Page 73 of A Duke's Lustful Portrait
The study was eerily quiet. It seemed as if time stood still in that room, but for the dust motes that dipped and swam in the dying sunlight that shone through the window. Sebastian closed the door with a quiet click, then took his cap off and ran his hands through his hair.
“All right,” he said to himself as if taming a frightened horse. “Stick to the plan, and all will be well.”
He took Sinclair’s seat behind the desk and looked around. Nothing seemed different. All the same papers were there, all the same ledgers. Sebastian frowned. He would have thought Sinclair was working against him now, but on the surface, there was no evidence for that.
He sighed. It would be a long wait. He’d known that. There was a Lord’s Society ball that evening, and both Sinclair and Arabella would be in attendance. But Sebastian had wanted the element of surprise and knew he only had a small window of opportunity to get in. He settled himself in for the wait.
***
“Go to your chambers immediately,” Edward said as they arrived home.
The butler kept his eyes averted as he took their hats and cloaks, but Edward didn’t care much for Gibbs’ opinion nor his discomfort. He only wanted an obedient daughter who did as she was told. She had caused enough trouble over the last few weeks, becoming far too confident and sure of herself for his liking. He would see to it that that ended as soon as possible. She was lucky he was not punishing her further.
“Yes, Father,” Arabella replied, perfectly playing the demure and obedient daughter.
He marched away, trotting up the stairs and ignoring her answer. He wouldn’t humour her with attention and affection. He had been too soft on her in the past; that was the problem. He had known, of course, about her affair with Sebastian. He was no fool; even he had seen the loving glances across the room and the heightened tension whenever they were near one another.
But he’d decided to turn a blind eye, knowing it would come to nothing. Sebastian had been determined to become a full member of the society, and he would not risk losing it for anything more than a night or two of quick pleasure.
Or so I thought.
It was true that Edward worried about Arabella’s loss of innocence for fear that it would damage her artistic talent, but by the time he realized what was happening, her innocence was all but gone, and so he allowed it to continue, thinking it might work in his favour.
You were a fool in that respect, Edward.
The thought enraged him. Indeed, his anger hadn’t settled since his dinner with Sebastian, and the thought that he’d been made a fool of only stoked the flames. There was nothing worse than being made to look stupid. Sebastian had been working against him all along, and Edward was adamant that he would pay for his mistake. Sebastian’s death, he’d already decided, would be long, slow, and painful.
As soon as I find him.
Edward put his hand to the doorknob and turned it.
***
Sebastian jumped at the sound of the doorknob turning. He’d been waiting so long, he’d almost fallen asleep, but now the moment had come, he was on full alert. He remained leaning back in the chair, feigning ease and relaxation, his hands carefully clasped at his waist and a gentle smile on his face.
The door creaked open, and Sinclair entered, seemingly in a world of his own. He didn’t see Sebastian straight away, instead heading to the sash window to pull it down against the cooling night air. Sebastian cleared his throat, and Sinclair visibly jumped. He spun around to face his intruder, but the surprise in his expression was fleeting. If Sebastian hadn’t been looking for it, he probably would have missed it.
“That outfit suits you better,” he said, nonchalantly walking over to the table and eyeing Sebastian as if he had known he was coming all along. “Makes it easier for me to recognize you as the rat you are.”
“A pleasure to see you, too, Sinclair.” Sebastian straightened his back, sitting upright. He indicated to the chair opposite him. “Care to join me?”
Sinclair took the seat, not mentioning the fact that he, rightfully, belonged on the other side of the table. “I must say, I wasn’t expecting to see you again, and certainly not in this house.”
“Then you underestimated me, Sinclair. I am far more dark than I am duke.”
“So it would seem.”
Sebastian felt for the knife in his pocket, the solid feel of the metal blade grounding him, reminding him that he had control. He’d already swept the room for potential weapons, and unless Sinclair had any hidden, then Sebastian was safe.
The man in front of him, normally so full of bravado, seemed small and weak without his entourage to back him up. Sebastian could almost have felt sorry for him in a different life.
If I didn’t know what a wretch he was.
“Why are you here, Sebastian? What do you want? Money?”
Sebastian threw his head back with a laugh. “Your money means nothing to me! I have wealth in droves.”
“Ah, yes,” Sinclair said, raising an eyebrow. “You tricked an old man out of his inheritance before he died. How could I have forgotten?”
