Misleading The Marquis

Sixteen - Bane

He hated her, he reminded himself... she was a liar, a betrayer, a woman intent to use him for all she could. She'd never had a single intention of making it up this mountain to begin with, so why should he care that she was nervous about it now?

"Bane," she whispered like a hiss, her small gloved hands clamping onto his elbow as if for dear life.

"it is alright, George," he promised gently, since when had he been gentle with liars? Turning towards her as if just noticing her for the first time he gave her an encouraging nod, and she locked her eyes on his face, searching his very soul it seemed.

"You're sure we won't go over?" she asked quietly, clenching her fingers tighter still as they went over a particularly cumberson bump in the path. Bane smiled and kissed the crown of her head without thinking.

"All is well," he promised softly into her hair, the smell of vanilla and spices coming off of her. He would've felt a fool in that moment, realizing how soft he'd gone over her... but George also chose that moment to snuggle into his shoulder, settling closer to him in the seat and burrowing her face against his arm as another bump rattled thier vehicle.

She didn't hate him. She didn't fear him. But neither did she want him, Bane reminded himself as they continued their plow up the mountain road. So what exactly was he supposed to do with her for the next six weeks in order to ensure she did not take his very soul with her when she inevitably left?

Brisbane Castle awaited them at its very best, as Bane and George descended from the hired cab together. A pack of footment, loyal to a fault and uniformed in bold blue and silver colors embroidered with the Sefton crest, hurried to unload their packages, pay the driver and usher them inside.

"Welcome home, my lord," Knox, the butler older than the Saint herself, welcomed them with a kindness in his face that Bane had never seen waver in all the years the man had served their family.

#

Dinner was served in the large formal dining room, his grandmother being very particular about family meals being done right.

Mary Kathleen, Harry, Merigold and Joshua sat around the table, keeping conversation light as they each engaged George in polite conversation. His sisters seemed to like her immediately, and he knew Joshua would be a generous judge of character. It was Harry and his grandmother's scrutiny that had Bane most worried, for he didnt' intend to tell even his most intimate family of the scam George had run on him.

Grandmother gave a bit of input now and then between sips of her split pea soup. Bane instead sat at the head of the table trying not to squirm. George sat to his right, wearing that same velvet dinner gown that had been half way falling off when he'd stormed into the dressing room earlier. Having every button fastened did nothing to guard her decolletage, but that was only half the problem, the other was the way she kept looking at him between statements, pulling him into conversation that he otherwise made a practice of staying out of - even with his most beloved family and his best friend. But now George was turning those bright round eyes on him every few moments, asking him what he thought of this or if something Harry told her was true. And Bane, fool that he was - answered everything she asked of him.

"Do you ride, my lady?" Harry asked, another in the line of the polite conversation starters.

"I've never had the opportunity, no," George answered with a polite smile at his handsome friend, "Do you keep horses in the mountains?" she asked, turning to Bane with this question. He found that he was already watching her, and so found he had no excuse but to answer.

"Yes, we keep Clives breeder - sturdier horses meant for the terrain," he explained, and then without really thinking, "I could teach you - if you wanted to learn."