He smiled charmingly, yet avoided her eyes. “You are forgetting the walk she and I just took. That makes it two meetings.”
“I’m sure there are many who find your sarcastic wit a great delight.” She lifted her chin, her manner, remarkably, even stiffer than before. “I, however, do not.”
Well, that certainly put him in his place. Sebastian considered her quietly. He knew deception was essential to his plan, but whenever possible he hoped to avoid a direct lie. “No one can prevent a man’s heart from going where it chooses.”
She went very still. “How can a heart choose something it does not know?”
Her steady gaze made him want to twist and squirm. There was no way to answer her question without sounding like a besotted young fool. “The mysteries of the heart have confounded people through the ages,” he said solemnly. “I fear I am at a loss to explain it.”
“Well, this is all very sudden, very unexpected.” She turned her face away abruptly, taking in a sharp breath. “I want only the best for Bianca. Her happiness is the most important thing to me and I will do all within my power to see her achieve it.”
Sebastian frowned. Lady Eleanor’s loyalty to her sister was commendable, yet her tenacity worrisome. This proper, virtuous chaperone could be a serious obstacle to his plan.
“Forgive me, Lady Eleanor, but how can you possibly know what will make your sister happy?”
“I know what will make her unhappy, Lord Benton.” She turned her face to his. “A known womanizer with no sense of propriety, faithfulness, or restraint.”
“And what does that have to do with me?” he asked softly.
She had the grace to blush, but she did not lower her gaze. “From what I have been hearing, that appears to be the essence of you, my lord.”
Her insulting remarks should have incited his anger, but he found himself unable to dispute her claim. And admiring her for having the courage to confront him.
“I’ll own that my reputation is not untarnished. I’ve hardly lived like a monk, but neither am I the villain you seem determined to make me,” Sebastian said. “‘Tis often said that a rake has no chance at redemption unless he has the love and guidance of a good woman to keep him from falling into infamy. Would you deny me that chance?”
“A man’s redemption seems a monumental task for any female and even more so for a young, impressionable lady,” she replied.
“Yet well worth the effort.”
“You will forgive me if I hold my judgment on that opinion.” She continued gazing at him, her expression unyielding. “After all, not every man can be saved.”
“True.” Sebastian felt his lips starting to curl into a smile. “Nor should they be.”
She tilted her head, a hint of suspicion forming in the depths of her eyes. “Are you mocking me, my lord?”
“Quite the contrary, Lady Eleanor. I applaud your honesty. A trait I despair is sorely lacking in most women.”
Though he suspected she was trying to prevent it, he saw the hint of a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. It scarcely made her beautiful, but the softening of her expression showed him that she was, surprisingly, an attractive woman. Not stunning like her sister, but a decent-looking female.
She was tall, possessing the womanly curves he preferred in a woman. Her features were plain, yet soft. Her hair was a rich shade of brown, her eyes a twinkling hazel, with long, dark, lush lashes.
She was the type of female who looked best in vibrant colors, deep shades in jewel tones that set off the richness of her complexion and the sparkle in her eyes. Unfortunately, she did not choose to wear the colors that would enhance her appearance, but instead elected to dress herself in dull grays and serviceable browns. He wondered why.
“If your intentions are serious, Lord Benton, then I expect you to call upon us like a proper suitor. And if they are not …”
Sebastian gave her a startled look. “Surely you are not questioning my intentions?”
“I do not know you, my lord, but I know my sister. She is a sweet and kindhearted young lady who has led a very sheltered life. Though possessing a keen intelligence, Bianca is incapable of realizing when a man is trying to take advantage of her.” Her prim voice grew even more forceful. “After all, ‘tis a well-known fact you have an aversion to marriage.”
He raised his brow.
“A fear of marriage?” she amended.
“Indeed?” Sebastian felt his muscles draw up tight. “My reputation isn’t all that impressive, based mostly on my wild-oat-sowing youth. I daresay it makes a gentleman a more dashing, attractive catch.”
“For whom? An impressionable young girl who doesn’t understand the importance of character?”
Ouch. That stung. ‘Twas bad enough to have his motives questioned, but her unerring quest for the truth was even more disconcerting. “Is that why you have never married?” Sebastian asked, hoping to divert her attention by changing the focus of the conversation. “Was true character lacking in your beaus?”
“No.” For the first time she flushed. “He was noble in character, though not in birth, and proved his mettle by understanding the difficult choice I had to make.”
Willpower alone kept the surprise from Sebastian’s face. He had made the remark to throw her off balance, never imagining there actually had been a serious relationship in her past. How very interesting. Perhaps there was a way to use this to his advantage?
“What happened?”
She sent him a sideways glare and he expected her to tell him it was none of his business. Instead she shrugged and said quietly, “The social and financial chasm between us was too vast to breach without taking drastic measures. Sadly, I was not free to make them.”
“Yet he was a man of good character? A man you admired?”
“Yes, very much.” For an instant Lady Eleanor’s eyes clouded with emotion. “And loved.”
“You do not think Lady Bianca could love me the same way?”
Lady Eleanor blinked her eyes rapidly, coming back to herself with admirable speed. “I do not know my sister’s heart, nor will I try to unduly influence it. But I will diligently seek to find a man for her who is eminently trustworthy and dependable. An honorable man who is steady and predictable.”
“Dull.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“You left out dull.” Sebastian had to press his mouth firmly together to hold back his laughter. “Everything you said implies a dull fellow.”
“You are wrong. Stability and respectability are not dull traits.” Her brows furrowed for a moment. “Not always.”
He sighed. “I seem to be hearing a great deal about what you want in a man for Lady Bianca. What of her wishes? Are they to be taken into consideration also?”
Sebastian fixed her with a stare that others found intimidating, yet Lady Eleanor’s eyes never wavered from his.
“I have taken charge of my sister’s welfare since she was a young child. ‘Tis a natural, protective instinct, not easily dismissed.”
Sebastian pursed his lips. Lady Eleanor was proving herself to be a royal pain in his arse, though try as he might, he could not help but respect her. Even like her a bit. It was obvious that as the elder sister she had been the dependable, steady one. Possibly even a substitute parent.
“I don’t know what I can say to ease your mind,” he finally answered.
“That’s even more troubling,”