Devil in Disguise (The Ravenels #7) by Lisa Kleypas

“Did you find Merritt?” Westcliff asked as Lillian came to the breakfast table with Evie.

Lillian replied with brisk cheerfulness, even as tell-tale banners of bright pink ran across her cheekbones. “Yes, she was in bed. Sleeping. Very soundly. Alone, of course. She’ll come down soon.”

Holy hell, Sebastian thought grimly. He was positive she’d seen Keir with Merritt. No doubt in some spectacularly compromising position.

However, as a devoted and loyal mother, Lillian would keep her mouth shut. She might criticize one of her children in private, but never in public. She would go to any lengths to protect them.

“I was just asking Kingston,” Westcliff told Lillian, “about Merritt’s business client, Mr. MacRae.”

“Is he still here?” Lillian asked, a little too innocently.

“As a matter of fact, yes,” Sebastian replied smoothly. He seated Evie at the table, while Westcliff did the same for his own wife.

As Lillian settled into her chair, she darted a look at Sebastian that said: You do not have long to live. He pretended not to notice.

Westcliff sat next to Lillian and rested a hand on the table, drumming his fingers lightly. “Why did Merritt bring MacRae here to recuperate from his injuries?” he asked Sebastian. “I would have expected her to take him to Stony Cross Park.”

“It was at my request.”

“Oh?” Westcliff studied him closely. “What connection do you have to him?”

Sebastian smiled slightly, reflecting that of all the things he’d ever broken, lost, or left by the wayside, he was grateful to have kept this man’s friendship. Something about Westcliff’s steady, logical presence made any problem seem manageable.

“Marcus,” he said quietly. They never usually went by first names, but for some reason it slipped out. “This has to do with that matter I told you about last year. The one involving Lady Ormonde.”

Westcliff reacted with a quick double blink. “This is him?”

Lillian shook her head in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

“I’ll explain,” Sebastian said. As he tried to think of how to start, Evie’s slim hand crept to his, their fingers weaving together. He looked down at their joined hands and stroked his thumb across a golden freckle on her wrist. “First,” he said, “let me remind everyone that in my youth, I was by no means the angel I am now.”

Lillian’s mouth twisted. “Believe me, Kingston … no one’s forgotten.”





Chapter 29


SEBASTIAN EXPLAINED HOW HE’D found out about the existence of an illegitimate son, and went on to describe the events following Keir’s arrival in London. The only part of the story he left out was Merritt’s personal involvement with Keir, which in his opinion was no one’s business but theirs.

Somewhere in the middle of it, Lillian interrupted. “Wait just a minute,” she said. “All three of you have known about this for a year, but no one told me?” As she read the answer in their faces, her brows rushed down in a scowl. “Evie, how could you leave me in the dark about something like this? It’s an utter betrayal of the wallflower code!”

“I wanted to tell you,” Evie said apologetically. “But the f-fewer people who knew, the better.”

Westcliff regarded his wife quizzically. “What’s the wallflower code?”

Lillian glowered at him. “Never mind, there is no wallflower code. Why didn’t you tell me Kingston had a natural-born son?”

“He asked me to keep it a secret.”

“It doesn’t count if you tell your wife!”

Sebastian broke in. “I decided not to confide in anyone other than Evie and Westcliff,” he said flatly. “I knew that telling you would only confirm all your worst opinions about my character.”

“And you thought I would use it against you?” Lillian asked incredulously. “You assumed I’d say hurtful things during a time of personal distress and turmoil?”

“I didn’t think it outside the realm of possibility.”

“After all we’ve been through … all the time our families have spent together … you think of me as an adversary?”

“I wouldn’t put it that way—”

“I would have been kind to you,” Lillian snapped, “had you told me. You should have given me a chance. I gave you a chance all those years ago, and—no, I don’t want another blasted apology, I’m pointing out that I set aside past grievances for the sake of your friendship with my husband. If I’m not worthy of your trust after that, I’ll be damned if I’ll try any longer.”

“Try to what?” Sebastian asked, mystified. As he stared into her infuriated face, and saw the hurt in her eyes, he asked slowly, “Lillian, are you saying you want to be friends with me?”

“Yes, you self-absorbed, dull-witted lobcock!” Lillian jumped to her feet, obliging the men to stand as well. “No, don’t get up,” she said. “I’m going for a walk. The three of you can finish the discussion without me. Apparently that’s how you prefer it.”

She strode from the room, and Westcliff began to follow.

“Wait,” Sebastian said to him urgently. “This is my fault. Let me make peace with her. Please.”