Free The Betting Season (A Regency Season Book) by Jerrica Knight-Catania, Catherine Gayle, Ava Stone, Jane Charles Page B

need to see Pip…Lady Philippa.”
    Miss Mills cast her cloudy eyes in his direction. “Lord Colebrooke, is that you?”
    “ Yes…er…no,” Jason tried to explain, then decided against elucidation. “Please, Miss Mills, I need to see her.”
    “ Do you?” boomed the Marquess of Berkswell, poking his head out from what must be his study at the end of the corridor.

    Jason winced. He truly did have the worst luck today. Turned away at the door twice, and now he had to deal with Berkswell. He’d really rather speak with Pippa before he had to see either of her brothers. “It won’t take more than a moment,” he said, hoping against hope Berkswell would take pity on him.
    “ I thought I made it clear you weren’t to call on my sister,” the marquess growled, stalking down the hallway towards Jason.
    Well, there was that. Still, if Jason was going to confess all to Pippa, beg her to forgive and then marry him, Berkswell would find out eventually, wouldn’t he? Jason stood his tallest, hoping he looked more confident than he felt and said, “But I’m fairly certain she has feelings for me, and I do want to marry her.”
    He didn’t even see Berkswell’s fist; but when it crashed into Jason’s left eye, he stumbled backwards and then fell to the floor.
    Miss Mills gasped. “Everett Casemore!” the old woman chastised the marquess. “Have you gone mad?”
    Jason squinted, only able to see out of his good eye. Berkswell loomed over him like a murderous fiend, his hand still balled into a fist.
    “ And they say Lord Harrison has a better arm.” Jason pushed up to his knees.
    “ Get out!” Berkswell demanded, a vein pulsing beside his so far unassailed right eye.
    But Jason found his feet once more and held his ground. “Not until I see Pippa. If she sends me away, I’ll go.”
    The Casemores’ maiden aunt hobbled towards him, concern etched across her ancient brow as she placed herself in front of her beyond furious nephew as a shield of sorts. “She’s not here.”
    “ Where is she?”
    The old woman shook her head. “Do you love her?”
    Berkswell growled, low in his throat, but his aunt lifted a hand to quiet him.
    Jason paid the marquess only a little attention, as Miss Mill’s question fluttered around his heart. He wasn’t sure what his answer was. He’d had Heath’s words echo in his ears all night. He didn’t want to lose Pippa. He didn’t want to see her marry some other fellow. He didn’t want her to bear some other man’s heir. “I-I think I do,” he finally muttered.
    “ Well, you should be sure,” the woman advised.
    How did one know if one was sure? Jason blinked at her with his good eye, unspoken words caught in his throat.
    She seemed to take pity on him as she sighed. Perhaps she saw something in his countenance he wasn’t aware of. “She’s gone to Hyde Park with Lady Heathfield.”
    Lady Heathfield? Damn it to hell. What if Emma Heathfield told Pippa everything before Jason had a chance to? What if she poisoned Pippa’s mind against him? What if she ruined the only chance at happiness Jason had ever really had? “Thank you,” he mumbled as he turned on his heel, tossed open Berkswell’s door, and ran down Upper Brook Street as fast as his Hessian-clad feet would carry him, until he tripped and stumbled forward.
    The worst damned luck ever.
    Jason scrambled back to his feet and brushed the street dust from his trousers, discovering he’d ripped a hole over his right knee in the fall.
    But none of that mattered. He had to get to Pippa before she learned his secret, decided to never speak to him again, and started planning her future with some other fellow.

    Lady Heathfield opened her fan, holding it in front of her mouth as though to keep others along Rotten Row from reading her lips. “That fellow there?” She cocked her head towards a lanky gentleman astride a horse. “Heath says creditors are hounding him left and right. He’s on the hunt for a wealthy