Richard took her to a corner of the room where they could not be overheard. ‘My love, How are you?’ He gave Jaspar a hug. Jaspar found her engorged breasts hurt as he held her body tightly against his own muscular chest. She worried that her teats would leak. Eventually he broke off just as Jaspar was going to ask him to desist.
‘You were so brave out there! I apologise that I took so long to get to your side when you asked for protection. I feel so ashamed that I did not spot the assassin myself’
‘It was pure chance that I spotted him. Have the guards caught the man? Who was he trying to shoot?’
‘Alas he seems to have made an escape’ Jaspar was relieved ‘We have closed the gates and are searching the town. I fear he is gone to ground. I doubt he was aiming for you. Most likely the new Duke or one of the committee was the target’
They were interrupted by the approach of the new Duke. ‘Sir Richard, I would have you introduce me to your fiancée. I am in her debt’
‘Duke Marcus, I would like to introduce you to Lady Jasmine Smith, late resident of the capitol but now resident in this town’
‘Your Grace’ Jaspar knew that was the correct way to address a Duke. She curtsied. Jaspar pondered how she knew how to curtsey. It seemed to come instinctively with this body.
‘You have chosen a most fetching woman Sir Richard. And I dare say brighter than that girl I have married. She seems quite mindless. She is not the headstrong girl I was told to expect’
Jaspar had to defend her cousin 'Your Grace, Lady Marie is no fool, she has been hypnotised to be compliant. You will find her a different woman once the hypnosis wears off' Jaspar immediately regretted speaking. Not only had she given away that she knew Lady Marie she now had Marcus staring at her.
‘I know your face My Lady. Have we met somewhere before? You have the accent of the capitol. I was educated there. Did we perhaps meet at a dance?’
‘I think not your Grace’ Jaspar did not want to tell of their last encounter while she was fleeing the capitol.
‘Jasmine is of peasant stock your Grace. Her nobility was first observed by The Countess of the Lake’
‘Nothing wrong with that nowadays, is there Richard, and please call me Marcus still. I think I will quickly tire of being called “your Grace”’. He turned back to Jaspar. ‘I never forget a face, particularly one so pleasant. We have met. It will come to me I am sure’
Just then the Countess caught Jaspar’s eye and beckoned her across. Jaspar made her excuses. She did not want Marcus to recognise her