AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He was logical. He was decisive. Sebastian had always governed himself and his urges with a firm hand. Yet when it came to Theo…he felt helpless against the feelings that knotted inside his heart.Bloody hell. He felt like a sentimental fool, and he was never the type of man given to sentiment. He had been fond of his past lovers, but none had ever made his heart jerk from a mere smile.
The possibility of never kissing Theo again, of never hearing her laughter, or of seeing that tenderness in her eyes lanced him like a needle through his heart.Bloody hell. He rubbed the spot on his chest that ached like a physical sensation.
“You matter to me,” he said, frowning as he stared down at her. A woman like Theo was not meant only to be a lover or a mistress.
Turning away, he discreetly slipped from her room and made his way down the long hallway to his. The room was darkened; the fire had died to embers. The night was not chilled, so he opened the windows to allow a cool breeze inside. Sebastian removed his clothes and went onto his bed.
The frightened pants of a lady had him lurching from the bed.
“What the hell is this?”
He flicked on the gasp lamp, bathing the room in a warm glow. Sebastian stilled at the sight in his bed. The shocking audacity rendered him silent for precious seconds. “Get out,” he snapped.
“Your Grace,” Lady Edith cried, scrambling from the bed, clutching her nightgown at her throat. She walked jerkily over to him, only to slap a hand over her mouth when she observed his naked form.
The lady swooned to lean against his bedpost, and he made no move to catch her. Sebastian grabbed his trousers from where he had tossed it earlier and tugged them on. Then he was striding from the room.
“Your Grace, please!”
The lady launched herself at him, and he spun around with such vigor, she stumbled back forcefully. This time he caught her from falling, lest the silly chit hurt herself. Lady Edith took the opportunity to twine herself around him like a fucking vine and pressed her mouth to his.
He would throttle her.
His door was shoved open, and conveniently the marchioness framed the doorway. Sebastian was coldly furious. They had dared abuse his hospitality by setting a compromising trap.
“Edith!” the marchioness gasped, growing pale. “Your Grace, what is the meaning of this?”
He reassessed his opinion. The mother seemed ignorant of her daughter’s machinations.
“Sebastian!” his mother cried, careful not to look at his nakedness.
Then, of course, Lady Shore appeared and promptly gasped, slapping a hand over her mouth.
“It is the way of affianced couples to let…passion overcome their good senses,” his mother said with a tight smile at Lady Shore.
“Yes, quite,” Lady Shore replied, her cheeks painfully red.
A tight sensation wrapped itself around his chest and cruelly squeezed. With a scowl he pushed her from him, and Lady Edith ran to her mother and collapsed against her sobbing.
He raked his fingers through his hair and met his mother’s regard over the marchioness's head. In her eyes, he spied disappointment.Hell. Did she really believe he was a part of this set-up? Whether she believed it or not, the duchess urged Lady Edith and the marchioness from the room with soothing murmurs he could not decipher. Lady Shore dutifully followed, and certain words floated back to him.
“This will be the match of the season…a most eligible alliance.”
“It was to be expected, of course, since the duke only danced with my Edith last season.”
“We must keep a tight lid on what we just saw, and I daresay this marriage needs to happen sooner than later so there are no speculations if a babe arrives early.”
“What a fucking mess,” he muttered under his breath.
Sebastian was not certain how long he stood there, but a soft sound alerted him, and he glanced up. The duchess had returned.
“I thought you held little affection for her,” she murmured. “I am not pleased with your methods, but I offer my congratulation of a well-made match.”
Raw incredulity rushed through him. “It was a trap. I did not touch her.”
The duchess hesitated slightly. “Does that matter?”
He jolted. The duchess held up a hand before he could speak. “The marchioness and the marquess will accept nothing less than a marriage offer! Honor demands that you render her respectable by marrying her and quelling all rumors.”
