The Bachelor Bargain (Secrets, Scandals, and Spies) by Michaels, Maddison (short books to read TXT) 📕

Sebastian was standing there, a scowl on his face, his golden hair dripping wet and plastered against his head, and the top of his gray jacket and shirt soaked from the red liquid thrown at him by the young girl standing to his side.

This had to be his sister, Charlotte, who had a look of utter mortification in her eyes. Eyes that were uncannily identical to Sebastian’s, though there weren’t the same depths of darkness and shadows in them as in her brother’s.

“Oh my goodness, my lady, I’m sorry,” the girl murmured, while doing a slight curtsy. “How embarrassing. Um, you’ll have to forgive me and my brother for arguing.”

“You were arguing. I was telling you how it is to be,” Sebastian said, striding across to the side table and picking up a napkin to dry his face.

“Yes, you never argue. You simply dictate to us mere mortals how our life is going to be!” Charlotte yelled. “Well, I will not accept your edict. I will attend the London School of Medicine for Women as soon as I turn twenty-one, and I will be a doctor and not some sniveling Society woman. Oh, my apologies, Lady Olivia.” Her gaze swiveled back to Livie, an apologetic expression plastered across her face. “I didn’t mean to offend, I just quite forgot myself.”

“It’s quite understandable.” Livie smiled and stepped into the room. “If it’s any consolation, I’ve thought about throwing things at that thick head of his since I met him. Many times, in fact.”

“You have?” The girl gulped.

“Most definitely,” Livie replied with a nod. “He does have a tendency to try to boss others around. Although I may end up just clubbing him on the head with my cane. It’s always at the ready, you see.”

Charlotte smiled at her, eyeing her cane, but in interest, not pity. “A cane would have been far more satisfying than cordial.”

“Undoubtedly,” Livie agreed.

“I’m still here, you both know,” Sebastian grumbled.

“Oh, we are aware.” Livie glanced over at him. “Now, I intend to have a chat with your sister, so please refrain from interrupting. You’ve already made a royal mess of the situation, so do let me see if I can rectify it.”

Behind her, she heard Charlotte’s muffled laughter. She turned back to the girl. “Why twenty-one when you wish to attend the medical school? Why not now?”

“They believe women should have some life experience first before taking on the arduous study of becoming a doctor.”

“The only sensible thing about the darn place,” Sebastian muttered, somewhat under his breath, though still clearly audible.

“Sebastian, I’ve warned you,” she chastised him, to which he narrowed his eyes but closed his mouth. Livie returned her attention to Charlotte. “Well, being presented to Society and going about in my world will give you a great deal of life experience. In fact, my aunt is patroness to many surgeons in London and I’m sure she’d be happy to introduce you to some, and you may even be allowed to attend and watch some of their surgeries as my youngest brother Justin has done.”

Charlotte’s eyes seemed to bulge out of her head. “I could? But surely no male surgeon would talk with me, let alone allow a woman to observe a surgery…would they?”

“They will if my aunt tells them to,” Livie said. “Trust me, she isn’t called the Dragon Duchess for no reason.”

“They will? I could only dream of such a thing as talking with surgeons and seeing them operate. How marvelous that would be.”

“It certainly would,” Livie agreed.

“God, don’t encourage her,” Sebastian said from where he was still patting dry his clothing. “I will not have my sister working for a living.”

“You don’t really have a say in it,” Livie said. “It is her life, Sebastian. You must let her live it how she chooses.”

He was silent for several seconds and then turned to Charlotte. “You really want to go to this medical school for women and learn to be a doctor?”

“With all my heart,” Charlotte solemnly declared.

“Then go and be presented to Society—”

“I’ve already told you I will not!”

“Let me finish.” He held up a hand for her silence. “Be presented and learn how to go about in Society, attending balls and the like, and do so properly until you are twenty-one. Then, if you still want to be a doctor—”

“I most certainly will!”

“Then I will ensure you get a place at that medical school and I will pay for your full tuition,” Sebastian continued. “Hell, I’ll even buy you a building after you graduate where you can set up your practice.”

“But three years?” Charlotte exclaimed. “That’s a very long time to be swanning about, attending balls and the like.”

“It would be only a few events each week during the season. The rest of the time would be your own. You’d still have time to help your father at his practice and bury your nose in those textbooks.” Sebastian shrugged. “’Tis a small price to pay for your dream coming true, is it not? Especially as you already must wait three years before you can even look at applying to the school.”

“Perhaps,” she allowed. “But do I have your word you will not force me to marry one of those gentlemen during the three years?” The girl’s eyes narrowed on her brother. “For I know that is your purpose behind this whole plan.”

“And what is so wrong with wanting to see my sister live a life of luxury, without a care in the world?”

“I know all you have ever wanted is the best for me,” Charlotte said softly as she walked over and picked up his hand. “And I love you for it. But that is not the life I wish to live. However, I will do what you ask and go about in Society, and I will even make you proud. All I ask is that you do not force me to marry.”

“I won’t force you,” he