Free The Notorious Widow by Allison Lane

fobs favored by the man who had accosted Catherine in town. Such a man would not patronize a tailor who dressed vicars and barristers.
    “Then there is character,” she continued. “Jasper contradicts many of Jenkins’s claims, yet I know Jenkins to be honest. He swears that Jasper plotted against him. I believe him.”
    “Why?”
    “Because he is honest.” Her hand gripped the chair arm.
    He laid his atop it to calm her, then cursed as heat sizzled into his palm. “I meant why was Jasper trying to ruin him?” he explained, releasing her hand before he turned the friendly gesture into a caress. “What had Jenkins done?”
    “Nothing. Jasper needed a scapegoat.” Despite the screen, her cheeks were red. Blake forced his eyes to the fire. Perhaps she also needed space, for she retreated to the window and stared out. “A month earlier, Jasper had ordered a waistcoat from Jenkins, specifying in great detail what he wanted – a friend’s letter had mentioned seeing such a garment in London, but Jasper didn’t have time to commission it from his usual tailor before leaving for a house party.”
    “Was the waistcoat unsatisfactory?”
    “That depends on your perspective. It was made exactly as Jasper had ordained, though Jenkins had tried to talk him into several changes. Jasper was delighted – until one of his friends disparaged his taste the first time he wore it.”
    “What was wrong with it?”
    “From Jenkins’s description, I would call it gaudy and wholly unsuitable for a formal occasion. Since Jasper has never accepted blame for anything in his life, he decided Jenkins had deliberately turned him into a laughingstock. By the time he returned home, he had convinced himself that Jenkins had twisted his suggestions, changing an elegant evening waistcoat into a costume suited only to a jester.”
    “Petty. And disturbing if he actually believes it.”
    “He does. One reason he deludes people so easily is that he first deludes himself, so he always sounds sincere.” Shivering from the chill near the window, she resumed her chair. “He is also sly. Last spring he seduced the chandler’s daughter, leaving her with child.”
    “What had she done?” He folded his hands in his lap to prevent further touching.
    “Nothing. His real target was the chandler himself. Amy’s ruin hurt Carruthers worse than if he’d lost his business. Once he discovered who was responsible, he was even more distraught, for he knew he had no recourse. Complaining would merely draw worse. He knows Jasper’s ways too well, for he has long watched him destroy others. He and Harold often discussed ways to manage him.”
    “Is that why Jasper attacked?”
    She shook her head. “They were always careful that no one overheard them – or so Carruthers swears. But he sometimes warns others of their peril. Someone probably heard him issue such a warning to the innkeeper at the Golden Stag. Dougan was furious after Jasper threw a platter at a serving maid, breaking her arm – the girl was his daughter. If Carruthers hadn’t talked Dougan out of it, he would have complained.”
    “What did Carruthers say?”
    “He reminded Dougan that Jasper could easily burn down the inn if he caused trouble.” Fury flashed across her face. “Neither man reported their talk to others, but it is possible that a servant overheard them. They were behind the taproom at the time.”
    “But that makes no sense,” he insisted. “No one in his right mind would strike out over something so petty. Jasper should be grateful that Carruthers saved him some trouble. Attacking the man would make it more likely that the earlier tale would become public.”
    “You are assuming that Jasper is in his right mind. I have long suspected that he is not. There’s hardly an inn in the district that hasn’t sustained damage from one of his tantrums.”
    “Yet no one in society knows of his deeds?”
    “How many society figures talk to innkeepers beyond demanding