Page 114 of Ravishing His Wicked Lady (The Shadows 4)

Chapter 30

Lavinia woke up to a light rap on the door. She sat up and looked around the room. The light streamed in from the windows, illuminating the entire room. What time was it?

Sebastian groaned by her side. He tried to turn to his injured side, then hissed and settled on his back again.

Oh, no!She was in bed with him.

The door creaked open.

Lavinia scrambled from the bed and dashed into a chair, palming her hair as she did so.

“May I come in?” Victoria asked as she stepped inside.

“Of course.” Lavinia stood to greet her friend.

Lavinia’s hair was disheveled, her gown was wrinkly, and she probably looked a fright, but Victoria didn’t seem to pay attention. Her own face was puffy, and she looked pale, and frail for the first time since Lavinia had ever seen her.

She used to be so full of life. Lavinia’s heart squeezed.

Victoria embraced Lavinia and then looked at her sleeping uncle.

“It is all my fault,” she whispered.

“No, it isn’t,” Lavinia said firmly. If anyone’s, it was Lavinia’s fault, and she wouldn’t let anyone else take the blame.

Now that she knew that her guardian was the one involved with the kidnapping, it was obvious that she was the cursed one. She was the one who put the people she cared about in jeopardy.

Matilda would be homeless soon if Lavinia didn’t marry. But how could she marry Sebastian now, after all this?

If it wasn’t for her, they wouldn’t have been kidnapped, and perhaps Sebastian would have stopped Victoria’s wedding from happening. And the duel would have never happened.

And this was even before she took into account that someone was threatening her. If she married Sebastian now, who was to say that everything would not turn out worse than it already was? If she married Sebastian, there was no telling what her guardian would do next, either.

“It is my fault!” Victoria exclaimed, her lower lip quivering as she fought her tears. “Me and my foolish romantic fantasies. I was so certain that William was an honorable man, and now look at this! I brought this on my family with my foolish dreams and aspirations and now I can never—” She shook her head.

“It is not your fault, but William’s.”And mine.She took Victoria’s hands in hers. “He was the one who fooled you, he was the one who stabbed Sebastian, and he was the one who caused all this. Not you. Do you understand?”

Lavinia didn’t want Victoria to suffer because of her. She didn’t want Victoria to feel guilt for her sins.

It would be better for everyone if Lavinia left and married whoever her guardian had in mind. And she didn’t even knowifthat man would take her.

She wasn’t a virgin anymore.

And if that man found out and turned his nose away, she would be in a new kind of trouble.

“Poor Frau Elinor,” Victoria whispered. “She was left to chaperone me when Uncle fell ill. And she is in frail health herself. I shouldn’t have fooled her. I should have spoken to her. What a simpleton I am.”

Lavinia hoped she could find the words to comfort Victoria, but she couldn’t. Everything was spiraling out of control.

There was a beat of silence. “How is he?” Victoria finally asked, still staring at her uncle. “Will he be well?”

“Yes.” Lavinia nodded as she let go of Victoria. “He said the wound wasn’t serious and as long as he doesn’t have a fever, he should be fine. He woke up for a moment, but he was too weak to stay awake for long. I hope he will be much better on the morrow.”

Victoria nodded. “I am so glad that he has you.”

Lavinia took a breath to answer, but there were no words.

She couldn’t contradict Victoria at that moment. Sebastian did have her. And he would still have her, no matter what happened next.

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