Page 92 of Sinful Persuasion of a Lady in the Making
Jenny, meanwhile, had pushed the Earl of Bexford away and was running across the dance floor, running to his cries, to explain the misunderstanding. He saw Alison intercept her, and his heart wrenched again. He could feel himself being pulled backwards, out of the hall and away from his last chance, but he heard her call.
“Lord Hartwood,” she cried. “Wait!”
He reached out, stretching a hand toward her, but still the men pulled him away.
“Let me speak to him.”
He turned to see his sister, storming across the room, her skirts snapping loudly between her legs. The footmen obeyed, but they stayed close, not daring to let him free completely.
“You are making a fool of yourself,” she snarled through gritted teeth. “Yet again.”
“But—” he tried, but she wouldn’t let him speak.
“You need to leave. This will solve nothing and will only serve to cause more turmoil.”
The siblings shared a moment, Sebastian looking at Diana with an incredible sadness that stole his breath away. He had to fix this; he would fix this. But she was right. This was not the way. Sebastian nodded his understanding, then he turned and fled the room.
* * *
Jenny made to go after him, hitching her gown to her ankles to stop herself tripping. She got past Alison, and then by some miracle past Luke. It was Lady Diana who stopped her.
“Don’t,” she said with a softness Jenny had never before heard from her. She held a hand out to stop Jenny from passing, and Jenny looked down at it first and then up into Lady Diana’s eyes. In them she saw sympathy, pity. Understanding, even.
“I need to go after him,” she urged. “I must explain. It’s—”
“I know. But now is not the time. Miss Jones, you saw him. He is no state to have any sort of rational conversation.”
“You’re just saying this to stop me… to stop us from being together,” Jenny cried, newly angered once more.
“I’m not.” Lady Diana turned fully to face Jenny and Jenny saw something different in her face.Apology? Surely not.“I think you should talk to him but wait until he’s sober. Please. For all our sakes.”
Jenny took a step back, not understanding what was happening but feeling completely broken all the same. And as she stepped back, she felt her brother’s hand on her arm. Alison waited just to the side.
“Come now, Jenny,” Luke whispered. “Let’s go home.”
