How would they react when they found out that Emma Jane was seeking an annulment?
The sleigh jostled as it hit another snowbank. Thankfully Stephen had a sleigh and had been willing to drive them back to town. Jasper had said that the roads were still impassable, which was one more advantage they’d have over the bandits.
Another bump sent Emma Jane closer into Jasper.
“Easy now,” he said, putting an arm around her.
Jasper held her close, and though she’d steadied herself, it felt good to have his arm around her. She’d have liked to have said that it was because he offered more protection from the cold, but Emma Jane knew it was more than that.
She liked being in Jasper’s arms. Their kiss might not have meant anything to him, since he so readily agreed to the annulment, but to Emma Jane, it had opened her eyes to a world where she could no longer exist.
No wonder all of the girls were crazy about Jasper. His kiss had been something like that out of a dream. And if all of them felt that way about his kisses, it was no surprise that every girl in town mooned over him.
Emma Jane had never thought that she’d be among the ones to succumb to his charm.
Even now, as her mind kept telling her she should pull away, she found herself snuggling closer. Despite all of her warnings to her heart that Jasper was not safe, a piece of her felt as though here was the safest place to be.
Nonsense. All of it. He’d agreed to the annulment, and even very generously agreed to provide support for her and Moses. Those weren’t the words of a man who cared for her, but of a man who wanted to move on with his life as painlessly as possible.
Straightening her posture, blinking back a sudden stinging in her eyes, Emma Jane moved out of his embrace.
“I don’t want to go back to your parents’ house,” she said, looking at him but avoiding his eyes.
His gaze landed firmly on her. “We’ve been over this. You’re safer in town.”
“I’d like to stay at a hotel.”
The old Emma Jane would have never made such a bold suggestion. But she found, the more her ideas were accepted, the more it seemed like she was doing herself a disservice not to at least try.
Jasper didn’t answer at first. Instead, his dark eyes bore into her like he was trying to puzzle her out.
“Father has a suite at the Rafferty. As long as it’s not in use, I see no reason why you can’t stay there.”
The Rafferty. Leadville’s finest hotel. She’d had tea there once, a prize for all the young ladies finishing school with top marks. Flora had been beastly to her about it, making snide remarks about it being the only way the likes of Emma Jane would be able to take tea in such a fine place.
She had vowed that, one day, she would have tea there again, and not one person would make fun of her for it.
Of course now, with her pending annulment and being a mother to Moses, there would be no stopping the talk. And yet, Emma Jane found that she didn’t mind so much. In her heart, she knew she was doing the right thing, which was far better than nasty people like Flora Montgomery, who always seemed to do the wrong thing.
“Thank you,” Emma Jane told Jasper, giving him a tremulous smile. “I appreciate how good you’re being about all of this.”
“It’s the least I could do.” He shrugged. “Plus, Father’s suite will allow you to have more space than a regular hotel room. There’s a sitting room and two bedrooms—one for you, and another for Abigail and Charles.”
He sounded like he’d thought of everything. Worse, he sounded so accepting of the decision. Emma Jane sighed. She was right not to let her heart lead in this situation.
Jasper leaned forward and tapped Charles on the shoulder. “We’ll be going to the Rafferty instead.”
She couldn’t hear Charles’s response, but Abigail turned and gave Emma Jane a quizzical look. Emma Jane merely smiled tightly in response. With the wind, it was nearly impossible to hold a conversation with the occupants of the front seat. Besides, she hadn’t told Abigail of her plans to have her marriage annulled.
As much as Emma Jane had told herself she didn’t care what people thought anymore, people like Abigail were different. What if her friends disagreed with her decision? Worse, what if they refused to stand by her?
Abigail smiled back, then turned to face front again. She snuggled in closer to Charles, and for a moment, Emma Jane envied her. Even though Abigail hinted that things weren’t perfect between her and Charles, they seemed happy. Abigail seemed to genuinely love her husband. Even their children, who’d stayed behind with Olivia until the weather cleared, since there wasn’t enough room in the sleigh, were a part of that deep, abiding love.
Would Emma Jane have that for herself? The annulment would free her to marry again, but would a man be willing to love both her and Moses? She adjusted the blanket around the baby, cradling him closer to her. If only Jasper had been willing to accept the boy as his own.
She sighed. That wasn’t their entire problem, but it sure had complicated matters.
“None of that,” Jasper said, putting his arm around her again. “We’re almost to town, and I’ve promised that I’ll take care of everything. So have a little faith. Everything will work out all right.”
For him, perhaps. He still had the Jackson fortune as inducement for someone to marry him.
Emma Jane’s breath caught. Could she stand to see another marrying Jasper? She stole a glance at him. Would he be so easily trapped into marriage again? Or would he finally find someone to love?
Part of her wanted to see Jasper
