“I’m—I’m not sorry that I touched Marianne,” he said. “I am sorry you are betrayed by it.”
Delacourt stared at him for what felt like an eternity, his gaze narrow and even. Sebastian braced to be hit again, but instead, Delacourt turned away. “In the morning, you’ll leave at dawn. I don’t care where you go, but you won’t be here. I’ll make some excuse about an emergency that called you away.”
Sebastian bent his head. “I understand.”
“You won’t crow about this conquest, do you understand?” Delacourt stepped up to him, and there was no denying the seriousness in his tone or his face. “If youevermake this public, I will rip your heart out.”
Sebastian almost laughed. Delacourt had been the only person in the world who ever thought he had a heart to extract. And Marianne. Marianne had always believed it. She’d madehimbelieve it. Now he was losing both of them.
“I’d never hurt your sister in that way.”
“Just in every other way that matters,” Delacourt muttered, and turned to leave the room.
“Don’t be hard on her,” Sebastian called out. “She doesn’t deserve that.”
Delacourt froze at the door and slowly turned back. His nostrils flared slightly and he let out a long, shuddering sigh. “No,” he agreed softly. “She doesn’t.”
Then he left the room and shut the door firmly behind him, leaving Sebastian to bend to get his shirt and put it back on. He did so slowly, his heart aching as what had happened fully sank in. He’d lost his best friend.
And he realized with a start, as he gathered up the rest of his abandoned clothing, that he wasn’t thinking entirely about Delacourt. He’d lost Marianne, too, andthatwas what caused his chest to ache, his eyes to sting and his hands to shake as he slipped from the room to begin the packing that would be required for him to sneak off into the dawn tomorrow like the thief he was.
CHAPTER 21
“My lady? My lady?”
Marianne opened her eyes with a start and stared up at Hannah, who was standing over her with a candle. The light haloed her face and gave her a ghostly appearance.
“Goodness, what is it, Hannah?”
“I’m sorry to wake you,” her maid said.
Marianne sat up. She was shocked she couldbeawakened. She had hardly slept all night, tossing and turning as she relived both the passionate moments with Sebastian in the parlor and the horrible ones with Finn after. But she must have dozed off at some point.
“Is something wrong? Oh God, did my brother call Sebastian out for pistols?”
“No, my lady, but…but…” Her cheeks darkened. “Lord Ramsbury’s carriage is being packed and his horse is being readied.”
Marianne threw the covers back and got to her feet, searching for her dressing gown before she exited the room and raced downstairs.
When she reached the foyer, she found Sebastian there, talking quietly to his servants as Bentley stood by, stone faced and arms folded like some kind of ancient guard dog who occasionally remembered he had teeth. No one had seemed to notice her until she said, “Sebastian.”
He froze and then turned toward her. His blue eyes met hers, filled with emotion for a brief moment before he cleared it all away. Without looking at his servants, he said, “Go ahead and do as we’ve discussed. I’ll see you in London tomorrow evening.”
His servants departed, but Bentley remained, his gaze focused on Marianne in horror, likely at her state of dress given that she was in her dressing gown with no shoes and her hair tangled around her shoulders. Of course, he’d seen worse and that memory made Marianne’s cheeks grow hot.
“Please, Bentley, I need a moment alone with the earl,” she said.
“My lady, I do not think that would be wise,” the butler began.
“Please!” she repeated, her voice elevating.
Bentley bent his head and then hurried from the foyer, worrying his hands before him.
“He’ll fetch your brother, you know,” Sebastian said softly. “I know he’s awake, I assume he’s pacing around his study.”
She bent her head. “Of course he’ll fetch him, so we only have a moment before he comes. Sebastian, I’m so sorry.”
“You’resorry?” he said, stepping closer.
