Page 21 of The Duke of Fire
“If that was your idea of fun, you have not had it for a long time. What a damn shame, then,” Sebastian growled.
A part of him simply wanted to punish his grandmother to show her that her stunt had consequences. But the thought of a certain beauty with soft, brown hair and full, kissable lips had brought him here in the first place.
“Leave my friends alone, please,” the dowager pointed out, giving her spoon one last lick. Sebastian rolled his eyes. “Tell me, dear, what is the true reason you are here? I doubt it is scolding me about what I did, and certainly, it is not because you miss me. What do I need to do for you to forgive me?”
A pang of guilt coursed through him. It certainly felt like he was only present when he needed something from her. He wished he could change it and play the doting grandson, but he knew thatpretending was not his strongest suit.
“Fine,” he said after a moment. “Do you want to make it up to me for the fiasco you pulled? Then do me a favor. We will be even, and you will get to see me more often.”
“Oh, this should be good,” the dowager murmured, her well-formed eyebrows rising with surprise, and perhaps a little bit of indignation. They were, after all, similar in so many ways. “Go on.”
Cassian and Benedict could not help but lean forward, as well. The two were improperly invested in the matter at hand, but no matter; Sebastian had to take the plunge now. He lowered his voice, sounding mysterious. Just like his grandmother, he knew how to command people’s attention.
“I want you to write a letter to Viscount Warton. I am sure you have heard of him,” he began. There was a nod from his grandmother, and a glint of confusion in her eyes. “Tell him you wish to sponsor his sister, Miss Amelia Warton, for the Season.”
The dowager’s spoon clinked against the bowl, shock and protest reverberating on the glass. Her eyes widened as she pulled back away from her grandson.
“Miss Amelia Warton? I am familiar with her,” she said, something calculating slipping into her stare. Sebastian knew better than to underestimate it, but he would forge on. “That is the maid’s daughter!”
“Miss Warton is the late viscount’s legitimate child,” Sebastian reminded her.
“She is a living, breathing scandal,” the dowager hissed. “Some people will never forget who she is and will always be, Sebastian.Why would you want us to be associated with her?”
“I do not care about scandal,” Sebastian snapped. “Just do it. Sponsor her,” he confirmed truthfully, his voice becoming steely. “Or are you afraid you are not influential enough to not be affected by what you call a living, breathing scandal?”
The Dowager Duchess narrowed her eyes suspiciously, studying him. The humor she had been harboring seemed to dissipate before his eyes.
“Are you courting Miss Warton, Sebastian? Is that why you are determined that I take her under my wing?” she demanded.
Benedict and Cassian seemed to have been alerted by her tone, sitting up straight and watching grandmother and grandson almost without breathing.
“Remember that you are doing me a favor, Grandmother,” Sebastian said, his jaw tightening. “Ask no more questions, and send the letter to the viscount.”
“Oh, my dear boy. You know I live for intrigue. I simply want to know more. My so-called friends no longer provide me with interesting gossip.”
“Let me make this clear, Grandmother. I am not courting Miss Warton. We are not romantically involved. In fact, you know that romance and I will never be linked together. You will no longer ask questions about her.”
The Dowager Duchess pretended to be affronted. Yes, Sebastian knew that face. The scowl trying to hide her dancing eyes. She could be the only one who could ever poke his inner animal and live to tell the tale.
“Well, this is proving to be entertaining already,” she said after a long, dramatic sigh. “Do you not agree, Benedict and Cassian?”
“Yes, Your Grace,” Benedict agreed. “Absolutely. Since he is not courting the young lady, it seems that Cassian and I are free to call on her. It will be so much easier now if you sponsor her.”
Both grandmother and grandson fixed him with a look. It was not quite angry, just cold. Benedict merely smirked. He was used to the family’s antics. Cassian shook his head, as if he had thought of saying the same thing.
“Well, Grandmother would be pleased to know that she can stay in my townhouse during this arrangement,” Sebastian offered.
“I will not ask any more questions if this means I can see my grandson every day and every night,” the dowager duchess said in a singsong voice.
“I believe that every day and every night would be pushing it.”
“But I would be living with you. I have missed you, Sebastian. I would gladly sponsor Miss Warton for the chance of spending more time with you. Family should stick together. I will not ask any more questions—”
“Good.”
“—for now,” she added with a wink.
There was a slight warning in her tone. Marianne Hargrove knew her role well, but she was also his grandmother. She rose then, satisfied with Sebastian’s invitation.
