Free A Little Bit Sinful by Adrienne Basso Page A

with long, dark, lush lashes.
    She was the type of female who looked best in vibrant colors, deep shades in jewel tones that set off the richness of her complexion and the sparkle in her eyes. Unfortunately, she did not choose to wear the colors that would enhance her appearance, but instead elected to dress herself in dull grays and serviceable browns. He wondered why.
    “If your intentions are serious, Lord Benton, then I expect you to call upon us like a proper suitor. And if they are not …”
    Sebastian gave her a startled look. “Surely you are not questioning my intentions?”
    “I do not know you, my lord, but I know my sister. She is a sweet and kindhearted young lady who hasled a very sheltered life. Though possessing a keen intelligence, Bianca is incapable of realizing when a man is trying to take advantage of her.” Her prim voice grew even more forceful. “After all, ‘tis a well-known fact you have an aversion to marriage.”
    He raised his brow.
    “A fear of marriage?” she amended.
    “Indeed?” Sebastian felt his muscles draw up tight. “My reputation isn’t all that impressive, based mostly on my wild-oat-sowing youth. I daresay it makes a gentleman a more dashing, attractive catch.”
    “For whom? An impressionable young girl who doesn’t understand the importance of character?”
    Ouch. That stung.
‘Twas bad enough to have his motives questioned, but her unerring quest for the truth was even more disconcerting. “Is that why you have never married?” Sebastian asked, hoping to divert her attention by changing the focus of the conversation. “Was true character lacking in your beaus?”
    “No.” For the first time she flushed. “He was noble in character, though not in birth, and proved his mettle by understanding the difficult choice I had to make.”
    Willpower alone kept the surprise from Sebastian’s face. He had made the remark to throw her off balance, never imagining there actually had been a serious relationship in her past. How very interesting. Perhaps there was a way to use this to his advantage?
    “What happened?”
    She sent him a sideways glare and he expected her to tell him it was none of his business. Instead she shrugged and said quietly, “The social andfinancial chasm between us was too vast to breach without taking drastic measures. Sadly, I was not free to make them.”
    “Yet he was a man of good character? A man you admired?”
    “Yes, very much.” For an instant Lady Eleanor’s eyes clouded with emotion. “And loved.”
    “You do not think Lady Bianca could love me the same way?”
    Lady Eleanor blinked her eyes rapidly, coming back to herself with admirable speed. “I do not know my sister’s heart, nor will I try to unduly influence it. But I will diligently seek to find a man for her who is eminently trustworthy and dependable. An honorable man who is steady and predictable.”
    “Dull.”
    “I beg your pardon?”
    “You left out dull.” Sebastian had to press his mouth firmly together to hold back his laughter. “Everything you said implies a dull fellow.”
    “You are wrong. Stability and respectability are not dull traits.” Her brows furrowed for a moment. “Not always.”
    He sighed. “I seem to be hearing a great deal about what you want in a man for Lady Bianca. What of her wishes? Are they to be taken into consideration also?”
    Sebastian fixed her with a stare that others found intimidating, yet Lady Eleanor’s eyes never wavered from his.
    “I have taken charge of my sister’s welfare since she was a young child. ‘Tis a natural, protective instinct, not easily dismissed.”
    Sebastian pursed his lips. Lady Eleanor was provingherself to be a royal pain in his arse, though try as he might, he could not help but respect her. Even like her a bit. It was obvious that as the elder sister she had been the dependable, steady one. Possibly even a substitute parent.
    “I don’t know what I can say to ease your mind,” he finally