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Oh, Sebastian! Do you bear me any ill will? she cried,
giving voice to something that had troubled her increasingly
over the years.
One shapely brow rose in a quizzical arch. Ill will& ?
Whatever for?
For not making the least attempt to dissuade Caroline
from marrying that wretched creature.
Rid yourself of the notion. It was entirely Caroline s
decision to marry him. She was two-and-twenty, hardly a child.
He sighed. And I did my best to dissuade her, but to no avail.
Lady Hester s sigh was equally heartfelt. Oh, if only she
had waited! Things might have turned out so vastly differ-
ently for her.
90 Lord Hawkridge s Secret
I m certain they would have done, his lordship agreed
sombrely. But we cannot alter the past, and to be truthful it
is the future which concerns me now.
Yes, yes of course, she agreed, valiantly attempting to
shake off her melancholy. I must confess I was rather sur-
prised when you unexpectedly arrived in Bath and informed
me of your engagement. But I shouldn t have been. You were
always so very fond of Emily, although I d be less than
truthful if I didn t own that there was a time when I foolishly
imagined that you might make a match of it with&
Her words faded as she detected the gleam of wry amuse-
ment in her nephew s eyes. Yes, well& that is all in the past,
and I m very much looking forward to seeing little Emily
again. Has she changed very much?
You may decide for yourself, he said, rising at once to his
feet as he detected the sounds of an arrival filtering through from
the hall, for unless I much mistake the matter she is here at last.
Sebastian had almost reached the door when it was opened
by his butler, Clegg, and Emily appeared in the aperture. Had
he been expecting a bright smile and cheerful greeting, then
he would have been heartily disappointed, and the slight
flinch he clearly detected when he clasped her hand and
brushed his lips lightly across her cheek was enough to make
him suspect that all was far from well with the young lady
who would soon be introduced to the polite world as his
future bride.
I trust you had a comfortable journey? Retaining his
grasp on slender fingers, he led the way across to the sofa
where his aunt sat. You remember Lady Hester Dawlish,
I m sure.
Of course, she answered promptly. Though it has been
a while since last I saw you, ma am.
Secretly impressed by the very refined manner of the
young woman who in her formative years had been something
of a mischievous scamp, Lady Hester drew Emily down
Anne Ashley 91
beside her. I was asking Sebastian just before you arrived
whether you had altered to any degree, and I can see for
myself that you have. You are quite the young lady now!
When she chooses to be, his lordship murmured, thereby
earning himself a darkling look from a pair of stunningly
lovely violet-blue eyes which only moments before had
betrayed a marked degree of unease.
You are not to tease her, Sebastian, otherwise you will run
the risk of her breaking off the engagement before the ton has
been granted the opportunity to make her delightful acquain-
tance, his aunt warned, suppressing a chuckle.
His smile was distinctly tender as he transferred his gaze
to the younger woman who, it had to be said, was still looking
uncomfortable in her fashionable surroundings. Oh, no, she
would never do that, he announced, supremely confident. If
she were to experience second thoughts she would discuss
them with me in private first, not run away like a frightened
child and leave me to face the ridicule of the polite world.
However, in the event that she is suffering from any premari-
tal nerves, he added, when Emily appeared unwilling or
unable to meet his gaze, she must wait until tomorrow to
confide in me.
This drew her head up, as he knew it would, and he
couldn t fail to recognise the look of disappointment. You
are going out, Hawk?
Yes, the wretched creature is leaving us to our own
devices on your first evening here, my dear, Lady Hester
answered before her nephew could do so. He tells me he has
an urgent appointment which he simply must keep. But I m
certain we ll go along famously without him. It will grant me
the opportunity of showing you about this lovely house, and
introducing you to your new abigail.
Abigail? Emily queried, surprise swiftly replacing disap-
pointment, as she gazed across at Sebastian for confirmation.
I know I insisted that you were accompanied here by your
92 Lord Hawkridge s Secret
housemaid, Em, but I was assured by Lady Hester that you d
require the attentions of a skilled abigail whilst you remain
in town. Don t concern yourself. I ll see that the parlourmaid
is returned safely to Dorset in a day or two. And be certain
also that I would not desert you so soon after your arrival if
I had any other choice.
You are not to concern yourself about me. As your aunt
remarked, I m sure we ll go along famously in your absence,
she responded, sounding all at once remarkably cheerful, but
Sebastian was not fooled by the feigned display of buoyancy.
She was troubled about something, and would not leave it too
long before confiding in him, he felt sure.
When she awoke the following morning to the unusual
sounds of carriage wheels on cobblestones and street
hawkers shrill cries, Emily was more than ever determined
to discuss her grave misgivings which had increased dramati-
cally throughout the previous evening, even though she had
enjoyed Lady Hester s pleasant company very much.
After quickly making use of the bell pull, she padded
across the room to gaze frowningly down at the street below
her window. Although accustomed to living in the country and
waking to the sweet sound of birdsong, she had some experi-
ence of living in towns and cities, but the streets in neither
Bath nor Brighton were as busy or as noisy as those here in
the capital. Throughout the night her sleep had been dis-
turbed by the rumble of carriages passing below her window
and by the raucous shouts from revellers, out enjoying the
many pleasures London had to offer. No doubt she would
grow accustomed in time to a city that never slept, if she
remained here long enough.
The click of the doorhandle caught her attention and she
turned to see Skinner, the female who had been engaged as
her personal maid, entering the room. In stark contrast to the
soft, feminine surroundings, Skinner was a tall, angular
Anne Ashley 93
woman, with a thin, harsh-featured face. Yet, as Emily had
discovered the evening before, when Skinner had appeared
in the bedchamber in order to help her dress for dinner, looks
were deceptive, for although the maid wasn t given to smiling
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