Page 73 of The Courtship Trap
Sebastian lifted a brow, clearly amused by the inquisition but entirely undaunted. His gaze flickered across each woman before settling on Finch with a measured patience.
“My intentions,” he said slowly, “are my own to discuss with Lady Slight.”
Finch let out a huff, unimpressed. “Ain’t good enough, m’lord. We all knows ’ow men work—ye’ll say all them pretty things, make yer promises, then scarper soon as ye’ve ’ad yer fill.” She folded her arms. “Oi’ll not ’ave our lady left ’eartbroken on my watch.”
Harriet, still reeling from Sebastian’s sudden appearance and his words, barely managed to find her voice. “Finch?—”
But the older woman was undeterred.
“Ye ain’t got the foggiest what she’s been through,” Finch continued, her voice thick with conviction. “Ye don’t know ’ow ’ard she’s worked to turn things ’round. So if ye’re just ’ere to muck about with ’er, ye can turn right ’round an’ shove off out that door.”
Sebastian did not so much as flinch at the scolding. Instead, he inclined his head, as though he had expected no less from the formidable woman. “I assure you, I do not intend to toy with her.”
A delicate throat-clearing sounded beside Finch, and Evaline, ever the picture of grace and refinement, clasped her hands before her.
“My lord,” she said, her voice smooth and composed but no less resolute, “it is not simply a matter of whether you intend to cause pain but whether you are prepared for all that loving Harriet entails.” She tilted her head, scrutinizing him with an assessing gaze. “You may think you know her, but people change. Life changes them. You have spent years apart, and now you have only had a handful of days together. Are you certain you understand what you are asking for?”
Harriet’s heart pounded. Evaline’s words, spoken with quiet authority, struck true.
Did he truly understand?
Sebastian was silent for a moment. Then, at last, he spoke.
“I know her well enough to understand that I love her,” he said.
A ripple of reaction passed through the room.
Harriet inhaled sharply, her stomach twisting into knots.
He loves me.
Finch and Evaline exchanged glances, but before they could respond, Belinda stepped forward, her gaze piercing.
“And yet you did not trust her,” Belinda pointed out, her words laced with skepticism. “You accused her of unfaithfulness. You stormed out.” She raised a brow. “What has changed?”
Sebastian’s jaw clenched. “I was angry.”
“That much was clear,” Belinda murmured.
He rolled his shoulders, his tension visible. “I was angry because I have spent years trying to forget her. And the moment I stopped resisting, the moment I allowed myself to believe in a future, I discovered she had deceived me again.”
Harriet looked away. He had every right to say it. Every right to hold that grievance close to his heart. But his next words made her breath catch.
“I left because I was afraid,” Sebastian admitted, his confession settling over the room. “Afraid that I would never be able to trust her. Afraid that she would never trust me. Afraid that after everything, I had come back for a dream that had already crumbled.” His voice turned hoarse. “But I was wrong.”
A hush fell.
Harriet swallowed past the lump in her throat.
Sebastian took a step forward.
“Harriet, I know we cannot erase the past,” he said. “I know we have made mistakes—both of us. But I also know that I am not willing to let you go. Not again.”
Jem, standing by Harriet’s side, her little hands balled into fists, finally spoke, her young voice quiet but firm.
“Then don’t.”
Sebastian turned his gaze to the girl, which Jem met without flinching.
