Page 8 of A Sinful Viscount's Mistletoe Affair
Isabella scoffed. “I have not been wasting my time daydreaming about being a duchess!” She paused for a moment, though, and thought about what her friend had said. “I suppose I should be more excited about it. But the truth is that the duke may be good looking and charming, but when I met him at the last ball of the summer, I could not help noticing a strange coldness in his eyes.”
Daphne’s eyes widened. “A coldness? What do you mean?”
Isabella shrugged. “I am not absolutely sure quite what I mean, Daphne. But I do not think I felt as a young lady should when dancing with a suitor when I was on the dance floor with him.”
“Well, perhaps you will feel differently when you dance with him tonight?” Daphne suggested.
“Perhaps,” Isabella conceded, then turned away from her friend and looked across the fields at the tree line on the horizon. The trees were bare of leaves, and the air was colder now. There really was no denying that it was midwinter now.
She wondered if Daphne was right, and she should have been spending more time thinking about the duke in preparation for meeting him again. But the truth was that she was not especially interested in becoming a duchess; there were many other more interesting things to consider.
Her hand reached up to touch her broach again, and she thought of her sister’s words in her chamber last night. Was the Duke of Harbridge really her best hope of true love? Only time would tell.
Chapter 4
The carriage trundled along for mile after mile, and Sebastian tried to relax. The journey from Bath to the outskirts of London had been long, and he had not enjoyed it, despite the relative comfort of Thomas’ carriage and his mother’s efforts to engage him in conversation.
Adrian had somehow managed to sleep through almost the whole journey; Sebastian never ceased to be amazed by his stepbrother’s ability to sleep almost anywhere, even in a cramped carriage. It was an impressive talent and one that Sebastian rather envied, as someone who often found it hard to sleep even at night.
As Sebastian looked out the window at the countryside outside, bathed in bright winter sunshine, his mind returned to his recent travels on the continent. Many hours, then, had been spent in carriages, boats, and horseback. Somehow, he thought, travel was more exciting when abroad. He was unsure if there was anything new to learn or discover, visiting another English country house.
And yet, this time, things were a little different. There could be a lot to learn at the Evermere estate if only he managed the situation properly. He had no strategy as yet; he was not the kind of man to over-plan these things. But he felt confident that he could use his skills to discover the truth about what had happened to his father all those years ago.
“Sebastian, you look pensive,” his mother said, addressing him from where she sat opposite him in the carriage.
“Sorry, Mother, I was just thinking about a time when I was travelling in a carriage in Greece, and as we turned a corner and the horizon opened up before us, the most marvellous view of Mount Olympus came into view.”
Lucinda smiled. “I imagine that was a sight to behold.”
“Indeed,” Sebastian agreed. “It was unforgettable. Though the carriage was not as comfortable as this one.”
Thomas smiled at him benignly. “I am glad you are coming with us, Sebastian.”
Sebastian noticed the meaningful look from his stepfather that followed this comment, and he knew his stepfather realized the emotional toll that this visit might take on him. Thomas knew the history of what had happened to Sebastian’s father, and although it was not something that was talked about much, it was more of an unspoken truth in their household, a trauma that they all recognized, even though they did not speak of it much.
“I am glad to be joining you,” Sebastian replied, thinking as he spoke the words that there was a deeper meaning to what he said than either his stepfather or his mother might imagine.
“We will be there quite soon, I fancy,” Lady Lucinda said, glancing out the window. “It is a while since I have been here, but the Evermere estate really is most impressive. Sebastian, you must ask Lord Evermere to show you his library. I think it is one of the finest I have ever seen, and I am sure you will enjoy it very much.
Sebastian looked up with interest. A well-stocked library was always guaranteed to pique his interest. And perhaps it might even unlock some of the secrets of the past. “I will look forward to that,” he said, meaning every word. In fact, he found that he could not wait to explore the house and see what hidden truths it might reveal.
At last, the carriage turned and made its way along the gravel drive that led to the large sandstone house that was the seat of the Evermere estate. The house was impressive, and Sebastian felt a flurry of anticipation in his chest as they drew to a halt.
Adrian jerked awake. “Are we here?” he murmured, rubbing his eyes.
“Yes!” Lucinda replied. “Now, do try to look presentable.”
The front door was already opening, and a small army of servants emerged to assist the men they had brought with them in dealing with the horses and the carriage. And following them, a well-dressed middle-aged lady emerged, smiling as they began to climb out of the carriage.
“Welcome to Evermere!” she called out to them. “I am delighted to see you here.”
Once they had all disembarked from the carriage, smoothing their clothes as they went, and made their way to the front steps, the introductions were performed.
“Lady Evermere, thank you so much for your kind invitation,” Lucinda said with a wide smile. “And thank you for extending it to my son.” She motioned towards Sebastian. “May I present Sebastian, Viscount Ashcroft, and my stepson, Mr Adrian Sterling.”
“It is a pleasure to see you both,” Lady Evermere said courteously.
Sebastian smiled and greeted her as politely as he could manage. He could not help wondering, though, why Lord Evermere was not present. The anticipation had been building within him throughout the entire journey, and now he felt a sense of anticlimax to be greeted only by Lady Evermere and not to see the man he had been thinking about meeting for the last few hours.
