Page 20 of Scandal’s Daughter

“No,” he said, his voice weary. “Not married, but her parents are dead, and her uncle is her guardian. He’s the local doctor,” he added with a wry smile. “And of course, she has no fortune to compensate for her lack of breeding.”

“Oh, Sebastian.” This was said on a groan of despair as Beau sought the chair next to him and stared at him with a pitying expression.

“I’m sorry, old friend. Are you terribly disillusioned in me?” he said, mockery in his eyes.

“I should be,” Beau replied, shaking his head in disgust. “After the pains I have taken with your education. But I knew at heart you would not attain the heights of villainy I have gained. Your heart is still intact despite everything, and it’s this troublesome organ that will lead you into far more misery than any other part of your anatomy I assure you.”

Sebastian chuckled, acknowledging the truth of it, though he turned his gaze on Beau with a grin. “Then you’d best have a care, for I’m not quite certain you are as heartless as you make out.”

“Oh, do be quiet,” Beau replied with a tut and a wave of his hand. “You’ve never seen me weep over a woman and you never will.”

“I don’t remember weeping yet,” Sebastian said, his tone droll, though if he hoped to fool Beau, he was far from the mark.

“No, but you’ve not endured your tender farewell yet have you?”

Sebastian scowled at him.

“For God’s sake get it over with,” Beau urged him, leaning forward in his chair. “We’ll go back to London and busy ourselves in something sordid until you’ve forgotten all about her. You can’t marry her. If you want to have her before you leave, then so be it but get on with it and then turn away. There is nothing else to be done.”

His hand clenched around the crystal glass once more, his jaw clenched so tight it hurt. Forcing himself to relax he stared back at Beau. “How do you know I haven’t had her already?” he said with a sneer.

Beau got to his feet and bestowed on him a shrewd glance. “Because I know you and your principles probably better than you do. Seducing a girl set on seducing you for your title is fair game, but this one ... She’s got under your skin, and you care for her. No,” he said, with a mocking laugh. “If you’d had her there would be guilt in your eyes rather than the self-righteous gleam of a broken-hearted lover.” He turned and walked away, pausing at the door. “Do what you will, Sebastian, it’s all one to me. But say goodbye to her. No matter if I advise it or not, you know you must.”

Sebastian watched as the door closed behind him and had to hold back on the urge to fling his glass at the shut door in a fit of temper. He wanted to rage and sulk like some sullen young man in the clutches of his first love affair. It’s not fair. The words raged in his mind with just as much impotence as they had when he’d been told his father was dead, drowned at sea when his ship went down. Both him and his beautiful lover lost in a raging ocean as they ran from the duel during which he’d shot her husband dead. Now there was a scandal to set tongues wagging. Nothing he could ever do could surpass that at least.

But now he had to try to restore some of the tainted gilt to the family honour. He had to marry a bride whose lineage was impeccable. A woman whose manners and breeding would return the shine to their sullied name. Perhaps then, by the time his heir was of age, the name Sindalton would stand for something other than murder and adultery.

He got to his feet and poured another drink. Dammit if he wasn’t the biggest fool alive. But tomorrow he would do as he must. Not because Beau had told him to, far from it. Only because it was the right thing to do. If he stayed any longer, he would take from her more than he already had and perhaps leave her with an illegitimate child to compound his villainy. And Beau was right in that at least, he wasn’t bastard enough to scale those heights.

He tried to think of something he could do for her, something that would leave her with a tender place in her heart for him, no matter how the years passed for them both. In the end he decided to head into Truro in the morning. He would find something, small and discreet, something that wouldn’t give her away and make her blush. And then he would walk away, and he’d leave her behind.