Page 74 of Marriage Most Scandalous
She was right, they were drawing notice. And it had been a long time since Sebastian had lost control like that, to let his pain be so obvious. By sheer force of will, he put it back where it belonged, behind the iron shield that encased his emotions.
He wanted to walk away, but there was one thing left to say on the matter, to appease his own curiosity. “Why have you blamed my father?”
He didn’t think Cecil would answer. His face was growing red with anger again.
But in a low, baleful tone Cecil said, “I went away to mourn. I couldn’t bear being in the house where Giles was raised. I come home months later and find that French whore who caused your duel married to your brother. Douglas should have prevented that. He should have prevented the duel.”
“What more could he have done than forbid it, which he did?” Sebastian replied. “I defied him. I went there to die myself, Cecil. I didn’t expect to have to come home and tell him that a quirk of fate reversed the outcome.”
“Douglas could have told me that, instead of telling me to get out and never come back! You have been misinformed. I didn’t end our friendship, he did.”
Sebastian was so surprised by that, he almost forgot he wanted to tell them something else. They had both turned to walk away, eager to end the confrontation. He almost stopped them but decided not to upset Cecil anymore. What he had to say to the duchess could be said in private.
It took him a few minutes to catch her eye and indicate that he wanted to talk with her. It took her a good ten minutes more to come up with an excuse to get away from Cecil. Margaret had rejoined him by then, but the duchess didn’t approach him. She left the room instead. He made his own excuses, leaving the parlor as well, and noticed her entering the empty ballroom at the back of the house.
The large room was quite dark, as the candles in it weren’t lit. The woman grasped his arm as soon as he entered.
“This will be brief, yes?” she asked. “Cecil has been upset enough this evening. I do not wish him to know we are speaking.”
He could barely make out her silhouette, though his eyes were adjusting quickly. “Does he know you already have a husband?”
“He knows I had a husband, yes. But that was many years ago.”
“Well, the husband you had is currently looking for you. He wants a divorce—or your demise. Your guess is as good as mine which he would prefer.”
“No!” she gasped. “This is impossible. Too many years have passed. He would have had to set our marriage aside. He would have needed an heir.”
“Do I understand you correctly? You were going to marry Cecil on the mere assumption that your previous husband would have made you free to do so?”
“Why are you telling me this nonsense?” she demanded. “I assure you, his position would have demanded he marry again in order to sire an heir.”
Sebastian shrugged, though it was doubtful she could see it in the dark. “Apparently he was in no hurry to do so. Now that he is, his bride-to-be wants absolute proof that his first marriage is ended. My guess is that she won’t settle for any divorce that he could arrange. She wants to see for herself that you agree to it. She doesn’t want you showing up later, thereby making any heirs she gives him illegitimate.”
“I am truly still married?” she said in a small, incredulous voice.
“Not just that, madame. He is hiring people to find you and bring you back to Austria. He knows your path led to this country. It wasn’t very wise of you to remain here, or to keep your name.”
“I changed my name.”
“You should have dropped the title, too.”
She was silent for a moment, then said tiredly, “Vanity, yes, that was unwise. But I didn’t stay here. I have been living most of these years abroad, always traveling. I am sick to death of traveling. I was enchanted with this country when I passed through it. I yearned often to come back here to settle. I finally gave in to that yearning.”
“Bad timing, then, since this is where he’ll be looking for you.”
She started to cry. Sebastian couldn’t help but feel sympathy for the fugitive duchess. “I would suggest you tell Cecil the problem. He will know who to see to arrange a quick divorce for you. Get those papers sent with all swiftness to your husband the duke. That should satisfy him.”
“How did you come to know about this?”
“He tried to hire me to find you.” The Raven grinned menacingly. “I didn’t particularly like his way of asking.”
Chapter 45
SHOULDIBE JEALOUS?” Margaret asked when Sebastian joined her in the parlor again.
“What the deuce for? Ah,” he said, following her gaze.
She was watching the duchess of Felburg reenter the room just moments after he did. Not that she sounded the least bit jealous. There was merely curiosity in her tone.
