Free Lady Westbrook's Discovery by Etta Stark Page B

letter this morning. I believe he has something he needs to tell me.”
    “Ah well. Give him my best wishes. I will be on my way. Our continued passionate lovemaking will need to wait.”
    “I look forward to it. You can abandon yourself to your carnal urges when you get back,” said Margaret, smiling.
    “Oh, I will. I promise you.” He gave her one last kiss and headed out the door.
    Jasper walked through the doors of the drawing room as Margaret leapt up to meet him.
    “Darling what a...” The words she had been planning to say next – “nice surprise” – dried on her lips. Jasper looked terrible. His face was haggard, and the bags beneath his eyes betrayed many nights without restful sleep. She saw a nervous tic in his face, which had been a disorder of his as a boy that she thought he had outgrown. “Whatever’s the matter?”
    “Mama, I’m in trouble,” replied Jasper.
    She guided him towards the couch. “Tell me,” she said.
    “There’s a porter at college – chap by the name of Flint - who is making trouble for Charles and me.”
    “Charles and you?”
    “He’s blackmailing us. Threatening to expose the truth about our friendship unless I give him a substantial sum of money.”
    “The truth about your friendship? Whatever do you mean?” As soon as Margaret said the words, she knew exactly what Jasper meant. She suspected she had always known. “The two of you - you’re more than just friends?”
    “Yes.”
    “Oh, Jasper... does he know for sure?”
    “I am afraid so. He found letters we had written to one another. He has them in his possession now. They are pretty explicit, I’m afraid. There would be no denying the charges if the police got hold of them. ”
    “Oh my poor boy. That can’t be allowed to happen. A trial would be unthinkable. You might go to prison.”
    “Well, at least I won’t be hanged at any rate. They removed the death penalty for sexual deviancy ten years ago.”
    Margaret winced. “What exactly does this man want?”
    “Two hundred pounds. To be handed over to him at The Grocers Arms in Cambridge tomorrow. I’m sorry to spring this on you, Mama. You must understand that I am quite, quite desperate. ”
    “We have to do as he says. We can’t risk him going to the police.”
    “Do you have that kind of money?”
    “Yes. Well, Felix does. I know his safe combination ; it will be all right. Does anyone else know about this?”
    “No just me and Charles. And you, now, of course.”
    “I think that’s best. We must keep this to ourselves. We cannot risk anyone else finding out about the true nature of your relationship with Charles. The stakes are too high. We will go first thing tomorrow. With any luck we will be back before anyone knows we’ve been gone.”
    Felix headed out into the damp grey air of the London morning. Not even the inevitable drizzle dampening his greatcoat could diminish his good spirits.
    He had had a hugely promising response to the paper he had presented at the Royal Institution. He’d been introduced to scientists who had previously worked with Thomas Edison on developing the phonograph and who were able to offer some fascinating insights into the practical applications of electricity, which Felix believed would prove invaluable in his own research.
    And now he was heading home to his beautiful wife , who he intended to render naked as soon as he possibly could and then pleasure relentlessly until she was sated and exhausted. Life was good.
    “Felix!” a voice called, snapping him out of his reverie. He looked up and saw his brother, Paul. Paul was the second youngest of Lord Rochester’s children, two years older than Felix and the confirmed bachelor of the family.
    Paul was accompanied by a young blond man who didn’t look older than 18 or 19. The man looked vaguely familiar to Felix although he couldn’t place him.
    “I didn’t expect to run into you here,” said Paul. “We were just heading to the club. However as