Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Sebastian was quiet as he followed the footman to the earl's study. He silently hoped that once he was married to Caroline, these visits to the man's study would stop. They only served to make him feel as though he had even less of a say over his own life, and it was rather frustrating indeed.

He entered the earl's study with a polite nod, though his smile was stiff. William Wentworth looked up as Sebastian entered, his own smile rather cold.

"Sebastian," he said after a pointed silence. "Please. Sit."

Sebastian settled into the chair across from the earl, who was looking at him with a strange expression. He let out an irritable sigh and William lifted his brows.

"I trust your conversation with my daughter was satisfactory," William said, then continued slowly. "Caroline—the one you are marrying now."

It took all of Sebastian's self control to merely nod and refrain from making a biting comment about William treating his own daughters as though they were interchangeable. "Indeed it was. Lady Caroline and I had a lovely talk. Thank you."

William's mouth turned in a grimace. "I find it heartening that you can manage a lovely talk with my daughter while keeping your hands off her," he said simply, and Sebastian scowled.

"My lord," he explained coldly. "I agree that the situation is unfortunate. But as I have explained before, it was a misunderstanding. Lady Caroline lost her balance and I was merely attempting to be chivalrous."

"Chivalrous," William repeated, a strange light shining in his eyes. "Forgive me, but the ton is abuzz with rumors of your rakish past. I must wonder if this misunderstanding was truly innocent."

A frown settled between Sebastian's brows at this. "If you do not believe me, my lord, believe your daughter. I would also appreciate it if you allowed my past to be just that—my past. I have been nothing but honorable in my interactions with your daughters."

"Have you?" William's tone was quite measured, but Sebastian could feel his cheeks heating up at the question. It was true, of course, that he had only ever been honorable in his interactions with the ladies—but he could not deny that his thoughts have been less than pure when he thought of Caroline.

In fact, perhaps his mind drifted towards the seductive softness of her curves a bit too often, and he shifted uncomfortably at the thought. William still stared at him and Sebastian could feel heat rising to his cheeks, as though the man could read his thoughts.

"I have," he insisted, and William nodded stiffly.

"Be that as it may, we are in this situation now. I would like your assurance that my daughter will be safe with you."

It was the first time that William showed concern for his daughter and Sebastian nodded slowly, strangely heartened by this. "You have my word, My Lord."

With this, the conversation soon dried up—William merely nodding before returning to his paperwork. Sebastian remained seated for a while, then stood uncomfortably when the silence continued.

"If I may…"

William merely nodded and Sebastian left the study with a lighter frown. While he was certain that William Wentworth did not approve of him entirely, he was rather hopeful that the man was merely looking out for his daughter. Perhaps, he thought, he could not blame the man for his hostility.

A smile appeared on Sebastian's face when the daughter he had been thinking of suddenly appeared in front of him, a delightful blush coloring her cheeks.

"I hid in one of the hallways," Caroline admitted with a tentative smile, her cheeks turning a deeper shade of crimson. "I wanted to see you off," she explained.

Sebastian could not help but smile at this and a warmth bloomed in his chest. He could not deny that he found Caroline more intriguing than Beatrice. Where her sister was preoccupied with propriety and appearances, Caroline had a spark of wit and independence that drew him in. There was something about her.

"I should be thanking you, My Lady—for agreeing to marry me," he said now, his voice low and earnest. Caroline ducked her head and a small smile played at the corners of her mouth.

"I will admit, it is a rather intimidating thought, getting married," she admitted and Sebastian took an impulsive step towards her.

"Is it?"

Caroline looked up at him with wide eyes. They were closer together now than they had been since he'd caught her, and this time Sebastian took his time to truly look at her. There was no denying that Caroline Wentworth was beautiful. Her blonde locks were braided, though a few strands had escaped and framed her face. Sebastian moved his hand slightly, allowing it to hover over her hips as he studied her. Her fair visage was adorned with almond shaped eyes the color of the ocean, a delicately sculpted nose and full lips.

His eyes fixed on those lips now, an inviting pink color. The point of her tongue darted out now, moving over her lips nervously.

"I do believe that we will make a fine match," he said, his voice low. Caroline's eyes widened at the words, and she blinked slowly. Sebastian leaned his head slightly forward, his breath ghosting over her skin. "I am quite pleased to be marrying you, Lady Caroline," he whispered.

Her mouth opened slightly at this and she looked up at him through her lashes. For a mad second, Sebastian wondered what it would be like to kiss those waiting lips. Caroline pressed a soft hand against his chest and looked up, her eyes stormy.

Then a door creaked down the hall and the pair stepped away from each other quickly. Sebastian flashed her a crooked grin, surprised by his own breath feeling quite fast.

"Until our wedding day," he said softly before turning on his heel and making his way back to his carriage.

A sweet scent clung to him as he climbed into the carriage. Roses, he realized as he shifted on the seat and nodded at the driver.

Caroline Wentworth was different from anyone he'd ever met, he realized as he gazed out of the carriage window. The slight throbbing between his strong thighs alerted him to the fact that he was not unaffected by her beauty—not at all.

***

As much as Sebastian had to admit that he was not unaffected by her proximity, Caroline had to admit the same. She had no idea what had possessed her to wait for him but she could not regret it.

Her body felt strangely light as she made her way to her bedchamber, her heart racing wildly in her chest. They had been so close together that she had felt like the heroine between one of the pages of the books she'd been devouring since her engagement had been announced.

But nothing in those pages could have prepared Caroline for the way her body reacted to Sebastian Fairchild. In fact, as she sat down on her bed, her heart was racing wildly in her chest and there was a strange slickness between her thighs.

Caroline pressed a hand to her heart and let out a shuddering breath in an attempt to calm the fluttering within her stomach. It did not work and she rose to her feet slowly. Despite the attraction she admittedly felt for her future husband, she could not be entirely happy about her impending marriage—at least not yet. With a sigh she walked out of her own bedchamber slowly, walking towards her sister's closed door.

Beatrice was still furious with her, she knew—and though she yearned to talk to someone about the confusing feelings rising within her, she knew she couldn't talk to her sister about it. Still, she wanted to talk to her sister about something—anything.

With a deep sigh, Caroline raised her hand and knocked on the door, her voice soft and pleading. "Beatrice? Can we talk? Please?"

Though Caroline heard muffled sounds from within, Beatrice did not answer and Caroline pressed her forehead against the wood, her heart aching. "I know you are angry and hurt… and I know you don't believe that it was all a misunderstanding, but please Beatrice… you are my sister and I love you. I do not want to lose you. Please don't be angry…"

She hesitated, tears forming in her eyes. "Or be angry—be furious, yell at me, curse me, but please talk to me. Please, Beatrice."

Still, there was no response from the other side of the door. Caroline let out a shuddering breath and blinked back the tears that threatened to fall. She felt like a traitor for liking Sebastian, for being attracted to him… although she knew that this marriage was for her sister's sake as much as her own.

"Beatrice," she tried again, her voice desperate. "I do not have a choice. I must marry Sebastian in order to save not only my reputation, but your own. I am doing this for both of us!"

She waited—certain that this assertion would at least elicit some reaction. When it did not, she sighed deeply before returning to her own bedchamber.

To her surprise, her mother was in her bedchamber and Caroline hovered at the door uncomfortably. The stubborn tears still stung behind her eyelids and for the first time since the ball, the countess looked at her with something other than contempt.

In fact, Caroline was quite certain that there was a hint of sympathy in her mother's eyes.

"Beatrice will not talk to me," she admitted softly and entered her bedchamber to take a seat next to her mother. Her mother sighed deeply at this, a frown furrowing her brows.

"I'm not surprised."

Caroline looked away quickly, hurt by the hardness in her mother's tone. Perhaps she was wrong about the sympathy after all, she mused. Perhaps she had not only lost her sister, but her mother as well.

The countess sighed, though, and placed a soft hand on her daughter's knee. "Give her time," she encouraged, and Caroline looked at her hopefully. "For now, however, you must focus on your marriage," she insisted, and Caroline sighed.

"I suppose so," she agreed and her mother flashed her a hesitant smile. "I spoke to him earlier and I do believe it is prudent to visit the home where you will live with your husband—the home he will inherit after your marriage. We will leave in the morning."

With this, she left—leaving her daughter shocked and slightly curious.

To Caroline's relief, the night passed rather quickly and she was spared any dreams. In fact, it was quite early when she joined her mother in the carriage—on the way to what would soon be her home.

A soft smile appeared on Caroline's face when the carriage came to a halt in front of the cottage and she noticed Sebastian's tall figure in the garden. She supposed it made sense for them to get to know each other before the wedding.

Sebastian flashed her a charming smile and inclined his head in her mother's direction. "Lady Lincoln, Lady Caroline," he greeted with a smile. "Welcome."

Geraldine nodded at him before walking to the veranda where she sat, her eyes following the betrothed pair coolly. Sebastian glanced at the countess—an obvious chaperone—before facing Caroline.

"Shall I show you the garden?"

Despite the obvious awkwardness of the situation, Caroline felt a smile forming around her lips. "I'd be delighted."

As they walked through the garden, Caroline could not help but admire the easy way that Sebastian strolled or the way his lips curved when he smiled. As she had said to her sister a lifetime ago—he truly was handsome and though the circumstances of their marriage were far from ideal, she could not help but feel comfortable next to him.

"Here is my pride and joy in the garden," he said as they arrived at a flowerbed. "Hollyhocks—by far the most beautiful flower here."

"The most beautiful?" Caroline shook her head with a smile. "Certainly you are mistaken," she challenged. "Or did you not see the roses?"

"I tend to the roses daily, Lady Caroline," Sebastian teased, "and I maintain that the hollyhocks are far more beautiful."

Caroline merely laughed and shook her head. "Please—next you will tell me that you prefer the works of Lord Byron over William Wordsworth."

At this, Sebastian let out a mock gasp. "Oh, do not dare tell me that you are a Wordsworth-maiden!"

"Of course I am," she retorted quickly. "In fact, his prose is far more beautiful than any I have read."

Sebastian laughed and shook his head. "I fear we will not agree on much," he teased and Caroline shrugged, her eyes twinkling with delight.

"I know! Is it not delightful?" she said with a soft laugh. The joy faded slightly when she thought of her sister and as though he had read the reason for her sudden shift in mood, Sebastian looked at her earnestly.

"How is your sister faring? I do feel quite terrible about the situation."

There was true concern in his voice and Caroline sighed. "She won't speak to me. She used to be my best friend, but now… she ignores me, it is as though I have become naught more than a specter in her life," she admitted.

The sympathy was evident in Sebastian's eyes and Caroline quickly averted her eyes, fearful of the tears building beneath her lids.

"Give her time. I am certain that all will be well eventually," he said gently, and she let out a soft sigh.

"Thank you," she whispered simply, using a finger to wipe the budding tears away. The lightness of their earlier conversations was gone now.

"She should have been the one to marry first," Caroline said softly. "She cares about the ton, what people think… I cannot help but feel as though I took it from her."

Sebastian came to a sudden halt at that, and he tilted his head as he looked down at her. Caroline looked up at him curiously and a soft smile appeared around his lips.

"Dear child of nature, let them rail," he whispered, and her eyes widened slightly before a smile settled around her lips too.

"Wordsworth," she teased with a soft laugh. "I am quite impressed that you chose him over Byron."

Sebastian shrugged and fine lines appeared next to his eyes as he laughed. "I will always aim to make my future wife happy," he said softly. Caroline returned his smile before following back to the veranda, frowning slightly when he halted suddenly and bent down. When he turned to her, he held a deep red rose in his hands.

"For you," he said simply, his eyes meeting hers and the air suddenly changing around them. Caroline could feel her heart fluttering as she gazed from the flower up at him, and her hand trembled when she took the rose.

A shockwave coursed through her body when his hand brushed against hers, his skin warm and soft. His lips curved up in a smile and she released a shuddering breath, her eyes fluttering closed for a second before she turned away and sped back to her mother, her heart beating wildly in her chest.