“She did… in a fashion,” he laughed. “That’s not to say that she was pleased, but she saw the value and realized it was the best option presented to her. A chance to save herself from scandal, while ensuring that her life not be ruined.”
“And what do you get out of it?” Ronan asked sharply. “Apart from another maiden to bed.”
“That is not what this is about,” Sebastian snapped.
Ronan scoffed. “You lie as most men breathe.”
“I am not trying to bed her!” He glared at the three men. “The truth is, when Lady Weatherstone found us and began squawking like a chicken having its feathers plucked, I was taken by a moment of clarity. It was not the first scandalous situation I have been found in.”
“There is an understatement,” Alaric pointed out.
“And if I am not careful, the time might come when I am unable to recover,” Sebastian spoke over Alaric and the laughter of the two other men. “The simple fact is that I am a duke, and as you each know, things are expected of us. I was going to have to findmyself a bride sooner or later, so why not now?” He shrugged. “It seemed like a good idea at the time.”
“And does it still look that way?” Alaric asked.
“It does not matter,” Sebastian said. “For once in my life, I opted to do the right thing – which you, Alaric, should be singing my praises for. Miss Harcourt was in need of protection –”
“And you were in need of someone to keep your bed warm come winter,” Cassian jumped in.
“It is not like that,” Sebastian snarled at Cassian. “Our marriage is to be one of convenience only. A signed piece of paper and nothing more. I have no intent to bed Miss Harcourt, and as surprising as it might sound to you all, she has no intent on bedding me.”
“What is it like?” Cassian asked with a rueful smirk. “To be possessed of an ego so large? It must weigh on you.”
“Oh, noble knight,” Ronan joined in. “If only there were more men like you.”
“Easy now,” Alaric said to the two men. “Let us not clamor to drag down our friend here. Personally, I see this as a good thing.” He winked. “I speak from experience when I say that a wife by one’s side is nowhere near the headache it might seem. Who knows, she might be good for you.”
“Oh, save it for the bedroom,” Cassian waved him down. “You are not Sebastian, Alaric. And where your marriage turned out decently enough, I suppose, there is more chance of the sun replacing the moon than Sebastian here finding himself in a marriage that is anything short of calamitous.”
“I sense a bet coming on,” Ronan said.
“Oh!” Cassian’s eyes brightened. “What shall we bet on? How long does it take Sebastian to sleep with his wife? Or perhaps how long it takes until she smothers him with her pillow?”
“What if they both happen on the same night?” Ronan pointed out. “Who wins then?”
Sebastian slunk back into his chair as the three men descended into a conversation that revolved mostly around mocking Sebastian.Let them have their fun, let them deride, let them banter. It is not as if anything I say will dissuade their opinions of me. Just as nothing I say can convince them of the truth.But what was the truth? If only Sebastian knew.
He had not been lying when he’d told the three men why he had offered Miss Harcourt a marriage. Indeed, the poor thing was desperate, and marrying Sebastian would save her. Also, as a duke, he had known that he’d one day need to be married, so the timing seemed too perfect a thing to ignore. And what was more, this had nothing to do with trying to sleep with her.
It was an easy enough line to repeat, but whenever he tried to swallow it whole, he found himself gagging.
Frustratingly, there was also a part of Sebastian that could not help but wonder what it might be like to take Miss Harcourt to his bed. With her golden-brown hair, elegant features, and soft skin, she was undoubtedly a beauty. And her curvaceous body made her a creature of desire that ordinarily Sebastian would covet. Still, he remembered the feel of her in his arms, how her body had quivered at his touch, and the look in her eyes as he had held her…she wanted me too. I know that she did.
That was why he had agreed to the marriage when she had come to see him yesterday. She had tripped, he had caught her, and for a moment, he had been unable to think of anything else but bedding her. Alas, he also knew that he could not do such a thing – that he would not do such a thing, because he needed this marriage to be one of convenience only. Simplicity demanded it.
And yet… always, his mind wandered. He fought it. He tried to ignore it. But he was attracted to his bride-to-be, just as he knew she was attracted to him.It is going to make for a difficult marriage. Of that, there is no doubt.Then again, when was married life ever meant to be simple? Another reason was that Sebastian had never wanted such a thing.
Six
“Iam proud of you,” Margot’s father said to her. “I hope you know that.”
“I know, Father,” Margot responded with a hesitant smile as she fought back the twisting of her stomach that felt like a den of snakes had been hatched inside of her.
“This is no small thing you are doing…” He smiled softly, and his eyes glistened with tears. “And your mother, was she alive to see it…” He sniffed and wiped his nose. “I know she would be even more proud than I am.”
“She would be,” Margot agreed, even if she wasn’t so certain. She knew little of her mother, but she doubted that a marriage of convenience aimed at quieting a scandal was something any mother would find pride in. “And thank you for being here. I don’t know if I have said that.”
“Oh…” Her father blinked and seemed to stand taller as he shuffled in closer, his arm linked through her own. “Margot, I would not miss it. A father only walks his daughter down the aisle once, and this just might be the best day of my life.”
