Sweet Love of Mine

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen

The amateur musicale at Northwick Park bore two types of people in attendance. The first consisted of beleaguered gentlemen, young and old, who were compelled to attend by some odious connection to an aging relative and who were silently appalled at the massacre of various great composers as their movements were respectively thrashed or bashed out on an unsuspecting instrument. The second were proud mamas who gushed and pontificated about the amount of talent her daughter had inherited.

Sebastian found the ordeal quite distasteful and the champagne tepid and weak. Lounging against one Romanesque column negligently, cradling said champagne in the cup of his hand, his eyes were unerringly drawn to Emily as they had been for the last hour. She was coveting Victoria like a protective hen. Sure, the other girl was struck with terror at the prospect of facing her estranged lover, and he supposed he could empathise with her need to comfort her tormented peer... but, for Christ's sake, she could at least acknowledge him with one of her soft smiles or understanding looks.

Ah, he was being petty. He was, Sebastian realised, acting like a petulant youth who had just been rejected by his infatuation. Emily was acting jittery and anxious around him, her conversation stilted and abrupt, as if she didn't know quite how to behave when attending him anymore. Well, he supposed he had changed their relationship dynamic by admitting his feelings for her, but he hardly regretted it.

Indeed, he felt freer than he had in years, as if a cumbersome burden had been lifted from his chest. She knew, she finally knew. Yes, it was unrequited and yes, it hurt like hell that she appeared intent on avoiding him for the rest of her life, but that knot of tension, of knowledge, had evaporated the moment the words spilled from his lips. It was as if he had transferred the burden, handed the load over- to Emily, it seemed, if her behaviour were anything to go by.

Lord Jason Blackwood, Marquess of Northwick, joined Sebastian where he lounged and tipped his flute glass at the other gentleman. A tenuous camaraderie had been established between the two men several years ago when Sebastian had been propositioned by Blackwood's sweetheart. An honour-bound fool that he was, Sebastian felt compelled to inform the young gentleman that his intentions were rather misplaced when it came to the alluring Miss Bentley. Of course, when Blackwood had learned of Miss Bentley's transgressions, he had called Sebastian out. Rather than shoot the bastard, Sebastian had hauled him to the nearest brothel where they whored, drank, and brawled- respectively. "Enjoying the music?" the young Lord Blackwood mumbled sardonically.

"You shouldn't be cowed by your mother, Blackwood," Sebastian quipped. "I'd expect you at none other than White's when such events occur."

"Speak for yourself," the other man returned with a roguish grin. "Sophie's leash is shorter by the day."

"Shut up." Sebastian gave him a good-natured glare. "Which sister are you protecting tonight?"

"That one," Blackwood nodded in the direction of a pretty brunette laughing merrily at something one of her simpering admirers was telling her. Sebastian knew her as young Grace Blackwood, one of the three sisters Jason was obliged to allow various imbeciles to court. Personally, Sebastian didn't know how the other man could stand the duty. Every time another man looked in Emily's direction he felt his blood boil with the beginnings of a mindless, jealous rage. Then again, Emily was not his sister and he had just informed her of his heart's most arduous desires. He rather thought himself entitled to mindless bouts of fury when it came to it.

"Ah. Is she taking this Season?"

Blackwood narrowed his eyes at him. "You appear overly curious about my sister, Weatherly. Do you mean to court her?"