The Seductress' Marriage Ploy

32. Finding Love

THE FIRST THING Sebastian did as his foot touched down on London was to seek his sister.

He marched down angrily to her bedchamber and found Victoria sitting behind her vanity table. With a sweep of his hand, he dismissed her lady's maid.

Victoria turned and saw her brother, she smiled and was about to say something when Sebastian pointed accusingly at her. "Julia was engaged, and you didn't even think to tell me." He bit out through clenched teeth.

Victoria gasped. "why? why should I? when you weren't even around."

Sebastian snickered. "Even though the least you could have done was to send a missive."

"A missive?" Victoria asked, confused. "why should I send a missive? If you have bothered to be here in the first place, you would have known."

"Unfortunately, " Sebastian rasped out in a cold voice. "I was not here, which brings me back to my question. Why didn't you send a missive? Why wasn't I informed?" He roared.

Victoria shot up from her chair and threw her handkerchief on the vanity table. "And why should I?" she bit out angrily. "what business of it is yours?" she held up one finger. "Tell me one good reason I should have sent a missive to you. One good reason!" she growled.

Sebastian opened his mouth and closed it. His sister was right. why should he be informed? the chit owed him nothing, but for the life of him, he couldn't seem to wrap his head around everything. He didn't know why, but he felt like he had travelled to a far country and gotten lost there.

He was restless. Sebastian felt restless, like a lost soul.

Without answering his sister, he whirled around and marched to his bed-chamber. Inside, he snapped and barked at his valet just because the lad was not done unpacking his things. with a snap of his fingers, he sent the lad away.

The valet bent his head and scurried away, for his master was furious, that he could freeze one, just by the flash of his eyes.

Sebastian paced the room in circles, restless. Then he dug his hand into his pocket and fished out a newspaper, he had bought one on his way back to London, he needed to have his own copy, even though the sheet of paper he was holding now had been thorned out from the said paper.

He straightened it and read the article one more time, then he read it again and again and again till he was sure he could decipher every single thing. frustrated, he growled and crumbled the paper and threw it out of his window. Running his hand in his hair.

He could feel his heart pounding in his chest. Sebastian moved to the window and stopped there. Why was he aggravated, why was he restless that Cole wants to marry Julia. sweet Julia. Cole didn't deserve her, she needed someone who would match her wits, someone who would banter with her, someone who she could play games with her.

With a start, Sebastian realised he wanted to be that person, the one who would match her every wit, understand her, appreciate her, the one who would love her.

He froze and stared at his hands, then he staggered back till his leg met the foot of his bed and sat down. His head reeling with this newfound information. By God! he was in love with Julia. He was in love with Julia. No wonder he felt as if someone was squeezing his heart each time he heard she was engaged.

Ha! Sebastian gave out a harsh, bitter laugh and slumped down on his bed. He was in love with Julia.

Bloody hell!

~~~~

AFTER SEBASTIAN CAME to terms with the fact that he was in love with Julia. Other ideas swarmed up in his head and his heart pounded with a frantic beat he was not used to.

Sebastian had never thought he would marry one day, at least not until he was into his forties, because associating the word wife to him, always left a bitter taste in his mouth. But associating the word wife to Julia and then attaching it with his name and title was an entirely different matter.

His heart swelled at the thought of that.

He had never felt this way before, thus he didn't know what to do. But one thing was clear to him. The idea of him marrying Julia was enough to bring flutters to his stomach.

"Julia Dashwood. Duchess of Hanton." Sebastian tasted the words on his lip and smiled sheepishly. He rather liked the sound of it.

It was a perfect match. Her name, alongside his, looked and sounded beautiful. Sebastian grinned. He couldn't tell when or how it had happened. All he knew was that he loved Julia, and he wanted it to remain that way.

The thoughts of her taking up residence in his home, and then eventually occupying his bedchamber was enough to place another smile on his face.

But the thoughts of her swelled up with his child was the best. No other thought could rival that.

Perhaps they might have a girl, a little thing with her mother's red hair. or perhaps a boy with piercing blue eyes like Julia's. As it is, he didn't care if the children did not receive any features from him. He would be content with finding traces of his wife in his children.

Sebastian covered his eyes with his arm and took in a huge breath. Then a thought occurred to him. What if she didn't reciprocate his feelings? what if she didn't love him?

Sebastian stiffened. slowly, slowly, panic crept up and paralyzed him to his bed. His heartbeat irregular.

The duke of Hanton had drowned himself with the thoughts of Julia and seems to have forgotten the harsh reality of the world

Julia was practically engaged to Cole. And there might even be an 80 percent chance that she was in love with Cole. Hadn't the chit come to him looking for help in regard to Cole.

Bloody hell!

Sebastian sprang up from the bed and paced the room in agitated steps. He ran his hand along his hair and gripped it. A clear sign of frustration.

Sebastian paced the room in circles and stopped in front of his looking glass. He watched as his shoulders rose and down, simultaneously. His eyes, hardened.

All his life he had never been one to wait for something to be handed over to him. if he wanted something, he took it. Even if it meant fighting tooth and nail for that thing. As long as he wanted it, he will move heaven and earth to get it.

The same theory applies to Julia. since she is engaged. He might as well severe it. And if she was in love with Cole, he would have to show her that love could also be found in other places. He would have to prove his love for her and sway her head away from Cole or die, trying.

Julia is his and his alone. she is his to keep. she is the Duchess of Hanton and the future mother of his children. No one, no one can tell him otherwise.

Sebastian marched over to his bedside and pulled the bellhop there. He turned and walked over to the hearth, his hands clasped behind his back.

"My lord?" The valet said.

Without turning his back, Sebastian barked out. "Ask them to prepare the carriage, I happen to be going out."