Page 33 of The Duke of Distraction
But then Felix was beside the settee—she hadn’t seen him return—and her heart threatened to leap from her chest.Pretend it had never happened…ha!
“Sarah, will you come with me?”he asked, offering her his hand.
His demeanor was overtly gentle, his face creased with concern and, truthfully, a bit pale.Curious—and a bit anxious—she put her fingers in his and stood.He kept hold of her, which she found utterly surprising, and led her to Anthony, which she also found shocking.
“Anthony, come out with us.”
“Yes,” he said sternly, his dark brows dipping over his irritated gaze.He stalked from the room, and Felix and Sarah followed.
The drawing room exited into a sitting room, but Felix didn’t stop when Anthony did.“Come with me,” he said, and she noted a catch in his voice.What the devil was going on?
“Felix, this isn’t necessary,” she said, hoping to defuse the tension.“Neither one of us meant for that…” she couldn’t bring herself to say kiss, “to happen.And Anthony, you mustn’t be angry with Felix.Or me.”
“I knew kissing games were a bad idea,” Anthony said.
“You were more than happy to participate last night,” Sarah said wryly.
Felix led them into the library.Once they were inside, he turned and closed the door.He looked at Sarah with grave concern.“This isn’t about us kissing.A note was just delivered.Dartford thought it best that I read it first and then tell you the news.I agreed that it might be easier—”
“What’s wrong?”Anthony’s voice was flat and completely at odds with the fire in his blue eyes.
“There’s been a—” Felix ran his hand through his hair.“Hell, there is no good way to say this.Maybe you should just read it.”He thrust the paper, which Sarah hadn’t even realized he’d been holding, toward Anthony.
“Tell me,” she said, her heart racing for an altogether different reason than it had been earlier.Fear laced through her, chilling her body.
“Your parents are dead.”Felix came toward her, his gaze warm with compassion.“I’m so sorry, Sarah.They were on their way to Oaklands, and there was trouble.”
“Trouble?Fucking highwaymen,” Anthony growled.He crumpled the paper and threw it.Then he looked about the room wildly before striding toward the wall.
Sarah didn’t pay attention to what he was doing.She could only stare at Felix—and he at her.He reached for her, and she clasped his forearms to steady herself since her legs had begun to shake.“They’re dead?”
“Killed,” Anthony said from across the room against the sound of clinking glass.“Bloody killed.”His voice broke, and Sarah turned from Felix, rushing to her brother, who stood with his hands braced on the sideboard and his head bent.
She gently touched his shoulder, and he turned and wrapped her in his arms.
They gave in to the crushing grief, sobbing, knowing nothing would ever be the same.
