Page 104 of Sinful Persuasion of a Lady in the Making
Relief flooded Sebastian and he felt, all at once, lighter.
“Oh, thank goodness you finally told them. I would have continued to keep it a secret at your behest, but if I’m honest, I was a little uncomfortable with not being open.”
“I admit, I should have told them sooner.”
“It is done now, and that’s what’s important. And of course, now I know you’ll have protection when I cannot be there, too.”
“Luke is having someone look into it. Lord Denninson has connections with private investigators, apparently, and they promise to both keep us safe and get to the bottom of who is the culprit.”
“I am pleased to hear you say that, Jenny, I really am.”
“I admit to being relieved myself,” Jenny admitted. “I was more worried than I realized, I think, for when I unburdened myself it was quite the feeling of release.”
“Yes, I suspect that, sometimes, our desire for strength disguises our need for help, but when we finally accept that there are some things we just cannot deal with alone, we are all the stronger for it. You are a strong woman, Jenny. It is one of the reasons I love you so much. But I am glad that you can see there is no weakness in seeking support.”
“How very profound,” she said, turning to him with a half-cocked smile and a twinkle in her eye.
“I try to be philosophical at least once a day,” he quipped, chuckling along with her. “But I mean it.”
“That’s good, because you could quite easily be talking about yourself.”
“What do you mean?” he asked, guffawing at the idea. She stopped walking and turned to face him, her eyes catching his gaze and holding it still.
“You have been through so much in your life, Sebastian. So much heartache. And you have done a wonderful job looking after yourself and your sister. But it is since you have accepted the love of others that you have truly grown.”
Sebastian wasn’t sure what to think about that at first, but as the words seeped into him, he puffed out his chest with pride. She was right. He had become a better man since he had allowed himself to love.
“Our bond makes us both better people,” he said, smiling warmly at her. “And that’s why it is so important we do not risk our love.”
They turned and began to walk once more.
“Perhaps I should speak to Mr. Jones again, perhaps if I explain myself, then—”
“He is not your greatest friend at the moment,” Jenny said. “But maybe you are—”
Her words were cut off by her scream, loud and wretched and ripping wildly through the air.
A ragged-looking man had jumped out of the bushes. His breeches hung limply from his emaciated frame, and his shirt was soiled and torn. He had barely a tooth left in his head, and his lank, greasy hair had been pulled back into a knotted tail.
“It’s you, isn’t it?” Sebastian demanded, his heart thumping in his chest. “You’ve been following us.”
The man leered, letting out a sly laugh, and then he reached into his pocket.
He’s got a pistol!
Without a thought, without the slightest hesitation, Sebastian leaped in front of Jenny, screaming at the man to stop. He didn’t feel it, the bullet entering his shoulder, not until a long time afterwards. He wouldn’t even have known he was hit if he hadn’t fallen backwards, his body crumpling to the ground. Cold descended on him, and all was silent but for Jenny’s screams piercing his soul as the edges of his vision faded and went black.
