“Yes?” Sebastian snapped.
“I regret to inform you that his lordship is indisposed. He cannot meet with you this morning.” The butler looked genuinely distressed.
“For perdition’s sake—” Sebastian bit off the rest. He did not intend to ride back to Brentfield Manor only to return again tomorrow. It had been troublesome enough to slip out of the house without his mother’s questions, and his day was already pressed with appointments—with his solicitor, and later with the steward who oversaw the tenant farms. He could not spare another journey. “Can anyone else of the household speak to me?” he demanded.
“Um… mayhap, your Grace,” the butler stammered. “Miss Caldwell is upstairs, but it would be highly irregular…” He wet his lips anxiously.
Sebastian shook his head. “I will see her, if I may,” he said firmly. Irregular, yes—but the entire situation had long since departed from propriety.
“Yes, your Grace,” the butler murmured, plainly unhappy. “I shall escort you. She is in the drawing room.”
Sebastian handed over his hat and coat and strode up the narrow stairs. The house was small, the carpet worn thin, the walls undecorated save for the occasional oil lamp—yet everything gleamed with meticulous care. Sebastian found himself wondering what it meant to maintain a home so diligently with so evidently scant resources. The reflection humbled him.
“Your Grace?” the butler called softly, having hurried to catch up. “This way.”
Sebastian followed—and stopped short the instant he reached the doorway.
Miss Caldwell stood in the centre of the drawing room. She looked startled, almost frightened, her wide brown eyes fixed on him. Her lips parted; her white muslin gown and softly pinnedhair gave her an air of innocent simplicity that made heat surge through him.
“Your Grace! I—” she faltered.
Sebastian bowed. “Miss Caldwell. I beg your pardon for calling unannounced. I had hoped to speak with your brother, the viscount, but I am informed he is indisposed.”
His tone chilled slightly—not for her sake, but to chastise the butler for the awkward reception.
“Yes. Yes, your Grace. I must apologise.”
“There is no need,” he replied as coolly as he could.
The butler was still hovering uncertainly, and he did not wish to speak openly in front of him. Miss Caldwell glanced around the room uncomfortably, and Sebastian winced. He had thought she was at ease with him, but her fear was apparent.
“Fetch tea for his Grace, please,” Miss Caldwell told the butler. Sebastian shook his head.
“No need,” he repeated. “I came to speak with you. I believe the matter will not take long.”
He cast a deliberate look at the butler, who bowed hastily and retreated.
When Sebastian looked back, Miss Caldwell had turned to the fire, biting her lip. Her posture—unguarded, uncertain—sent another tide of heat through him. He cleared his throat.
“Miss Caldwell,” he began. “I think it is likely plain to you why I am here, so I shall be brief.”
“No… no, your Grace,” she whispered. “It is not plain to me.”
Her gaze lifted to his—fear and trust mingled in a way that unsettled him. Her directness irritated him slightly, yet impressed him as well.
“I have caused damage to your reputation,” he explained carefully. “Unintentionally, but undeniably. As a gentleman, it is my duty to repair what I have harmed. Therefore, I havecome to request your hand in marriage. Doing so will silence the whispers.”
“Your Grace!” She drew a sharp breath, stepping back. Her eyes were wide with what looked like dread.
Sebastian stiffened.Dread?Was he truly so unappealing a prospect that a marriage proposal from him caused fear? He bristled—but she continued in a rush:
“I mean—I mean—I did not expect—”
“I believe that you did not,” he said, cutting gently across her flustered protest. “Allow me to explain the advantages. I can also be of assistance with your… financial situation.”
Her cheeks blanched. Sebastian regretted the blunt phrasing. His speech had been meant for her brother, not her. He had wanted to be courteous—he simply lacked practice.
“And for my part,” he added more quietly, “the marriage will allow me to access funds tied up in my father’s will. Funds contingent upon marrying within the year.”
