Page 31 of Marriage Most Scandalous
“Good God, what are you doing here?”
It was Denton, Sebastian’s brother. His eyes looked a bit bloodshot, but that was nothing new. He often overimbibed and wore the effects of it the next day. His valet took good care of him otherwise, though, for he was impeccably dressed as usual in a soft brown day coat, his cravat tied precisely. Denton never relaxed his dress, even when at home.
In comparison, Sebastian wasn’t looking at all roguish today, contrary to Abigail’s remark. John had made sure he was looking up to snuff for this family reunion, though Margaret had noticed him tugging at the tightly tied white cravat a time or two and guessed he hadn’t worn one in years! Seeing the brothers together, she was reminded of the Sebastian she’d known before his exile. Thankfully, The Raven was absent.
It was Abigail who answered Denton’s question. While her hearing wasn’t much better than her eyesight these days, Denton’s voice had been loud with surprise.
“Sebastian’s home, Denton,” Abigail said in delight. “And he has some wonderful news.”
“What news?”
“He’s married our Maggie!” Abigail exclaimed.
Denton’s expression wasn’t one of shock, it could more aptly be described as crushed. Margaret groaned. She’d forgotten about Denton’s tendre for her, inappropriate as it was. He had a wife, after all, one he didn’t like much, but regardless, Margaret had taken a hard stand with Denton as soon as she’d realized that his feelings for her were leaning in the wrong direction.
The feeling certainly wasn’t mutual. Although she liked Denton well enough since he was part of her temporary family, she considered him weak. Countless times she’d watched Juliette walk all over him. He might be handsome as sin, even more so than his brother, but she felt no attraction to him whatsoever.
But even Douglas sensed Denton’s feelings for her and had remarked once in a melancholy mood that he wished Denton would correct his mistakes and get a proper wife. She’d known he meant her, though she’d remained silent at the time. It was just after she’d told him she was moving back home. She’d been sure he just wanted an excuse to get her to stay in the family. They were very close by then. She’d become like the daughter he’d never had.
“Shall we adjourn to the parlor for explanations?” Margaret suggested. “Tea is on the way.”
She didn’t wait for the brothers’ compliance as she escorted Abigail into the parlor and got her settled in her favorite chair. Sebastian and Denton didn’t follow, however, so she left Abigail with the excuse that she’d see what was keeping the tea. She then rushed back out to the hallway and the confrontation that was occurring there.
“Does Father know yet?” Denton was asking.
“No.”
“You think this is going to make a difference, don’t you?” Denton demanded.
“Actually, I know it won’t.”
“Is there a problem, Denton?” Margaret asked pointedly as she joined them.
Denton sighed. “I’m having a bit of trouble believing you could marry him, if you must know. He killed your sister’s fiancé,” he reminded her.
“Ex-fiancé. It’s rather hard to dismiss the fact that Giles ended his engagement to my sister when he married your wife—before you did, of course.”
Denton flushed with color. So did Margaret, for that matter, for stating that so frankly.
Sebastian intervened. “I didn’t give Margaret much choice in the matter.”
“I beg your pardon?” Denton said stiffly, obviously misunderstanding his brother’s words.
“What he means,” Margaret said with a tsk, “is he quite swept me off my feet, not giving me much time to think of anything other than how charming he is.”
“Deliberately, m’dear,” Sebastian said, bestowing a devilishly suggestive smile on her.
“We met in Italy, Denton,” Margaret continued. “We were staying at the same hotel. I couldn’t very well ignore him, considering my close association with his family. I’d known him for most of my life, after all. And after we got reacquainted, well, the past seemed just that, far in the past. I got to know the man he is today—quite well.”
That brought on another blush. She couldn’t believe she’d said that and what it implied. “That is to say,” she amended, “I have no regrets that I married him.”
“Now that, m’dear, is deserving of a response.”
She wasn’t expecting Sebastian to pull her into his arms and hug her, but he did just that. A bloody bear hug. Feeling the whole length of him pressed firmly against her shot the color even higher in her cheeks. And there was that odd fluttering in her stomach again. Why did she have to like being held by him?
She tried to get out of his arms, but he just tightened his grip and whispered in her ear, “You’re doing wonderfully. Don’t muck it up with maidenly airs. I’m going to kiss you now for Denton’s benefit. Just play along.”
“Wait,” she gasped, but he didn’t.
