Darling Jasmine Read Online Free PDF

and shrugged her elegant shoulders. “I am not as young as I once was. I regret I did not take action soon in this particular matter. Jasmine has, I fear, become quite independent of us all.”
    â€œDoes she love her bairns enough to follow them?” he wondered.
    â€œWhatever happens, my lord, do not weaken in your resolve,” she told him. “I will help you to the best of my ability.”
    â€œYou have not answered my question, madame,” he replied.
    â€œShe loves her children, yes. Jasmine is a devoted mother,” Skye replied, “but I will have all I can do to keep her from acting rashly again, my lord. In this endeavor, however, I will have the help of her servants. That trio have been with her since birth. They are used to all her moods and crochets. Her steward, Adali, has been a surrogate father to her. He will act in her best interest, and the two maidservants will follow suit. As for you, James Leslie, you would be well advised to loosen your curb rein a trifle. High-strung thoroughbred mares do not respond well to it, or to the whip. As a woman who raises horses I possess expert knowledge, and you would do well to take advantage of my expertise in this matter.” She struggled to her feet, thinking to herself that while she felt no older, and her mind still seemed to operate in relatively good order, her bones were old, and the rainy, dank weather was not helping at all. “Are you hungry, my lord? Surely you must be after traveling all day. I envy you your horses. That damned coach is a trial to ride in anymore, I can tell you.”
    He chuckled and, taking her arm, led her to the highboard, where the servants were even now setting out the evening meal. She had not bothered to put her boots back on, and walked in her stockinged feet. She lost none of her dignity for it, he thought. Adali appeared and settled the old woman in her chair.
    â€œWhere is your mistress?” the earl asked him.
    â€œShe has locked herself in her bedchamber and is swearing quite colorfully in at least three languages, my lord,” came the calm reply. “Rohana and Toramalli are in her apartment. They will see she does not leave Belles Fleurs without your lordship.”
    â€œAnd the children?” He had seen neither hide nor hair of them since his arrival. “Where are the bairns, Adali?”
    â€œIn the nursery, my lord. Would you like to see them now or after you have eaten. They are already abed, however.”
    â€œMadame Skye and I will see them on the morrow, Adali,” James Leslie replied.
    â€œShall I see a tray is taken up to my lady?” Adali asked.
    â€œNo,” came the answer. “If your lady wishes to eat, then she must join us here at the highboard. She is not ill. Go and tell her we would welcome her company.”
    â€œVery good, my lord,” Adali responded, his smooth light tan face bland as a pudding. He could but imagine what his mistress was going to say to such an invitation, but he was strangely comforted by the earl’s firmness. Over the last months his lady had become more and more intractable and mulish. She had allowed her offspring to run wild. The three older ones spoke a mixture of Pidgin French and English to each other, and French to the servants. Jasmine had practically neglected them in her grief over Prince Henry’s death. She lavished all of her attention upon his son, who turned two the previous September, and the lad was in danger of becoming very spoiled. It would be good for his lady to have a man in the house again, in her bed again. Now all they had to do was convince her of that fact.
    He found his mistress now out of her bedchamber and directing her two maidservants in packing her trunks.
    â€œWe’ll be gone before either he or my grandmother awaken in the morning, Adali,” she said. “Is there something you can put in the wine tonight to assure them a sound sleep?”
    Adali signaled the