She looked at him accusingly. “When did you stop being my protector, Sebastian? I hardly know you anymore. The Sebastian I grew up with wasn’t so cold and uncaring. Sowooden. Do you even care that I am unhappy?”
“That isn’t fair,” he said, his eyes full of regret.
“Isn’t it?” Too tired to continue arguing, she rubbed her head and turned to leave the room.
“We aren’t finished, Jenna,” Sebastian called after her.
She ignored him and increased her pace, mounting the steps and all but running up to her room. Not bothering to undress, she curled up on her bed and buried her face in her pillow. Pain like she had never felt before assailed her. She missed Gray already. And never would she feel any regret for the small amount of time she had spent with him.
###
“What the deuce are we going to do?” Quinn demanded as Jenna left the room.
“I tell you what I am going to do. I am going to go beat Grayson Douglas until he’s insensible.”
“I meant what are we going to do about Jenna?”
“Damned if I know.” He blew out his breath in a long puff. “Did you know anything about this?”
Anger gripped him. “Of course I didn’t. Do you think I would have let her run off in the night alone to meet a man I know nothing about? Any man for that matter.”
Sebastian held up his hands. “Just asking. She usually confides in you.”
“Yes, she does,” he said quietly. Or did until now. He couldn’t totally fault her for not telling him, but it still hurt to know she didn’t think she could confide in him. They’d always shared everything. “Are you going to tell Father?”
“I don’t know.” Sebastian sighed. “She said Stuart knows, but I wonder if his father does. I have to think he doesn’t or we would have heard from him by now. Christ, Quinn, what if she’s pregnant?”
Quinn felt the blood drain from his face. He hadn’t given thought to that complication. What a mess that would be. “What do you think about what she said about Stuart?”
“Bloody fop,” Sebastian muttered. “He doesn’t deserve her. I don’t know what the hell happened to him in the last few years, but he is not the Stuart we grew up with.”
“Do you think we’ve been too hard on her?”
Sebastian sighed and closed his eyes. “God knows I hate to see her so unhappy, but I can’t condone her running off and bedding the first rake that obliges her.” His face twisted in anger. “I can’t believe we are sitting here talking about our little sister bedding anyone!”
“She’s not a child any more. Perhaps it’s time we stopped treating her like one.”
Sebastian stared straight ahead. “This is a disaster. I don’t care if she loves him or not, I am going over there to beat him senseless. I ought to call him out.”
“No, you won’t do that. It would kill Jenna.”
“Damn it, Quinn, I love her. Doesn’t she know that? I am about to go take apart a man because he dared to touch her.”
“She knows, Sebastian. She’s had a difficult time of late. You mustn’t judge her by her recent actions.”
“What was Papa thinking? To betroth her to that fribble.”
Quinn blinked in surprise. This was the first time his brother had said anything that hinted of his disapproval. “Why did he do it, do you know?” He had already decided to query their father on the subject as soon as he returned, but maybe Sebastian was privy to information he had not been.
“I don’t know. Truly. The viscount came to see Papa just after Jenna’s sixteenth birthday and the next thing I knew they were announcing Stuart and Jenna’s betrothal. I asked Papa why Stuart and all he said was that it was a matter of honor.”
Irritation seized Quinn. “Don’t you find it odd that Papa would do something like that?”
“Yes, I do. But every time I’ve broached the subject, he becomes rather tight-lipped.”
“I had no idea you disagreed with his decision,” Quinn said in wonder.
“I am not completely heartless. I know she wasn’t happy with her engagement. I just had no idea she would go to this extreme.”
