Bring Forth a Fire (Book 1)

Seventeen - The Coin Flips

I stayed at Dr Percy's home until night fell. Both he and Lord Radford thought it best, however, that I went home and got some rest, because it'd been quite an ordeal already. I countered with the argument that Christopher might wake up, and would want to see a friendly face. But their expressions told my that was highly unlikely, and with a sigh of resignation, I let Arthur take my elbow and guide me from the room. And irritatingly enough, he insisted on chaperoning me home, when really all I wanted was to be alone. Yet when I stepped inside, the first thing I saw was Lowell's expression, and he looked grim.

"Miss Emma, there is a Mr Worthington wanting to see you."

My only relief came with the fact that Arthur had had the courtesy to stay outside. I took a deep breath, nodded thanks to Lowell, and entered the drawing room. Sebastian was there, hands folded behind his back and staring into the fire. It touched him with gold, and made his eyes burn a bright yellow-orange.

"Sebastian?" I stopped with the sofa between us. "What brings you here at this late hour?"

"How long have you been seeing Christopher Wellington?" he asked, with no preamble whatsoever.

"I...I'm sorry?" There was accusation in his voice.

"You and Wellington. How long have you been seeing one another?" He whirled on his heel, his face now in shadow. "Making plans to court him already, are you?"

"No, only..." I was bewildered by this sudden attack. "His father was killed by Huntley's Naturals just this morning. I went to the Order because he'd summoned me there."

If he was affected by that, he didn't show it. "So now you respond to his summons?"

"Sebastian, just listen to me, please–" What right did he have to be offended? Christopher had just suffered a great loss, one with frightening similarities to the death of my own father.

"You and Christopher must've been having a grand old time together," he said, plowing forward. "I saw the way he kept looking at you up in the Highlands, Emma. Has he always looked at you that way?"

"That's not fair," I shot back. "You cannot possibly think that I welcome the attentions of any man who fancies me. And since you asked, No. Christopher has not looked at me any way. You just seem to be blowing it out of proportion."

"Is catching him looking at you every second you're not blowing it out of proportion, Emma?" His voice rose, and he advanced on me. "Is seeing him standing between you and a threat, even when you don't notice, blowing it out of proportion? Because anyone with eyes could see it!"

"Sebastian, don't shout, please." I glanced towards the drawing room door, but no one came bursting in. "You can't possibly be jumping to conclusions when there aren't any to be made. Nothing is certain."

"I'm not jumping to conclusions. I know what I saw, and I saw you and Wellington together the whole time. You think he can give you more than what I can give you? You think he can provide better for you than I could? What is it?" He was still shouting.

"His father died, Sebastian!" Finally I raised my voice too. "I am the same to him as you were to me when I lost my father! Therefore that gives you no right to attack me in this way! What you saw is purely a fancy! And you were not there when I went to see him. He was devastated, Sebastian, devastated. He stands to lose more than you think!"

"What about what I bloody stand to lose, then? Does that make no difference to you? What am I supposed to do, when I can clearly see your heart is not mine any more?" He raked both hands through his hair.