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A Ravishing Lady For The Rebellious Marquess (Steamy Historical Regency Romance)

Page 11

by Violet Hamers


  “Well, at least now we know what you think of the common folk, their plight, as well as this bill.”

  “Enough!” the Duke bawled.

  A silence settled between them for a brief moment as each struggled to rein in their emotions. Kenneth still had more to say but this wasn’t leading anywhere.

  “You shouldn’t have bothered to come in here, Father. Thank you for the dinner invitation. I’d rather eat in my room than come down to dinner in the midst of your friends.”

  He knew exactly how his speech had sounded. He was dismissing his father.

  The Duke shook his head and turned to head out of the study. At the door he paused and looked back at Kenneth.

  “I am tired of this foolishness, Son. Give this idealistic dream up,” the Duke remarked in exasperation.

  “Then I am sorry to disappoint you, Father.” Kenneth responded.

  “You will leave me with no other choice but to disown you, Kenneth,” the Duke said.

  No one said a thing as the weight of the Duke’s words settled in the room. Kenneth knew and understood the gravity of what his father was saying. Being disowned by his father meant he will lose his titles and inheritance.

  Their eyes met but neither said anything more. His father simply turned and walked out of the study, leaving Kenneth behind, his heavy words lingering in the air.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Rose woke up to the chirping of birds and rays of sunlight streaming into her room.

  Elsa had come in and pulled her blinds open, causing the light to flood her room and warm her face.

  “Good morning, My Lady,” Elsa said when her eyes fluttered open.

  “Good morning, Elsa. What seems to be the matter?” she yawned.

  Normally, she slept in and woke up on her own accord. However, when Elsa came in to wake her up, which was a rare occurrence, she knew something was up.

  “Nothing at all, My Lady. Your parents request your presence at the breakfast table this morning. That is why I have been sent to wake you up,” Elsa said simply.

  Oh dear! I should have known that was what this waking up business was all about.

  The Somerholm’s rarely had breakfast together, as each member of the family had different times when they got out of bed. On the rare occasions that they had breakfast together, there was most certainly some news that needed to be shared or some emergency that needed handling. And she knew what the news and emergency was about this morning.

  She’d finally and officially met her betrothed yesterday afternoon. However, she’d cut short her meeting quite early and retired to her chambers with Elsa. Her family must have been itching for news of how their walk went and when they didn’t get it, Lady Somerholm had decided to organize this family breakfast.

  Of course, the aim was simple, to get news about her meeting with Lord Rockgonie.

  “They won’t even let me have a good night’s rest before they descend on me for news?” Rose complained in a sarcastic tone as she struggled to get out of bed.

  Elsa simply chuckled and walked over to her to help her get out of bed.

  “Thank you, Elsa,” she said when she was finally in a sitting position atop the bed, with her legs touching the floor.

  All that was left was a little thrust and she would have been lifted to her feet.

  “No letter?” She looked longingly at Elsa.

  Elsa had delivered her response to the Marquess’ disturbing letter yesterday. She’d scrambled a letter in response in a bid to handle the damage that his discovery of her betrothal had caused.

  They’d retired to her chambers after her meeting with Lord Rockgonie, where Elsa had proceeded to tell her the exact tale of how she went about delivering Rose’s letter to the Marquees.

  Somehow, she had expected her letter would engender a response from the Marquess, even though he said he was going to end their correspondence.

  She’d gone to bed without getting such a letter and waking up this morning, she had continued to hope that he had sent one.

  So he was serious about ending our correspondence after all.

  She gazed at her feet absent-minded, as she began to scold herself over the many occasions she had to tell the Marquess about her betrothal but didn’t.

  This one is on me.

  “No letter, My Lady,” Elsa responded. “Remember breakfast, My Lady,” Elsa quickly reminded her.

  “Yes. Breakfast,” she grumbled, as she finally pushed herself to her feet and went about getting ready for breakfast with the family.

  Elsa proceeded to help her get ready. Yes, it was breakfast with family. However, Lady Somerholm was strict and rigid with proper manners and codes of conduct at the breakfast table. Rose couldn’t just show up without having gotten properly dressed for it.

  “No shabby looking person is allowed at this table,” her mother had said several times.

  Thirty minutes later, she was walking down to her family breakfast, with Elsa following closely behind.

  “How nice of you to join us,” Lady Somerholm said sardonically, as soon as Rose arrived at the breakfast table.

  She was the last person to arrive. Even Adam, her cynical and obnoxious brother, was already seated at the table.

  “Good morning, Mother,” she said, ignoring her mother’s comments. She wasn’t intent on starting this day in an argument with her mother.

  She greeted her father as well, but ignored Adam. This was the first time she had seen her brother since their run-in in the garden on the night she had walked with the Marquess. One glance at him and she realized she hadn’t missed her brother at all. He was still as insufferable as he had always been.

  Her father, on the other hand, seemed to be in a sullen mood. He’d only grunted in response when she had greeted him. She looked at him and wondered what could be the matter.

  Maybe Mother has irked him so much so that he can’t wait to leave the table.

  When she was seated, the servants gathered around the table, and began serving them breakfast.

  She watched as a servant filled her plate and placed it in front of her. Before she picked up her cutlery, she glanced at her father again.

  “Father? Are you all right?” she asked when she could take it no longer.

  “I am fine,” he growled.

  She glanced at her mother, in a bid to find out what could possibly be wrong with her father. Her mother didn’t seem like she was worried about Lord Somerholm’s mood. In fact, she looked like she was oblivious to it.

  “So, Rose, how did it go with Lord Rockgonie yesterday?” her mother asked.

  Why am I not surprised? Of course, I already knew that was the reason for this breakfast.

  “It went well, Mother,” Rose said simply, in a bid to dismiss the conversation.

  “It went well? Just that? Nothing else?” her mother queried.

  Rose most certainly knew what her mother wanted to hear. A tale of how even though she had resisted their choice in the beginning, she had finally seen the wisdom in their judgement after meeting Lord Rockgonie.

  Lady Somerholm’s ego would most certainly be stoked if she heard Rose say that Lord Rockgonie seemed to be the best man she had met till date.

  If Mother is really expecting to hear all that, then she must have forgotten who I am.

  “Yes, Mother. Just that. Nothing else,” she responded and focused on her breakfast.

  She heard her brother begin to laugh.

  “Oh, Mother. You actually had high hopes for her?” Adam said laughing, which Rose found repugnant.

  “Well, at least she still has hopes for one of her children,” Rose said, glaring back at him.

  Adam almost choked on his food as a result of her response. He sat straight and glared back at her. It had been the first time she had snapped back at him in the presence of their parents.

  The look her brother saw in her eyes had him backing down, though. She was definitely capable of going all the way if he kept goading her, even as fa
r as mentioning his adventures in desecrating his mother’s beautiful garden.

  He huffed and looked away from her gaze.

  I thought you would not dare.

  “That is enough, both of you,” her father’s voice bellowed across the table.

  “He started it, Father,” Rose protested.

  “I don’t care about who started it. All I care about is that it ends now,” her father thundered, startling her mother even.

  “Are you all right, dear husband?” her mother asked, after a brief moment had passed.

  Finally, it seemed Lady Somerholm noticed her husband’s mood.

  “I am fine.” He grunted his reply.

  “Yes, that is what you said when I asked earlier, Father. But it is obvious that you are not fine,” Rose interjected. “What is the matter?” she asked.

  The Earl finally sighed in resignation.

  “It’s nothing personal. Just upsetting news about the Marquess of Walsrock.”

  Rose’s mind immediately went into panic mode.

  The Marquess? Is he all right?

  “What has the trouble-maker done now?” Her mother sneered, causing her brother to laugh.

  “Probably gone on another crusade for the poor,” Adam interjected, bringing both of them to the brink of laughter.

  Rose could feel her blood boiling as her mother and brother traded jokes at the Marquess’ expense. She tried to contain her emotions but failed.

  “And what is so wrong with being sensitive to the plight of the common folk?” Rose thundered.

  From the corner of her eye, she could see Elsa shaking her head frantically in disapproval. Of course, Elsa had cause to worry, but she couldn’t just sit there and listen to anyone rubbish the Marquess.

  “Nothing is wrong with that, especially when done in moderation, Daughter. And that is exactly what seems to have landed him in trouble,” Lord Somerholm responded.

  “In trouble?” Rose’s rage dissipated and gave way to concern.

  My goodness! What has happened to Lord Walsrock?

  “Yes, Rose. In trouble. His father has gotten tired of trying to reason with him.”

  “Reason with him?” Rose asked in confusion.

  “To drop this whole messiah business he has got going on. No one says not to pursue a good cause, but doing that at the detriment of your reputation is what I will never understand.”

  Rose didn’t know whether to laugh or breathe a sigh of relief. So, she kept quiet instead as her father continued his rant.

  “And now he has gone and pushed his father over the edge,” her father said.

  “So, how is he in trouble?” Rose finally asked, not sure what exactly the problem was.

  “The Duke has finally had it and is considering disowning the Marquess, since his son is bent on staying on this destructive path he has chosen.”

  “Destructive path? So caring enough about those beneath your station and choosing to pursue their cause is a destructive path? What exactly is going on here? How can you see anything wrong with what Lord Walsrock is doing, Father?”

  “Would you pursue a cause that doesn’t affect you, at the expense of losing everything dear to you, Rose? The Marquess is in danger of losing everything and still he chooses not to listen. That is where the issue lies.” This time, it was her mother that had responded.

  “Exactly. Maybe when he has been disowned and lost his claim to all that he has, maybe then he will stop and reconsider his decision,” Adam interjected.

  “Can you all listen to yourselves? We are talking about things that are affecting people in the real world, some of them standing in this room at this moment.” Rose gestured to the servants that currently stood in the corners of the room waiting for them to finish breakfast.

  Her mother and brother snorted as she continued with her speech.

  “And we are vilifying someone who has stood up to do something about it? Oh, dare I say that these matters actually affect us, dear Mother, even if we chose to pretend they don’t.”

  “Careful, Sister. You sound like you have also bought into this nonsense.” Adam’s statement caused everyone’s gaze to fall on her.

  “And what if I have?” Rose fired back. “It is a worthy nonsense after all.”

  “Oh dear!” Her mother exclaimed even as her brother’s jaw dropped in surprise.

  “That’s enough,” the Earl interjected. “Rose, don’t you have more important things on your mind besides Lord Walsrock, like your pending meetings with Lord Rockgonie?” the Earl asked.

  Her father’s question reminded her of the unfinished conversation she’d had with Lord Rockgonie yesterday, and how she had felt afterwards.

  The fact that her father had even tried to use that to distract her from the current conversation, infuriated her even more.

  “Oh, you mean my fake betrothal to Lord Rockgonie? No, Father. That is the furthest thing from my mind right now,” she fired back.

  From the corner of her eye once more, she noticed Elsa’s frantic gestures, trying to get her to stop talking. She pitied her lady’s maid. Unfortunately, she was so angry she had lost all control over her emotions.

  “Oh, for God’s sake, Rose. Stop this nonsense at once,” her mother railed.

  “Why, Mother? Because I am going to get you upset? Because I’m not supposed to speak on such matters? Because I have finally found out that my betrothal to Lord Rockgonie is a sham?” Rose was on a roll and doubted she could get herself to stop now.

  “No one even bothered to ask me about this. No one bothered to seek my consent. No one even cares if I’m happy,” Rose railed.

  “Enough! You are getting married to Lord Rockgonie and like I have told you before, you better find a way to make peace with it,” her mother shrieked.

  “Sorry to disappoint you, Mother, but I am not marrying Lord Rockgonie. I will not be part of such a sham.”

  “What did you say?” Lady Somerholm asked in shock.

  “You heard me, Mother. I am not marrying Lord Rockgonie. If I’m going to marry anyone at all, it will be Lord Walsrock.”

  There was an immediate silence as a result of Rose’s comment. Even though her face remained solidly stern, her darting eyes took in every one’s reaction.

  Her mother had been rendered speechless for the first time since Rose could remember. Adam’s shock was more palpable. His gaping mouth and stunned eyes revealed his astonishment. Elsa simply smacked her hand to her forehead in resignation.

  Her father, on the other hand, was still.

  “What did you say?” Lord Somerholm bellowed.

  For some reason, Rose’s courage hadn’t dissipated in spite of her father’s building rage. She went ahead to repeat her earlier statement of marrying Lord Walsrock.

  “I see,” Lord Somerholm grunted.

  “My Lord…” Lady Somerholm began to say before she was silenced by the raise of the Earl’s hand.

  “So you have been messing around with the Marquess? You think you can defy me without consequences? Is that what you are learning from Lord Walsrock?”

  “This isn’t about defiance, Father. This is about following my heart,” Rose protested.

  “Your heart, right? That is suddenly the excuse to bring shame and embarrassment to this family? Well, that will never happen in my household,” the Earl raged.

  “My Lord…” Lady Somerholm tried again to temper her husband’s anger, failing in the process.

  “Lord Walsrock may be a Marquess and a future Duke someday, but you will never marry him. Whatever you have built in secret with him is over. You will marry Lord Rockgonie, who I have chosen for you, and that is the end of that matter,” the Earl roared.

  “Father…” Rose tried to talk.

  “Silence!” Lord Somerholm thundered, sending reverberations all around the room.

  Turning to face his wife, he spoke.

  “Begin making preparations for a wedding between Lord Rockgonie and our daughter. I want them wedded within thre
e months and I don’t care what it will cost.”

  Rose’s mouth dropped in shock as she gasped.

  “As for you, I forbid you leaving this house for any activity or receiving any guests except Lord Rockgonie. You will spend the next three months in preparation for your wedding. No child of mine will bring shame and embarrassment to this family, not while I am still breathing.”

 

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