Page 41 of A Governess' Forbidden Flame
Frederick’s demeanor was more attuned to the demands of duty than the pursuit of aesthetic allure, and his grooming reflected a commitment to tradition rather than contemporary trends. Sebastian assumed that they did not get many invitations to balls in the city. Not that he himself had missed those.
“My lord.” Frederick was the first one to approach, bowing cordially instead of offering his hand, as befitted family. “I do apologize for appearing so suddenly, but I did write to you several weeks ago, inquiring as to your availability. I am certain that a man of your status has many obligations which prevent you from replying to every letter that you receive.”
“You are kind to say so, Mr. Turlington.” Sebastian nodded in response. “The truth is that lately, things have been quite busy here at the manor.”
“I have immediately noticed the reparations in the garden.” The man almost cut him off.
“Yes,” Sebastian confirmed. “That, among other things, has kept me quite busy. However, not replying to a letter, especially to family, equals nothing short of a lack in manners, for which I sincerely apologize.”
Although he had been living away from civilized society, Sebastian had not lost his civility and manners, which he kept proving on occasions when business demanded of him trips to London or when having guests.
“I most wholeheartedly accept.” Frederick grinned, turning to the woman who had, up until this point, been standing by his side more like a statue than a person made of flesh and blood, her eyes darting from one man to the other. “If I may introduce my sister, Vivienne.”
“Sister?” Sebastian echoed, having reached a logical conclusion that she was his wife, but obviously, he was mistaken. Not that this revelation made any difference to him.
“It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lord Ravenscroft.” Vivienne curtsied in an almost regal manner before him, offering her hand.
Sebastian pretended not to see it, bowing before her deeply, with his head looking down. When he lifted it again, her hand had withdrawn, much to his pleasure.
The woman before him presented a stark contrast to the conventional standards of beauty prevalent in theton. Her dark hair cascaded in glossy waves, framing a face adorned with a pair of penetrating, dark eyes that held an enigmatic allure. There was an air of mystery about her, an aura that bordered on the ominous, which set her apart from the more conventionally attractive ladies of theton.
“Well, like I said, you both are very welcome to visit, but…is there a purpose for the long journey you have undertaken to come here?” Sebastian spoke with a measured tone and carefully selected words. He wanted to hint at the fact that he would gladly hear them out, but that his time was not to be spent frivolously.
The couple before him exchanged a meaningful glance, then Frederick spoke again. “Well, we have heard of Anna’s injury, and we rushed over here immediately to visit her. She is our cousin, after all. We have gifts for her as well. I have brought her a box of chocolates, and Vivienne has chosen a lovely gown for her, which I am certain Anna would love. Vivienne is very knowledgeable about those things, you know.”
“Yes, they are in the carriage,” Vivienne quickly added, as if she feared that Sebastian would doubt the veracity of their words. “We shall go and fetch them momentarily, along with our other belongings.”
Other belongings?Sebastian frowned. Why did they need other belongings?
“That is most kind of you, I must say,” Sebastian replied. “And very thoughtful.”
“So…is it possible for us to see her now?” Vivienne wondered curiously, sounding eager.
“Anna is…indisposed right now,” Sebastian quickly answered, a storm of protection rising inside of him as if something had awakened it from long slumber. These people were his cousins, but they were still strangers, and the last thing he wanted was strangers around Anna.
Vivienne turned pale, gasping silently, her hand pressing at her chest. “You don’t mean she has had a turn for the worse?”
“No, no.” Sebastian quickly shook his head in clarification. “Nothing like that, thank heavens. She has recovered wonderfully. Dr. Thorne has given her a thorough examination. It’s that she is with her governess at the moment, and they have a schedule to maintain in the mornings and afternoons. I would hate to interrupt them before they are done.”
“Oh, of course. We would hate to interfere with the education of that sweet little one whom we have seen only once as a babe. Ican imagine that she has grown into a sweet little girl,” Vivienne replied, but she seemed disappointed, which made Sebastian feel like the worst of hosts. Perhaps he was being suspicious without a good reason. Perhaps living in seclusion from the rest of the world had made him a bitter hermit who didn’t believe anyone. In all honesty, he didn’t want to become such a man.
“They will have their afternoon tea in the garden soon, and you may join them then,” he suggested, agreeing to a compromise.
Both Vivienne and Frederick’s faces lit up at these words.
“Wonderful,” Frederick replied. “To be quite honest, ithasbeen a long journey.”
“Quite long indeed,” Vivienne agreed. “Perhaps it was rude of us to appear before her without freshening up beforehand.” Her hand rose to her raven-black hair. “I must look a mess.”
Their eyes were watching Sebastian, waiting. He thought she was expecting him to respond with a compliment, but he had no intention of any such thing.
However, he swallowed heavily, feeling cornered. “Yes, the journey can be quite exhausting. I suppose if you are not in a rush to go back, you may stay the night and join us for dinner,” Sebastian offered, not out of any wish to do so but rather because he felt that he was somehow trapped into doing so. His motherwould probably come back from the dead to haunt him if she ever found out that he so rudely turned away family.
Frederick smiled gratefully. “That is most kind of you, my lord.”
“Think nothing of it, Mr. Turlington.”
“Please,” Frederick said with a grin, revealing uneven, slightly yellowish teeth. “Frederick. We are family, after all.”
