37. Vows, promises and scandal

Bolwick castle, London.
1830.

UNLIKE COLE who had come to lady Durford's house party without an invitation. Sebastian, on the other hand, had been offered one.

The invitation had been sent a bit late, but nevertheless, for the first time in Sebastian's life, he was glad to see a scrap of paper.

He could have allowed his sister to come to this very party, but God help him, he didn't trust her to keep her mouth shut. He didn't trust her to keep the gossip contained.

Why? she might be tempted to divulge the whole secret even before he has had the chance to declare his feelings.

Sebastian stepped into the drawing-room with a decided air of grace. He paused at the door as he tried to calm his racing heart.

A few of the guests had stopped their conversation and spared him a curious stare.

Sebastian winced. He could only imagine what he looked like. But who could blame him? He had ridden nonstop, first to Warwickshire to seek an audience with Julia's cousin, and then to the archbishop of Canterbury to procure a special license, at that point, worrying over his clothes would have been nothing more than a frivolous act.

Of course, if he had wanted to appear in a better state then he did now. He could have taken his carriage. The luxury and comfort of the carriage would have preserved his clothes, but at the same time slow him down.

He would forever be stopping at every available inn to rest, and feed the horses. But with one horse, it was so much different, it was easier, and faster. That is if one overlooks the state in which one's cloth would be in.

The duke of Hanton took a quick successful step towards Julia, his steps focused, and direct.

On his way, he hooked two fingers and wriggled out his cravat from his neck. If his dear mama had been alive to see this. She might have swooned from the shock of it.

This was the height of it. A well-bred gentleman, will never, ever, undress in the presence of respectable ladies. If his dear mama had been there, she might have refused to believe she had anything to do with his upbringing.

Luckily for him, that action seems to have gone by, unnoticed. But, it was of no use, for the duke seems not to give a care if he created a scandal, or not. He was tired of living within the boundaries of the ton. He would do what he wanted, and how he wanted it, society be damned.

As if sensing his presence Julia turned and met his stare. He held it. silently daring her to break it off. Instead, Julia turned properly and stared at him. Her eyes drifted from his eyes down to his lips as she stared at him with unconcealed desire.

The Duke, felt himself shiver uncontrollably and tried his most damn, to get to her before he did something foolish.

Sebastian reached Julia and did something unthinkable. An action that elicited gasps from the very mouth of London mamas and their daughters, then unconcealed curiosity from the eyes of gentlemen.

Sebastian Dashwood, the fifth duke of Hanton fell on one knee in front of lady Julia. An action that seems to have shocked and rocked the whole room.

Sebastian raised his head and discovered that the same feminine traits which all the ladies in the blasted house party seems to be in possession of, had somehow been passed unto Julia, for her lips had parted, and she stared at him with wide eyes.

Sebastian felt himself smile. heh, really, had he managed to shock everyone, didn't he look like someone who could fall down on one knee in front of a woman he loved.

The duke of Hanton spared a glance at Cole and found him grinning. He seems to be the only one who wasn't quite surprised.

Sebastian turned his head back to Julia. He opened his mouth to talk, and then snapped it shut immediately as he realized that the poem he had been reciting on, for days had suddenly vanished from his mind. He should have expected something like this, he had never been cut out for poetry.

The duke spared a glance at Julia and found that she was looking at him with a confused expression on her face. He didn't blame her, He knew what it looked like, to the rest of the occupants he had fallen on his knees in front of her and remained there without saying anything.

Sebastian sighed, he would have to rely on his heart, for his brain had failed him. He took Julia's right hand encased in kidskin glove and raised it to his lips. His eyes pinning her with his hot stare.

Sebastian kissed her hand and held it. refusing to release it.

Then he squeezes her hand and raised it to his lips again. "lady Julia Cavendish, will you do me the honors of becoming my wife? I shalln't ask you for any other reason, other than, because I love you."

"Sebastian," she whispered. But Sebastian refused to look at her. His mind was in jumbles, and he was embarrassed to admit that he was afraid. what if she rejected him?

The room seems to have fallen into an unearthly silence as everyone watched the drama unfold.

Sebastian lowered his head. As soon as he had gotten those first words out, he found that he had become quite tongue-tied. His mouth had refused to corporate and he couldn't get any words past his lip. "I...I..." Sebastian stopped.

Julia stared at the man she was in love with and wanted to cry. Here he was, on his knees before her, before the ton. stripped of his pride, stripped of his control, just because of her. Just so he could declare his love.

Julia wouldn't be in love with Sebastian if she didn't realize, that at that point he was struggling to express his feeling for her.

She wouldn't let him do this, Julia wouldn't let him bare himself in front of the public like that, she would have to stop him.

"yes I will, " Julia cried. "Yes I would marry you."

Sebastian raised his head at that. He stared at Julia, and at that point, Julia had believed that he must have seen right into her soul, for his stare was hot, and intense hardly leaving Julia any chance to take a breath.

Julia had expected him to stand up immediately after she had agreed to marry him, but instead, Sebastian remained on a bended knee. It was as if he had sworn to remain on his knee until he had bared his heart, and possibly his soul for the world to see.

Julia stared at her strong man, a man who had risked everything for her. She watched him raise his head again, but this time around he had found his voice.

He took her hand again, and gently tugged off her glove, then he raised her hand to his mouth and let his firm soft lips brush on her bare hand.

By now, everyone must have realized that Sebastian was prepared to create a scandal. So nothing he did again could have scandalize them, for they had fortified their eyes and heart for the onslaught of Sebastian's recklessness. Still, one or two people were still taken back by surprise. Like when he had tugged off Julia's gloves and revealed her hand. How scandalous!

Sebastian held Julia's hand. "with my body I shall worship you, with my heart I shall protect you..."

"Heh, isn't that the marriage vow that the duke is reciting to that poor girl?" A voice said from behind Sebastian, followed by a series of whispers.

Sebastian grinned. "Now that I am on the business of promises, I promise to take you to the gaming hell, if you so much as ask, and I promise to play with you in our home, if perhaps that is what you desire, and most especially I promise to love you now, and ever," Sebastian whispered.

when Julia heard that, she felt tears threaten to spill from her eyes. "I love you too, she murmured."

Sebastian grinned and stared at her mouth. Julia took an involuntary step backward. she knew that look, Sebastian was looking at her as if...as if he wanted to kiss her. Julia took another step back. surely he didn't mean to kiss her here with the whole ton watching.

Sebastian smiled and stood up. He had seen the horror on Julia's face as she had read his intention and he couldn't bear to subject her to such horror. left to him, he didn't mind ravishing her here, with or without the ton watching. But he had seen her unspoken denial about the whole situation, so instead, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her out of the room.