He nudged her hip gently with his own, encouraging her to move over. “Why do you say that? I’m an unrepentant rogue of the vilest kind who spends his nights in gaming halls and brothels.”
That brought giggles from Marissa, and that was music to his ears. “You are no such thing, brother, and you know it. Oh, I admit you and your two co-conspirators in wickedness and debauchery try at playing the degenerates. But anyone who knows you on a personal level knows the rumors are just that––rumors without a lick of truth behind them.”
Myles nudged her again, this time a little harder. “Please keep this to yourself. I worked hard to acquire my reputation, as did Wentworth and Amesbury. We would be appalled if people thought we were upstanding citizens.”
“Why does a broken heart hurt so badly?” Marissa asked, suddenly melancholy once again. Myles’s heart cracked a little as he listened.
“I don’t know, little sister. I wish I knew. If I did I could heal yours and mine.”
Marissa sucked in air. “You have a broken heart? I don’t believe it. Who would dare turn you down? She must be daft in the head.”
He actually laughed, and his heart lightened within his chest. “Well, I wouldn’t go so far as to say she was daft. More like she was promised to another when we first met. I was relentless in my pursuit of her, though. I believe she cared for me. Hell, maybe I was the one daft in reading her, and saw only what I wanted to see.
“Never mind about my heart. It is long past healed and seeking another for its affections.” An image of Bella flashed in Myles’s mind, and his heart picked up a beat. Did Bella cry for him at night? Damn. He sucked in air.
Wentworth was right; guilt did cause pain. But there was another consideration… Did he perhaps like that Bella was in love with him? He realized then that part of him did and part of him didn’t. Bella deserved a man who knew his heart and mind. Perhaps time could heal his broken heart and he could be that man.
“Tell me about Sebastian,” he encouraged.
His sister moved away and sat, legs crossed, facing him on the bed. Her eyes were puffy and swollen, her nose red. She looked about ten years old.
“I know it’s silly. But ever since I was a little girl I dreamed about marrying Sebastian. I wanted him to come to my room and steal me away, preferably on horseback, and take me to Gretna Green. We would marry, have a house full of children, and grow old together.” She sighed loudly. “Stupid, huh?”
Shaking his head, Myles said, “No, I imagine every little girl dreams about her prince. That he will steal her away from her cruel family and ravish her.”
That brought giggles from Marissa. Good, he accomplished what he’d wanted, for now.
“How convenient of you to twist my story,” she said, turning serious again. “Do you think he ever thought about me? Sebastian was all I thought about while I prepared for the season to open. And when I had the stomach ailment and missed the first ball and then Almack’s, I wanted to die.
“My insides bubbled with excitement tonight. I thought I would see Sebastian and persuade him to dance with me so I could steal his heart.” Shaking her head from side to side, she continued. “Talk about thinking and acting like a child.”
“Wentworth said you took the news like a lady. He feels awful because he and Sebastian had a terrible row, which caused Sebastian to leave.” There was no way Myles would tell his sister about Sebastian asking for Emma’s hand. “I’m not saying Sebastian would have stayed if he knew of your feelings for him, because not even I can know what goes on inside another’s head.
“The only advice I can give you is to have an open mind. I know you don’t want to hear this, but there is another out there for you. You might even have met him tonight, though you don’t yet know it.”
“Kind of you to lie to me, brother. However, I think it will take some time before I forget Sebastian and move on. But thank you for trying to lift my spirits.” She scooted under the covers, ready to call it a night. “I love you, Myles.”
Myles’s heart melted. He could not remember the last time he and Marissa had spent time alone like this. He would make sure it didn’t go so long before the next time.
“I love you two, Rissa.”
After leaving his sister’s room, he entered his own with a lighter heart than he’d had hours ago. His talk with Marissa helped him see his feelings for Sophie for what they were, a fairy tale. It was time to bury memories of Sophie and start new ones.
He had a life ahead of him, and by God, he planned on living it, because if he had learned anything this past week it was that life was unpredictable––and Amesbury was the perfect example.