Unexpectedly Wed to the Officer (Regency Belles of Bath 2)

ault.’

‘It’s nobody’s fault!’ She blinked at the harshness of his tone. ‘That’s entirely the wrong word. Your leaving brought us together, I don’t deny that, but I’m glad that it did. Sebastian wanted to help me and we became friends and—’

‘He didn’t have to marry you to be your friend.’ David’s eyebrows snapped together ferociously. ‘What else did he want? Are you certain you’re really married?’

‘Yes!’ She put her hands on her hips. ‘We decided that marrying was the right thing to do for the boys. We thought that you weren’t coming back.’

‘It still doesn’t make sense. Why does a gentleman marry a shop girl just so that he can help raise her nephews? Why would he care?’

‘Because he did! And he’s not a gentleman. He’s a sailor.’ She frowned. ‘Or he was anyway.’

‘A sailor whose family live in a place like this.’ David looked around at the nursery. ‘My whole house is smaller than this room.’

‘I know.’ She felt vaguely uncomfortable at the observation. ‘But Sebastian and I have decided to build a life together. We care for each other and we’re equals.’

David gave her a sceptical look. ‘You can’t be in love, not after less than a month.’

Henrietta opened her mouth and then closed it again. Why couldn’t she be in love after less than a month? Because she was, she realised suddenly. She was very much in love. Only she wanted Sebastian to be the first one to hear the words, not her brother.

‘Does he treat you well? Is he good to you? Because if he isn’t...’

‘He treats me very well.’ She folded her arms, struck with a sudden sense of foreboding. ‘Trust me, in a few days, you’ll be the best of friends.’

* * *

‘All settled?’

Sebastian was standing beside the fireplace, hands clasped behind his back, as Henrietta entered their bedroom. He was wearing an entirely un-Sebastian-like expression. The lines of his face looked uncharacteristically tight and rigid.

‘Yes. I didn’t mean to take so long.’ She closed the door and hesitated. She hadn’t expected him to be frowning. She’d expected to come back to their room and for him to reassure her, to wrap his arms around her and tell her how happy he was for her and the boys, too, but unfortunately the sense of foreboding she’d felt with her brother grew even worse. ‘David wanted to look at the boys for a while and then we talked.’

‘Understandable.’

‘Have you told the others?’

‘Yes. They were very pleased, as no doubt they’ll tell you themselves in the morning. They’ve gone to bed now.’

‘Of course. It’s late.’ She took a few steps closer. ‘I’m glad you’re still awake.’

‘I wanted to wait and see how you were.’ He quirked an eyebrow. ‘How are you?’

‘Happy.’ She smiled, though somehow both the word and action felt unconvincing. It wasn’t that she was unhappy. She had been happy, very happy just an hour ago. She was thrilled that David was back, but his obvious antipathy towards Sebastian, not to mention all of his questions about her marriage, had left her feeling tense, too. And now that she thought about it, Sebastian had been frowning downstairs, as well...

‘What about you?’ Something in his face stopped her from touching him. ‘Are you happy?’

‘Of course.’ His smile looked just as unconvincing. His eyes were completely dark, without any sparkle at all. ‘It’s just come out of the blue, that’s all.’

‘Yes.’ She forced her lips wider, though she had a feeling the effect looked more grotesque than genuine. ‘The boys will probably think it’s all a dream in the morning.’

‘Quite.’ There was a long pause before Sebastian cleared his throat. ‘Did your brother say anything about his plans? Anything at all?’

‘No, but it’s too soon for all that, isn’t it? He’s only just arrived.’

‘I suppose so.’ Another awkward silence descended before he stepped away from the fireplace. ‘Well... I’m tired. It’s been an eventful evening.’

She nodded, avoiding his eyes as they both undressed in silence. We thought you weren’t coming back... Those were the words she’d used to explain to David why she’d married Sebastian—to explain why he’d married her, too. They’d made a conscious decision to raise her nephews together, which meant that now David was back, the very cornerstone of their marriage was gone, knocked down in one fell swoop. Their reason no longer existed.

She still had no regrets about marrying him, especially now that she’d realised just how much she cared, but...did he regret it? His cold behaviour implied that she’d tricked or betrayed him somehow, as if he’d never really cared for her or thought of her as anything more than a pretty face, after all. As if making amends for his guilty conscience had been all that had mattered, had ever mattered... Apparently she was just as foolish and naive as she’d always feared, deep down. She’d truly thought their marriage had meant more than that.