killed by a great fall of rock while they were traveling
through a mountain pass in a godforsaken corner of the East called Saragstan.”
Prudence came to a halt on the dance floor. “How terrible for you, my lord. I know how you must have
felt. I remember all too well my feelings at the moment I received word my parents had been killed in the
carriage accident.”
Sebastian did not seem to hear her. His gaze was turned inward as he led her off the floor. Prudence
sensed that he was focusing on some distant landscape that only he could see. He came to a halt near the
French doors and stood looking out into the night.
“I was to meet up with them in a small town at the foot of the mountains. I had business dealings there.
The local weavers produce a very fine cloth which I purchase and have shipped toEngland andAmerica .
My parents and my brother never arrived.”
“I am so very sorry, my lord.” Prudence sought for words of com-fort. “Such tragic accidents are very
difficult to endure.”
Sebastian veiled his eyes briefly with his long, dark lashes. When he raised them again and glanced
sideways at Prudence she knew he was once more in the present. “You misunderstand. My parents and
my brother did not die in an accident.”
Prudence stared at him. “What are you saying?”
“The fall of rock which killed them was deliberately caused by bandits who preyed upon travelers in the
mountains. I did not know that the bandits were a problem in the region when I sent word to my father to
meet me in that damned town.”
“Dear God.” Prudence’s eyes widened as she realized what he was saying. “Surely you do not blame
yourself, my lord?”
“I don’t know.” He leaned one shoulder against the doorframe and continued to gaze out into the
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
darkness. “The fact is they would all be alive today if I had not asked them to join me there in
Sarag-stan.”
She touched his sleeve. “You must not assume the responsibility for what happened. You did not
destroy your family. The bandits did that. Were they ever caught and punished?”
“Yes.” Sebastian looked down at her. “They were punished.” His mouth curved in his chilling smile.
“Now, Miss Merryweather, I sug-gest we change the subject. I would rather not discuss such unpleasant
matters with you.”
“I quite understand, my lord,” Prudence said seriously. “I do not think it is a good thing to dwell too
much on the past. It is the present and the future that are important. Don’t you agree?”
“I have no idea.” Sebastian acted as though the question bored him. “I’ll leave such philosophical
decisions up to you.”
The devil was up to mischief tonight. Prudence was certain of it an hour later when Sebastian took his
leave of her and started toward the door.
During the past few days she had come to feel that she had gotten to know this enigmatic man quite well.
There was a sense of recogni-tion deep inside her. She did not fully understand it, but she knew it was
there.
She thought she could see past the cool facade he showed to the world. She believed she could even
read the small signs that indicated the subtle changes in his dark moods.
Tonight, Prudence decided, there was an air of keen alertness about him, a sense of barely suppressed
anticipation like that of a predator on the hunt. It worried her. Sebastian had been in the same strange
mood for the past three nights.
She watched him make his way through the glittering room. He would soon be lost from sight in the
throng of guests that filled the Thornbridge house.
This was not the first time this week that she had watched him quietly disappear from a crowded
ballroom. He had vanished from three different ballrooms last night, two others the previous night, and
two more the night before that. On each occasion he had reappeared a short while later acting as if he
had never
through a mountain pass in a godforsaken corner of the East called Saragstan.”
Prudence came to a halt on the dance floor. “How terrible for you, my lord. I know how you must have
felt. I remember all too well my feelings at the moment I received word my parents had been killed in the
carriage accident.”
Sebastian did not seem to hear her. His gaze was turned inward as he led her off the floor. Prudence
sensed that he was focusing on some distant landscape that only he could see. He came to a halt near the
French doors and stood looking out into the night.
“I was to meet up with them in a small town at the foot of the mountains. I had business dealings there.
The local weavers produce a very fine cloth which I purchase and have shipped toEngland andAmerica .
My parents and my brother never arrived.”
“I am so very sorry, my lord.” Prudence sought for words of com-fort. “Such tragic accidents are very
difficult to endure.”
Sebastian veiled his eyes briefly with his long, dark lashes. When he raised them again and glanced
sideways at Prudence she knew he was once more in the present. “You misunderstand. My parents and
my brother did not die in an accident.”
Prudence stared at him. “What are you saying?”
“The fall of rock which killed them was deliberately caused by bandits who preyed upon travelers in the
mountains. I did not know that the bandits were a problem in the region when I sent word to my father to
meet me in that damned town.”
“Dear God.” Prudence’s eyes widened as she realized what he was saying. “Surely you do not blame
yourself, my lord?”
“I don’t know.” He leaned one shoulder against the doorframe and continued to gaze out into the
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
darkness. “The fact is they would all be alive today if I had not asked them to join me there in
Sarag-stan.”
She touched his sleeve. “You must not assume the responsibility for what happened. You did not
destroy your family. The bandits did that. Were they ever caught and punished?”
“Yes.” Sebastian looked down at her. “They were punished.” His mouth curved in his chilling smile.
“Now, Miss Merryweather, I sug-gest we change the subject. I would rather not discuss such unpleasant
matters with you.”
“I quite understand, my lord,” Prudence said seriously. “I do not think it is a good thing to dwell too
much on the past. It is the present and the future that are important. Don’t you agree?”
“I have no idea.” Sebastian acted as though the question bored him. “I’ll leave such philosophical
decisions up to you.”
The devil was up to mischief tonight. Prudence was certain of it an hour later when Sebastian took his
leave of her and started toward the door.
During the past few days she had come to feel that she had gotten to know this enigmatic man quite well.
There was a sense of recogni-tion deep inside her. She did not fully understand it, but she knew it was
there.
She thought she could see past the cool facade he showed to the world. She believed she could even
read the small signs that indicated the subtle changes in his dark moods.
Tonight, Prudence decided, there was an air of keen alertness about him, a sense of barely suppressed
anticipation like that of a predator on the hunt. It worried her. Sebastian had been in the same strange
mood for the past three nights.
She watched him make his way through the glittering room. He would soon be lost from sight in the
throng of guests that filled the Thornbridge house.
This was not the first time this week that she had watched him quietly disappear from a crowded
ballroom. He had vanished from three different ballrooms last night, two others the previous night, and
two more the night before that. On each occasion he had reappeared a short while later acting as if he
had never
Similar Books
