She straightened then and he found himself holding his breath as she tilted her head back and wiped a hand across her brow. She seemed to be swiping away the hair that had fallen into her eyes, but she left a brown smudge of dirt in her wake.
Once again, the sight of her inexplicably made him grin.
He was quick to smile, so the grin wasn’t such a surprise, but the feeling that came with it...that most certainly was.
Sebastian rubbed a hand over his chest in wonder at the sensation. Something light. Something good. Something…
Well, just something.
He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Oh yes, he was quick to smile and the first to crack a joke. But despite all that, it had been ages since he’d felt much of anything.
Or at least, it had been an age since he’d felt anything good.
He gave his head a shake as if that could rid him of the maudlin thought. It wasn’t as though his life was so very bad, even if it was a bit aimless since his father had called him home from the army.
His father had been steadfastly refusing to even entertain a conversation about purchasing the promotion for which he was now eligible, and insisting instead that he stay close at hand in the event that he suddenly passed away.
Foolishness, obviously. His father wasn’t even close to death’s door, not by anyone’s measure. But Sebastian had dutifully come all the same. He’d come home, and he’d stayed. Not just because his father insisted on it, but for his brother’s sake as well. It wasn’t fair to leave Maxwell to bear not only the burden of the obligations he’d been taking over for their father, but his father’s ailing health as well.
And so here he was. His father’s trusty sidekick on his quest to talk a young woman with responsibilities and duties of her own to come back to a manor overflowing with stodgy, boring guests so she might take care of an earl who believed himself to be ill.
It should be noted that no one agreed with him on the matter. Not even Dr. Roberts, though the good physician did his best to be affable about it.
He wondered if this girl, this Miss Sally, would be as tolerant and indulgent as the physician who’d recommended her.
Sebastian watched the girl as she walked slowly around the periphery of the garden, her eyes narrowed in thought as she studied the plants at her feet.
There it was again. That flickering sensation in his chest. That twitch or quiver or whatever it was that made him feel as though his heart had sprouted wings.
Oh dear. Perhaps he was the sick one here.
But no. Sebastian was healthy, and his father was the same, even if his father wouldn’t admit it.
Sebastian’s lips curved up in a smile that felt far more genuine than his typical rueful smirk or mocking grin as he watched her. The girl shifted so she was facing the window and he had a full view of her stern features and the smudge of dirt that marred the scowl and rendered it adorable.
No, there was no denying that this sensation was new.
He straightened his shoulders and turned from the window just as the door opened and the captain came in. “My lord, this is a surprise,” he said by way of greeting.
They’d met the captain before, of course. Multiple times. Though they did not frequent the same circles, the captain had been known to join the earl’s family for dinner on occasion, and then of course there was last week’s gala when the earl had brought their visitors here to the fort for the ball his daughters had planned.
A festive occasion, of that there was no doubt. Sebastian had enjoyed it thoroughly. It wasn’t every day that a ball ended in pirates being stabbed and young ladies being abducted. In fact, he rather wished more balls entailed such delicious adventure.
He only wished for Miss Sally’s sake that his father had not witnessed her handiwork with the patient.
He fought a grimace as his father skipped over a fair amount of pleasantries to get straight to the point. “I’d like your daughter to join us at Hampton Manor.”
The captain’s white mustache quivered as he stared at the earl. “I beg your pardon?”
Sebastian assumed this was his moment to take over. His father might not trust him to do much of anything at all, but they both knew that while the earl excelled at issuing commands, Sebastian was far better equipped to explain them.
“He means Miss Sally,” Sebastian said. “You see, Captain, my father is in need of some assistance.”
The captain’s brows drew down. “What sort of assistance?”
“Looking after my father’s health,” Sebastian said. “Dr. Roberts typically comes to stay with my father when we are in residence in the country for this very reason but it seems he has other obligations—”
“Leaving me high and dry,” his father muttered.
Sebastian ignored him, his smile growing as he addressed the captain again. “So, you see, the doctor recommended that we ask for your daughter’s assistance. Nothing too taxing, I assure you. We just require someone with some experience in a sickroom.”
“I see.” The captain’s frown was not all together a good sign. Not surprisingly. The captain’s daughters might not have been high born, but they’d been gently raised and this request was not exactly normal.
“Of course we would provide her with a lady’s maid,” he continued. “And she would be welcome at our table, to enjoy all the comforts and amenities of our home along with our guests—”
“I certainly hope that is not required.” The low, soft female voice behind him caught him by surprise, and he turned to see her. Miss Sally. She’d apparently been speaking to herself and when he
