A Touch of Seduction by Mary Campisi

Author:Mary Campisi [Campisi, Mary]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2014-12-09T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter 5

Ariana’s father had preached to his parish about the importance of behaving honorably and with grace, thinking of others instead of oneself, and never losing hope, not even in the bleakest of hours. He brought these sentiments into their home, sat near the fire on cold nights with his family huddled close, and told stories of ordinary men and women whose faith transcended them to a higher level where all things were possible.

Oh, but Father would be disappointed in her now. She had lied to Sebastian, taken advantage of his kindness and good nature for purely selfish reasons. Ariana wanted security and protection for William, and while the reasons might be commendable, the methods were not. Had Jason not returned home and confronted her with her duplicity, she might have married Sebastian with the thought of telling him the truth at a later date. But there would be no later date; she knew that as well as she knew William’s middle name was Matthew.

And what of poor William? How long would she let him believe his real mother was a noblewoman who had died? And what would she tell him about his father? Or rather, what would she tell his father about him? Everything? Nothing? Lies built upon lies, sinking into a quagmire, buried but never forgotten. There had been a time when the biggest untruth weighing on her conscience had been whether she had said her daily prayers. Then she met Jason Langford, and the lies churned into deeper ones as she stole away to meet him, doing things no maiden should do, and yet unable to stop herself.

It was because of him she had lost her home, her family, her hope for a life of happiness. She lost the ability to have her son call her Mother and that had been the greatest loss of all. But she could spare Sebastian before she pulled him so far into her lies he would suffocate. A man whose greatest fault was trusting others too much did not deserve that.

When she arrived at Sebastian’s, the butler ushered her into the library, her betrothed’s favorite room, one he considered calming and restorative. They had shared many a discussion here and it was in this very room that he helped William hone his chess skills. She should coax Sebastian to a different location, perhaps even a stroll out of doors so he need not look back at the spot where she revealed such hurtful truths, and see only betrayal.

“Sebastian?” Ariana forced a smile and moved toward his desk. “I am sorry to intrude, but I must speak with you.”

He rose from the desk, his handsome face a mix of worry and compassion. For her. She did not deserve his worry or his compassion, and once he learned the truth, she would lose both. “Ana? What is it? You look unwell.”

Oh, Sebastian, I am about to break your heart. She cleared her throat and pushed out the words that would begin the destruction of the fragile relationship they shared.

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