Page 36 of Forbidden Lord
“For the best.” She shrugged like the conversation wasn’t a big deal to her. “I thought for sure they’d get married. He was heartbroken when her invitation came announcing she’d married you.”
Wait. Certainly Sheena hadn’t sent Charles an invitation, so he asked, to be sure, “You were with Charles when you opened your invite?”
Anna inched toward the door. “He was helping at the 3D show with the set up. Sheena had trained him well to know how to run a show.”
This formality was wearing on him. He stood taller and puffed his chest as he said, “Well, Sheena is my wife.”
“Good night.” She waved and left.
With another lull in the departures, he scanned the ballroom.
No one was leaving, but Chelsea rushed toward him. As she neared, she waved for him to join her in the ballroom. “Matteo, come.”
“I’m still saying goodnight to guests.” He remembered the protocol.
She pulled on his hand. “I’ll take over as your friend. You need to go now. It’s Sheena and Charles. Right there on the dance floor.”
His hair stood on end. This wasn’t good. A jolt rushed through him as he asked, “What’s going on?”
Chelsea pointed him toward the ballroom. “Go and get your wife.”
Without another word he dashed inside the ballroom; the crowd made a parting wave, letting him see.
Sheena stood with a red face and her arms curled under her chest. She shook her head. “Charles. Don’t.”
Matteo’s focus stayed on his wife and how he needed to protect her as he raced toward them.
Charles said, “Sheena Marceau, you said you’d love me forever.”
Tears formed in her eyes. “And you said you’d never leave, but you did. I should have had Matteo stop you from coming here.”
Her words replayed in his mind. She had loved Charles. His heart stilled but he continued toward them.
Charles said smugly, “You didn’t stop me because part of you still loves me.”
Matteo felt that like the awful truth. He ignored the buzz in his ears and stepped in front of Sheena as he snapped his fingers for Simone to get the staff to remove Charles. “That’s enough. It’s time for you to go and stop assaulting my wife.”
The butler sent four buff servants to help and walked with Charles who didn’t struggle as he went toward the door.
The crowd whispered around them, but Sheena took his arm, sending a shock through him as she said loud enough to be heard, “Thank you, Matteo. I didn’t invite him to have a conversation. I was returning from the ladies room, with Chelsea.”
Chelsea had run to get him. Good. None of that mattered now. He publicly kissed her cheek so no dared say anything condemning to her. “He’s gone now.”
She glanced around the room with a pale face but nodded at him. “Yes. Right. Let’s get back to our duties.”
Would this night ever end? He walked with her. “Absolutely.”
He knew better than to believe that he and Sheena had a chance at love. He’d clearly been her back-up choice, and he would need to keep his guard up. For some reason Sheena had easily maneuvered around his defenses, but he’d be foolish to think she might one day love him.
How long he stood and shook hands, he had no clue. At last the stream of people trickled down.
Sheena tapped his shoulder in a friendly manner. “Finally. We’re almost done.”
His body perked up. He glanced around and saw maybe six more people’s hands left to shake.
Sheena continued to smile as they both said goodnight to the last guests.
Two minutes later the bell tolled from the grandfather clock near the front door, letting them know it was four o’clock in the morning. The staff closed the door for the last time.
