Page 45 of The Duchess and the Beast
Lightning lit the room as he bore down over Virtue. Naked. Panting and covered in sweat. Dark hair, a tangled mess. And his scar, a stark reminder of his sins, staring her in the face. She gasped at the sight and recoiled, and he didn’t blame her. Not one little bit.
“Tonight...” He began, clenching his jaw as he spoke, keeping himself from exploding because this had nothing to do with Virtue. “Thank you. Thank you for everything. But as you can see...” He gave a bitter chuckle and averted his gaze. “Some scars... even a mask cannot conceal.”
And with that, a final look of contempt that he hoped she knew was for himself and not her, Sebastian turned and stumbled from the library.
CHAPTER TWENTY
2 weeks later
“We should head back...” Holding Virtue by the hand, Sebastian half-turned as if he meant to drag Virtue back with him.
But Virtue refused to be pulled. “Back? Whatever for?”
Sebastian grimaced, then indicated the clouds gathering above the canopy. They were thick and heavy and dark; a clear indication that at any moment they might burst apart and drown whoever was unlucky enough to be caught standing under them. But that was not the true reason.
Two weeks had passed since Sebastian and Virtue had shared an intimate moment at Castle Greystone, a night that had left them both with lingering thoughts and unspoken desires. In the days following, Virtue had grown restless within the stone walls of the castle, yearning for the fresh air and the sense of adventure thatthe surrounding woodlands promised. As usual, Sebastian had been unable to refuse his wife's spirited insistence.
So, he had reluctantly let Virtue lead him out of Castle Greystone and into the surrounding woodlands for the first time in too many years. The dense trees and winding paths had brought back memories he had long buried. He had promised to show her a lookout point too, a special place nestled atop a hill that overlooked the expansive valley below. As a child, he had often come there with his mother, escaping the confines of his life to the serene beauty of the landscape. The view had been breathtaking, with perfectly green meadows and rolling hills stretching as far as the eye could see, dotted with wildflowers and ancient oaks. In the distance, the river had glinted in the sunlight, winding its way through the valley like a silver ribbon.
The lookout point had held a bittersweet mix of joy and sorrow for Sebastian. He had remembered sitting beside his mother, listening to her soft voice as she recited tales of heroic battles fought on those very plains by his ancestors before him. She had spoken of valor and sacrifice, her eyes shining with pride and fear as she had warned him of the harsh realities of war, though he had taken the wrong message from them. Those stories had fueled his youthful ambitions, planting the seeds of a soldier’s resolve within him. Despite her pleas for him to seek a different path, he had been captivated by the romanticism of war she had so vividly painted. Little did he know, he had set himself on a path of self-destruction for the years to come.
Now, as they reached closer, he was having second thoughts.
“Oh, surely, the great Duke of Greystone is not afraid of alittlerain,” Virtue laughed, keeping a hold of his hand as she pulled him back.
Sebastian fixed his wife with a glare that seemed to have little to no effect on her anymore. “I am not afraid.”
“It sure sounds like you are,” she teased.
“I just...” Sebastian glanced about them as if worried. “I just don’t want to be caught out here when the storm comes – it is dangerous, Virtue. If there is lightning, it might strike one of these trees, causing a fire or worse.”
“Oh, well, it is a good thing I have you to protect me then, is it not? I, for one, have never felt so safe.”
“Has anyone ever told you how stubborn you are?”
She grinned. “Almost all the time. And it is because I am so stubborn...” Virtue gently nudged Sebastian forward, still holding his hand as she fell back in beside him. “That you should know better than to argue with me.”
“I am beginning to realize that.”
“Just one of my many positive qualities.” The two started walking again, Virtue making sure to keep a hold of Sebastian’s hand, leaning in close and holding his arm with her other hand. He did not withdraw at her touch like he might once have, norwas he so nervous around her. If anything, her presence seemed to calm him.
“I shall let you know when I learn of one more.”
“One more what?”
“A positive quality,” he joked. “Surely, you have more than the one?”
“Oh—” She slapped his arm playfully. “When did my husband become a jester?”
“I was not trying to be. Sometimes the truth has a way of seeming humorous.”
Virtue slapped Sebastian’s arm again, and then, because the moment felt right, she leaned in and gave him a kiss on his cheek. The right cheek, that was, where his mask would ordinarily be covering. He wasn’t wearing it today, leaving his scar exposed, which her lips found without hesitation. And as she kissed his scar, she felt Sebastian catch his breath, for a moment feeling as if he might pull away. But she held him tight, kissed him again, and he relaxed.
“I know you said you would visit the place with your mother when you were younger, but is it strange I cannot for the life of me imagine the fearsome Sebastian, Duke of Greystone, as achild, one who was doted on by his mother no less. And what of your father? You have spoken a lot of your mother but said very little of him.”
“That man was too embroiled in his own wealth and status to care for the path his son carved out,” Sebastian murmured emotionlessly. “I don’t think he cared that I had decided to purchase a commission, he was neck-deep in supply and manufacturing contracts, and war was just another profit avenue for him.”
“Oh…” Virtue trailed off.