Chapter Four
WHAT HAD COME over Rebecca?
As his request hung in the air, unanswered, Sebastian tried to fathom the sudden change he sensed in her. A moment ago, she had seemed so amenable, as if she knew what he meant to ask before he uttered a word. Then an invisible door had slammed shut between them.
Had she expected him to say something different? Sebastian could not imagine what. He thought he had signaled his intentions quite clearly.
Rebecca stepped back and turned away from him, directing her gaze toward the pastoral beauty of the view. “You expect me to persuade Hermione to break her engagement to your brother?”
“I hope you will agree to assist me.” An undercurrent of aversion beneath her words made Sebastian reconsider his plan. At the moment, it was all he had. And after what he’d seen of Hermione Leonard, he was more determined than ever to prevent his brother from having to go through with this marriage. “You are too prudent not to see that a union between my brother and Miss Leonard is likely to fail.”
“Why?” Rebecca turned her striking hazel eyes upon him again. “Because he is impetuous and inconstant and she does not meet your exacting standards? Those were the reasons you gave me when we first met. They did not sway me then nor do they now. I think more highly of Hermione and Mr. Stanhope than you appear to. I believe he truly cares for her, and she for him. I am quite certain they can be happy together.”
She did not raise her voice or pound on anything, as his brother would have done. Instead she simply stated her position with firm sincerity that Sebastian found much more difficult to dismiss. “Does that mean ‘no’?”
Rebecca nodded. “You have praised my sense and sincerity, but those mean nothing to me without loyalty. You also observed that we are alike in our concern for those we care about. How can you suppose I would do anything to cause Hermione a moment’s grief? She is very dear to me and I will not advise her against a course of action that I believe provides her best chance of continued happiness.”
Much as it disappointed Sebastian to see his promising plan go awry, he found himself equally troubled to lose the opportunity for continued contact with Rebecca.
“You must despise me for even suggesting such a thing.” He tried to make light of it, only to discover how much the prospect of her bad opinion troubled him. “At least now I can count you among those who regard me as arrogant, stubborn and ruthless.”
Sebastian turned sharply on his heel so she would not glimpse any look in his eyes that might betray his true feelings. “Since that is settled, perhaps we had better get back.”
He’d only taken two long strides when she called after him. “I do not despise you, Sebastian.”
Her words halted him in his tracks, especially the sweetness of hearing her melodious voice caress his name so warmly. Yet he did not dare to face her until he regained control of the emotions she had stirred.
Behind him he heard the faint rustle of her footsteps in the grass and her voice drawing nearer. “You are convinced this marriage will make your brother unhappy. How can I not respect your loyalty and your willingness to take any action necessary to prevent him from making what you perceive to be a mistake?”
He had thought his opinion of Rebecca Beaton could scarcely improve. Now it rose to alarming heights. “That is an unusually magnanimous attitude. When I first entered Parliament, I knew men capable of pursuing their policies vigorously in the House, yet remaining on terms of warmest respect with those who opposed them most forcefully. I fear such fair-minded tolerance is dying out.”
As he spoke, Sebastian slowly turned toward her, relieved by the assurance that he would not lose her esteem over their difference of opinion, no matter how great.
If he’d been fool enough to doubt her sincerity for even a moment, the look in her eyes would have convinced him she meant every word. “It is easier to tolerate opposition when we understand and respect the motives behind it. I know you care about your brother at least as much as I do Hermione. I only wish I could persuade you what a good wife I am certain she will make for Mr. Stanhope. If I could, I trust a fair-minded man like you would withdraw your objections and give their engagement your blessing.”
Her words gave Sebastian a promising idea.
“You may be right, though I cannot conceive how you would change my opinion so completely.” Smiling down at Rebecca, he offered her his arm and they began to climb the brickwork path back up the hillside. “Is it possible the reverse might also hold true? If I could persuade you of all the reasons I believe a marriage between my brother and Miss Leonard will make them both miserable, would you then endeavor to advise her against the match?”
“Are you suggesting we wage a debate?” Glints of interest and amusement sparkled in her eyes. “The kind you have in Parliament?”
“I expect it will be far more engaging than the dull business of government.” As they passed beneath a trellis, Sebastian plucked a rosebud and offered it to her. “But I hope it will give us both an opportunity to consider aspects of the matter we may not have done previously. If we endeavor to keep open minds, perhaps we can reach a decision that will benefit all concerned.”
Rebecca lifted the pale pink blossom to her nose and inhaled its fragrance. Sebastian could not help notice how perfectly it matched the color of her lips.
“Is that how our system of government works?” she inquired with an arch of her eyebrow that conveyed astute insight.
“Sometimes,” Sebastian admitted with a chuckle. “Let us say, that’s how it is intended to work.”
“But would you not have an advantage over me?” She wagged the rosebud at him like a scolding finger. “After all, you are a veteran of many Parliamentary debates, against some of the greatest orators of our time. I am not even permitted to vote, let alone serve in government.”
Though she laughed at the absurdity of her suggestion, Sebastian did not find it so outrageous to imagine a woman of her integrity and judgment enacting laws for the good of the country.
“Depend upon it, my dear, you have a greater advantage than you may realize.” His growing regard for her, to begin with. His reluctance to contradict her. His desire to listen to the sound of her voice. “I would fancy my chances better against any member of the House of Lords.”
They strolled through the intimate, hedge-walled garden. Since Claude and Miss Leonard had already moved on, they did not linger. Sebastian feared he could not trust himself alone with Rebecca in such a place. Not in his present mood.
“Very well, then,” she agreed after silently mulling over his proposal... his suggestion for several minutes. “I fear you are only flattering me to win my cooperation, but I believe this represents my best opportunity to help Hermione. Besides, I owe it to her to consider whether there is a possibility this marriage might not be in her best interest after all.”
“What about your interests? Have you never given those any thought?” During his career in Parliament, Sebastian had learned the surest means to enlist support from anyone was to appeal to their self-interest.
Rebecca shook her head. “I do not understand you. Hermione’s engagement has nothing to do with me.”
“It will affect you, though, will it not? Once Miss Leonard is married, she will no longer require a chaperone. You will be obliged to find a new position.”
Rebecca gave a sharp little intake of breath, as if he had jabbed her in the stomach. Necessity urged Sebastian to exploit the weakness he had exposed. Anything that elicited this kind of response clearly mattered a great deal to her and could be turned to his advantage. But he was distracted by a deep pang of concern. The last thing he wanted was to cause her distress.
Before he could muster an apology, Rebecca answered in that disarmingly honest way of hers. “What you say is true. I cannot pretend I am looking forward to leaving behind the life I have made for myself in this idyllic part of the country. Nor am I eager to go elsewhere and begin all over again. I know there are many who would relish such a change, perhaps even regard it as an adventure.”
As she spoke, her voice grew softer and huskier until it died away altogether. Sebastian knew what she meant to say next. “But you are not one of those people?”
Rebecca shook her head. “I cherish everything familiar. I long for stability and security the way some people long for fame or fortune.”
As direct and open as she was, Sebastian sensed this was not something she would tell just anyone, not even Hermione Leonard. He felt honored and deeply moved that she had chosen to confide in him.
She glanced toward the house. “I envy you this place, though not because it is so grand and elegant. I only think how pleasant it must be to walk the halls where your ancestors once walked, to use the rooms they furnished, to look upon scenes they once beheld. To know that, however far you go or how long you remain away, you always have this home waiting for your return. I would feel the same if it were a manor house like the Leonards’ or even a snug little cottage.”
He’d never thought of Stanhope Court in that way before, Sebastian realized. He had taken for granted that it would always be here, never much changed. How would he feel if he were obliged to leave it, not knowing if he would ever return? What if he’d never had a place to call home?
“Rebecca...” He stopped and turned toward her, possessed by an irresistible urge to offer her a comforting embrace.
Fortunately, she still had some grasp of propriety, which had suddenly deserted him. “I beg your pardon, Lord Benedict! I should not have spoken so unguardedly. Pay no heed to my ramblings.”
Abruptly she released his arm and rushed ahead toward the main garden, talking even faster than she walked. “Moving from one position to another is a natural part of my profession. When children grow up, their governess must seek a new situation. I have been unusually fortunate to remain as Miss Leonard’s companion even after she outgrew the need for a governess. It would be cruelly selfish of me to desire that the dear girl should never marry so I could continue indefinitely in my position. I would rather go elsewhere, knowing she will have the companionship of a devoted husband.”
By the time she finished, Rebecca was gasping for breath.
“Please wait,” Sebastian entreated her, but she hurried on.
He could have reached out and restrained her but that seemed wrong somehow. Instead, he strode past her and ducked around the final trellis to block her path.
She gave a start when he suddenly appeared in front of her, coming to an abrupt halt.
“Please excuse me,” he begged. “I never meant to imply you would put your own interests ahead of your friend’s. On the contrary, I admire your wish to see Miss Leonard happy even if it means an unwelcome change for you.”
“Think no more of it, sir.” Rebecca’s gaze darted as if seeking a way around him. “You could not know I had such strong feelings on the subject.”
“I share your desire for security and stability,” Sebastian admitted. “Though having a fixed home, no matter how grand, does not always ensure those blessings.”
What on earth had made him say that? It was a subject he had never broached with anyone—not even his brother.
When Rebecca cast him a questioning glance, he feared he might be tempted to say more. Before she could draw him out, he stepped back to let her pass. “The clouds are gathering. I expect you and Miss Leonard will want to be on your way before it starts to rain.”
Even as he suggested her departure, Sebastian was torn between a need to maintain his privacy and a compelling urge to remain in Rebecca’s company.
For a moment she seemed poised to question him, then appeared to reconsider. “You are right, Lord Benedict. It is time we returned to Rose Grange.”
They walked side by side in uneasy silence for several moments before she spoke again. “I fear our debate has not persuaded either of us to alter our opinions. If anything, mine are more deeply entrenched than ever.”
Sebastian could not deny that. Yet the prospect of further discussion and further meetings with Rebecca Beaton appealed to him. “Never fear. This debate of ours is far from over.”
“Thank goodness that’s over!” As the carriage drove away from Stanhope Court, Hermione sank back in her seat with a dramatic flourish. “I have never been so thoroughly cowed in all my life. I find it hard to believe Claude and Lord Benedict are even half brothers, they are so little alike.”
“Half brothers?” Rebecca mused. “I had no idea. There is a resemblance in looks between them, though very little in character.”
Claude Stanhope was a boyishly handsome young man with most engaging manners, yet Rebecca could not deny she found Sebastian even more attractive on both counts. In spite of his unaccountable prejudice against Hermione, he was a fine man who cared about his brother and his country and who treated her as his equal.
“So tell me,” urged Hermione in the tone of a gleeful conspirator, “do you still deny you can charm Lord Benedict? If he liked me even half as well as he likes you, I should not have a moment’s worry about him turning Claude against me.”
“I’m certain he would never do that.” Rebecca sprang to Sebastian’s defense. Then she recalled how he had tried to enlist her to break up the match. “I am even more certain he thinks nothing of me except as your companion.”
Rebecca cringed to recall how easily she had deluded herself into hoping otherwise. What could have possessed her to imagine Viscount Benedict had been about to propose to her? Fortunately the notion had been so far from his true intentions that he’d had no idea of her foolish false hopes. If he ever guessed, she would be thoroughly mortified.
Now she knew the truth. He had only cultivated her acquaintance as a means of ending his brother’s engagement. She could not bring herself to tell Hermione. The poor girl was intimidated enough by the viscount already. If, as Rebecca hoped, the marriage went ahead, she did not want the knowledge of Sebastian’s machinations to create animosity between him and his sister-in-law.
Hermione shook her head with a doubtful frown. “If his lordship only thought of you in connection to me, he should loathe you. Surely you do not think he feels that way?”
“Hardly.” Rebecca turned to gaze out the carriage window at the green hills and hedgerows. They reminded her of the enchanting tiered gardens at Stanhope Court. “His lordship was most courteous.”
Though she knew part of it might have been a calculated bid to gain her assistance, she sensed Sebastian genuinely liked her. What was more, he seemed to value those aspects of her character that others might consider flaws.
Hermione chuckled to herself as if at some secret jest. “It is clear your opinion of him has not altered for the worse. To hear the two of you talk, one would think you were old friends.”
Rebecca could not dispute that observation, though she knew Hermione did not understand, or entirely approve of her liking for Lord Benedict. She had never felt so much at ease with anyone she’d known such a short time. Usually it took a while for her to warm to new acquaintances and begin to trust them. Yet, on only their third meeting, she had confided some of her most private feelings to Sebastian, not to mention agreeing to the familiarity of first names. Part of her regretted being so unguarded, but another part welcomed such unaccustomed closeness.
“Did you have any opportunity to recommend me to his lordship?” Hermione’s question jarred Rebecca from her musing. “Or were you too busy enjoying his gardens and his company?”
“The gardens are marvelous aren’t they?” Rebecca hoped she might have the opportunity to see them again, though she doubted she would enjoy them quite so much without the stimulation of Sebastian’s company. “Lord Benedict and I talked a little about you and his brother. Though our opinions on your suitability for one another are entirely opposite, that did not prevent us from having a polite exchange of views. I believe he hopes to change my mind as I hope to change his.”
Hermione straightened abruptly and leaned toward Rebecca. “You won’t let him do that, will you? I don’t know what I should do if I lost your support.”
“Never fear.” Rebecca cast her dear young friend a reassuring smile. “Though I may seem quiet and placid, I am stubborn in clinging to my beliefs. It will take much more formidable persuasion to budge me than Lord Benedict can bring to bear.”
“It is not his formidable persuasion that worries me,” Hermione replied. “I am afraid he may charm you over to his way of thinking.”
Rebecca had to admit, at least to herself, that was the more likely possibility.