Page 48 of A Promising Little Scandal (Sensual Scandals)

He closed the distance between them and reached out a hand to cup her cheek. “I missed you, Callie.”

He bent and kissed her, and immediately her head started spinning with desire. She gently put her hands between them and extricated herself from the embrace. She walked a short distance away in order to reorganize her scrambled thoughts.

“Calliope?”

She heard concern in his voice, and it tore her up inside. Reluctantly, she turned back to him. She hugged herself, as if that might be enough of a defense to resist him. “We must stop this. It’s wrong.” She shook her head. “It was a mistake to begin with.”

He didn’t move. Or speak.

He just stood there and looked at her, waiting for her to continue.

It might break Calliope’s heart, but in order to safeguard her future, and that of Isadora’s, she must end this madness before it destroyed everything she was working for, everything they were working for. “The time we’ve spent together has been—”

He held up a hand and she paused. “Stop right there.” The words were firm, cold… detached. He blew out a heavy breath and shoved a hand through his hair before he continued, “It’s almost ironic, as I used to have this same conversation with my mistresses over the years. When things started to become too intense in our relationship, I knew that it was time to end things and move on to the next conquest. Until now, I’ve never been on the receiving end of things. It’s definitely an odd experience for me.” He hesitated, as if there was more that he wanted to say, but in the end, he merely said, “I wanted to seek you out to tell you that I’m leaving Lyme Regis today.”

Calliope had to struggle to keep her voice even—emotionless. “I see. I appreciate that you told me instead of just leaving. That was very… kind of you.”

He snorted and glanced out toward the horizon. “Kind,” he murmured. “Yes, I suppose that’s what it was.” He looked back at her, and again, there was that feeling that he wanted to say more, but instead, he just inclined his head. “I wish you every luck in your endeavors, my lady. Perhaps I will see your exhibits in London very soon.”

She swallowed over a decided lump in her throat. “Thank you, my lord. That means a lot to me.”

He must have decided that everything had been said, for he turned on his heel.

Calliope watched him get farther and farther away, until his figure was no longer discernable. A single tear fell down her cheek, but she brushed it away in annoyance. It must be the wind crashing upon the surf that was causing her eyes to water.

It certainly wasn’t heartbreak.

She had made sure of that.

That night, when Calliope returned to the hotel, her maid immediately accosted her. “Lord Blakely is gone! He left a few hours ago with the marquess with nary a word to anyone, except for Mrs. Anning. I heard that he did pay a visit to her before he left.” She shook her head. “It’s so strange that he should go so abruptly without just cause. At least, no one seemed to believe there was any reason…” Her voice trailed off and her perceptive gaze narrowed on Calliope, who had remained particularly silent until that point. “Did you run him off?”

Calliope rolled her eyes. “Don’t be absurd. First of all, it’s not as if I could make the viscount do anything that he didn’t want to do. And second, there would have to be something between us other than a brief liaison to cause him to go, which there is not.”

Her maid blinked. “How can you say that? You love him! And he loves you! It’s clear to anyone who has eyes in their head.” She crossed her arms. “Except, perhaps, for the two of you.”

“That’s quite enough drivel,” Calliope snapped. “The viscount made his choice to leave and there was nothing I could have done to stop him. No doubt he missed London and all the excitement it had to offer.”

Emma shook her head and grumbled, “I suppose what the poets say is true. Love makes fools of us all.”

Calliope didn’t even deign to reply to that snippy comment. She was too drained to do much more than strip off her clothes and tumble into bed. To say that it had been an exhausting few days would have been a severe understatement. She sank down into a nearby chair and put her forehead in her palm.

Her maid brought in a tea tray and set it on the table firmly enough to make the cup rattle in its saucer. Calliope sent her a dark glare, but the servant merely sniffed and went about the rest of her duties.

Calliope had just lifted the teacup to her lips when there was a light knock at the door. Immediately her hand started to shake so badly that she had to lower the china in her grasp. Had Sebastian returned?

She held her breath as Emma walked over and greeted the visitor. When Calliope heard a feminine voice, some of her anticipation faltered. However, when Mrs. Anning appeared with a kind smile, she couldn’t help but offer one in return. She stood and embraced the older woman. Although she had only been in Lyme Regis for less than a month, she considered Molly a true friend, as well as her daughter, Mary.

“I apologize for not checking in on Mary this afternoon, but I fear I was quite tired when I returned from the shore.”

Molly waved away her concern. “There was no need. You came by this morning. Besides, she is much improved, thanks to you.”

Calliope wanted to turn any further praise away from her. “Would you care for some tea?”

The lady hesitated, but then she said, “That would be lovely.”

Calliope sent a silent message to Emma, who disappeared to grab another cup from downstairs. As they waited for her to return, Calliope settled back into her chair as Mrs. Anning sat across from her. The lady glanced around the surroundings. “You know, as long as I’ve lived here, I’ve never been inside this hotel.”

“Indeed?”

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