Page 43 of Sinful Persuasion of a Lady in the Making
Chapter Fifteen
“Wait!” he called. He took a step forward, the heel of his shoe ringing out on the tiles, and it was this sound rather than his word that made her pause, hand on the doorknob, ready to leave.
“Wait,” he said again, but much softer this time. “Please, Miss Jones. I can see that you are upset with me and I do not know why, but please let me put it right. I promise you, whatever I have done, it pains me to see you in such distress.”
She didn’t turn around, not for a long moment, instead letting his words seep into her. This sweet, kind, gentleman—the very same one she had met the night before. Was it possible that he could be the same one who visited brothels and behaved so abhorrently?
She turned slowly, keeping her eyes trained on the floor, letting him talk more so that she could have time to think. She could sense Alison hovering at the side of the hallway, uncertain what to do, and she willed her to let him speak. How she wanted to hear his sweet voice again.
Perhaps Lady Diana got it wrong?
“Miss Jones,” he said, taking another step forward—a tiny one, miniscule almost, but it was a leap into Jenny’s heart. “Would you consider taking a walk with me? In the garden, perhaps. Not too far.”
“All right,” she said, her voice weak thanks to the strength of emotion she felt. Her knees, too, had weakened, thanks to his cocky smile.
She would not give into him too easily, not if there was any slight chance that what Lady Diana had told her was true. But she also knew how it felt to be judged too quickly, too harshly, and she couldn’t deny that his desire to set himself aside from the rest of society appealed to her. He had a rebellious streak, and she wanted to know more.
“Alison?” she said, turning to her sister-in-law. “Would you join us?”
“I think you need to talk privately,” Alison said, raising her eyebrows meaningfully. Jenny scowled at her. “Fanny will chaperone. I will fetch her.”
Alison dashed up the stairs, leaving Jenny alone with Lord Hartwood. She swayed, arms clasped together in front of her, shy as a young girl, while he smiled so gently at her, his eyes lighting up in the same way they had at the ball.
He is charming, that’s for certain.
“I returned your handkerchief this morning,” she said for want of something better to say.
“Yes,” he said. “I saw. I am sorry I missed you.”
Jenny shrugged as though it didn’t matter at all, when in truth it mattered a lot. If he had been there, she would never have had the encounter with his sister. And she might have a better idea of the real Sebastian.
“I am sorry, too,” she said. Then, not looking at him, she added, “I hear you were at… a brothel, where you had left my shawl.”
“What?” he cried, taking in loud gulps of air. “That is utter nonsense. Where did you hear such a thing?” When Jenny didn’t answer, he nodded his head, letting out a humorless laugh. “My sister. She is intent on ruining any happiness in my life.”
“Were you?” she asked, finally meeting his gaze. “At one of those places, I mean?”
She could feel the pleading in her own eyes and she begged him to be truthful with her. She could cope with the truth, even if it was a brothel, much better than she could handle a lie. He let out all his breath in a single, loud sigh.
“Goodness, Miss Jones, I can assure you I was not. I don’t know what has been said to you, but I do not frequent… I admit that I left your shawl at the gaming hall, but a brothel? Never!”
Jenny didn’t know what to say, nor where to look, and he took another step forward, until they were almost close enough to touch.
“I can see now why you are clearly so upset,” he said softly. “But there is no truth to it whatsoever, just as there is very little truth to any of the rumors about me.”
“Oh,” she said, strangely disappointed. She didn’t want him to frequent brothels, of course not, but she couldn’t deny that his unruliness and refusal to adhere to society’s stifling guidelines were part of what attracted her to him.
“Oh?” he asked. She shook her head, suppressing a giggle.
“I understand what it’s like to be on the receiving end of untrue rumors,” she said.
“And yet I do not blame you for believing them. Especially if this one did, actually, come from my sister’s mouth.”
Jenny remained silent again, not wanting to accuse Lady Diana of anything—even if she was guilty of something—and not wanting to sow the seeds of doubt in Lord Hartwood’s mind about his sister.
“Listen,” he said. “Let’s take a walk as agreed. I will explain everything. Right from the very beginning.”
“Here we are!”
