Read Online His Mistress By Christmas by Victoria Alexander - Free Book Online

grinned. “Then my plan is working.”
    “Add the friend of your proper cousin on your arm and your brothers can’t help but approve your inheritance.”
    Sebastian shook his head. “My inheritance has nothing to do with Veronica.”
    “Come now, you can’t tell me that after the respectable house and responsible profession, the idea of a proper”—the American winced—”wife hasn’t crossed your mind.”
    “Admittedly, it has occurred to me—”
    Sinclair groaned.
    “But,” Sebastian added quickly, “I have no intention of marrying anyone simply to get an inheritance or the respect of my brothers. And from what I know thus far, Veronica is not what anyone would call proper. At least not entirely. And I have no idea if I wish to marry her or not.”
    “Veronica?” Sinclair’s brow rose.
    “That would be her name, yes.”
    Sinclair studied him for a long moment. He chose his words with care. “I am going to tell you something I never thought I would say to you.”
    The tone of the conversation was at once serious. Sebastian stared at his friend. “What is it?”
    “When we are engaged in a game of cards and you are bluffing, in fact whenever you say anything that isn’t the complete truth, a muscle on the side of your jaw twitches. I noticed it years ago.”
    “Why didn’t you ever tell me?”
    Sinclair scoffed. “Why would I?”
    Sebastian narrowed his gaze. “I suspect you owe me some of the winnings you have taken from me through the years.”
    “You should be grateful I never shared my discovery. As for
my
winnings, they are a burden of guilt I am willing to bear. I’m only telling you now because that muscle is twitching.”
    “Nonsense.”
    “Which means either you are not being entirely truthful about using this woman to get your family’s approval or you have already decided to marry her.” Sinclair sipped his brandy thoughtfully. “I’m just not sure if you’re lying to me or yourself.”
    “As I said, marriage is not a step I would take simply to get an inheritance. As for marrying Veronica . . .” He chose his words with care. “There have been any number of incidents through the years—you and I have discussed them at length—when we have been forced to rely on nothing more than instinct. A sixth sense, if you will, that has yet to fail either of us.”
    Sinclair’s eyes narrowed. “And?”
    “And now that same instinct is telling me that if I do not make this woman part of my life for the rest of my days, I will regret it. So it’s possible I have decided. It sounds mad, doesn’t it?”
    “At the very least. You scarcely know her.”
    “I suspect marriage will afford me the opportunity to know her much, much better.”
    Sinclair stared. “That sounds like a decision to me.”
    “Yes, I suppose it is.”
    “Are you in love with her?”
    “Perhaps. Almost. I don’t know. I do know I haven’t been able to think of much else but her since we first met.” He shook his head. “I’ve never experienced that before.”
    “Never?”
    “Not that I can recall.”
    “Not even with the French ambassador’s daughter in Cairo?”
    “No.”
    “Or that lovely widow in Algiers?”
    Sebastian shuddered. “Heavens no.”
    “Or with the—”
    “No,” Sebastian snapped. “Not once, not ever.”
    “That is interesting.” Sinclair studied him for a long moment, then smiled and raised his glass. “Good luck to you, then.”
    “I shall probably need it. Veronica Smithson may well pose the greatest challenge I have ever faced.” He cast his friend a confident smile. “But then I suspect she will be the grandest adventure as well.”

    Still, there would be no adventure at all if the blasted woman refused to make an appearance.
    Sebastian resisted the urge to get to his feet and check the corridor outside the private box he had reserved for tonight. Again. He forced himself to stay seated, serenely gazing out at the theater seats filling on the floor beneath this level