Page 83 of The Earl’s Forbidden Temptation

Darcy’s eyes glistened, though she held herself composed.

“I have also purchased a manor in Hertfordshire,” he continued. “It contains twenty rooms and will provide them with a comfortable home. An annual allowance will meet the household expenses, including servants and maintenance. My great-aunt, a widowed viscountess, has agreed to reside with them as guardian and chaperone and to oversee their education and eventual presentation.” He paused. “Their wardrobes, instruction, and every reasonable requirement will be met.”

Silence followed.

Darcy spoke at last, her voice soft but steady. “Thank you. They will be safe and well cared for.” Her throat worked before she added, “It is all I have ever wanted for them.”

Sebastian watched her for a long moment, his heart wrenching at the emotion she made no attempt to conceal. “Will you allow me to make similar provision for you, Darcy?”

She smiled. “No,” she said gently.

Sebastian rose but remained behind his desk. “Darcy, consider what you are refusing.”

“You know I am Red.”

“I do,” he murmured. Whenever he had tried to speak of her identity, to ask whether she intended to relinquish it or continue as Red, Darcy had turned the conversation aside. That she wished to speak of it now persuaded him to remain silent and listen.

“I am sure you can guess why I took the commission from Rebecca.”

“I know it was for…our sisters.”

Darcy tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, her chin dipping as a bright blush warmed her cheeks. “I allowed myself such freedom with you as Red because, from the moment we met, I felt this sensual pull toward you. Every hour in your company made me want you more. It was never about money, Sebastian. Nothing that passed between us was a bargain.”

His damn heart lurched. “I know. I never once believed otherwise. I want to help because the thought of you facing the world without security has become intolerable to me.”

Another soft smile touched her mouth. “The commissions I receive from Rebecca are generous and more than sufficient for my needs. I have never lived lavishly, and I shall continue to manage my income with care.” A flicker of mischief entered her eyes. “And I have not forgotten that you owe me one thousand pounds.”

Despite himself, his mouth curved. “Will you make the Hertfordshire house your home with them?”

Her expression shifted, the brightness fading into something more fragile and resolute. “How could I? I would become the poor spinster relation, living upon their generosity and dependent upon their household for my every comfort. I would be a burden.”

“You would not,” he said at once, his voice roughened. “It would be your home as surely as theirs.”

Darcy rose, and although her smile returned, it now spoke of decision rather than ease.

“For so long, I have lived for duty,” she said. “I wish now to discover who I might be when duty does not dictate every choice. I want to travel. I want to see Florence, perhaps Egypt, and paint what I have never seen and study what I have never known. I shall visit my sisters often and write without fail, but I wish to live, whether wickedly or sedately, for myself.”

The admission left him momentarily without a response. Then a sharp sense of loss wrenched through Sebastian at the thought of her life unfolding beyond him, rich and complete, yet containing no place for him. He pushed away from the desk and crossed toward her, intent upon asking what he might offer that would make her choose to remain in his life a little bit longer.

A sharp, urgent knock sounded upon the door. Sebastian paused, irritation flaring as his butler entered at his summons, bearing a letter upon a silver tray.

“My lord,” he said, “this has just arrived.”

Sebastian took the letter. His attention shifted to the seal, though some part of him remained fixed upon Darcy. It was from Caroline. He returned to his desk and reached for the letter opener with a precision that belied the tightening in his chest. After breaking the seal, he unfolded the page and read swiftly.

Dearest brother,

Mother has been seized by fits of such violent agitation that I fear for her health. She will not tell me the cause, and although I sent for the physician at once, she refuses to heed his counsel. Mama is resolved to travel to London posthaste, though he insists her heart remains unsettled and her body unequal to the journey.

I shall accompany her, for I cannot persuade her to remain in Bath. I beg you to have your physician awaiting us upon our arrival. I do not trust that she will rest until she has satisfied whatever concern now torments her.

Caroline

A cold sensation pierced Sebastian’s chest. His mother did not surrender to violent agitation without cause. He folded the letter with deliberate care, though his thoughts had already moved ahead, calculating what awaited him in London.

“I must leave at once.”

The words emerged low and controlled, but the urgency beneath them was unmistakable. He turned to the butler, who remained discreetly near the door.