Holding his nose, Bancroft cast him a hateful look. “It had to happen eventually. Would you rather your wife have gone sneaking about forever, making you look the fool?”
“And this was your solution, then? To humiliate the both of us like this? To ruin a happy marriage?”
Bancroft gave one last wince as he finally removed his hand from his bloodied nose. “Your marriage was a scheme that was apparently so good, even you fell for it. But that dowry is not going to last forever, and neither is your strange obsession with her. Your little wife had to come off of her pedestal in order for you to see that.”
Loathe as he was to admit it, there was a small seed of truth in Bancroft’s words. Sebastian needed to know all that had been revealed tonight. Without his knowing, someone in thetonwith far worse intentions than Bancroft could have done something terrible with such information. Now, at least, it might never leave this library.
And, in truth, Augusta had deserved to know about his lies, as well. He had just thought he’d be able to someday present it in a way that was more palatable, easier to take in. They would have been able to laugh about it, even.
Now, with the ruins of his happy marriagelaid at his feet, he had no idea where to begin rebuilding.
“Well,” he said after a time. “I suppose I ought to hail a carriage, oughtn’t I?”
*****
During the long ride home - in a rented carriage, no less - Sebastian’s mind parsed through every detail of the revelations that had just been made. Namely, that weasel Dr. Pinkton.
The man so obviously had bad intentions to lure Augusta to a life of subversion and chaos. Did he fancy her? He had to, Sebastian thought - no man could spend so much time with her for so many years and not fall for her. Besides, only love could make a man believe that his female blue-blooded protege would ever be able to work in his field.
He would find the man, soon, and allay such ridiculous notions. Augusta had been correct about the scandal. Nothing had leaked thus far, but that meant little. Scandal in thetoncould occur at any time, begun by something as small as a whisper. Sebastian would have to talk to her, glean details of her liaisons in order to understand just how deep this went, how badly they could be impacted.
But that would have to wait a great while. There were other, more pertinent things to discuss tonight. Like many, many apologies, probably given on his knees.
If she did not accept them, he would have to get comfortable sleeping in the guest room.
That was his final independent thought before the townhouse came into view. At that point, all he could think about was Augusta, and catching a glimpse of her. He sought out every window at the front of the home, praying to see a flickering light of a candle. All of them were as dark as death.
With a sigh, he walked through his front door, pausing insideto listen for any noise. Even so much as a floorboard creaking would have settled his nerves.
Nothing.
He headed up the stairs.
“Love?” he called, flinching at the sound of his own voice. He hated every bit of himself.
Still nothing.
Turning down the hallway, he took cautious steps toward their bedroom. It was of vital importance, he felt, that he found her inside. He had to believe that in her darkest moments, she would flee to their home - their bed - for comfort.
But when he pushed open the door, the only thing that greeted him was an empty room.
Chapter Twenty-Two
“Reginald!”
Augusta stormed into her brother’s bed chamber, the butler hot on her heels. The room was dark, but some sort of animal instinct must have taken over her, because she saw everything with clarity. Namely, her brother in bed, violently jolting awake at the sound of her voice.
“Auggie?” he asked, his voice raw with sleep as he rolled onto his back with an unmanly snort.
Augusta marched over to his side of the bed while the butler stammered apologies.
“She just flew in here, my lord, and you told us never to turn her away-”
Still squinting, Reginald held his hand up to quiet the man. “You may go, Edwin.”
Shooting nervous looks between Augusta and Reginald, Edwin disappeared back out into the hallway, leaving them alone.
“What on earth are you doing here?” Reginald asked, sitting up. He looked so young in his nightshirt. Not at all like a man who ought to have control over her life. It only served to enrage her further.
