Page 112 of Sinful Persuasion of a Lady in the Making
Chapter Thirty-Nine
“Thank you,” Sebastian said as he struggled to sit up in bed. It was two days since he had been shot and although he was still in pain, his fever had broken and he felt a lot better.
Fanny pulled the drapes back and Sebastian winced as the bright light flooded in, blinding him.
“Too quickly?” Fanny asked.
“A little, but it’s fine,” Sebastian said, offering her a smile.
He looked down at the tray she had placed in front of him. There was tea, of course, plus a hard-boiled egg, a scone and some jam, and a little bread and cheese.Quite a feast.
There came a knock on the door and he looked up to see Mr. Jones, there in the doorway, his knuckle held up to rap again.
“Good morning, Lord Hartwood. I do hope you don’t mind my intruding, especially as you eat your breakfast, but I wanted to see how our patient was doing today?”
“A lot better, thank you,” Sebastian said, rubbing his fingers of errant eggshell and placing the thing back on the plate. “Do come in and join me, won’t you?”
He beckoned to the empty chair at his bedside. Mr. Jones nodded and sat himself down.
“I was actually thinking of going home today,” Sebastian said. “I have taken up far too much of your hospitality, and I am well enough to at least make it to my own bed.”
“What has the physician said?”
“He said that my shoulder will hurt for some time to come, but he has given me some pills. Other than that, the wound is healing nicely and now that I no longer have a fever, there is no reason I can’t go home.”
“There’s no rush, you know. You don’t have to leave on my account,” Luke said.
“I appreciate that, I really do. But I cannot keep relying on your good nature, especially not when I have a perfectly decent home to go to. And besides, I feel a little uneasy about having left my sister alone for so long.”
“It’s very honorable that you are thinking of your sister at a time like this. I know she has been worried about you, as well.”
“Despite the reputation that precedes me, Mr. Jones, I am not a bad man, and I actually care very deeply for my sister. She has a good heart, and she deserves a better life.”
“I know you’re not a bad man.” Mr. Jones looked down at his fingers, twisting them around each other. “Actually, that’s one of the reasons I wanted to speak to you this morning.”
“Oh yes?”
Sebastian picked up his tea and took a sip. It was warm rather than hot, but it had just the right amount of sweetness.
“I wish to apologize for my behavior toward you,” Mr. Jones said, still not looking at Sebastian. Sebastian scoffed.
“You have nothing to apologize for,” he said, causing Mr. Jones to look up at him finally.
“That’s not true. I behaved very harshly toward you, and we both know it. I was not as accepting as I should have been, when Jenny came to me declaring your love. I thought you—”
He trailed off and Sebastian saw him shift awkwardly in his seat.
“You thought the rumors about me were quite true. And to be honest with you, I cannot blame you for that. I hardly showed you differently, did I? First, there was the thing in the garden and then when I disappeared…” it was Sebastian’s turn to look down, hiding his eyes in his shame, “your reaction was that of anyone who cares for their charge.”
“You’re right. I was worried for my sister and I would have—still would—do anything to stop her from getting hurt. But, perhaps, if I had spent more time listening and watching rather than reacting, some of those misunderstandings wouldn’t have been so… misunderstood.”
“I appreciate you saying so,” Sebastian said, smiling at Mr. Jones. “I really do love her dearly.”
Mr. Jones snorted with laughter.
“That much is perfectly evident. I don’t know many people who would take a bullet for someone, let alone someone with such obviously lower status.”
“Mr. Jones, I wish to take Jenny’s hand in marriage. Would that be something you would—”
