.” He handed her a heavily creased parchment. “From a Mr. Thompson.” He went on to explain the following correspondences and what they contained. Never had she heard anything so astounding. Suggestions of false business agreements and the tearing down of evil men. It would have made the perfect novel!
He sighed. “Now, I’ve only Lord Tulk left. When this final transaction is completed, my revenge will be complete. But without Mr. Thompson or his son, my hard work will be worth nothing.”
Jenny’s heart went out to him. “Perhaps Mr. Thompson will understand the importance and assent.”
“That is my hope, but I believe he’ll refuse, just as he has every other time.”
Lord Dowding wore such a look of sadness that Jenny’s heart ached. If she could do anything to help, Jenny would have done it in an instant. “If he chooses not to heed your call, there is not much you can do. At least you’ve seen four of the five evil men brought down. You should be celebrating those successes.”
“You don’t understand. I must see Tulk suffer, for he’s the one who initially sold my sister, which ultimately led to her death.”
Jenny placed a hand on his cheek. “Thank you for sharing this with me, my lord. I can see it comes from the heart. I wish I could help in some way, but I’m afraid I’ve no idea what I could possibly do.”
He smiled. “Just you being here is enough. I need nothing more.”
Without thought, without warning, they were kissing. Unlike the previous time, this kiss was soft and tender, making her heart flutter with a new emotion.
A knock at the door had them moving apart, and Osborne entered the room. “A letter has arrived, my lord.”