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Chapter Four
If it was possible to combust from the inside out, Sebastian was quite sure he would have burst into flame the moment Calliope’s hand grasped his leg. He was an experienced man who had been touched numerous times by various, experienced lovers in the past, but none of them had affected him more than her bold advance.
And, heaven help him, but he wanted more of it. His attraction to Calliope had been intense, but now it bordered on the obsessed. He’d had to clear his mind and gain some self-control by losing five quid in the card room before he felt comfortable enough to return to the ballroom.
However, the moment he spied her fiery red hair in that deep purple gown, he couldn’t tear his eyes away. He followed her progress where he stood on the periphery of the dance floor, ignoring any other hopeful glance that was shot his way. He yearned to whisk Lady Calliope into another dance, but to embark on more than two a night with the same partner was perilously close to declaring one’s intentions. He might be a scoundrel, but he didn’t want to ruin her reputation, nor commit to something he didn’t intend to follow through on.
He crossed his arms and considered the conundrum before him. On one hand, he should cut his losses and move on to his next mistress, since it was obvious Lady Calliope planned to tease him indefinitely like a panting hound after the fox.
Or…
He could embark on an adventure of his own and play the game by the rules he was familiar with.
A slow smile spread across his face. Really, it had been too long since he’d taken some of the salty sea air for his own health. Perhaps his crotchety old grandfather might even wish to go, for he’d been complaining of his gout. That would definitely give him the perfect excuse to follow the lady to Lyme Regis without looking as though he was a desperate suitor hoping to gain a morsel of her favor.
He winced, because that was exactly what it was.
Oh, how the mighty have fallen.
He should write to Grey and tell his friend that he wouldn’t be in this predicament if it hadn’t been for his hasty nuptials. It had given Sebastian entirely too much time to come up with asinine ideas.
While he could care less about honor or duty, neither did he wish to end up like his sour grandsire who snapped at anyone who drew near to his front door. He wielded that lion’s head cane like a sword and railed about the injustices during the Revolutionary War even though the battle with the French was more recent. In his mind that was a minor disagreement compared to the former Englishmen who had turned traitor against their own homeland. Sebastian was intelligent enough not to contradict him, and perhaps that’s why they’d always gotten along so well, at least, in a manner of speaking. Not only that, but he was one of the few people who could tolerate his outbursts.
With a plan in place, Sebastian decided it was time to depart if he had any hope of getting to the coast before Lady Calliope arrived. He smiled, for no doubt his presence there would stick in her craw knowing that she had been bested at her own game, that her efforts to escape him had been in vain.
He grinned as he took his leave, as there was much to be done. He nearly skipped down the steps, his stride lighter than it had been when he’d arrived.
He couldn’t wait to see the look on her face.
Nor the opportunity to bedevil her further.
“I think that’s everything, my lady.”
A fortnight following the ball, Calliope’s maid, Emma, was standing in her bedchamber door as the last of the trunks were loaded onto the Bevelstroke coach. She would have felt reluctant to take the best vehicle, except Isa had insisted upon it.
“I shall do quite well with the curricle,” her elder sister had said firmly.
And that was that.
Calliope fidgeted with her glove and glanced about the room that looked just as it had earlier that morning, except her dressing table and wardrobe were now empty. There was still that eerie sense that she was forgetting something in preparation for her journey to the seaside, but she pushed it aside. It would take a few days to get to her destination, and she knew it was likely just the uncertainty of going somewhere new.
Alone.
Until now, she had been able to rely on one of her sisters to be around, but what was the point of being “independent” when one never ventured out on their own? Olivia had done it, although her intention had been to return to their former estate in Canterbury, whereas Calliope was heading out into completely unknown territory. But the excitement she found in discovering something that hadn’t been discovered in hundreds of years was enough motivation for her to her continue on her way.
Isadora was standing at the bottom of the stairs waiting for her. A sudden lump formed in Calliope’s throat as she embraced her. As they parted, she imagined there was a sheen of moisture in her sister’s gaze, but perhaps it was merely her own emotions that were reflected. “Remember to stay out of trouble,” Isa admonished. “I know how much you enjoy taking risks and pushing boundaries. You’ve always been the most daring of us all.”
“Trust me, my tree climbing days are over.” She scrunched up her nose. “Unless, of course, an overly tempting opportunity presents itself…” She allowed her words to trail off and was rewarded with a heavy sigh.
“Just be careful, Callie.”
It was the nickname she spoke that made Calliope’s throat tighten more than anything else thus far. She reached out and gave Isadora another swift hug. “I promise,” she whispered, and then walked out the door before her heart refused to allow her to do so.
She climbed into the coach, and although she told herself she shouldn’t look back, she couldn’t resist the urge to do so. She saw Isadora’s stern face peering out from between the drapes and she lifted her hand in farewell. Her sister did the same, and then allowed the curtains to fall into place.
Calliope turned her focus back to the interior of the carriage and stared at the bare spot of the opposite seat that wasn’t occupied by her maid. It just seemed so… empty.
“Are you well, mistress?”
