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Jasper's New Relation
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Ellie was asleep when her mum and dad arrived. They called Jasper, who went down to the main door to meet them. Jasper took them to a waiting room near Ellie so that he could talk to them without being in Ellie's hearing.
"I'm so sorry this has happened to Ellie, I can't believe that one of my friends or anyone could even contemplate this," Jasper explained about Tom and his ideas of why he, Jasper shouldn't marry Ellie.Bill grinned when Jasper told him about her throwing the tie back like a lasso, "She can be very fierce my little girl.""Yes she can and don't I know it." Jasper laughed. "From what I can work out what happened yesterday was a total fluke, we don't know yet if Tom Thwaite was following her or if he just saw her and then saw red. I think that is probably more like it. If he had been following her, other times would have been better for him to have done this rather than yesterday in Covent Garden. He took a huge chance.""Is her face terrible?" MaRelated chapters
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Ellie woke early; Jasper was flat out, on his stomach, his head turned towards her. She carefully got out of bed and went to the bathroom. Her face felt different this morning, not as swollen. Yesterday she had been too frightened to look in the mirror even when she had been in here before. She had avoided looking at her face; if both Gus and Jasper said she shouldn't look, then she would take them at her word. This morning though, she glanced up as she was washing her hands. Determined not to cry or make a noise that would wake Jasper, Ellie stared at her ravaged face. That was some bruise over her eye, and her cheek was still very swollen, but she could feel that it had gone down. By tomorrow, it would be yellow around the edges. Taking a breath, she needed more painkillers. Slipping her dressing gown on, she walked silently out of the bedroom.Ellie gave a contented sigh. It felt so typical to be putting the coffee on as usual; she sat in her little apartment. This time of d
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Kylie held tight to Richie. She was just so happy to be in his arms again. Then, she staggered under the dead weight of him, and people around them started screaming. "Richie." She whispered. His arms stopped holding her, they slid down her back, and she screamed his name again. "Richie!"Everything seemed to happen in slow motion, and then, someone helped her to lower him to the floor, and Kylie knelt, cradling his head. Her tears were falling on his face. She could hear people still screaming and someone calling an ambulance. It seemed like forever before she heard the sirens of the ambulance and the police cars, though she knew afterwards that it had been less than five minutes that was one of the fortunes of living in a small town. The police officer helped her up as the paramedics took Richie away; she grabbed his keys, phone off the table and ran after the stretcher. They would not let her go in the ambulance, and a police officer guided her over to a car."Don't wor
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Grant huddled under the bridge, and he pulled his hood up around his face. He was cold, shocked and stupefied at what he had just done. He was so glad that the man, Richie, he assumed, had turned Kylie out of the way and sorry that he had taken the bullet. That wasn't supposed to happen. Grant had shocked himself, and he was confused and didn't truly understand what was supposed to have occurred. He wished he had never taken the gun out. He knew it wasn't just their life that he had ruined, but his own as well. It was Saturday evening. He should be having tea with Kylie, watching Suki toddle around. Just what the fuck had he done?"You can go in and see him now." said the nurse, "He's still not quite with it, so you may get a weird conversation if you get anything at all."Richie was in the recovery position, his wound uppermost; Kylie went over to him, and she stroked his hair back, and his eyelids flickered."Hey Richie," she said softly, "I'm so glad you are alrigh
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Grant was shattered. He had walked nearly all night through fields and around villages alongside the A1 back towards London. He knew he really shouldn't be going in that direction at all, the coppers would be on the lookout for him, and Grant knew there was no way he could get back into the flat. Pity that there were things he wanted in there. He wanted a picture of Suki, an image of his daughter.Ellie slid her hand along the sheet towards Jasper, and she had been awake for a while. It was just getting light, and her ribs were aching. She had done far too much yesterday, but she couldn't help that. She adored Richie, he had been her first real friend down here, and there was no way she was sitting in bed while he was at death's door.She turned her head to look at Jasper. He seemed so far away, and this bed was enormous. She might as well be here alone. She thought about what she wanted to ask him. It wasn't much. She just wanted him to wash her hair, and she was sure it
The Disreputable Duke Frustration in Both Camps.
When Kylie got to the hospital that afternoon, Richie already had a visitor. A woman was sitting ramrod straight on the edge of the chair next to Richie's bed. All Kylie could see was her black hair pulled back to a tight bun on the back of her head. Kylie looked in the porthole window in the door; neither of them had noticed her so far.Kylie didn't go into the room. It looked as though Richie wasn't thrilled with her. She was older than Richie, maybe in her early forties. She could see Richie was talking to her. He had his business face on and certainly wasn't smiling.Kylie turned to the nurse's station behind her. Sarah, the staff-nurse, looked up from her note-taking. "Hello, are you here to see Richie?""Yes, do you er, know who is in with him now?"Sarah pulled a face, "Apparently, that's his housekeeper. She was how can I put this, rather abrasive to the staff when she first arrived.""Oh dear, she was like that when she called me this morning.
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Charlotte ran hell for leather to her car. She threw open the door and threw her overnight bag, and dived into her vehicle after it. She clutched the steering wheel, her hands shaking, tears rolling down her face. What was she thinking? How could she even think of doing something like that? Was she out of her mind? The tears turned to laughter at how stupid she was, at how ridiculous that she could walk into Ellie's bedroom and somehow get her out of the room so she could do her harm. What a dreadful thing to even think of doing! Next time she would plan ahead, there would be no second chances for Ellie Neyve next time.Ellie looked at the clock, almost four-thirty. It was black outside. Jasper would be home in a few minutes, and she really couldn't be bothered to go and find Charlotte. Whatever it was could wait. If it was that important, she could go and find Francis and tell him. She put another log on the fire. It was so lovely to watch the fire, especia
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"Oh Ellie, you would get a migraine now," Marjorie groaned, "always gets them when she's stressed out,"Ellie began to breathe more easily once she was out of the dining room. "I'm sorry for spoiling lunch," she murmured into Jasper's shoulder."Shh, it's ok, why don't you go and rest? I can handle the children's party. I'll take your mother with me, and she can stand in for you," he half chuckled. He wanted to have a chat with Marjorie. He was getting a bit fed up with her always getting on at Ellie. His darling wife was doing her best, and this Christmas had been a shambles from start to finish, especially today. Ellie had put up with a lot today.Ellie clung to him, and she so wanted to tell him about the baby. She was desperate to see his face when he realised, and she sighed with frustration. They would exchange one gift this evening, something silly, she could tell him then, and then tomorrow they could say to the rest of them. It wasn't something
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Marjorie Fox was cross. Ellie should have been here to greet them, and It was bad form, she thought as Francis took their cases up. She ignored Bill and Francis chatting about cars. She wanted to have a word with her daughter before Gareth and Gracie arrived."Marjorie, Bill, how lovely to see you. Merry Christmas," Rosslyn touched cheeks with them both as they entered the drawing-room. "Come and sit down and get warm. It's suddenly turned freezing today. I'm sure Francis will send tea soon.""Where's Ellie and Jasper? I thought they would be there to greet us." Marjorie sniffed as she sat next to the fire. Although this house was lovely, it was so frigid in the corridors."Yes, I'm sorry they are not here as planned," Rosslyn would protect Ellie. She wouldn't tell them about the lover's tiff because she knew Marjorie wouldn't let it drop. "They just had to run down to the village. I think Mary forgot something. She's getting on a bit and rather forgetful
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Just as she was settling down to her toast and tea, her phone rang. She didn't even have to look at it to know it was Jasper, and she carried on buttering her toast. She would ignore him for now.What the hell was a matter with her? Why wasn't Ellie answering her phone? Jasper pushed his hand through his hair. He would have to be careful how he handled this and managed to get back into his wife's good books. He would text her.'Hey, darling, where are you?'Jasper poured his coffee from the silver pot on the sideboard and took it back to the table. He'd just sat down when his mother came in. He stood up to greet her."Good morning darling," she said, "Did you sleep well?""Morning, yes, I sl
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"Ellie, for God's sake, Ellie, let me in!" Jasper banged on the bathroom door. "Come on, Ellie, it's not what you think!" Jasper waited for her reply, and he put his ear against the door listening for her response."I shouldn't have to think anything because you should be in bed in our bedroom and not with that slapper in her room!" Ellie yelled back."Please let me explain, Ellie." Jasper rested his forehead against the door. This was all he needed today, especially as they had just made friends again. If only he hadn't been desperate for a pee, this would never have happened. Charlotte had come out of her room at the same time in floods of tears. What the hell was he supposed to do? He couldn't just ignore her, could he? For Christ's sake, maybe he should have if this was the result!"Ellie sat on the loo, tearing tissue into tiny pieces. How could he, just how could he? She wanted to shout and scream at him, but she knew it wouldn't make any differenc
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Before Jasper could reply, Francis jumped in. "Maybe you should introduce your new wife and duchess to your committee's. I think only the mayor was invited to the wedding, so making a special point of taking Ellie, it would be a treat for them, get them on your side too, I dare say." Francis smiled, "I'm sure even Mrs Troutbridge would get the idea that you are very happy newly-weds if you turned up together.""Oh, what a good idea, kill two birds with one stone." Rosslyn said meaningfully, "Now who wants pudding?"Ellie watched Lotte purse her lips together in annoyance. She would thank Francis later for his timely intervention."I'll help Mary with the clearing up," Ellie said as the rest of them went back up to the drawing-room with their coffee.Lottie looked cheerful at having Jasper to herself for a while, "Where are all the staff? I remember when there were lots of staff here.""We still have lots of staff, but they are allowed time off, espec
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Charlotte Ganderton looked around. The family had modernised the kitchen since she had last been here when she was a child. Mary was stirring a casserole, Good God, why hadn't they pensioned her off? She must be getting on for eighty! Lottie remembered Mary from when she was a child. She remembered that nothing got past that woman. It seemed she had eyes in the back of her head.She had adored Jasper when she was a child, and he'd been her hero. They had raced their ponies through the grounds jumping over fallen tree trunks, and they had sat by the river in a bower of Queen Anne's Lace, pulling the flower heads off and throwing them in the river to race them and eating chocolate and planning their lives. She dreamed of marrying him and being his duchess. They would have two children, a boy and a girl, and they would live happily at the Manor, which was a far more impressive house than the Rectory whe
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"Ellie, come and get warm," Rosslyn said, getting up to greet her. She put her arms around her daughter in law and gave her a hug, "Goodness, you're frozen. Come and sit here next to the fire. Jasper, be love and make some more tea. I think Mary has gone for her afternoon nap, and Francis is sorting something out for me."Jasper glanced at Ellie. He knew she'd been crying. Why the hell did she think he didn't want her? She was the one who had disappeared from their bed, not him. He went down to the kitchen to make the tea and was determined to get this sorted out before bedtime.Jasper could hear the landline phone ringing just as he got to the drawing-room door with the tray of tea, and as he opened the door, he listened to his mother talking sympathetically."Of course you must come. You certainly can't stay in a frozen and darkened house over Christmas. No, of course, he won't mind. I'm sure he would love to see you." Rosslyn listened for a few moments. "
The Disreputable Duke An Unexpected Guest.
It was the day before Christmas Eve, and the past two weeks had been the worst of Ellie's life. She and Jasper had said only about a dozen words to each other since their friends had been to see them on that fateful afternoon. The only good thing about this dreadful performance was that Jasper was sleeping in his dressing room, which meant that she could at least get up and be sick if she felt like it without hiding it from him. However, Ellie was sure he would be more impressed if she were pregnant with a herd of elephants rather than with his child. He was furious that she had gone behind his back and sent that text to Ronnie, but this was her family, and she cared a great deal about Gareth.They had not shared a bed for almost two weeks, and this so hurt Ellie. It had only come about by accident, and now neither of them would give in to the other. They were just as stubborn as each other.
