Rose took a deep breath and held it for a couple of beats before replying. “Well, I appreciate your honesty, Mary. Did you by any chance come up with a second choice because I am quite certain I shall not be able to follow your advice with your first suggestion.”
Mary smiled sadly. “I figured as much, Miss Rose so yes, I did think of a few other options.” Pausing to collect her thoughts, Mary continued. “The young gentleman who came to take you riding seemed to me to be a good, solid second choice.”
“Lord Dunbar?” Rose asked in surprise. “Why do you pick him for me?”
“His servants speak highly of him, Miss, which is a rarity these days. His horses appear well cared for as well. This tells me he is a kind man who does not mistreat those in his control, which if you don’t mind me saying so, is what you will be as a wife.”
Rose nodded soberly as she mulled over her maid’s words. She had made a good choice when asking her maid to think over this subject. She obviously had a much different perspective than anyone in Society, but it seemed a lot more useful than someone commenting on the cut of a gentleman’s coat or the shine on his new carriage. Mary’s observations actually spoke to how a girl might expect to be treated should she accept a gentleman’s proposal. Rose admitted to herself that she had never thought about that before. Her main concerns had been whether or not the gentleman was a good conversationalist. While that was still a factor for her, she really ought to consider what else Mary had to say.
“Thank you so much for sharing your views with me, Mary dear. Was there anyone else?”
“I actually did not come up with a very long list, Miss, I am sorry to tell you. It is surprising how few gentlemen stand very high in their servant’s opinion. And of course, I was rather picky. I wanted only those gentlemen who were known to be heavy in the pocket. I also only looked at those with titles. And I didn’t want anyone too long in the tooth either.”
Now Rose found something to laugh about. “Why Mary, I had no idea you were so exacting in your tastes.”
“When it comes to you, Miss, I would say no one is quite good enough, but I set myself a set of standards and I stuck to them. The only other name I could come up with was Lord Dunkirk, the Earl of Strathgowan.”
“Really? I have not yet had the pleasure of making his lordship’s acquaintance. I am impressed with how thorough you have been, Mary, although disappointed in the scanty results. I shall have to see about finagling an introduction to the earl as soon as possible.”
“Or you could just apply your mind to making peace with the Wrenthams,” Mary argued.
“I think learning to fly would be easier,” Rose answered tartly. “Mayhap you ought to be a trifle less discerning in your tastes. I do appreciate your concerns for my welfare, but I should remind you that I do not currently have a title and am just fine with that. I am quite convinced that being a lord does not guarantee that a man will make a good husband.”
“No, I would have to say that I agree with you on that, but wouldn’t you like to have a title to pass to your children? I heard you say that the Season is a wee bit of a drudgery when you are only a baron’s daughter.”
“’Tis true, Mary, I did say that.” Rose sighed. “I guess you are right. Well, now what shall I do?” Seeing her maid’s significant glance Rose laughed. “No, Mary, I do not think I can take you up on your suggestion of negotiating peace between the Smythes and the Wrenthams and then setting my cap at the duke. I do believe we are going to have to rethink the options. Just as soon as I ensure this situation with Broderick is cleared up.”
Feeling as though she were quite finished with this conversation, Rose strode across the room toward the wardrobe containing her newest gowns. “Now Mary, although I cannot fathom preparing for a ball while I am in such a state of mind, I think it is best if we get started. Mayhap a bath would help me relax and feel more the thing.”
“Very well, Miss.” Mary wisely chose to hold onto her own council for the moment, merely turning on her heel and ringing for a footman to start bringing the water.
Chapter Seventeen
Rose stood on the sidelines of the dance floor, feeling as though all the ballrooms in London looked very much the same. It was uncommon to see new faces at any of the balls she attended. It really was a rarified society she was circulating in, she thought drolly to herself as she scanned the crowds around her, looking for a friendly face.
Her gaze had just met that of her dear friend Elizabeth when a cold hand on her arm stopped her upraised arm from waving. Her attention snagged and her blood turned to ice in her veins as she heard the dreaded voice near her ear.
“Miss Smythe, what a pleasure to see you here this evening. Might I have a word with you?” The words were polite, but the grip on her arm belied the request. Rose winced as Sir Broderick tugged her toward the back of the room.
Rose glanced around rather frantically, calculating the damage to her reputation should she make a scene, wondering if she should cry for help, or see the situation out and take it from there. Broderick took the decision out of her hands with his next words.
“Do not bother calling for help, my dear girl.” His low menacing tone brought a shiver to Rose’s stiff spine. “My associates have your mother in their control and will not hesitate to hurt her if you do not cooperate with my requests.”
With an effort of will Rose managed to control the scream threatening to crawl up her throat. She felt as though her features had turned to stone as she hurried along beside the ungentlemanly knight. Her ever active imagination wondered fleetingly what others might see if they really looked at her. From her frantic gaze, it did not appear as though anyone were noticing that aught was amiss. She castigated herself for not ensuring her mother was safe. They should not have ventured out this evening. Alex had tried to warn her that there might be a threat, and she had thought she knew better.
Giving her head a shake, Rose forced the recriminations from her mind—they were not at all helpful at the moment. Hoping to buy a little time, she dug in her heels and slowed down. “My lord, I beg of you, I cannot in all decency run after you. If you do not wish to be remarked upon, it will not do for us to be seen dashing from the room.”
Broderick’s grip on her arm did not lessen, in fact, his grip tightened painfully, but he did slow down his pace somewhat. Rose wracked her brain for ideas as to how to extricate herself from this predicament, but the threat to her mother curtailed any of her schemes. She would have happily shredded her reputation and screamed at the top of her lungs in order to get away from the slimy Sir Jason Broderick, but the thought of his henchmen harming her mother kept her lips firmly clamped shut.
Before she could formulate any executable plan, they were treading down a hallway and the knight tugged her down another dimly lit passage. Rose’s terror heightened as she realized she was about to be escorted from the house entirely. She could see no way of escape and wondered fleetingly if her parents would ever find out what had happened to their only daughter. Rose decided not to just meekly go to her death.
Digging her heels in once more, Rose tried to come to a standstill. “This has gotten ridiculous, my lord. I wish to know the meaning of your actions. I do not appreciate your threats toward my mother. I have accompanied you from the ballroom as you requested. I assume you wish to have words with me. Very well, my lord, have your say, but then I insist that I be reunited with my mother. I must be reassured of her welfare.”
Broderick’s smile put Rose in mind of a weasel as he looked at her steadily through his small, dark eyes. “You are in no position to be making any sort of demands, Miss Smythe, are you? There is no one about to aid you in enforcing them, but in fact, just around the next corner several of my friends are waiting for us, so if you should start to struggle or call out, they shall be here to aid me in the blink of your pretty green eyes. So screaming shan’t do you a lick of good.”
“What do you want, Sir Broderick? Why have you accosted me in this ill-bred
manner?”
Broderick grinned. “I know you think I am lower than the dirt beneath your dainty little feet, Miss Smythe, but you are not the one in control here.” He tugged on her arm once more, but again Rose resisted. His words implied to her that there were other undercurrents in play, but her scattered wits could not quite get a grip on any of her ideas. She determined to try further speech.
“I refuse to go one step further until you tell me what is going on, Sir Broderick. You know it is not at all the thing for me to be accompanying you anywhere unchaperoned. If you were wishing to spend time with me, you ought to call upon me at my home at the prescribed time like any other gentleman.”
Despite her fears, Rose had to exert an effort to suppress her amusement over the look of incredulity that flitted across the knight’s twisted features.
“I am not trying to fix your affections, Miss Smythe,” he declared with disgust. “I am trying to keep your meddling ways from interfering with my plans.”
“What plans have I been meddling with, my lord?” Rose inquired, trying to ascertain the depth of her danger.
“Do not play coy with me, Miss Smythe. I have been well aware of your meddling ever since Vienna. Did you think I would find it difficult to figure out that it was through you that your father and his cronies always seemed to be one step ahead of me? You might have been able to thwart me in Vienna, but you are not going to be able to do so this time. Prinny will sign the territories over to me, and there won’t be anything you or your interfering father can do about it.”
“What are you going to do with me, my lord? Surely you are too smart to be able to be thwarted by a mere girl, so you need not trouble yourself with me.” Rose was becoming truly terrified as she examined the maniacal look that had settled itself upon Broderick’s features as he spoke of the Prince Regent and his land. She could not contain the yelp of pain that escaped her as his fingers dug deeper into her upper arm.
“You are far more trouble than you ever let on, aren’t you? Now quit resisting, Miss Smythe. If you give me anymore trouble I will not hesitate to bash you over the head and carry your insensate body quietly from this house. I highly doubt you would enjoy that experience though it would not bother me one little bit. In fact, I do believe I would enjoy it immensely.”
Now Rose could see that he was looking at her rather lecherously and her fear ratcheted up another notch, threatening to choke her. Looking behind her frantically once more, she realized there was no one coming to her aid. She needed to keep her wits about her and figure out a way to rescue herself. She could not afford to have him deprive her of her senses. She stopped resisting and forced her feet to move once more, but she could not make herself stop questioning him.
“Where are you taking me, my lord? And why? What do you hope to accomplish by taking me? Surely you must realize that it will merely draw attention to your intentions if a hue and cry is made over me.” Rose was hoping to appeal to the greedy little man’s logic.
“But that is where you are wrong, my dear Miss Smythe,” the awful man replied with an oily grin. “No one noticed our departure and there is no reason to associate your disappearance with me in any way. In fact, if you disappear it will keep your father far too occupied for him to even consider going to Paris and interfering there. And all the ton will be too abuzz with speculations over what could have possibly happened to you to be bothered with matters of government. It is an absolutely brilliant plan.”
“But if my mother is missing as well, surely it will become obvious that something nefarious is afoot.”
“Ah, Miss Smythe, you really do need to learn not to trust what everyone tells you. The last I saw of your mother, she was happily sipping punch and listening raptly to something old Lady Rotherham was jabbering away about.” Broderick chuckled cruelly over the look of disbelief he saw on Rose’s face. “And soon, you will write a note to your parents telling them you have run off with a seaman you met in the park, so that will give them some direction in their thrashing about over you. It should buy me just enough time to accomplish my ends.”
“And just what might those ends be, my lord?” Rose could not resist asking.
“Never mind about that now, you have wasted enough of my time, hurry along or I shall be happy to carry you.”
Rose did not doubt he would enjoy knocking her unconscious so she did as he had bade and forced her feet to a quicker pace. By now they reached a small door and had been joined by two other unsavoury looking characters.
“Where are you taking me?” she squeaked as she saw the dark carriage through the open doorway.
“I’ll tell you when we get there,” was Broderick’s unhelpful reply.
Rose’s teeth began to chatter from a combination of her nerves and the cool night air. She clenched them together to hold back the screams of alarm that were clawing to be heard. After taking one frantic glance back at the large house before ducking into the carriage, she could have sworn she saw Alex at one of the brightly lit windows, but she chastised herself for conjuring him in her fear. And besides, even if it was him, there was no way he could see her in the dark gloom from within the brightly lit room.
Taking her seat across from Sir Broderick, Rose stared at him stonily.
∞∞∞
Elizabeth was in a quandary. She had been so certain that Rose was about to approach her, in fact Elizabeth was sure Rose had been raising her arm to wave to her when she was approached by Sir Broderick. Because of the distance that had separated them Elizabeth had been unable to see clearly what was taking place, but she was absolutely certain Rose would not happily accompany the knight anywhere. But what should she do about this information? She had not spoken with Rose in a day or two, so she was unsure of the latest developments. As far as she knew, Rose’s parents were still unaware of the association Rose had been having with the Duke of Wrentham and why she had been doing it, so it would require too much explanation if Elizabeth were to seek out Rose’s parents and tell them what she thought she had seen. And there was part of the trouble, she was unsure of what she had really witnessed, but now Rose was nowhere to be seen in the ballroom and Elizabeth was growing increasingly uneasy.
She took one more turn around the dance floor, looking around as innocuously as she could manage, then she headed toward the ladies’ retiring room, thinking Rose could perhaps be there. When Elizabeth could not locate her friend there or in the refreshment room, she was truly concerned and starting to verge onto panic. With relief, she spied the Duke of Wrentham in the crowd.
“Your Grace, I am terribly sorry to disturb you, but might I have a word with you?” She tried to be as discreet as possible but her urgency must have conveyed itself clearly as she gained the duke’s full attention.
∞∞∞
The hairs at the back of Alex’s neck stirred uncomfortably as he heard the young woman’s voice at his side. He recognized Rosie’s friend, Lady Elizabeth, and wondered at her nervous tone. “What can I do for you, this evening, my lady?” he asked solicitously.
“I have a concern I would like to discuss with you as quietly as possible.” Elizabeth glanced around as she spoke, heightening Alex’s awareness of the young lady’s distress.
“Is everything all right with you, Lady Elizabeth?” Alex asked, as he offered her his elbow and guided her toward a small alcove that was momentarily abandoned.
Elizabeth did not bother with beating around the bush, merely launching into her explanation. “I apologize for disturbing you, Your Grace, and please excuse my forward behaviour, but I did not know who else to turn to.”
Alex blinked over the girl’s words, but merely nodded encouragingly, unsure what this was leading to.
Elizabeth took a deep breath and began her tale. “I was standing on the side of the dance floor waiting for my next partner when I saw Rose for the first time this evening. She looked preoccupied, but when our eyes met she smiled a greeting and looked as though she were about to wave and come towards me. B
ut just as she was raising her arm, I saw Sir Broderick grab it. He said a few words to her and then they left the room together. She did not struggle or anything like that, but I cannot believe she would have voluntarily left with him. Rose really does not like him.”
At the lady’s mention of Broderick, Alex felt all the air rush out of his lungs and he felt lightheaded for a brief moment, but he managed to contain himself and listened to whatever she had to share.
“I thought to tell Rose’s parents, or at least her mother, who I saw sitting with the other chaperones across the room over there, but there would be too much explanation required. Do you know what I should do, Your Grace? I am terribly afraid that something bad has just happened to my friend.”
Lady Elizabeth finally stopped talking and stood before him wringing her hands. Alex didn’t wish to terrify her, but he very much feared the same thing. Keeping his voice as calm as possible, he asked her a few questions.
“How long ago was this, my lady?”
“I cannot be certain, but I believe it is no more than fifteen minutes ago, although it feels longer because I have become increasingly scared. But it was just before the waltz, then there was a quadrille, and now they are just striking up the cotillion.”
“Very good, my lady, now are you absolutely certain it was Sir Broderick who approached Miss Smythe?”
“Yes, Your Grace, I am absolutely certain. I would recognize his distinctive face and short stature anywhere. Besides, the look of distaste upon Rose’s face was also very recognizable.” Despite her nerves, Elizabeth smiled over this thought.
“Thank you, my lady, you are being most helpful. Now, are you certain no one else noticed this exchange between them?”
Elizabeth shook her head. “Not completely certain, Your Grace, but even if anyone remarked upon it, there was no evidence of anything. Rose did not struggle or call out, and aside from his grip on her arm, there did not seem to be anything he was doing to force her. If I did not know her feelings about him, I would not have thought much of it. But I do know. And that, coupled with the fact that I cannot now find her, leads me to believe that he has taken her somewhere.”
The Duke Conspiracy: A Sweet Regency Romance Adventure (Mayfair Mayhem Book 1) Page 24
