Page 6 of Seeking Ruin

“Very good, Miss.” He nodded and walked off, the sound of him conversing with a deep, achingly familiar masculine voice soon following.

Kitty took a bracing breath and smoothed her skirts, nerves fluttering in the pit of her belly, confused as to why the duke was here and unsure if she wanted to find out. She left the dining room, doing her best to keep the memory of his teasing smile from her mind.

**

Sebastian wondered what in the world he was doing here. He wasn’t usually the sort of gentleman who went checking in on a lady after a night of trouble, that was more Amberwood’s thing, but something had compelled him to Miss Highbridge’s home. Perhaps it was due to how oddly disturbed he had been at the sight of her distress, or even a need to dispel any fears that he would react poorly to the situation at hand. Though, he had a feeling she wouldn’t be intimidated by him even if his intentions were malicious. He turned from his place at the window as Miss Highbridge came in. Her honey blonde hair was in a haphazard chignon and she looked at him with red-rimmed eyes, which was to be expected.

“Miss Highbridge,” he bowed.

She answered with a curtsy. “Your Grace. Do have a seat.”

“Back to formalities again, are we?” He asked playfully as he plopped onto a cream-colored sofa.

She rolled her eyes and sat on the opposite end. “Well, I actually know who are now, for one. Tea?”

“There’s my little minx again.” He almost wanted to laugh at the annoyed blush that flitted across her face. “And no, I despise tea.”

“You are still quite bizarre, I see.” She said, ringing the bell regardless.

“Is it a crime to not enjoy tea?”

“For an Englishman? Absolutely.” The butler returned, and she gave him a pleasant smile. “If you could bring a service for one, please.”

Sebastian raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t it rude for a proper lady to drink her tea without serving others?”

“I don’t much care.” Her eyes grew wistful, that disturbing melancholy stealing over her again. “Besides, I’m not a proper lady anymore.”

He wanted to kiss the expression right off her lovely face and had to tramp down the temptation to do so.Settle now, you unholy rakehell of a man. “Nonsense.”

“You haven’t seen the scandal sheets this morning, have you?” She replied as the butler returned with the tea tray and set it before them. He eyed a neat stack of tea sandwiches for a moment before nonchalantly swiping one from the tray and ignoring the amused twitch of Miss Highbridge’s lips at the action.

“I tend not to read such drivel, no, unless the story they concoct is of suitable interest. I find it fascinating the tall tales some can conjure up out of such innocuous incidents. Let me guess, you let yourself be seduced by Berrington before being thrown off due to some supposed defect or another?”

She smiled as she prepared her tea. “More or less.” She looked at him over the rim of her cup. “You are refreshingly rude.”

He shrugged. “You were the one who started the conversation.”

“And you were the one who called on me at ten in the morning.” Miss Highbridge tilted her head, curious brown eyes raking over his form in a probing way that made him want to squirm for the first time in quite a long while. “Why are you here?”

Sebastian almost told her the truth; that he was just as flummoxed by his actions as she. He stopped himself in the nick of time and wondered why in the hell he had been tempted to reveal such in the first place. “I think I’d rather keep you guessing, Miss Highbridge.”

She peered at him, confusion marring her features. “You don’t actually know, do you?”

He started but managed to keep his outward shock contained within a sidelong glance in her direction. “You are rather perceptive, aren’t you?”

She seemed pleased with his response, as if seeing through him was some sort of victory. In a way, it was. He couldn’t remember the last time someone had caught him in a lie, and it was supremely unsettling that Miss Highbridge was the one to do so. “I am with most things.” Her gaze grew clouded, and that disturbing grief settled over her face, likely from the memory of her fiancée’s betrayal. “They’re not entirely wrong, you know.”

“Hm?”

“The gossip rags. He really did throw me off due to my personal defects. My actual lack of dowry in particular.” A flush covered her cheeks, and she waved a hand. “The seduction part is nonsense, of course.”

Sebastian let out a slow, catlike smile, feeling on better footing again now that she was the one out of sorts. “Of course. You seem much unchanged from our last conversation, if that pretty flush of yours at the mention of such things is anything do go by.” It was a forward comment, even for him, and he had to remind himself that he was dealing with a debutante rather than some seasoned widow. Not that a flirtation was of any interest to him. He merely felt that such melancholy didn’t suit her well and sought to remedy the fact. It had absolutely nothing to do with her big brown eyes and plump lips, or the fact that she was the only woman of his acquaintance whose company he found genuinely entertaining. None whatsoever.

Miss Highbridge set her teacup back down with a clatter, and a very foolish part of him was effused with masculine pride at the thought of their clumsy little kiss putting her in such a flushed state.

“I never did apologize for that kiss two years ago,” she stammered, plucking the frayed edge of the throw pillow.

“No need. I’d hardly call whatever that had been a kiss,” he replied nonchalantly, as if discussing the weather rather than a lady’s first romantic interaction with a man. There, he thought with satisfaction, there was his normal self again. Even she would be off put by his callous disregard and keep her distance, just like they all did after the shine of his title wore off.

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