Sebastian stepped into the crisp air while Thomas busied himself with mounting his horse. His attention was immediately drawn to another familiar figure, one that stirred something warm in his chest.
“Swan,” he said gently, his voice carrying across the snow-dappled clearing. The horse perked up at the sound of her name, and Sebastian’s smile deepened. “I’m glad you gotaway safely, old friend.”
Behind him, Maddie stepped into the doorway, pulling her cloak tighter as she watched the exchange. He turned, catching the faint arch of her brows, her expression curious and just a touch amused.
“Ready?” he asked, brushing her hair from her face as she stepped closer.
Her gaze flicked up to his, uncertain. “Not even slightly.”
He leaned in, their faces nearly level. “Then I’ll hold on tighter.”
A vow.
Without a word, he set a hand lightly on her waist. His touch lingered, warm and deliberate, before he wrapped both hands around her and effortlessly lifted her onto Swan’s saddle. It wasn’t like before, when he’d been careful, distancing himself from her as much as propriety would allow. There was no reason for pretense now. Not when her safety and trust rested so completely in his hands.
She settled on the saddle, looking down at him with a mix of bewilderment and something he very much hoped was admiration. He mounted behind her, his arms loose but steady as they framed her on either side. Swan shifted under their combined weight, but Sebastian whispered a soft word to the horse, calming her instantly.
She looked straight ahead as they set off, Thomas leading the way at a leisurely pace. Yet, Sebastian couldn’t miss the way her back stiffened, her thoughts obvious in the tension she carried. He suspected he knew where her mind had gone.
“Why are you not more concerned?” she asked suddenly, her voice breaking the spell of the silent morning. “The Earl of Linsey caught us. I should…” She trailed off, her words heavy with unspoken consequences. “I should feel embarrassed. Scandal awaits. There’s surely some significance to that, but you act as if all were in order.”
Sebastian’s lips tilted into a faint smirk. “Caught?” His arms tightened slightly around her as Swan picked up a steadier rhythm against the snow. “You aren’t caught, Maddie,” he said, the warmth of his words brushing against her ear, “unless you believe you are.”
“Whatever do you mean?” He had lost his mind. Of course, they were caught. Scandalized. She was compromised most thoroughly.
She shifted within his hold, glancing back at him, her eyes searching for something he couldn’t entirely define. But instead of holding her gaze, he simply leaned forward the barest amount, adjusting the way the cloak settled against her shoulders.
“Are you sure you’re warm?” he murmured, his tone soft, almost tender.
“Sebastian? What are we going to do?”
“A hot bath, I hope. Fresh clothes. Or perhaps no clothes, and we share the hot bath?”
“Seb—”
But before she could continue, he gave her that smile—the one that melted her heart. She had no chance.
“Maddie, there won’t be any scandal if we merely announce our engagement. I need no more than a ride to London to get a special license.”
“It has to come from the Archbishop of Canterbury. Surely it’s not that easy!”
“His nephew was in my class at Eton. And then at Oxford.” Sebastian smiled. “It won’t take long if I tell him I found the woman I love, and she agreed to marry me.”
The color rose in her cheeks again as she quickly turned away, leaving him with a view of the curve of her neck, her face tipped toward the horizon. His own expression softened as they rode behind Thomas, Maddie resting against him, her warmth melding seamlessly with his. To Sebastian, there was nothing to be concerned with. Nothing at all. Because as far as he was concerned, he already had everything that matteredpressed close against him.
*
Maddie’s heart flutteredas they approached the sprawling silhouette of the castle, its grand spires piercing the grayish-blue sky like sentinels of a world she didn’t feel worthy of reentering. It stood proud and unchanging, its stone facade glowing faintly in the morning light. And yet, every clop of Swan’s hooves against the gravel path sent a pang of unease through her, pulling her further from the cocoon of warmth she’d felt just minutes ago with Sebastian’s arms around her.
At the castle gates, she tried to hold her head high as Thomas and Sebastian flanked her, their presence as steady as it was commanding. They escorted her like she was a princess in some gilded tale, but Maddie couldn’t shake the weight settling in her belly. The closer they came to the reality of the grand estate, the smaller, less deserving, she felt. She smoothed her skirts absently, as though wrinkled fabric could undo what had already been done.
“I’ll bring the horses to the stables,” Thomas declared, drawing his horse to a stop. He looked across to Sebastian. “A beer?”
Sebastian shook his head. “Not now. I want to see to Maddie’s comfort.”
Thomas tilted his head, the faintest trace of a frown tugging at the corners of his mouth before he dismounted. “Allow me to be clear, then. Ashley will see to her comfort.” His tone hardened just slightly, the weight of authority unmistakable. “You and I—we need a word.” He gestured toward the stables, his meaning sharp and impossible to argue.
Maddie glanced toward Sebastian, her chest tightening at the tension threading between the two men. She gave him a small, reassuring look, doing her best to convey gratitude and understanding without saying a word. For a moment, his expression softened, the strong planes of his face easing. Then, in a move so gentle it stole her breath, he leaned forward and pressed a small kiss to her cheek. Just a peck.
