The painted ceiling mirrored a bright spring sky with its pale blue background and white, wispy clouds. Gwen had never seen anything like it. So captivated was she that she failed to notice the gilded desk that sat in the far corner of the room.
“Excuse me, Your Grace,” the butler articulated, “Lady Victoria gave instructions that I show Miss MacAlistair into the library. I apologize for disturbing you.”
Gwen’s heartbeat quickened.
Sebastian is here!
In immediate response, her attention snapped away from the glorious ceiling as her eyes scanned the room for a glimpse of him. He looked even more handsome now than in his evening finery.
“This way, Miss.” The gray-haired man motioned to the door. “The parlor has a lovely view of the gardens.”
Sebastian glanced above the rims of his reading spectacles just in time to witness his butler turning on his heels in an attempt to lead Gwen to another room.
“That’s all right, Winston.” He rose, immediately removing his spectacles before tossing them onto the desk. His panther-like stride bridged the gap between them at a record pace. “Please advise Victoria that her guest has arrived.”
The butler acknowledged his master’s request then exited.
Forever the gentleman, Sebastian bowed as he kissed the back of Gwen’s hand. The touch of his lips and the warmth of his breath against her skin sent waves of heat throughout Gwen’s entire body. She soon realized that she was holding her breath and silently instructed herself to breathe.
Once he had straightened, Sebastian motioned to the velvet sofa behind her.
How had Gwen not noticed that Sebastian was in the room the moment she entered? His woodsy scent lingered, intoxicating her almost as much as his commanding presence.
Gwen’s appreciative gaze studied his features. A stray strand of his black, wavy hair hung haphazardly above one of his piercing indigo eyes and she fought the urge to brush it away from his face.
Upon realizing that she was staring at him, she then shook her head to clear her thoughts. Although her attention wandered about the room, Gwen yearned to study Sebastian. She was absolutely sinful!
“It’s nice to see you again, Gwen.” His smooth baritone stirred her from her thoughts.
“The pleasure is mine, Sebastian.”
He smiled at her in a simple gesture, one that sent shock waves coursing through her body. Gwen fought for composure while a new emotion surged within her.
Desire.
After clearing her throat, she trusted her voice at last. “This room is exquisite. I can see why you use it as your office.”
Sebastian sat in the embroidered chaise that faced the sofa and contemplated how he should respond. In truth, he never worked in the library except for today, when his sister convinced him that he had been spending too much time in his office and insisted upon a change of scenery. A sibling argument ensued; however, since Victoria appeared so concerned, he complied. At last, Sebastian understood his sister’s odd request and smiled at her cunning.
Victoria was a chip off the old block, he noted with a sense of pride that his little sister was shrewd as can be. Not a characteristic that every elder brother would be proud of but one that filled his heart with pride nonetheless. Now, how would he explain any of this to Gwen?
“Normally, I work in my office; however …” Sebastian paused, searching for the appropriate words as he pushed his hair away from his eyes. “A situation arose today that brought me into the library. Victoria must not have realized that when she instructed Winston to escort you in here.”
In a pig’s eye she must not have realized!
“I wanted to thank you for sending your sister to see me yesterday,” Gwen said. “She is delightful.”
His sister called upon Gwen? What was Victoria up to?
Sebastian had thought of no one but Gwen since the Stocktons’ ball. Did his sister suspect that? How could she when he was always careful to hide his emotions?
Deciding to play along, he remarked, “I’m glad you and my sister had the opportunity to become acquainted with one another.”
“As am I,” Gwen smiled.
“Was everything all right when you left the ball?” Sebastian leaned forward. “I was told that your father suffered from exhaustion.”
“Papa was quite tired but has improved.” Gwen turned her gaze towards the papers scattered atop the gilded desk. “What were you working on when your butler and I interrupted you?”
He studied her profile. She was a portrait of serenity and more radiant than he remembered.
“I am having issues with one of my estates,” he began. “The estate manager wasn’t doing what was required of him and I was forced to release him. I must straighten out the finances and carry his work load until I find a replacement.”
Sebastian expected her eyes to glaze over. No woman, including his sister, was ever interested in his work. However, as he spoke, Gwen seemed riveted by his every word.
She responded with a string of questions. In turn, he replied as best he could until the butler interrupted them, handing him a note from Victoria.
He read her missive then met Gwen’s gaze.
“My sister sends her apologies. She has come down with a cold and is unable to ride with you today.”
“Oh, how dreadful,” Gwen’s tone was one of concern. “Should you check on her?”
“Victoria doesn’t wish for me to disturb her.” Sebastian handed the note to his guest. He found his sister’s blatant attempt at matchmaking appalling.
Gwen read the note then refolded it before handing it back to Sebastian. “I wish your sister a speedy recovery. Please ask Victoria to send word to me when she has recovered. We shall reschedule when she is in better health.”
Sebastian had wanted more time with Gwen at the Stocktons’ ball, yet stood by and watched her walk away. He refused to make the same mistake twice.
“Allow me to show you the grounds,” he suggested. When she didn’t jump at the idea, he added, “It is a beautiful day for riding.”
“That’s a very kind offer,” Gwen’s tone was sweet. “But, I don’t mind waiting for Victoria.”
Society dictated that Gwen should not go riding with him without a chaperone. To do so would be inappropriate and if they were discovered, it could damage both of their reputations.
It was a risk Sebastian was willing to take.
“You’d be saving me from my work,” he argued.
Gwen narrowed her eyes. It was obvious that she remained unconvinced.
“It’s true. I’ve been working diligently for days, my single respite being the Stocktons’ ball and,” he added with a shrewd grin, “you saw what lack of rest I got there.”
“Ah, yes, the life of a duke – no rest at parties, working in opulent rooms such as this – what a shame,” Gwen quipped. Her tone then grew serious. “It would be improper for me to go riding with you without a chaperone, Sebastian, and you know that.”
“I’ve always found propriety far overrated. So have you; otherwise you wouldn’t call me by my given name.” He arched his brow in challenge.
Gwen tipped her head in a conciliatory gesture.
He viewed her with delight. She never could resist a dare. So he issued one that he knew Gwen would be unable to refuse.
“When you were younger, I dare say you were never this cautious.” He paused, surveying her response. “Are you afraid my riding ability will put yours to shame?”
Her eyes sparkled however she remained silent.
Sebastian continued. “I would understand if you don’t want to accompany me. The last thing I would want to do is embarrass you with my superior equestrian ability.”
“You are downright merciless,” she chided, albeit in a playful manner. The expression on her face told him that he had indeed convinced her.
“Since you have forced my hand, I suppose we could ride once more, for memory’s sake.” Gwen’s heart shaped lips curved into an
impish grin. “However, there is one condition.”
“What might that be?”
“You must promise not to hide my riding crop, gloves, hat, or anything else I may deem useful. Oh,” she added with a jaunty smile, “that includes my horse. I remember the pranks you and Colin used to pull on me and Tristan.”
His tone was teasing. “What makes you think I would keep that promise, if I were to make such assurances, that is?”
“Because I am now old enough to hide your riding crop or your horse, if I so desired.”
“All right then,” Sebastian rose then extended his arm to her, “but only because Tristan isn’t here. If he were, all bets would be off.”
“Then it’s a good thing he’s not here for I would taunt him as well.” Gwen stood then looped her arm through his.
“A partner in crime, I see.”
They proceeded to the foyer where the butler handed Gwen her accessories. She and Sebastian then headed for the stables.
As they galloped about the grounds, Sebastian pointed out landmarks and recalled memories. He showed her where he had built a fort when he was a young boy and where Victoria had climbed a tree and fallen, giving their family quite the scare. He also showed Gwen the small, rustic chapel on his estate where he attends private family masses and the majestic lake where he and Victoria still picnic.
It was at that lake, surrounded by colorful wildflowers, that they dismounted. Sebastian tied their horses to a nearby tree so the majestic animals could drink from the calm, glassy surface.
Water lilies lay atop the deep blue-green lake while beneath swam several schools of small gold fish.
“Sebastian,” Gwen whispered. “I think I’ve seen heaven.”
His stare was unswerving as he watched her – a vision in blue, rambling amidst the colorful bluebells, daffodils, periwinkles and other various flowers that dotted the landscape. To his complete surprise, he found her more beautiful than any of the flowers she walked amongst.
Sebastian then realized that he, too, had seen heaven.
Gwen walked to the edge of the lake then bent down, scooping up a water lily. As she did so, a frog jumped from the waxy green leaf onto the grass.
She squealed then looked at him with unabashed delight. “Sebastian, you have frogs!”
He guffawed, her joy infectious.
Gwen walked toward him then knelt on the grass, tracing the water lily with her finger. “This must have been your favorite place when you were younger.”
Sebastian sat beside her, stretching out his long legs. “For a while, it was.”
“Why only for a while?”
“My father trained me early to behave like a duke. It was my duty.”
Gwen’s eyes grew distant. “Duty can be constricting.”
“Are you speaking from your own experience?” It was a personal question, one that Sebastian found himself hoping she would answer.
She watched the clouds dance in front of the sun. “After my mother’s death, my father’s obsession with duty became clear to all of us. Papa was extremely hard on Colin and Tristan. Boyish amusement ceased for them.”
“It was similar for me,” he admitted. “Though I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t being groomed for my title.”
Gwen turned toward him. “You must have been a formidable child.”
Sebastian faced two choices. He could either give her a jovial answer, then move on to less sentimental subjects, or he could be honest.
He felt he could confide in Gwen with complete trust. It was evident in the telling depths of her brown eyes. No woman had ever touched his soul. No woman had even been close.
Until Gwen.
Though the thought terrified him and honesty was most certainly a risk, Sebastian seemed to crave risks where Gwen was concerned ever since encountering her at the Stocktons’ ball.
“I was a very sensitive lad. My mother and father got into many an argument about how to raise their heir. Mother believed it natural for a boy to show and receive affection.” His tone hardened. “Father, on the other hand, found it unacceptable for his heir to be emotional. I spent the first part of my childhood trying to discover why he didn’t love me.”
Gwen’s tone was gentle. “His kind of affection was different than yours, as was his way of showing it, but that doesn’t mean that he loved you any less.”
A memory of his mother sobbing on the floor filled Sebastian’s mind. It was the day he protected her, standing up to the brute that was his father. He was careful to control his voice as he added, “I discovered quickly that I detested his version of love and wanted nothing of it.”
She remained mute, her russet eyes encouraging him to continue.
He returned his gaze to the bright sky above, squinting. “My father was a violent man and I don’t discuss him with anyone, not even Victoria.”
“Whether or not you discuss your father with Victoria, I am certain she is aware of your feelings. It is that way with my brothers.” She followed his gaze, basking in the sun’s warmth. “They don’t get along with my father. It’s what drove Colin away and it’s what keeps Tristan close. Neither trusts our father and Tristan feels the need to protect me.”
Gwen’s candid confidences caught Sebastian off guard and endeared her even more toward him, so much so that his heart welled within his chest. “Tristan is protecting you from your father?”
“And from myself,” she managed with a slight grin, her expression serene and proud. “He knows how much I love my father and how hard I have endeavored to make him happy ever since my mother’s passing. Even though it has yet to work, I never stop trying.”
Sebastian studied her as he tried to understand. “You spoke of the duty he imposed on your brothers. What is the duty your father imposes upon you?”
Gwen smoothed her skirts as she pondered his question. She then lifted her head, her chin held high, her body stiff as a board, posture proud and her tone deep as she imitated her father. “It is a lady’s duty to be seen not heard.”
“You be seen and not heard?” His disbelief was evident in his tone. “Does he know the same young woman I do?”
“Tristan sees it the same way you do. My father doesn’t agree.”
Sebastian resisted the urge to lean closer to her and instead commented, “Tristan sounds like a wonderful brother to you.”
“Perhaps it’s the fact that we spent months in the womb together. We’ve always been inseparable. After our mother died, I don’t know how I would have survived without him.”
Sebastian frowned. “You were both still so young. Didn’t your father help you through it at all?”
“No. He never spoke of her and still refuses to do so. I believe it is too painful for him.” Her gaze met his. “Isn’t that the same reason you don’t discuss your feelings about your father with Victoria?”
“Yes,” he replied in a husky whisper. “Yes, I suppose it is.”
Gwen twirled one of the curls framing her face with her finger. “You said earlier that propriety is overrated in your opinion. Did you mean it?”
“I never say anything I don’t mean, Gwen, at least not to you.”
The magnetism of his smile and the warmth in his eyes shone through his statement causing her pulse to quicken.
“Not to me?” she asked, her voice shaky.
Sebastian’s eyes held hers, two sapphires shinning darker, richer by the moment. “I’ve told you more since the Stocktons’ ball than I have told most in a lifetime.”
An inexplicable happiness pulsated through Gwen, as her eyes remained locked with his. He was extraordinary and would make some lucky woman a wonderful husband. It dawned on her that she could never be that woman and disappointment surged through to her soul.
His baritone jarred her from her thoughts. “To what were you referring?”
“Something’s plagued me since we spoke earlier in your library.” Gwen paused before adding, “It isn’t my place to say anything. To do so would disreg
ard all etiquette.”
“Go ahead,” he said. He then steeled his shoulders, as if bracing himself for battle.
“It’s about your estate management. This might sound odd to you, but I may have a solution.” Gwen studied him, gauging his mood.
Sebastian stood then offered her his hand. “Let me hear your solution as we walk.”
“You’re sure you don’t mind?” She paused in the act of reaching for his hand, her determination faltering.
“You have no choice but to continue as you’ve now piqued my interest.”
After she accepted his hand, Sebastian pulled her up. They hadn’t taken two steps before she began.
“You can run the estates yourself with little hassle. Hire an assistant to help. At this moment, with what you are paying all of your managers, plus the expenses you are not aware of, you’re most likely losing money.”
He paused in mid-step. Gaping at her, he asked, “How do you know all of this?”
“Will what I say remain between us?”
“I’d never betray your confidence, Gwen.” His words carried a resolve she’d never before heard.
“I run my family’s estate in England. Everyone, with the exception of Tristan, believes it is the feat of my father.” She furrowed her brow. “Not even Papa is aware that I have been running Ainsley. He wouldn’t approve.”
“I don’t understand. Why doesn’t your father run his own estates?”
Gwen began to walk again, her gaze fixed straight ahead. “He runs all of them with the exception of Ainsley. He has wanted nothing to do with it since my mother’s passing. Once Colin left, he handed the responsibilities off to Tristan, who in turn allowed me to handle matters in secret.”
She tilted her head, expecting a chastising remark or a disdainful glance from him, but all she could see was admiration expressed in his chiseled features.
“Go on,” he coaxed. “Tell me more, like why you are running it instead of your brothers.”
Gwen picked up a small rock. She rubbed its smooth surface with her thumb then sighed before she explained. “I always hated the lessons I received from my governess: etiquette, needlepoint, pianoforte, fashion, ugh! I understand the necessity but most of it is dreadfully boring!”
Dance with Deception: Scandalous Secrets, Book 1 - Exclusive Edition (Scandalous Secrets - Exclusive Edition) Page 4
