by Robyn DeHart
“He’s not a merchant’s son. His father is a Baron.”
The Duke gave a snort of derision. “Worse still. At least a merchant’s son would have money. Let his family care for him. Now then, can you stand or do you need assistance for that as well?” he asked.
“He has no family, we must care for him. This is all my fault,” Roe said.
“You should have thought of all of that before you went on this little holiday. I owe that boy nothing.”
“Father, please, he is my friend,” Roe begged. He was too dehydrated for tears to form, but his eyes burned nonetheless.
“He is nothing to me. Now enough.” He held up his hand and Roe knew any further arguments would be futile. If he had the strength he’d refuse to go himself, but he knew that would not work, either. “I shall go and find a nurse and get you a wheeled chair.”
Roe rolled toward Christopher. “I’ll convince him. We’ll come back for you.”
For a moment, Christopher’s eyes seem to clear and something like a smile twisted his cracked lips. “Only you, Roe, are misguided enough to believe a duke could ever give one whit for the son of a baron.”
Roe couldn’t even argue with his friend. The Duke was an ass. He cared more for propriety than for human life, more for preserving the classes than for the worth of a man. But Roe was not his father’s son and he would rise above his class. “Then I will come back for you. As soon as I’m able, I’ll come get you myself.”
“Promise me,” Christopher said again, his voice hoarse and breaking. “You’ll take care of Caroline.”
Roe stared at his friend, willing the situation to be different. “They’ll take good care of you here,” he told him though he knew that wouldn’t be the case. It wasn’t that they had been treated poorly, but they needed far more intensive care to survive this.
“Promise me, Roe,” Christopher said again. He winced as pain shuddered through him.
“I promise. Whatever it takes, I’ll make certain Caroline is cared for.”
Christopher made some movement with his head that Roe assumed as a nod. And then the nurse arrived with his wheeled chair and Roe was hefted into it. He didn’t take his eyes off his friend until they’d wheeled Roe out of the room.
He could still hear Christopher’s pleas begging Roe to make certain Caroline was well cared for. Not a month later, Roe had received papers in the post. Christopher had legally named Roe the girl’s guardian before succumbing to his illness.
Roe shook himself and took a few deep breaths. That had been the last time he’d seen his friend. Feeling somewhat nauseated from his memory, he decided to skip the evening meal. He entered his townhome, realizing it was probably far later than he’d thought as the lights had already been doused. So, he was surprised to find Caroline waiting for him in his study. Well, wasn’t this just perfect? Leave it to Caroline to be where he’d least expect her.
“You’re up late,” he said.
“You’re home late.”
He fought off a smile. “Yes, well, I take it you both took the day to make yourselves comfortable in my absence,” he said. He came into the room but didn’t bother to sit behind his desk. Instead, he sat in the chair across from hers. He leaned back, straightening his legs out in front of him and crossing them at the ankle.
“We were quite comfortable at Aggie’s house before you came in bellowing like a cretin,” she said.
His brows rose. He’d forgotten how sassy she could be. “Cretin? I haven’t been called that in a while.”
“It has been a while since you’ve been to Chanceworth Hall.”
Guilt stabbed at him, but he swiped it away. He didn’t have time for guilt. “Parliament,” he said. It would be a legitimate excuse if he did a damned thing in Parliament, which he didn’t. He voted when necessary, voiced a rare opinion when he bothered to listen to the discussion, but in truth, no one would miss him were he to leave. But he was a duke, and that was supposed to mean something.
“Yes, you are so very important,” she said, rolling her eyes heavenward.
“Indeed.” He eyed her for a moment, taking in the sight of her. Tonight, she was dressed as a woman should be, in a soft green dress that highlighted her eyes and made her hair appear even darker. Caroline Jellico had always been beautiful. Even as a girl, she’d been a pretty little thing. And then she became a woman and such a temptation that Roe had been relieved when she’d left to live in the country.
A good and decent guardian would have; he would have demanded she stay in London until she found a suitable husband. But he’d simply sent her on her way, quite relieved she wouldn’t be living under the same roof as him—as she was now.
Five years ago, he’d wanted nothing more than to peel off her clothes and make her his own. He hoped he’d come to his senses since then. He hoped she had come to hers as well. It was past time she found a husband.
“Tell me, Caroline, how much money have you won since playing at Rodale’s?”
She grinned in spite of herself. “Fifteen hundred pounds.”
He released a whistle. “Impressive. And what do you plan to do with it?”
“I plan to move into my family’s townhome. The lessee died recently and her family has no more need for the house, which leaves it empty and ready for me.” She inspected her hand and then looked back up at him. “I’ve been told it will require extensive work on the inside.”
Why hadn’t he known that that the house needed repairs? Clearly, he should have taken more interest in Caroline’s property and kept up the maintenance for her. Was there no way in which he hadn’t failed her as her guardian? “There is no need for you to do that. If your house needs work, I shall give you the necessary funds to do so. You need only ask.”
She shook her head. “No, I do not want your money. I want to earn it myself. I have relied on others for too long. It is time I earn my own way in the world.”
He’d also forgotten she was stubborn, ridiculously so. “You plan to find a paid post somewhere? As a governess, perhaps?” She was certainly smart enough, more than smart enough, but it seemed a waste for her to spend her days with spoiled, aristocratic children. He’d been a holy terror to plenty of his governesses. More than likely, he should try to locate them and send them money for all their troubles.
“No, I have no desire to be a governess, but I do have plans.”
“To do?”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “I shall tell you, but if you laugh, I will never forgive you.” Once he nodded his agreement, she continued. “As I said, I want to care for myself. I should also like to provide a place for other orphans after they’ve gotten too old to live at the orphanage.”
“A boarding house of sorts?”
“More or less.” She set her chin and met his gaze head on. “I want to open my house up to other girls, who, like me, might choose a life outside of marriage.”
His jaw tensed. Her words angered him even as he understood them. Had he ruined the thought of marriage for her? “Do you have enough?”
“Not yet. At least, I don’t believe I do. I’ll know more once I know the extent of the repairs needed.”
He leaned back and eyed her. “And how do you intend to earn the rest?”
Her chin bumped up a notch. “The same way I’ve been earning it.
“This isn’t the time for your jokes.”
“I wasn’t jesting.” Her arms crossed over her chest. “Now that you know I’m playing at Rodale’s, you can keep an eye on me. Ensure my safety.”
“You cannot be serious,” he muttered, knowing she was indeed very serious. When precisely had he lost total control over this conversation?
“It shouldn’t take me much longer to earn the rest of the money,” she said. “I win every time I play.”
“No,” he said sharply. Damn it, he would make her understand. “Absolutely not!”
She came to her feet. “And why the hell not?”
“It is no place for a lady.”
>
“I’m not a lady when I’m there.” Her eyes flashed with anger and a pink flush settled in her cheeks. She looked wild and beautiful. How had he not recognized her immediately? How had he ever forgotten how lovely her eyes were? He should have recognized their brown depths the moment he walked into the backroom at Rodale’s.
“People will realize you’re a woman. It’s merely a matter of time.”
“They haven’t noticed yet.”
“I did,” he said. “The curve of your throat, the curve of your bottom. And you blush when people talk of sex. A gaming hell is no place for a woman.”
“There are plenty of women there,” she said.
He came to his feet. “Whores. Is that what you want, Caroline?” He wanted to shake her, to scare her with the realities of what could happen to a woman at a gaming establishment.
She swallowed visibly, shook her head. “Of course not.”
“Do you have any notion of what some men would do if they realized you were a woman?” He grabbed her and pulled her to him. Her eyes widened, but she looked up at him unblinking. “Men will want to do scandalous things to you, wicked things.”
Still she said nothing.
He slammed his mouth down on hers. It was a kiss intended to frighten her so he did nothing to restrain his passion. It surprised him, the desire he felt. He knew he found her attractive, had even considered bedding her at one point. But this, the urgency and intensity of his want, took him by surprise. Her mouth was so soft, the curves of her body pressed into his, and lust surged through him. He slid his tongue against hers and not only did she allow it, but she kissed back. Her hands gripped at his biceps. She eagerly took the punishment he offered her. He was not teaching her a lesson, at least, not the right one. She was not afraid of him or his kisses. She wanted them. The realization made him take a step back.
“They would do a hell of lot worse to you.” He stormed out of the room, hoping he appeared angry and that she couldn’t see right through him, see the way she had affected him.
…
Well, damnation!
Caroline put her fingers to her lips, her eyes fluttered closed. She had thought for so long that her feelings for Roe had been a girlhood crush, fleeting feelings of youthful love that meant nothing once she’d grown into a full woman. Yet, that was certainly not how she was feeling at the moment.
Her body had come alive when he’d pulled her close, when he’d pressed his lips to hers. Then he’d kissed her, and it seemed the world had stopped spinning. Even though she knew that he’d only done so as a way of showing her how dangerous and reckless she’d been, it had not been about desire. Except for her.
She could have stayed in his arms, in that moment, for the rest of her life.
She shook herself and left his study, heading up to her own bedchamber. His motive had been to scare her, she could tell that much, but their kiss had affected him, too.
She didn’t have time for such nonsense. She had a plan for her own life that did not include wasting any more of her time on Roe Grisham. Her heart might feel otherwise, but she was a rational, logical creature, and she could simply ignore those feelings. It was merely a reaction to his kiss, to his nearness.
Good heavens, though, as logical as she was, she was also a woman and Roe was more handsome than any man she’d ever set eyes on. It would be hard not to be affected by his presence. But she could certainly ignore him or at least, learn to be less entranced by him. It would take some effort on her part, but she was a disciplined person.
She stepped into the room and rang for the maid that had been assigned to see about her needs. Caroline stood while the girl unbuttoned the fastenings at her back. What did he care if any man at Rodale’s suspected she was a woman and tried to take liberties with her? Roe had washed his hands of her years ago, so it shouldn’t matter to him one way or another. He’d certainly never done anything to assist her, other than what was his duty. That wasn’t fair and she knew it, still, tonight she needed to be angry with him.
Give her the money for her house, he must be mad. She would never allow him to do such a thing. That defeated the whole purpose. Not that it wasn’t tempting, she couldn’t deny that. She could always repay him. It would be a way of restoring the property immediately, but no, she wanted to do it on her own. She needed to do it alone, to prove to herself she could stand by herself and not have to always rely on others to take care of her.
If Roe funded the renovations for her, she’d be relying on him. Precisely what she’d done her entire life. She’d been a burden to every person she’d ever loved, first her father when her mother died, and then poor Christopher when their dad passed away. After his death, she was sent off to a veritable stranger and had lived off him and his mother for all of her adult life.
It was past time for her to take care of herself.
That solved the issue of money, though it certainly begged the question of what she would do if the renovations required more than she’d already earned. She needed a new plan to earn the rest of the funds. In the meantime, she would live in Roe’s townhome and try to keep her distance.
So while her heart might believe it loved Roe, her head knew how futile such emotions were. She might not be able to ignore his handsome face, but he irritated her enough to remind her precisely why they were a wretched match.
Not that he would ever marry her, but a marriage between them would mean only one thing for Caroline, a loveless union. While she knew that the more time she spent with him, the more likely she was to fall in love with him completely, she was just as certain he’d never love her in return. Being married to Roe and not have him love her in return would be sentencing herself to a life of pain. She’d already loved and lost so many people, she feared that one more would possibly destroy her, irrevocably change her so she could no longer love other people. That one more would tip her over and dry up what was left of her ability to love others. Then what could she offer the orphans she planned to work with? No, she wasn’t willing to make that sacrifice.
Chapter Six
Roe entered the dining room to find his mother sitting there alone. “Good morning, Mother.” He poured himself a coffee, grabbed a piece of bread, and sat across the table from her.
“Monroe, you look…” She paused as if grappling for the right word. “…tired. Did you not sleep well?”
“I slept. Some.” He sipped his coffee and glanced around the room. “Where is Caroline? She does not strike me as a woman who stays in bed until noon.”
“No, she has always been an early riser. At home, she generally wakes up earlier than I do and goes for a walk on the grounds before she even has a cup of tea. This morning she has gone to inspect her family’s townhome. Evidently, the lessee died recently and she is looking into the house to see what to do with it next.” His mother took a slow sip of her tea. “I believe she has intentions to move in there herself.”
“Yes, she mentioned she planned to stay in London.” Roe was struck again with the notion of having Caroline close by all the time. As it was, he had difficulty keeping his hands to himself, especially since that kiss. But having her here permanently would be his undoing.
“Indeed.” His mother slathered a piece of bread with some preserves. “To be honest, I believe she’s been bored with our country life as of late. Perhaps it has all become too tedious for her. She’s too intelligent to be sitting around embroidering all day.” She took a bite and chewed thoughtfully.
He’d of course thought of Caroline over the years and had sent letters to his mother inquiring on her well-being. He even visited on occasion, but he’d never known precisely what Caroline did with her time. Evidently, she’d been playing cards and perfecting her game, as it were. “Is that what she does, she sews?”
“Absolutely not, she’s terrible with a needle and thread.” She waved her hand dismissively. “In any case, I’ve made arrangements to give her my board position with the Dover Street Girls’ Asylum.” She took a
sip of her tea. “It will give her something to do whilst she’s here. Of course, she could always reintroduce herself to polite society, but I believe she has no intention of doing that.”
“Why ever would you give her that board position?” Roe drank the rest of his coffee, then stood to pour himself another cup. His mother had been on that board since the orphanage had been founded. It was a long-standing cause of hers. “It is your favorite charity, is it not?”
“It is, and the charity that I’ve been with the longest, though I haven’t been to a meeting in ages. Now my efforts and funds can go elsewhere. There are so many wonderful charities.” His mother placed her napkin on the table, then folded her hands in her lap. “Besides, the orphans are a special cause for Caroline, she feels a kinship with them. She needs to feel as if she’s giving them hope. I believe if she could, she’d take many of them home.”
“Yes, she mentioned as much, though it is a ridiculous notion, since a single woman is not allowed to take in orphans.” It was one more reason why he and Caroline could not be. He had no business raising children. He wasn’t a good example and had no intention of changing that. He’d thought to try it once, and had courted a woman with the intention of marrying her. But he’d let temptation get the better of him and had come face to face with the truth. He was too much like his father. So he’d decided then that Monroe Grisham would not marry, nor would he be a father. The men in his family were terrible at such things.
“This, I realize. And that’s why the board position puts her in the right place to help the way she wants, too.”
Roe wasn’t so sure that was a good idea. The people already on that board would be so knowledgeable about how things in London worked. Caroline had such little experience with that. It wasn’t that she was naïve, because she was a rather good judge of a person’s character, she’d have to be to play cards as well as she did. But he knew she’d be eager to help. Perhaps too eager.
“Of course, I realize this board position should fall to you, as my son, but I didn’t think you would be interested. Am I correct in that assumption?”
