Unsure of what the answer was, he decided to tread with caution.
“What lady are you referring to, Mother?” he asked cautiously.
“The one who has left your mind in a confused state. Who else would I be referring to?” she responded, giving nothing away.
“I do not know what you are talking about,” he responded with a nervous chuckle.
There was a silence which caused him to turn and find his mother staring at him.
What exactly does she know?
Her silence and stare began to eat at him and just when he thought he’d confess because he couldn’t take it any longer, she spoke.
“You better start talking to me, Son. You will not believe the things I know.” She smiled coyly.
“Maybe if you tell me what you are referring to?” he persisted one last time, trying to figure out if she was referring to Rose.
“Fine. If you are not going to tell me, then I’m not going to hound you any longer.” His mother chuckled.
She knows.
“All right, Mother.” He said in resignation, “I will tell you.”
Better to tell her now than leave her to her imaginations, or whatever she’d found out.
“Wonderful! I suspected there was a lady involved,” his mother responded elatedly.
“Wait! You suspected?” Kenneth responded in a state of confusion.
“Of course I suspected. What happened in parliament was enough to get you down, but not enough to keep you down. That led me to only one other conclusion. A gentleman like you could only remain in such a state because a lady was involved. Now come. Tell me,” his mother said, pulling him away from the window and guiding him toward a chair.
A chuckle escaped his lips. His mother had only been fishing for information and had no idea about his correspondence with Lady Rose. Now he had taken the bait and committed himself to a conversation by admitting that a lady did, in fact, exist. Her ability to do this always amazed him.
He didn’t even know whether to laugh or be angry in response to yet another cunning act from his mother.
“So, who is she?” his mother said, when they were both seated.
An idea began to form on his insides on the perfect way to get out of this.
“Who else, Mother, if not Lady Charlotte? That lady infuriates me to no end,” he lied with gusto.
“Come now, I wasn’t born yesterday. The lady in question is most certainly not Lady Charlotte. Plus, I have been running into her and her mother at various functions. I am well aware that there is no current communication between you both.”
My goodness!
His attempt to deflect from the actual truth had failed and now his mother was going to be coming after him with the questions.
“So who is she? Lady Christie? I suspected you both were in communication for a long time. Lady Victoria? I knew you both fancied each other for a bit last season.”
As his mother continued, his mind was flipping over trying to come up with an explanation of who the lady in question was.
“Or is it Lady Rose? I saw you two dancing at her ball where you looked so enamored by her beauty,” his mother continued.
He froze for what seemed like an eternity, waiting to see if she would continue on from the truth she’d stumbled on.
“Wait! Lady Rose is already betrothed to Lord Rockgonie. It most certainly isn’t her.”
He exhaled.
“Oh, Lady Rose is betrothed? I hadn’t heard,” he responded, his voice laden with indifference.
“Yes, she is, even though it isn’t public knowledge yet,” she responded.
“Well, if it isn’t public knowledge, then how do you know?” he chuckled.
“You seem to underestimate my position in society. There isn’t anything worthy of note that I do not get to hear,” his mother bragged.
“Really?” Kenneth mocked, causing her to chuckle.
“Well, her mother told me just as Lord Somerholm told your father. Why else do you think I was uncomfortable with you dancing with her at the ball?” she finally confessed.
“Fair enough.”
“Well? Are you going to tell me who she is or not?” his mother queried, returning the conversation to where they had deviated from.
“Mother!” he laughed.
“Madam?”
Both Kenneth and his mother turned their heads at the interruption. His mother’s maid walked into the study and curtsied.
“His Grace has returned.” she announced.
His mother simply nodded but the maid remained in her place instead of leaving.
“Anything else?” his mother asked.
“He has returned with a party of seven, Madam,” the maid responded.
Kenneth smiled as succinctly as possible. His father’s arrival had saved him from a grueling interrogation ahead. And the fact that he was in the company of others, most certainly Dukes and Lords as well, meant that his mother was going to have to pause their conversation and go play hostess.
“All right. Go about getting things ready. I will be with you shortly,” his mother responded.
She turned to face him.
“You will have to excuse me, Son. I need to go and attend to your father,” she said as she rose to her feet, Kenneth rising with her as well.
“Yes, Mother,” he responded, with as much solemnness as he could muster.
“I’m not deterred by that sham,” his mother announced, referring to his response, causing him to chuckle. “I shall return and we will finish this conversation,” she announced in mock defiance, after noticing his reluctance to tell her the truth.
She walked toward the door as he watched. At the door, she turned and looked back at him.
“It is Lord Somerholm’s daughter, isn’t it?” she remarked, before turning back and exiting the study.
His heart stopped once more. The Duchess was on to him and none of his antics had swayed her.
He needed to have a valid explanation for when they returned to this conversation, something convincing enough to sway her.
She cannot know about Lady Rose.
Kenneth walked back to the window and begun pondering. He could easily go entertaining Lady Charlotte so as to have something to tell his mother. After all, there was bound to be drama with Lady Charlotte. It was part of the package.
No. Mother will never buy whatever story I tell her that involves Lady Charlotte.
He thought about going after any of the ladies the Duchess had mentioned, all in a bid to get her off the scent of Lady Rose. Unfortunately, nothing that came to mind was going to work.
I’m going to have to tell her or stay away from her till she forgets.
His decision made, he turned to find Leonard walking into the study at that exact moment.
“I thought I asked to be left alone for the rest of the day,” he said.
“And I intended to honor your request. However, there’s been a new development,” Leonard announced as he came to a stop a few paces away from him.
“What development?” Kenneth asked in confusion.
“A letter from Lady Rose,” Leonard responded, thrusting his hand forward and bringing the letter into view.
Chapter Eleven
Rose sat in front of her dresser as Elsa twisted her hair into a bun and tucked it under a capote.
That was the last piece of clothing added in preparation to meet Lord Rockgonie. He’d finally stopped by as he said he would and she had waited to get dressed until the news came that he had, in fact, arrived.
Since her mother had made her fully aware that she couldn’t protest or renege on her betrothal to the Earl, she could hope to infuriate him by keeping him waiting.
In some way, she hoped that it would also serve as payment to him for agreeing to this proposal without first seeking her consent and for his absence during the ball, which had only contributed further to her humiliation.
If he has any sense, he’ll get furious, leave, and never come back
.
Even though she wished it, she also realized how almost impossible that would be. She’d kept him waiting for a little over thirty minutes, she reckoned. Any longer, and she half expected a message to arrive saying that he had left.
Mother will kill me, but at least I’ll be rid of him. Speaking of Mother, where is she?
“All done, My Lady,” Elsa announced, to Rose’s chagrin.
“Are you sure?” she asked expectantly, hoping there was something else to do to prolong the preparation process and not minding that her lady’s maid had interrupted her thoughts.
Her question caused Elsa to chuckle.
“Yes, My Lady. You are ready.”
She sighed and then rose to her feet.
“All right, then. Let us get this over with,” she announced to no one in particular as she used her hands to straighten her gown.
Turning, she nodded once at Elsa and headed toward the door.
Elsa came up behind her as they exited the room and headed onwards to where the Earl of Rockgonie was waiting. By the time they arrived at the stairs, she could hear her father’s voice booming from down the stairs, entertaining Lord Rockgonie.
There was hearty laughter emanating from both parties. They were most likely unaware of how much time had elapsed in their wait for her.
They surely don’t know, because if they did, Father would have disowned me by now.
She paused at the stairs and listened to the discussion for a brief moment before beginning her descent down the stairs.
As she approached, her father’s butler who was standing at the door announced her presence to the two gentlemen in the room.
She walked in and greeted them both.
“You look beautiful this afternoon, Lady Rose,” Lord Rockgonie said.
“Thank you,” she responded simply.
Her father’s face contorted at her response—she did not refer to Lord Rockgonie as My Lord even though Rockgonie had used her title.
Lord Rockgonie’s face, on the other hand, remained plain with no reaction whatsoever.
Either he didn’t notice, or he did and doesn’t care.
Whatever the case, her antic had failed to register the desired effect on the Lord.
“She truly is as beautiful as the rumors say, My Lord,” Lord Rockgonie remarked, turning to face her father briefly, before turning back to face her.
This time, she did not bother to say thank you.
“I was just remarking to my lady’s maid on what fine weather we have today. Do you mind taking a stroll with me in the garden?” she asked in a tone that was almost daring him to refuse.
The truth was that she so badly wanted to get away from this circus she rushed forward and took the initiative. Also, there was a plan between her and Elsa that needed to be executed while she took Lord Rockgonie on a stroll.
Lord Rockgonie, who she suspected had other plans for their meeting, turned to look at her father who did the responding.
“That is a wonderful idea. It is indeed fine weather. Let me get out of the way of you both so you can get to it, then,” her father said in response, indicating his consent to her plan.
“All right, Father.” Rose answered briefly, quickly stemming whatever lengthy conversation that was probably going to ensue.
Her father stood and watched as both she and Lord Rockgonie made their exit on their way to the garden. Her lady’s maid, however, stayed behind them, maintaining a respectable distance as already discussed.
“May I apologize in person for my absence at your ball? I know I sent letters through your father but I know you also deserve an apology in person,” Lord Rockgonie said, as soon as they were out of the house and on the path to the garden.
There was a softness in his voice that made her pause, albeit only briefly.
“It is all right, Lord Rockgonie. Your letters through my father explained the reason behind your absence,” she said, as she resumed walking.
She spied him from the corner of her eye and still there was no noticeable change in his demeanor.
She noticed that instead of the dread that had come over her when she’d been told about her betrothal to Lord Rockgonie, she was in fact intrigued.
It was true that he was mysterious, rarely made the routs and balls of the London season, mostly keeping to himself, and certainly one whose business was largely unknown. Now that she was in his presence, coupled with the way he had spoken to her, she found herself wondering.
“How fared the business you went out of London to handle?” she asked politely.
“It fared well. Very well, in fact.” He responded simply and added nothing further.
Why is he trying so hard to avoid any conversation about his business?
“Well, since you have been back to London, have you had any more business emergencies?” she asked, still fishing.
He laughed, his voice low and rumbling.
“No, My Lady. There have been no more business emergencies thus far. What about you? How are you faring?”
Not only does he not want to talk about his business, he is also deflecting. What exactly is he about?
“I have been faring well, My Lord,” she responded, as they arrived at the garden.
His attention immediately fell on the sight before him as his gaze swept all over the garden. They stopped walking as he continued to savor the view in front of him.
“So the rumors of this garden are true after all. It is beautiful,” he remarked in wonder.
“Does My Lord listen to rumors? “she teased, causing his attention to return to her.
“Not in the least, My Lady. Stories of the beauty of this garden aren’t rumors. Its fame is spread all over London,” he explained.
“Why, thank you, My Lord. My mother will be pleased to hear that. What else do the stories say?” she chuckled.
“That a beautiful flower with its roots outside this garden also lives in the manor of the Earl of Somerholm.”
She turned to face him as realization dawned on her that he was referring to her. He was looking straight ahead but a slight smile had appeared at the corner of his lips.
She looked away as she began blushing.
“Thank you, My Lord. Your words flatter me,” she said, smiling as well. “How is it, though, that a distinguished Lord as yourself has never been in this garden before? Not even with all the tea parties Mother throws, which I’m certain you were invited to?” she said, trying to redirect the conversation back to him and his business.
“Well, I cannot deny that I have gotten invitations in the past. Looking at this now, though, I should have accepted one of them,” he replied, chuckling.
“Well, why didn’t you?” she asked, maintaining the pressure of trying to get him to tell her something more intimate about himself than she already knew on the surface.
“Because, My Lady, I always find myself occupied with one pressing matter or the other. I still always manage to convey my regrets at not being able to attend, though,” he responded, managing to remain vague.
“So you are always preoccupied,” she continued.
He simply smiled and gestured to her in a manner that indicated that he wanted them to resume their stroll. “Shall we?” he said, avoiding her question and ploy to trap him into a corner.
She resumed the stroll and walked alongside him as they began their circuitous route around the garden.
Her memory was instantly alive with a recollection of the last time she took a stroll around this garden beside a man.
Lord Walsrock.
Thankfully, they were walking in silence at this point, affording her the opportunity to reminisce about the Marquess. A slight pain tugged at her chest as she walked on.
Elsa had promised the impossible in getting her letter across to the Marquess. Her lady’s maid had even come up with a plan that was based on leveraging her friendship with certain servants within the Duke’s manor.
Elsa was going to leave the house with Rose and
Lord Rockgonie, after she had successfully lured the Earl to a stroll in the garden. While on the stroll, her lady’s maid was meant to sneak out through the gap in the hedges, and make her way to the Duke’s manor.
Elsa was then going to use her contacts amongst the servants at the Duke’s manor to get Leonard’s attention. She was going to hand over the letter with an explanation of why the Marquess needed to read it.
A Ravishing Lady For The Rebellious Marquess (Steamy Historical Regency Romance) Page 9
