The Seduction (Notorious 1)
Page 105
Assured of a genial welcome, Clune settled into a chair beside the bed.
Damien contemplated his guest with curious sadness. He and Clune had been friends for a long, long while, sharing wicked pursuits together since their university days. But the time had come to part ways. He wouldn’t miss that jaded, shallow life, although he would miss his friend.
“The hunting party is over, I take it?” Damien asked.
“Indeed. Your brush with death put quite a damper on things. Most of us are off for London. I wanted to speak to you alone, but you’ll be getting more visitors shortly.”
“Good. It will allow me to say farewell.”
Clune raised a quizzical eyebrow.
“I intend to resign my membership in the Hellfire League.”
“Sin… surely you are overreacting. You needn’t give up your friends over this unfortunate episode.”
“I don’t mean to end my friendships, but my days of playing the rakehell are over.”
The earl frowned. “It’s because of her, isn’t it? Lady Wyndham. I was right. You are smitten.”
“Yes, you were right.”
Clune shook his head. “I confess not much astonishes me these days, but you’ve managed to floor me. You vowed you would never be trapped into love. What the devil happened?”
“I met Vanessa,” Damien said simply.
“Love will not guarantee you happiness. Quite the contrary, in fact.”
“I’m aware of that.”
“You will be opening yourself up to all manner of misery.”
“Perhaps.”
“Well,” Clune commented, still marveling, “better you than I, my friend. Love can turn a man into a fool.”
“The worst sort of fool,” Damien agreed pleasantly. “Otherwise I would never have challenged you to pistols at dawn.”
Clune studied him a long moment, amusement and pity warring in his expression. “This humility is not like you, Sin.”
“I know.” He was not ashamed to admit he’d fallen. He’d lost his heart beyond all pride or reason. “But I’ll thank you to cease calling me “Sin.” I’m doing my best to divest myself of that appellation.“
“As you wish,” Clune said skeptically. “When may I offer felicitations?”
Damien frowned. “That I can’t say. She refused my offer of marriage.”
“She refused?”
“She didn’t wish to wed a man of my ilk.”
“Ah. Thus the resignation from the League. You’d best beware, my friend, or she will turn you into a milksop.”
His gaze grew distant. “She may turn me into anything she wishes, if she will only forgive me.”
His sister was more skeptical about his desire to reform. As soon as he regained enough strength, he summoned Olivia to his rooms. She obeyed reluctantly, her jaw locked in a stubborn set as she was wheeled in by an attendant footman.
“I have nothing to say to you,” she began even before the servant was dismissed.
Grimacing in pain, Damien sat up in bed. His left arm was immobilized in a sling to prevent movement and protect his injured shoulder, but the flesh wound was still quite raw.