Hope of Romance by Ellie St. Clair

Author:Ellie St. Clair [Clair, Ellie St.]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Prairie Lily Press
Published: 2018-04-16T16:00:00+00:00

16

“Greville? I must speak to you.”

Sebastian saw his friend start, and he realized he had been sound asleep in his large wingback library chair.

“I am sorry to wake you, old friend,” he chuckled, as he came closer to where Greville was sitting. “But I had to wait until the ladies had retired before I came in search of you.”

“You mean my beautiful wife and her lovely sister?” Greville replied, astutely, even though he was still rubbing sleep from his eyes. “What is it, Taylor? Have you finally come to admit to me that you have fallen head over heels in love with Polly?”

Sebastian hesitated, causing Greville to look at him expectantly. The truth was, he had done nothing but think of Polly. The morning following their walk, she had made him fulfill his promise to allow her to paint him. He had sat for her in the gardens, in silence for some of the time, but it had been an enjoyable quiet. It was as though they did not need to talk in order for the intimacy between them to grow.

“You are not actually in love with her, are you?”

Greville’s astonishment made Sebastian realize that he had not answered his friend and had, in fact, drifted off into deep considerations.

“No, not at all,” he stammered, clearing his throat. “It is just that…” He trailed off, seeing Greville’s raised eyebrow. “Listen, I suppose I somewhat care for her, but that is as far as it goes.”

“I must say, I am not quite sure what to do with such information,” Greville exclaimed, chuckling to himself. “You have quite taken me aback there, Taylor. I presume this is not what you wanted to talk to me about, however?”

Choosing to put aside what had been said about Polly, Sebastian came to sit down opposite Greville and handed him the note he held.

“I received this today,” Sebastian said, quietly. “It has been a blessing to have such a variety of informants on our side, for I have put them to good use for personal matters as well now — though with payment, of course.”

Greville unfolded the note but did not read it, his eyes dark and brow furrowed. “This is to do with Yardley, does it not?”

“It does,” Sebastian said, with a sigh as he leaned back in the matching chair to his friend’s, though the leather seat of this one was not nearly as worn as Greville’s. “He is not being as quiet about Lady Polly as I had hoped.”

Greville’s frown deepened and he began to read the note aloud.

“Lord Yardley has been questioned about the damage to his features. Since you are now gone from London, he has told everyone that it was your doing and that, since then, you have run from London. Yardley has stated that he was trying to stop you from seducing a young lady who has now also quit the town, although I cannot be sure that he is entirely believed. Yours, etc.”

There was a long, pronounced pause.

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