Page 72 of Marriage Most Scandalous
She narrowed her eyes on him suspiciously. “You were just trying to distract me, weren’t you?”
“You looked like you were the one about to bolt, yes.”
She could wish he wasn’t so astute. “It’s your fault,” she said defensively. “You were coerced, as it were, to be here tonight. Given that, it’s a reasonable assumption that you’ll make no effort to see the evening go smoothly.”
“As I recall, these things can last all bloody night,” he said. “But as long as we don’t stay till the end, I’ll muddle through this.”
“Certainly,” she assured him. “We can leave as soon as it’s decent to do so.”
“Then relax, Maggie. I’m not going to kill anyone tonight.”
That was a slap and uncalled for. She hadn’t thought he’d do any such thing. But before it occurred to her that he might merely have been teasing, he leaned forward, caught her hand, and pulled her across to his side of the coach and into his lap. There wasn’t even time to gasp before he was kissing her.
It was the kiss she would remember most clearly because it was beyond sensual, beyond thrilling. If she wanted to be romantic, she would say he put his heart into it. The way he held her, firmly yet so gently. The way his hand cupped her cheek, so tenderly. He wasn’t trying to incite her desire, and yet she couldn’t get this close to him and not have it rise. But it was warm, it was sweet, and it drew her into participating rather than demanding that she do so.
All thoughts of the party in their honor were gone. She could have stayed there all night in his arms, tasting the delicious languor of that kiss.
She was brought back to earth rather hard when he set her back on the seat across from him and said, “There, now you look married instead of like a sacrificial virgin. We’ve arrived. Get out of the coach, Maggie.”
Chapter 43
MARGARET HAD ANGRY COLORstill high on her cheeks after the dirty trick Sebastian had played on her in the coach, kissing her simply so she’d look like she’d just been kissed. For the role they were playing, not because he wanted to kiss her. But her cheeks got even hotter, with embarrassment, when the hush fell on the room as they entered the large parlor.
It had nothing to do with curiosity finally being appeased as Sebastian’s neighbors got their first look at him after eleven years. There was some surprise, surely, but there was a lot more alarm and wariness in the expressions she could see. The men even glanced away a bit too quickly, as if they feared catching his gaze.
“Good God, they’re terrified of you,” Margaret gasped quietly. “You couldn’t send The Raven away for just one night?”
Sebastian glanced down at her and scoffed, “You exaggerate, m’dear. And why do you continue to think The Raven is a role I play?”
“You forget I’ve seen you with your grandmother. The old Sebastian is still there.”
“I take pains to conceal from her who I’ve become. The Raven is a result, Maggie, not a contrivance. It’s what the last eleven years have made me.”
“Then take some more pains to conceal that man tonight, would you? Or is this how you planned to avoid any questions you don’t care to answer? A splendid idea, appear so menacing no one will dare to approach you.”
He actually grinned at her. “Maggie, you’re starting to think like me. But as it happens, I had no particular plan for the evening. If anyone is so rude as to ask personal questions, he’ll merely be met with the silence he deserves. Is this better?”
He smiled at her so widely she could count his teeth. “No,” she said huffily. “It bloody well looks like you intend to bite me.”
He burst out laughing. She was so disconcerted by his laughter, because it was genuine that she didn’t notice Alberta approaching them until the lady spoke.
“Welcome home, Sebastian. Is your father feeling well enough to join us tonight?”
Maggie almost laughed now. That wasn’t a personal question by any means, but it would certainly answer the one on everyone’s mind—if father and son had reconciled.
And yet Sebastian managed to avoid a direct reply by saying, “I didn’t think to ask.”
Unfortunately, the duchess turned her gaze on Maggie with the same question in her expression, forcing Maggie to add, “Neither did I. But with Douglas back on his feet, we returned to White Oaks this morning. He is still convalescing, though, so I doubt he’s feeling up to socializing just yet.”
Alberta tsked. “Yes, I should have taken that into account at your suggestion and delayed this party for at least another week or two. But hindsight, while superior, is rarely useful in correcting an error. So let me be the first to congratulate you this evening. You’ve made quite the catch, Sebastian. We were beginning to wonder if our dear Maggie would ever find a chap to suit her. So many have tried, you know.”
“No, I didn’t know,” Sebastian said with a raised brow at Maggie.
“Now, now, Sebastian, there’s no reason for jealousy to rear its ugly head,” Alberta said. “Beautiful gel like her, it was to be expected. Had them camping on the steps of Edgewood while she was staying there. It quite amused Douglas, I’m sure.”
Margaret was blushing by then and said defensively, “I was fresh out of the schoolroom and nowhere near thinking about marriage yet. It was a bloody nuisance, if you must know, having all those young bucks showing up, half of them I didn’t even know!”
Alberta chuckled. “M’dear, that’s when all you young gels get married.”
