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She waved a hand. “Are you going to impart this interesting information?”

He leaned forward, and she didn’t like what was glittering in his green eyes. He looked just like he did when he was younger, right before he unleashed whatever devilry he had devised. “I know where the Duke is sleeping.”

Theo kept her expression impassive. “Oh? And where might that be?”

“In your bed.”

She scoffed. “What on earth would make you think that?” And she truly wanted to know. Because His Grace had only spent two nights with her and had discreetly left in the early hours of the morning. No one should have been able to find out. No one could find out.

Sebastian’s grin widened. “He told me.”

Her eyes went wide. “He did not. I will kill him! Why would he tell you that?”

Bash burst out laughing, his cackles echoing through her living room. “H-he didn’t.” He dissolved into laughter again, pointing at her. “Y-your face. Like an outraged toad.”

“Piss off, Bash. What do you mean he didn’t?” she growled. Little brothers were insufferable.

He let out a big whoosh of breath, then seemed to calm himself. “I had a suspicion when I caught him riding back to the castle at dawn. He was tight-lipped about it, but you, my lovely Theodora, just told me all your secrets.”

“It’s like you want me to wallop you. And what were you doing out of the castle at dawn, young man?”

He smiled and then pretended to seal his lips.

Theo went to roll her eyes but paused. There was something off about that smile. Now that she went back through their interactions since he arrived, quite a bit had been off. Everything a bit too…overlarge.

She opened her mouth to ask him if something was amiss, but he cut her off.

“So, why might His Grace be spending the night at your cottage, hmm? I don’t remember reading anything about that in the sex contract.”

Theo winced. “Please don’t reference it as such.”

“He’s developed a tendre for you, hasn’t he? And you, him? Are you going to become my sister?”

She facepalmed. “I swear to all that is holy, Bash.” The scary part was she wasn’t so certain Bash was entirely jesting. “Dukes don’t marry stewards.”

“Well, obviously. Most stewards are men, so they can’t.”

Her expression melted off her face. “You think you’re so clever,” she said dryly. “You know the point I’m trying to make.” She lifted a finger to cut him off before he could keep going with his nonsensical tirade. “And marriage is something I don’t ever want. You know how I feel about that.”

He ignored her. Was she surprised? “I think I like him. In an odd way, I think you two make sense together.”

Theo’s jaw went slack. “How would you have ever come to that conclusion? We haven’t even spent a sennight with the man!” Good heavens, Bash was beyond fanciful.

“Untrue. You’ve known him for over five…six years? You two clearly work well together.”

“As his steward. We have corresponded through letter.”

“Mhm. Bet those letters will be awfully naughty now.”

She leaned forward and smacked him across the head. “I don’t even know what to do with you.”

“You say that to me often.”

She lifted her eyebrows. Are we shocked as to why?

He placed his hands under his chin and blinked angelically.

“Don’t even attempt to pretend innocence, imp. And what made you change your mind about him? Based on when he arrived here last night, it would have seemed as though he cut your dinner short. Wouldn’t have thought that’d endear him to you.”