She glanced about the empty, darkened library. “I cannot, my lord. I’m sure you understand.”
“I do, but I want you to anyway.”
She stammered at that for a moment. Her mouth opened to say something, then she shut it again. After a long while, she sighed. Her shoulders sagged, and she dropped her placidexpression. The proper lady was gone in an instant, replaced with a thoroughly frustrated woman.
“What are you doing?” she asked defeatedly, throwing her arms up in the air before dropping them with athwapat her sides.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean what I asked: What are you doing? A week ago, you would not have looked my way if my hair was on fire. Now, with no prompting from myself, you have asked me to waltz twice, you have called on me out of the blue, and now you are asking me to remain in a dark room alone with you. What game are you playing at, Lord Brightwater?”
Playing at. The same words her brother had used. Such a strange way to phrase it.
He took a step toward her. This earned him a step back from her.
“I think you know what all those things mean. You are an intelligent woman.”
“I am not asking to be flattered.”
“You’re not asking me to stop, either, I’ve noticed.”
“Youwillstop,” she said resolutely, even harshly. “I am unsure how it got into your mind that I would be a worthwhile pursuit, but I think it would benefit both of us greatly if you rid yourself of such nonsense. Permanently.”
As she spoke, her dark eyes pleading a case that he could not hear, he took another step forward without conscious effort. This time, she remained in place.
His eyes landed on her lips. In his haste to find out if she was wretched or not, he had not taken the time to take stock of her looks. Of course she was fine-looking as a whole, but now, up close, he saw all of it in such clear detail. Even in the dark, her milky skin was clear of redness, her lashes thick and full, her lipsa lovely Cupid’s bow that made his tongue run lightly against his upper lip. Her full breasts rose and fell with each breath.
“Have you ever been pursued, Miss Browning?” He did not know where the question came from, but he was wildly curious for the answer.
She furrowed her brow. “I don’t believe that is any of your business.” Her words came out quiet, almost vulnerable.
“It is not, but I’d like to know. And I believe if I asked your brother, he would tell me, so you may as well say it in your own words.”
She scoffed and looked away, thinking. For a moment he thought she might simply turn around and leave. Then, she spoke.
“Twice.”
“And?”
“And what?”
“And why did it end?”
“I…” she hesitated. Her hands fiddled with one another, and she looked down at them briefly before squaring up with him again, eye-to-eye. “The first one found fault in me and pursued some other girl, whom he married. More’s the better, I believe. He was not right for me.”
“And the second?”
“I let him call a few times, but then I told him to leave me alone. He was… pushy. Always trying to get me alone.” She cast Sebastian a pointed look. “I felt that he was only trying to compromise me. I did not believe he liked my company.”
“I see.” Sebastian took a step back and held his hands behind his back. Self-control was not his worst vice, but neither was it his greatest virtue. “You probably believe that I am doing much thesame.”
“Not to such an obviously heinous degree, I concede, but the effects would be the same altogether if we were found in here right now.”
All of it was proper, and true, and so very pragmatic. He got the feeling that Miss Browning would never do a thing that was out of line, even if her life depended upon it.
It was excellent information to have. If having an embarrassing wife had seemed the worst thing to Sebastian, then Miss Browning was likely his best option. Other than the ugly nickname that had been bestowed upon her, she would never remove the notches in his steadfast reputation in the way that his other prospects might.
This was no small matter. Sebastian believed that his reputation was largely all he had at this point. A reputation which had been so hard-earned after his father’s many sins.
