“You left me last night without saying goodbye.”
She winced at his joke. “Oh, please.”
“You are begging again?”
Lady Asherton—but she was Margaret—took a deep breath and then seemingly came to a decision, meeting his eyes at last. “We must talk, I suppose. About our, er, unfortunate—“ Before she could finish her sentence, the sound of other guests climbing the stairs had her clamping her mouth shut in what he surmised to be utter frustration.
Surprising him, she grabbed hold of his wrist. “I cannot risk anyone hearing. This way.”
He offered no resistance when she dragged him in the opposite direction than the housekeeper had gone.
Again, she glanced left and right and then opened a door that was barely discernable from the wall and molding. Sebastian tugged himself backward to examine the clever design until she increased the strength of her pulling and jerked him inside.
Sebastian barely noted that it was some sort of linen storage room before she closed the door behind him, surrounding them in darkness, alone, for the second time in less than twelve hours. And although they had just enough room so as not to be touching, a pulsating energy emanated from her.
“I am so very sorry, My Lord.” Her whispered voice in the confined space immediately took him back to the previous night—throaty, emotional, and intimate in the darkness. “I needed to explain why… I’m not, I mean. I’ve never—” She halted in her explanation, seemingly at a loss for words.
“You’ve never…?” Sebastian was quite enjoying this.
“I beg of you not to tell anyone. It was a mistake. I never intended…”
“To climb into bed with me? But you did intend to climb into my uncle’s bed.” He wasn’t yet ready to take pity on her. “And, I believe, he would have been quite unsuspecting.”
“Mr. Kirkley, George, your uncle, that is… has asked me to marry him.”
Sebastian took a half step closer to her, eliminating all but a few inches between them. “Crowded in here, don’t you think?” In all honesty, he wasn’t that interested in talking about his uncle.
“I merely wanted to…” She drew in a frustrated breath. “Would you please do me the courtesy of taking me seriously? I am not the sort of woman… I…”
“Yes?” Surely, she hadn’t believed she must offer herself to Uncle George to secure his suit?
“I needed to make certain that he was able… that he was capable.” She exhaled loudly. “I needed to be certain he was not impotent.” And then she groaned.
Sebastian’s brow lifted at this revelation. “Uncle George?” It truly was an incredible notion.
“He is the kindest of gentlemen. Always considerate and treats me with the utmost respect—too much respect. I simply needed to be certain.”
“And you could only obtain such information by seducing him? You required physical proof?” Sebastian couldn’t help but wonder how his uncle would have responded.
And then he recalled how her naked body had felt pressed up against his own. Uncle George would have responded enthusiastically. If he didn’t, then he would have been a damned fool.
“It is not something a lady can simply ask a man outright, now is it?” She was beginning to sound more than a little irritated by his lack of cooperation.
“I suppose not,” Sebastian conceded, grinning in the dark.
“I realize now, how inappropriate such an errand seems. In my defense, I can only say that knowing the truth about him is extremely important to me. But I shall find another way. I promise...” She sounded so utterly dejected and embarrassed that Sebastian couldn’t allow her to go on worrying that he would expose her.
“I will not tell him. Or anyone else.” He couldn’t help but add, “It’s not as though I was an unwilling victim.”
She moaned and her hands brushed his chest as she lifted them, presumably, to cover her face. The sound, again, was all too reminiscent of the ones she’d made last night. More specifically, the noise she’d made when he’d covered her breast with his mouth.
Sebastian placed his hands on her upper arms but resisted the urge to pull her against him. He leaned forward and inhaled, speaking by her ear. “I have a question for you.”
“Ask,” she responded in a clipped voice. “I’m in no position to withhold an answer.”
That she didn’t trust him bothered him. “Did I not just promise that I would keep your secret? I don’t remember putting any stipulations on it.”
“Of course, I’m sorry. It’s just that I don’t know you at all, and I’ve—“ A small cry escaped her. “I did not mean to question your honor.”
