Margaret looked at her son hopefully, and he nodded, a rueful smile playing around his lips. “Yes, mother,” he said at last. “I will marry her. And I am sure I will be perfectly content.”
Though Margaret beamed as Sebastian pressed a gentle kiss to her hair, he could not help the frown that formed between his brows.
What if he could not be happy with Beatrice Wentworth?
Of course, he knew that duty mattered above all else and his loyalty to his family was not something he would ever sacrifice…
But could he really marry a woman he could hardly converse with… and be with her for the rest of his life?
Once again, the younger sister’s fiery gaze flashed through his mind, but he suppressed it quickly.
It was no use wondering if, why or how. He would marry Beatrice Wentworth and be as happy as possible. There was nothing else to it.
Chapter 4
As luck would have it—at least in the case of Beatrice Wentworth and Sebastian Fairchild—both families had already agreed to attend a ball held at the Grant estate the very next day, and where Beatrice sat in her bedchamber, in front of her vanity, excitement radiated from her.
Dressed in a deep purple gown, she knew she looked quite beautiful though her face fell when Caroline entered, the bright blue of her gown looking lovely against her skin.
“Oh, you’re wearing the blue,” Beatrice announced, almost sounding disappointed, and Caroline lifted a brow at her sister. Beatrice forced herself to smile as she looked at her sister, and she sighed.
“I apologize if I sounded petulant. It’s just that… I was hoping that Sebastian and I would announce our engagement tonight, but… I feel as though I pale next to you when you wear that.”
Caroline shook her head with a laugh and leaned closer, giving her sister a quick hug. “Oh, Beatrice,” she admonished. “Don’t be silly. You look lovely in the purple—like a princess.”
Beatrice grinned brightly at this. “That is what I was going for,” she admitted. “I wanted to exude royalty.”
“Well,” Caroline affirmed with a smile, “You most certainly do. Now come. I believe that the carriage is ready.”
Beatrice flashed her sister an excited smile before the two made their way down to the carriage where their parents were already waiting. William Wentworth looked at his daughters proudly—as proud as only a man with two gorgeous daughters could be.
“The both of you look lovely,” he announced immediately, and their mother nodded quickly. “You do indeed look beautiful,” she said to her daughters, a smile playing around her lips. “I will not be surprised if both of you draw the attention of the gentlemen at the ball tonight.”
Beatrice laughed giddily at this, but Caroline remained quiet—merely flashing her mother a stiff smile before climbing into the carriage.
“Oh, I do hope today is the day that Sebastian and I will announce our engagement,” Beatrice said quickly and she flashed her father an eager smile. William looked at his daughter proudly and nodded. “I believe the announcement will be made soon,” he affirmed. “Though you should not be too hasty. I am certain everyone at the ball will see you together and they will know that he is courting you.”
Beatrice flashed her father a dazzling grin at this, and a sigh escaped her lips. “Oh, it is going to be lovely,” she announceddreamily. Caroline flashed her sister a smile before looking out of the window.
“Oh, Caroline, is Edward attending the ball?” Beatrice’s voice interrupted Caroline’s thoughts, and the latter hesitated. She suppressed the urge to sigh, and a stiff smile appeared on her lips.
“Oh, yes,” she said at last. “I do believe he is attending—we’d spoken about it some days ago and he was quite excited about it.”
If Beatrice noticed that her sister was not as eager about the prospect of the ball as she was, she did not let it on in the slightest. Instead, she continued chattering excitedly.
“Will it not be lovely?” she went on. “You, me, Edward and Sebastian—oh, and what if you got married right after us? Oh, Caroline, can you imagine?”
Caroline could indeed imagine, but she supposed that it would not make her sister happy if she admitted that the vision was not nearly as lovely as Beatrice thought it would be. Edward, she had to admit, took a rather distant second place when she compared him to Sebastian—even though she knew that it was an unfair comparison.
“I can imagine,” she said simply and to her relief, she was saved from more probing questions when the carriage came to a sudden halt in front of the Grant estate.
Of course, as Beatrice had hoped, Sebastian was waiting at the entrance when the Wentworth carriage arrived and Beatrice made her way out of the carriage delicately, though her face lit up when she saw her future husband.
Caroline too, allowed her gaze to drift over his tall, muscular frame appreciatively, her eyes lingering on the way his well-tailored clothing hinted at the powerful body beneath.
For a treacherous moment, she allowed herself to wonder what it might feel like to have those strong arms around her, to be pressed against that firm chest… before catching herself with a start, shocked at the improper direction of her thoughts.
“Lady Beatrice,” Sebastian greeted kindly when Beatrice approached, and she gathered her skirts, bowing her head kindly when she stopped in front of him.
