Sweet Love of Mine

Chapter Five

Chapter Five

1822

Sebastian Weatherly, a man she had once thought as close to her as a brother, was an utter twit.

Emily Weatherly tapped her foot impatiently as she watched him leave the ballroom in Lady Whitfield's wake, quite obviously following a secret assignation with the beautiful widow in some other part of the mansion. Just what did he think to accomplish following that woman? Would all his other hopefuls leave him be because he was a cad, a rogue, a scoundrel?

Girlish giggles came from beside her and Emily remembered her present company. "Oh, for goodness sake, Georgina," she snapped peevishly. "He's run off with Lady Whitfield again. Surely you can't still hold out hopes?"

The pretty blonde smiled broadly. "Mama always says that reformed rakes-"

"Oh, Good Lord," Emily muttered under her breath, giving the glistening ceiling a good glare. "I have it on good authority that Sebastian has no intention on marrying."

The blonde's friend- Miss Sabrina Walcott- shrugged and tinkled merrily, "Oh, but all it will take is one girl to whip him into shape."

"My brother-"

"He's not your brother, Emily," Georgina pointed out slyly, giving her a raised brow for effect. It made Emily quite uncomfortable, that. Lord, the man practically was her brother. They had grown up together, hadn't they? He was a brooding, insufferable scoundrel with savage good looks and arrogance in abundance. In Emily's opinion, he did not need his ego inflated any more than it was by the thousands of naïve chits that flocked to him whenever he ventured out into society. It had not always been her opinion that Sebastian was an incorrigible rogue of baser desires one did not dwell on for too long, but soon after her debut he had changed somehow. His visits to Weatherly House had dwindled less and less each year until they almost stopped completely. It was only upon Sophie's tautly worded insistence that he fulfil a duty to his family that he ever paid them a visit. At first, Emily had been mildly surprised at his turn in behaviour as he was usually so amiable towards his family and especially to her, but over the last three years she could not recall one solitary sentence he'd uttered in her direction. It had stung and Emily had spent many an hour idling over his aloofness. Then, his conquests had slowly made their way through the ballrooms and to her ears and she had become scandalised and shocked. If he could flaunt his mistresses about, uncaring of the impact it would have on the Weatherly name and, indirectly, on her, then she could forget him as a friend.

Tonight had been a rare occurrence. Sophie had used all her efforts to attain Sebastian's attentions this evening. She had said that his discrepancies were the sole cause behind Emily's inability to succeed in the marriage mart and that he'd best spend a fortnight with his family to make amends. It was the mention of her name, of her peril during the Season that had resulted in the arrival of Sebastian earlier that afternoon. He'd taken lodgings in his old bedchamber and had silently escorted them to the ball, depositing them firmly into the crowds before seeking out a comely widow with which to acquaint himself.

"He might as well be," Emily stated emphatically. "I'm naught but an inconvenient family member to him."

"Then why do you always require a chaperone when you stay with him?" Sabrina Walcott pointed out.

Emily made a vague, irritable gesture with her hand that nearly toppled a tray of champagne flutes a harassed-looking footman was carrying as he scuttled past them. " I don't want to end up married to the fool," she explained. "Like you said, George. I'm not really his sister at all. But I did grow up with him and let me assure you that Sebastian Weatherly is the most incorrigible rake in England."