Page 25 of A Promising Little Scandal (Sensual Scandals)

“It’s called a belemnoid. But this is the most important part.” She pointed to a section of the rock she held. “I believe this to be an ink sac. I have yet to find one with such definition. It proves that this is some sort of cephalopod, similar to the modern equivalent of a squid.”

Calliope’s gaze widened even further as she stared at the perfectly preserved fossil. She couldn’t believe that something so remarkable had been uncovered. But then, it wasn’t so long ago that she’d looked upon the ichthyosaur remains in Mr. Bullock’s collection. It further proved that Miss Anning was a talented young woman. It took an extreme amount of persistence and knowledge to uncover such artifacts. Calliope couldn’t wait to write to the collector and tell him of their latest find.

“Are there any more?” Calliope asked, starting to get excited now.

“I can’t say. I found this one and was eager to share it with you, as it is such a rare discovery.” Mary looked at her expectantly, and Calliope could tell she was also eager to resume her search. “Would you like to join me?”

“I would love to!” Calliope finally thought she was capable of glancing at the viscount without losing all her self-control. Recalling that they were still at odds, she had to swallow to ensure that her voice worked properly. “Will you be joining us as well, my lord?”

“I’m afraid not,” he returned in a firm tone. “I promised the marquess that I would join him this afternoon when he took the waters.”

She inclined her head. “Good day to you then.”

With that, she walked off with the Anning siblings while Lord Blakely returned to the village.

“You’re particularly quiet. I don’t like it.”

Sebastian nearly sighed aloud at the irate voice of his grandfather. They were in one of the bathing machines set up around the cove. He recalled that the wooden carts on wheels were invented by Benjamin Beale and he admitted that they were quite a marvel. They afforded plenty of privacy in which to change, so that an individual could swim in an otherwise, public setting and still remain decent. With the additional awning, it offered protection from the sun as well.

“If something is ailing you, don’t let it fester inside of you like an open wound.” He frowned. “If it’s about this morning and the Bevelstroke gel—”

Sebastian waved a hand. “I don’t wish to talk about her, if it’s all the same to you.”

For a moment, he thought his grandfather had actually adhered to his wishes, but then he surprised him by adding, “I admit that I may have been out of line.”

“Surely not,” Sebastian noted dryly.

The marquess glared at him. “There’s no need to be insolent,” he snapped.

“I can’t help it if you always bring out the best in me.”

His grandfather snorted. “We are more alike than you might imagine.” He continued in a somber mien, quite unlike the gruff man Sebastian generally knew. “I was in love once, long before I married your grandmother.”

Sebastian’s brows lifted. “I never knew that.” He paused. “Did my mother know?”

“No.” His grandfather shook his head. “It wasn’t something that I cared to discuss with my only daughter, especially when the woman in question wasn’t her mother.”

For the first time in his life, Sebastian realized that the marquess was actually shaken over this woman, the lost love of his life. “Who was she?” he asked softly.

He was silent for so long that Sebastian wasn’t sure he would answer. “Her name was Madeline.”

When nothing was forthcoming, Sebastian prodded, “Why didn’t you marry her? Did she not return your affection?”

“No, she did,” his grandfather returned adamantly. “It was merely considered an unsuitable match. She didn’t have any dowry, whereas Caroline would come to the union with abundant wealth and ensure that the marquessate would continue to flourish for years to come. Since my father was concerned with the crumbling estate in Shropshire, it was my responsibility as the heir to save the family from financial ruin.”

Silence. “You sacrificed your own happiness for duty.”

Those wizened eyes were firm as they turned to Sebastian. The harsh marquess he’d always known had returned. “I would do it all again, because my choices made it possible for my daughter to marry well, which in turn, ensured that her children would be properly settled.” He paused. “I tell you this now because sometimes in life we have difficult choices that we must make, but in the end, they are worth it. When I warn you against Lady Calliope it is for the same reasons. There are too many skeletons lurking in her closet to believe she would make a proper viscountess. It doesn’t matter if her sisters have recently made good matches. Everyone knows that they were done so hastily and without the banns being read. You must consider if that’s the sort of legacy you wish to pass down to your own offspring.”

“I suppose it’s a good thing I don’t intend to accomplish either,” Sebastian returned dryly.

The marquess looked at him sharply. “Don’t be ridiculous! You can’t be alone forever. I realize you have taken a particular fancy to this Bevelstroke gel, but the time will come for you to take a wife, because you know it is your duty to do so. If nothing else, consider it a responsibility to honor your father’s memory. But choose wisely. I merely caution you against Lady Calliope, because if you don’t wish to become the target of further malicious gossip, you should redirect your attentions toward another.”

With that, the marquess slid into the water and began to swim away from the privacy of their box.

Sebastian glanced out over the water before him, his thoughts pensive.

His grandfather might be gruff at the most of times, but he was not without the wisdom of his own experiences in dealing with society. Calliope might believe that the only strictures in place were directed toward women. But it wasn’t true.

Granted, unmarried men had more freedoms to do as they pleased, but in the end, duty knocked on every door. It would come for him too, just as his grandfather had said. Although Sebastian had been faced with difficult choices in the past, this one was the hardest to make. He needed to overthrow this fascination he had with Lady Calliope. His weakness for red hair had made him notice her, but she had gotten under his skin at almost the exact same moment he’d met her. Their flirtation would have to cease immediately. At least, whatever was left after their heated exchange earlier that day. Although the taste of her still flowed through his veins, he would have to refrain from partaking of any more of her sensual delights.

From here on, there would be no more trips along the coast with the Annings. He would devote the rest of his time in Lyme Regis to ensure that his grandfather’s gout was well enough to return to London. There, he would take the first bride that might qualify as a respectable viscountess, and then he would be free. He would have fulfilled his responsibilities as his father’s heir and satisfied his grandfather’s urgings that he take a wife.

Only then could he truly be free.

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