Lord Sebastian's Secret (The Duke's Sons #3)(79)

“But how can you?”

Georgina waved the question aside as if it was ridiculous. “Have you spoken to anyone about this…oddity? I don’t suppose a doctor would be of any help.”

“I’ve tried, but no one understood.” He hadn’t been willing to say it outright to his father or his tutors. The thought of appearing a dullard in their eyes had been intolerable. He’d only been able to tell Georgina because otherwise she’d think he didn’t love her. “I can’t always say exactly what I mean.”

“Well, we all have that problem,” replied Georgina wryly. She gazed into the distance as if deep in thought.

Amazed at the way she was taking the news, Sebastian felt hope reawaken in his breast.

“Is it something like being deaf?” she mused. “Or no, not quite that. Wait! Did you know that some people can’t see colors properly? Mostly men, I think. When they look at red, it seems gray to them. They have no way of knowing the real color.”

Sebastian stared at her.

“A scientist published a paper about it. Papa—you’ve seen how he loves odd bits of knowledge—he told us one night at dinner. I didn’t really listen, I’m afraid.” She shrugged guiltily. “He’s always going on about something.”

“Colors,” wondered Sebastian. “Like light?” Alan might know about it; he followed all kinds of scientific developments.

“I expect so. But I do remember this much. Such people look at the colors we all see, and they simply cannot perceive them. It’s just the way they’re born. And certainly has nothing to do with their intelligence.”

“You think it’s that way with me?” He’d thought of his problem as stupidity for so long that he couldn’t quite take it in.

“Yes, I do. And…” She paused to grip the lapels of his coat, demanding his full attention. “I don’t care if you never read a word, Sebastian. I love you.”

“Still?”

“Always.”

There could be only one response to this, and the two of them spent several intensely agreeable minutes in one of the shrubbery nooks demonstrating the strength of their attachment. When they had to step apart, or else go too far, Sebastian said, “Sykes writes my letters.” He wanted to make a clean breast of the whole matter.

“Does he?” replied his beloved, a bit breathlessly. She put a hand to her tousled hair.

“He has a particular handwriting just for them. A very bad one.”

Georgina laughed. “How clever of the two of you. Though I think, in that case, we will dispense with the exchange of passionate love letters when we are apart. Which I hope we shall not often be.”

Sebastian gazed down at her, amazed and touched. “You’re perfect, aren’t you?”

“Why, yes, I am,” she said with another laugh. “Oh, I am so glad that this was all. It’s such a relief.”

“Except for this blasted ritual,” said Sebastian. “And Miss Byngham insisting I read her…whatever it is.”

“Ah.” Georgina frowned. “Yes. I don’t think we want anyone else to know why you cannot. People can be so spiteful.”

How had he gotten so very lucky? Sebastian wondered. He felt as if a great weight, which he’d been lugging around all his life, had fallen off his back.

“We need a plan,” she continued. “I don’t suppose you could memorize her…composition? If I read it out to you a few times.”

“Oh yes,” said Sebastian. “I’m a whiz at getting passages by rote. Had to be.”

“Well, then.” She spread her hands as if the problem was solved.

“But Miss Byngham’s got it locked in her room. Sykes told me no one’s allowed inside.”

“Does she indeed?”

A smile spread over Georgina’s lovely face. It wasn’t quite like any expression Sebastian had seen there before. She looked rather like a cat who’d spotted an unguarded cream pot.

“I expect I can get around that,” she said. “Though I’ll need your help.”

He nearly snapped to attention. “Anything. Of course.”

“At the proper time, you’ll have to keep Joanna occupied for, oh, say an hour. Just to be certain.”

“Mount a diversionary action?”

“What a fine way of putting it. Precisely.”

“Just tell me when,” Sebastian answered, thinking yet again what a delight it was going to be, having such an exceedingly clever wife.





Eighteen


If only they had a bit more time, Georgina thought as she made her way to her mother’s workroom very late that night, after everyone else was abed. But by tomorrow at this time, Joanna’s ritual would be over, for better or worse. She had to act quickly, and every step had to go as planned. Sebastian had been gloomy about that last part. He’d said that a plan never survived first contact with the enemy. “It’s not a matter of enemies,” Georgina murmured as she stepped into the room.

The first necessity was to placate the pugs. A certain level of sleepy yapping in the wee hours was an accepted part of life at Stane Castle, but if the dogs went wild, it would draw unwanted attention. They knew her, however, and made no great fuss as Georgina crossed the room. She spoke to them softly, patting heads and responding to wriggling greetings on the way.