Free The Valentine Legacy by Catherine Coulter Page A

get you. You put him out sorely, Jessie, what with that latest exploit of yours. Your poor papa had to sleep in a strange bed just to keep your reputation from being ruined.”
    But her papa had told her he’d come back to get her himself, and then he’d winked at her, and she knew he would spare her a visit by her mother. But he’d failed. Jessie sighed, looking longingly at the teapot James was carrying and said, “I think Papa liked staying here last night, Mama. He was telling James all sorts of things he needed to do to make the house better.”
    â€œThat’s right, Mrs. Warfield. Your husband isn’t shy, and he much enjoyed himself.” And my brandy , James thought.
    Glenda was walking around the small bedchamber, looking at nothing in particular. James couldn’t figure out what she was doing. Finally it hit him that she was showing herself off to him—from all angles. Not a bad sight. She turned then and smiled sweetly at him. “Why don’t you and I go downstairs, James, and let Mama help Jessie dress?”
    â€œOh dear,” Mrs. Warfield said. “I forgot clothes, Jessie. Oh well, I suppose you’ll just have to wear the gown you had on last night.”
    Jessie thought of her breeches and paled.
    James said easily as he set down the tray, “I’m sorry, Mrs. Warfield, but Jessie’s gown was ruined from the rain last night. Old Bess tried to save it, but it wasn’t possible.”
    â€œYour papa never did tell me why you were out riding around in the rain, Jessie. If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you countless times, that you must stop acting so strangely. Now what are we to do?”
    â€œIf James will lend me this nightshirt and a robe, then I can go home like this.”
    â€œMy nightshirt is yours, Jessie,” James said, giving her a slight bow.
    â€œShall we go downstairs, James?” Glenda asked, coming to stand very close to him. He could smell her rose perfume. He wanted to sneeze.
    â€œI don’t think we have to do that, Glenda,” he said. “Here, Mrs. Warfield, let me carry Jessie downstairs. Ah, first, let me fetch a robe for her. Jessie, don’t move. I’ll be back in a moment.”
    Glenda watched James leave the bedchamber to get a robe. She turned to Jessie. “James is so handsome. Did he ask you about me?”
    â€œI don’t recall that he did,” Jessie said.
    â€œSurely he must have. Why, I danced with him at the Poppletons’ ball. He was leaning over my hand before I even noticed him. He couldn’t take his eyes off me. He told me how gracefully I danced.”
    Jessie just shook her head.
    Glenda twitched her skirt away from a water stain on the wall. “I know you, Jessie. You forced him to pay attention to you, didn’t you? You pretended you didn’t feel well, and he was obliged to let you stay here. I’ll bet you even moanedand carried on so he wouldn’t leave you. He held your hand, didn’t he? He didn’t want to, Jessie. He doesn’t even think of you as a female—you know that.”
    â€œThat’s enough, Glenda,” Mrs. Warfield said, looking nervously over her shoulder.
    â€œAnd now you’re forcing him to carry you downstairs. Carry you. That’s shameful, Jessie. I’ll just bet you ruined that gown of yours on purpose.”
    â€œThat’s enough, Glenda,” Mrs. Warfield said again, seeing that Jessie was alarmingly pale. “Perhaps your sister truly isn’t all that well. Leave her be. That’s right, go look out the window, dearest. Ah, James, here you are again.”
    Without thinking, he walked to the bed and was going to put Jessie into the robe when Mrs. Warfield gasped. “Oh no, James, how improper. No, dear boy, take dear Glenda outside for a moment and I’ll see to Jessie. That’s right, Glenda, go with James.”
    James carried Jessie downstairs. She was