Redemption for the Rakish Earl

by Jilian Rouge

  Rue still recalled her shock, as she had listened to Geoffrey’s damning words: “Rue Abelard is as good as deflowered, and all before the date of our marriage, as our little wager demands. I have every confidence that I will be the one to finally melt our little Ice Queen.”

  At first, Rue hadn’t wanted to believe anyone could be that disgusting, but recalling Georgie’s shocked face mirrored back at her, she was forced to acknowledge that she had not mistaken the words she had overheard. Lord Geoffrey the reprobate had not yet asked her father for her hand in marriage, despite the understanding that things were progressing in that direction. The more she listened to Geoffrey and his friends, the more she understood that his character was unbecoming of his title as gentleman and a peer of the realm.

  Wanting to avoid the memories of what happened after Geoffrey’s revelation, Rue turned to Georgie for a welcome distraction. “Georgie, if I haven’t already, I just wanted to thank you and your brother for accompanying me home,” she said with a smile.

  Georgie answered with a smile in return and said, “Think nothing of it. This ball is a pleasant diversion for Ernest and me, given the circumstances.” Georgie’s smile wobbled a little bit, and Rue understood immediately what wasn’t being said.

  For Lady Georgina Montagu, there was no other man for her except her Army Captain, Captain Nicholas Belhaven. Unfortunately, the man was recently promised to another, and to make matters worse, it was to Georgie’s and Ernest’s first cousin, Bernadette. Rue knew how much the handsome captain meant to Georgie, but the daft man had never known the extent of Georgie’s love for him.

  Ernest added, “Yes, the City was becoming a bit of a bore, and we could use a bit of good, clean country air in—from where did you say you hail, Rue? Anvilshire?”

  Rue rolled her eyes at him and corrected, “Anthropshire. And it isn’t as backwoods as you may think, given your love for London. Why, Ernest, you might just find a country ball is just as fun as those in the City.”

  Ernest frowned doubtfully. “Will there be others like me present at this ball?”

  Rue cast her eyes downward. She knew he was referring to his preference for men, and as far as she knew, none of Lady Edith’s friends and relatives who would be there were not of similar ilk to her dear friend. “No, but there is still much to amuse oneself at Ravenscroft. I will personally see to it that I guide you through the estate and ensure that you have a good time.”

  Rue knit her brows together in contrition, wishing she could give her friend the one thing he wanted the most. Ernest knew Rue meant well, but the truth was that he would never be able to find more than a fleeting bout of passion with another man, not when society frowned upon such a relationship. And he was fortunate that both Rue and his sister supported and loved him, but it didn’t fully placate his craving for the love of a man.

  Raising Rue’s chin with a gentle hand, Ernest looked her in the eye and said, “Rue, I am already grateful that you are doing this for us, providing us a means of escape, even if it’s just for a little while. Rather than worry about me, let’s concentrate on how we can help you with your own affairs of the heart.”

  Rue reminded him, “That’s just it. My heart was never engaged in the first place, and because of it, I am now made a mockery amongst the ton. And I know the both of you are trying to protect me, but I have heard the moniker of ‘Ice Queen’ bandied about London in reference to me. And they are right, I have never given any of my suitors reason to believe that I would surrender any part of my heart to any of them.”

  Georgie kindly offered, “And I believe you have every reason to guard your heart, given what you’ve shared with us about your past. An unrequited love lends a credible motivation for such an action.” Rue smiled gratefully at her friend’s words, drinking in the happy feeling of being understood. No one else in London had even tried to understand her as well as Georgie and Ernest had.

  To which her brother added, “If anything, your safeguarding of your heart is a natural reaction to preventing such hurt from occurring again. You have every right, in my book, to do what you deem necessary. Everyone else can kiss your—”

  Georgie interjected, “Ernest! Watch your language!”

  Smirking devilishly, Ernest said, tongue in cheek, “I was only going to say that everyone can kiss her lovely Ice Queen hand, dear sister. Anyone who thinks Rue should be anything other than her lovely self can go straight to the devil.”

  Rue’s heart swelled at hearing of the love and loyalty her dearest friends held for her. As the siblings bickered good naturedly with each other, Rue listened with half an ear, as her mind drifted to what she knew was the truth about her situation.

  Yes, she guarded her heart carefully, but maybe opening her heart to the right person would change her circumstances in a way that would see her happy. Aside from her financial statements and antecedents, each of her suitors knew nothing about the real Rue. She could admit to herself now that she hadn’t shared her hopes and dreams with any of them, feeling it wasn’t essential to do so when she approached the subject of marriage with a cold, calculating eye. If she wanted things to change, she would have to give a little more of herself to her next relationship than she had previously.

  And maybe that opportunity can be found at Lady Edith’s midsummer ball. As a pragmatist, it wouldn’t do to place all of her hopes in waiting for such a lucky break during the week she would be staying at Ravenscroft. But if just such an occasion were to present itself, she would be sure to take advantage and allow herself to be a little bit more emotionally invested.

  “Looks like we’ve lost her, brother,” Georgie remarked. Rue looked up and darted her eyes up at her two companions. Georgie smiled and teased, “I don’t think we are providing enough stimulating conversation for poor Rue, not with her head up in the clouds somewhere.”

  Ernest scoffed sarcastically, “That is because we hadn’t been discussing her favorite topic: you, of course!”

  Georgie snatched the closest object she could grasp, which happened to be her fan, and threw it at her brother. Ernest laughingly batted the projectile away before it could hit him in the face, causing Rue to giggle at their antics.

  “But all joking aside, I think you need to find your grand passion, my dear,” Georgie pointed out. “I know we have not had the greatest success in finding our own, but that is no reason for you to miss your chance.”

  Rue sighed and said quietly, “I gave my heart away a long time ago and I never thought I’d be needing it again since. I’m afraid that I have nothing left to give a man who is just as deserving of a happy and full life in marriage.”

  Ernest asked, “Don’t you think you are just as deserving of happiness, too, Rue? Nine years is a long time to have locked your heart away, and I think it is time that you find a little bit of happiness with a man who would truly care for you.”

  “Yes, dearest. Let another man shower you with the love you deserve. Someone who will see to your every desire and happiness,” Georgie added.

  Ernest added sadly, “Yes, do it for us, who have no hope of changing our own circumstances to suit our own hopes and dreams. You at least have a better chance of finding love at this ball hosted by the Countess of Merrick.”

  Rue could not miss the look of woebegone sadness that passed between brother and sister, and her heart broke for them, knowing that neither of them had the means to change things in their favor. Their hearts each wanted something so out of reach, but Rue appreciated and admired their courage under duress as they both clung tightly to the desires of their hearts. She had a high regard for their ability to stay true to those desires, despite how impossible it was for either of them to attain them.

  “Truly, I appreciate your endless support,” Rue said, addressing them both. “And the both of you are right. Holding back part of myself for the sake of protecting myself from hurt hasn’t been working in the slightest. I think Lady Edith’s ball will be just the thing to pull me out of this slump.”
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  “That’s our girl,” cried Ernest. “If you hadn’t come to that conclusion, I was going to suggest we give you a swift kick in the—”

  With wide eyes, Georgie barked, “Ernest!”

  “Rear,” Ernest finished. Shrugging at his sister, he said, “There’s nothing wrong with the word ‘rear’, is there?”

  In exasperation, Georgie slapped at her brother’s arm as she said, “You are incorrigible. One does not do what you suggest to any lady.” To Rue, she said, “But I begrudgingly admit that he’s right. You needed a little push, is all.”

  Rue understood that her friends’ words were well-meant, and she already had resolved to command her situation into one that fit her needs and purposes. Whether that future included love still remained to be seen.

  3

  The Next Day -- Ravenscroft, Lady Edith’s Sitting Room

  As far as Lady Rumina Abelard, or Rue as she was otherwise known, was concerned, she had to concede that Lady Edith had a point. Since Rue’s own mother had passed five years hence, Lady Edith had become a surrogate mother of sorts who kindly offered all sorts of advice for Rumina to follow, even when said advice was unwarranted but well-meant. Her latest bit of advice today bordered on the blunt side, and it concerned Rue’s inability to find a suitable husband in the past nine Seasons since her come out. Now that Rue was twenty-seven, she was running out of eligible bachelors to choose from.

  Their conversation had begun by delving into Rue’s reason for leaving London so abruptly at the height of the latest Season, and that reason had everything to do with her newly recent humiliation. To which, Lady Edith baldly stated, “My dear, as angry as your latest suitor may have been, he would not have said such things if there were not a ring of truth to it. Don’t think I haven’t noticed your attitude of late with every gentleman you have encountered not just this Season, but in Seasons past.”

  Hence, Rue had to grudgingly admit that Lady Edith was right, but only to a point. Her last suitor, now no longer in the picture, and just like all of her suitors in the past, was attracted more to the wealth that would have been his upon taking her hand in marriage than the woman herself. As a wealthy heiress, the playing field on the marriage mart was made that much wider for her, and she could have had her pick of any of the eligible bachelors available that Season.

  But the heart of the matter lay entirely with Rue herself. Although each of those men was found to be entirely suitable as a potential husband, she found each one of them also lacking a certain…something. If she had to put a name to it, she might have said it was desirability that they lacked, and not one of them inspired desire in her.

  Since her first taste of the forbidden, she harbored a deep fear of revealing her own need for such dark desires to any man. If it were known that she had such thoughts, the only type of men that would dare come near her are those that her father would deem unacceptable. That first experience in indulgent sensuality had ruined her for any kind of normal courtship, as she was dictated to act only ever the lady with whomever she met, in hopes of making a good match. Although he loved her in his own way, her father had sternly made it clear that her reputation be above reproach in all things, casting the example of her mother to her every chance he got.

  And because of her mother’s example put before her like some saintly figure on a pedestal, Rue had held back her sensual nature for the sake of appearing worthy of being courted. Her coldness to Lord Geoffrey may have been overdone, and to be fair, she thought it was what her mother would have expected of her. A warm male touch on the bare skin of her arm, or a hint of his breath brushing across her lips were enough to arouse her passions, just simmering below the surface. But she reacted badly when Lord Geoffrey had tried to draw her close and kiss her, and his humiliation served as fuel to bring about his retaliation. One that saw her whispered about throughout London’s ballrooms with words used such as cold, unfeeling, and ice queen.

  If it weren’t for that one forbidden encounter many years ago, she would not have known what passion was, but having known its pull, she judged all other men by their ability to inspire it within her. And having known the wonders of such unmitigated pleasure, she now despaired of ever knowing it again, not when no man had been able to awaken her desire.

  Smiling weakly at Lady Edith, Rue said, “I’m not unwilling to marry. I’m only deeply afraid of saying yes to the wrong man.”

  With an inquiring brow raised, Lady Edith asked, “And what constitutes the wrong man, dear?”

  Blushing at the errant thought in answer to that question, Rue knew her answer would only shock the poor woman. She could by no means say that the wrong man was anyone who wasn’t Alex Carruthers, Lady Edith’s own son and only child. Instead, she blandly replied, “Well, I can’t pinpoint the exact traits, but I can tell you that none were capable of making me feel at ease in their presence.”

  “Then why allow them to court you at all, if that was the case?” Lady Edith wondered.

  “To be fair, of course,” Rue said, matter-of-factly. “They expressed an interest in me, and I needed to find out for myself whether they would suit. I suppose it was my way of allowing them a chance to get to know me and I them, only to find none measured up to what I hope for in a husband.”

  “Ah, now I see,” Lady Edith said, while tying off the thread at the last stitch. Looking up at Rue above her spectacles, she said, “While these men are thinking of you as a fickle creature, you are only making an informed choice once you’ve met them. Is that right?”

  “Yes,” Rue said, “but I must tell you that I had every intention of seriously looking for an appropriate husband.”

  “Yes, I know. Just as you have said after every failed suitor in the nine years you have been attending the London Season for that same reason. My dear, you are practically on the shelf at your age, and you can no longer afford to go on like this, refusing every man, left and right.”

  With her eyes downcast, Rue quietly said, “I know. I would very much like to be married and have children, but as an heiress, I have to be more selective. It wouldn’t do to have a man who is cruel or a spendthrift. I need to feel it deep within my bones that he is right for me in every way.”

  “Hm, what you are suggesting certainly smacks of waiting for love to come along,” Lady Edith mused.

  Rue inwardly sighed. She knew very well that it had already come along once but had only recently resolved to forget her first love and move on. To marry at least with a modicum of affection was the most she could hope for. With no such illusions of a grand love, Rue believed that her best option would be to find a gentleman who at least equaled her in passion. She was realistic enough in her expectations of her next suitor to at least not expect love to suddenly spring up between them, but she at least would like to have a husband who could match her darker cravings in the marriage bed.

  Remaining silent only urged Lady Edith to go on. “If you would allow, I believe I have the perfect solution for you. Do you remember my nephew, the one who used to join us every summer since you were a child? He has accepted my invitation for my midsummer ball and as it happens, he is currently looking for a wife.”

  Vaguely remembering a boy who was mild-mannered and meek, Rue inquired, “Are you speaking of Christian? The one who dogged my every move?”

  “The very one. Even then, he was besotted with you. And he is set to inherit the title of duke through his mother’s uncle, who has no children of his own,” Lady Edith said. “He should be arriving any minute with his sister and his mother in tow.”

  But before Rue could utter a reply, the Ravenscroft butler, Alistair, appeared and announced, “My lady, the Stanhopes have arrived. Shall I show them in?”

  Lady Edith brightened at the announcement, and said, “Yes, and please bring in a fresh pot of tea after you have brought them here.” Turning to Rue, she excitedly declared, “He has been asking after you, my dear, and if I read the signs right, he has more than just a passing interest in you.”
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  Rue sputtered, “But I haven’t heard from him since I was nineteen!” Surely, the boy she once knew would be vastly different from the man he’s grown up to be. Although they were the same age, her memories of Christian Stanhope were scant in comparison to those she had of Alex, but what she did remember was a reserved little boy who tried to tag along with Alex and her through all of their scrapes.

  In moments, a polished gentleman entered the sitting room behind Alistair, grinning widely first at his aunt, who raised her cheek for him to kiss. Following closely behind the new arrival, were two women who were clearly related to the smiling young man. Rue could not miss the dapper air about him with his finely tailored clothes and charming smile, and she waited for him to turn his attention to her after he greeted Lady Edith properly. Greetings were traded all around as Rue sat there, feeling a little like an interloper at this family reunion. Finally, Lady Edith made the introductions.