Kissing the Rake (Howertys #2)

Chapter 23: The Night Before (pt 2)

Jessica shut the door to her bedroom and leaned heavily against it, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. It felt odd seeing Jacob every day but not speaking to him, but she also savoured the reprieve. Soon they would be married and there would be no escape for either of them. After tomorrow, she would be Jessica Hurst, Countess of Wortham. Jacob's wife.

It was almost inconceivable. After all this time, she was marrying the man she'd been infatuated with since she was old enough to. And it was a marriage neither of them wanted. Fate could be cruel sometimes.

Summoning her maid, she decided she might as well try to get some sleep. The young woman arrived a short while later to help her out of her dress and into a simple, white nightgown before sitting her down in front of the vanity. Loosening her long hair, the maid began brushing. Jessica stared unseeingly into her own reflection until she heard the door open and close.

"I can take over from here," Aunt Jane's voice said, and the maid bobbed a curtsy and left. Looking over her shoulder, she smiled at her aunt, then turned back when her aunt began combing her hair.

They were both silent, and she didn't know what to say. Since her aunt had returned from Devon a couple of days ago, they had spoken very little. Admittedly, because of her avoiding the older woman out of embarrassment, certain that Nathaniel must have told her the reason for the hasty wedding.

"Are you nervous?" Aunt Jane asked as she expertly weaved her golden tresses into a long braid.

She shifted her gaze in the looking glass to meet her aunt's knowing, grey eyes in the reflection. "I don't know. I suppose so."

"Come." Aunt Jane had tied a bow around the braid and pointed towards the bed. They walked over together and sat down, Jessica feeling a little uncomfortable now that she was finally alone with her aunt. They had always talked about everything, but this was different.

Aunt Jane was still a beautiful woman at her age, with light brown hair sprinkled with silver and grey eyes that seemed to see far more than her nieces and nephew probably would have wished at times. Giving her a sad look, the older woman sighed.

"This conversation is really supposed to be between a mother and her daughter, I suppose," she said with a soft smile. "But since my sister is no longer with us, the responsibility lies with me."

"You're as much of a mother to me as anyone could ever be," Jessica said fervently, giving her aunt a quick hug. "I hope you know that."

Aunt Jane smiled. "I do, child. Thank you."

She had been only eight years old when her mother, Laura, died and Aunt Jane had been summoned by their father to care for the children. In a way it had felt as if their mother was still among them when Aunt Jane had arrived, being so much like her sister. All the Howerty siblings loved her dearly, and she loved them as if they were her own.

"I've never quite done this before," Aunt Jane admitted, and then added with a sidewards glance at her, "But I suppose the customary talk isn't really necessary, considering the circumstances."

Her cheeks heated, and she looked down at her clasped hands. "You must be very disappointed in me."

"Oh, Jessica." Aunt Jane tucked a finger under her chin and lifted her face to meet her gaze. She was smiling tenderly. "I could never be disappointed in you, my girl."

"I'm disappointed in myself," she admitted, feeling tears spring to her eyes unwanted. "I never thought I'd do something this disgraceful."

Aunt Jane stroked her hair, making her feel like a child again, comforted by her aunt's presence and calming hands. Whenever she'd been sad as a little girl, she had only needed to crawl into her aunt's lap and everything was immediately better. Life was no longer as easy, and she wasn't even sure why she was crying. She seemed to cry for no reason an awful lot lately.