“I’ll try to strike the right balance between interested and permissive,” Sebastian answered drily. He clicked at the horses, and they increased their pace.
In for a penny . . . “If I may be candid—”
“Please do.”
She turned to him, and though he continued to drive, she knew she had his attention. “Jealousy isn’t appreciated by women. We’re not things. There’s nothing flattering about being treated like an object.”
He gave a clipped nod. “Understandable, and understood.”
There was a definite chill in the atmosphere between them. Part of her wanted to say she was sorry, but then she reminded herself that speaking out on her own behalf wasn’t something she needed to apologize for.
As they continued their drive, passing more people who enthusiastically greeted them, she said in a low voice, “You said nothing to me before about attending the Viscount Marwood’s ball.”
“This was the first I’d heard about it,” he replied. He maintained his relaxed, almost languid air, though some tension remained in his voice. “Rotherby’s not particularly enamored of balls, but I’ll convince him to go so that I can be there.” He added, “We’ll make sure that Fredericks gets an eyeful of you.”
“Splendid.” Soon, she’d see Mason again. And . . . she would behold Sebastian in his evening finery. They would dance together.
Excitement tumbled within her.
Because of Mason . . . or because of Sebastian?
She had no answer for herself.
Chapter 15
Seb sat in his threadbare armchair as he studied the hastily written note.
Small soiree tonight at Viscount Ombersley’s. Perhaps we cross paths there? Make for a good show.
Yours, G
He tapped the paper against his lips. Since their drive on Rotten Row, two days ago, he and Grace hadn’t made arrangements to be seen together in public, not until the Marwoods’ ball tomorrow evening. This last-minute request posed a puzzle. He’d intended to spend the night catching up on his reading, which had been, of late, sadly neglected. An evening of solitude sounded rather welcome after the amount of socializing he’d been doing. Just him, a glass of whiskey, and several volumes about societal structures amongst nomadic peoples should be just the thing. Or he could write up his notes on his observations from the last week. That would be an excellent use of his time.
Yet . . . Grace needed him.
However . . . she’d asked him not to behave possessively, since it might deter Fredericks. Much as he knew logically that his role was to pave the way for Fredericks, it galled. Part of Seb wanted to brood and grumble and deny Grace her request for no other reason than his wounded pride. Another part of him was eager to make her happy.
Spending more time with her, however, was a challenge—because each minute made him crave more of her, more of them, together. But that wasn’t what she wanted.
Goddamn it. This entire scenario was a hopeless tangle.
A forceful knock sounded on his front door.
“My God,” Seb yelled, “the building better be on fire the way you’re carrying on.”
Pulling open the door revealed Rotherby, dressed smartly for a night out. But the man standing beside Rotherby wasn’t Beale, here to scold him for his sartorial choices. Instead, Seb found himself looking at another of his oldest friends, Duncan McCameron.
“If the building is on fire,” McCameron said drily, shaking Seb’s hand, “I’m not carrying you out.”
“What if I’m overcome by the smoke?” Seb asked with a grin.
“Then I’ll grab your valuables and make my exit.”
Seb and Rotherby both chuckled. The likelihood that McCameron, a decorated veteran and one of the most principled men they knew, would do anything unlawful was patently ludicrous. One might as well believe that Wellington himself lifted pocket watches.
“You’re looking . . . different,” McCameron said with typical concision. He glanced at Seb’s stylish wine-colored waistcoat. “Less vagabond, more Incomparable.”
“All thanks to the services of my valet,” Rotherby threw in.
“You can’t take credit for something someone else did.” Seb stepped back and waved his two friends into his rooms. “Especially if that someone else is a salaried employee.”