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

by Violet Hamers

  She told him what the Earl of Rockgonie had said about his intentions, or lack thereof, for marrying her. It had given him a little hope but it hadn’t erased the problem of how to get her out of the betrothal.

  She also eventually told him when her father had agreed that she could accompany the Earl to Lady Christie’s birthday party. He’d been elated at the chance of getting to see her again and had set about getting things ready for the day, including getting his own invitation to the birthday party.

  Now the day had come and he was back to being early to balls he was attending.

  With regards to the uprising, Leonard was already making headway with securing the friendships of the key instigators and in the process of securing a gathering for Kenneth to meet them.

  The Duke had not made any more mention of disowning him for the time being. It seemed everything was on the up and up.

  He arrived at the manor and joined the long line of carriages that were waiting to drop their patrons. He didn’t mind the wait and spent the time admiring the procession in front of him.

  When it was his turn and he had gotten down, he could have sworn that he saw a hint of surprise on the face of the Master of Ceremonies who announced his arrival.

  “The Most Honorable Kenneth Marquess of Walsrock!” The announcer thundered, causing everyone’s attention in line to fall on him.

  He smiled as he walked in and immediately began looking for either Rose or Lord Rockgonie.

  Rose had specifically said she hadn’t revealed his identity to Lord Rockgonie but had said she was accompanying him. If he found Lord Rockgonie first, who was taller and would be easier to find, Rose was surely not far behind.

  He continued to look through the crowd, ignoring the attempts of some to interrupt him.

  Finally, he spotted Rose standing in the corner alone. The same feeling he’d felt when he saw her for the first time at her ball, washed over him anew.

  It only took a brief pause before he began moving toward her. He had to be careful, though, now that they were in public. Any move he made was being watched keenly by the whole of London. He had to be as subtle as he could possibly be, knowing that news would most definitely reach her father that they had talked at the party.

  Where is the Earl of Rockgonie?

  It registered once again that Rose was standing alone and without company.

  Rose herself was shifting uncomfortably where she stood. Her discomfort at standing alone was apparent to him even from where he was. A smile formed on his lips.

  “Lady Rose,” he exclaimed softly when he arrived beside her.

  “Lord Walsrock.” She smiled and was instantly at ease. “How good of you to join us at this party. I was wondering how long you were going to keep us waiting,” she smirked.

  Us? So Rockgonie is around then.

  “Allow me a moment. The party hasn’t even started yet,” he joked back. “And where is your companion, Lord Rockgonie?”

  “Right here.” Lord Rockgonie’s voice came from behind him.

  He turned to see him standing there.

  “Lord Rockgonie,” Kenneth said.

  “Lord Walsrock,” Lord Rockgonie replied.

  “Isn’t it a surprise to see you at such functions?” Kenneth joked.

  “I got tired of writing rejection and apology letters,” Lord Rockgonie retorted sarcastically.

  They both shared a laugh, then Rose stepped in and did a reintroduction.

  “Lord Rockgonie? Meet Lord Walsrock. I have told you about him in our conversations,” Rose winked, signaling he was the lover she had told him about.

  “You’ve told me about him? Oh,” Lord Rockgonie responded, as realization dawned on him. “Nice to meet you again, Lord Walsrock,” Lord Rockgonie said, a coy smile forming on his lips.

  “Likewise,” Kenneth smiled back.

  “Well, we have ourselves in a bit of a conundrum. How shall we proceed?” Lord Rockgonie was asking.

  “I suggest you dance with your betrothed, after which we shall take a walk around the manor,” Kenneth responded.

  He was immediately understood by both Rose and Lord Rockgonie, just as the celebrant, Lady Christie approached their little company.

  “Thanks for coming to my party,” she said to them all, looking specifically at Kenneth.

  Noticing this, both Rose and Lord Rockgonie struggled to hold in their giggles.

  “You’re welcome,” Kenneth replied simply, pretending to be ignorant of the looks he was getting from Lady Christie.

  “Please make yourselves comfortable. And by all means, save me a dance, Lord Walsrock. I am the celebrant, after all,” she teased before walking away to address another little group.

  “It seems I’m not the only one who will be dancing with my betrothed tonight,” Lord Rockgonie teased as soon as she was gone, causing them to erupt in controlled laughter.

  “You surely aren’t the only one,” Kenneth responded.

  They continued making light conversation till it was time to dance. As already decided upon, Lady Christie came for Lord Walsrock, while Lady Rose and Lord Rockgonie paired up to begin their dance.

  When the music began, he bowed to Lady Christie and they began to dance.

  “It has been a while. My Lord honors me with this dance,” Lady Christie said.

  “You are the celebrant, like you pointed out, My Lady. It is the least I could do,” he responded.

  “I definitely wish that every day is my birthday if that’s what it takes to secure your attention once again,” she winked.

  “What are you talking about? You’ve always had my attention on any God-given day,” he teased back.

  “And yet here I am, feeling like I have been abandoned by you, My Lord.”

  He knew exactly what she was referring to. In running away from the advances of Lady Charlotte, he had run into the arms of Lady Christie.

  Their connection hadn’t been instant, but they had definitely grown into it. His own mother had noticed it and even teased him with her name a couple of days ago when she was trying to find the identity of the lady that had held her son spellbound.

  For the longest time, though, he’d considered her a very good friend until she made it known that she had developed feelings for him. He’d turned her down in the gentlest way possible but their friendship was never the same.

  Eventually, he’d been forced to stop correspondence with her altogether.

  And now, because of Rose, he was at her birthday party and dancing with her. Also, from the look of things, it didn’t seem like her interest in him had waned one bit.

  “Can I abandon the act of breathing? That is what it will feel like if I abandon you,” he responded sarcastically, causing her to laugh.

  “You were always good with words. I see you haven’t lost your touch.”

  “And your beauty was always radiant. I see it hasn’t waned one bit,” he responded, causing her to blush.

  They continued to dance and talk until the music wound down to its end.

  “I might have to send out a search party if you disappear on me again this time,” she warned as she stepped away from the dance. “Thank you for the dance.” She curtsied.

  “It was my pleasure.” He responded with a courteous bow.

  Soon their little company had formed back.

  “Shall we take that walk now?” Lord Rockgonie said impatiently.

  The three exited the party and found a path that Kenneth knew would be there. Elsa followed behind them, at a respectable distance.

  “This will lead us to the garden. It’s a lot quieter there,” he remarked, causing Lord Rockgonie to smirk.

  “And you know this how?” Rose asked.

  “Inspiration. Let’s proceed, shall we?” Kenneth responded, causing Lord Rockgonie to laugh.

  They walked the path in silence till they arrived at the garden. They found a bench and sat on it. Elsa simply walked to the end of the garden and stood.

  “So, here we
stand. Or sit, rather.” Lord Rockgonie said, causing everyone to chuckle. “What are we going to do?”

  “Well, to be honest, I do not know,” Kenneth remarked.

  “Lord Walsrock mentioned eloping together,” Rose said to Lord Rockgonie.

  “Well, if you go ahead, that would free me up. That would be incredibly selfish of me if I let you go through with it, though. Plus, your reputations would be damaged. And we are trying to come up with a solution where our reputations are still intact,” Lord Rockgonie commented.

  “I suggest we go back to the party before our absence is noticed. We can continue pondering on the matter and find a way to meet again if we have to,” Kenneth said.

  “I concur. Lady Christie will most likely be looking for you already,” Rose said as she rolled her eyes, causing both gentlemen to laugh.

  They all stood up and began making their way to the party. As they walked, Kenneth suddenly stopped and pulled on Rose’s hand as Lord Rockgonie walked on ahead.

  “What is the…” Rose began saying before his lips connected with hers, silencing her words in her mouth.

  Like the first time, this kiss was as soft as it was sensual. It didn’t last as long, though, seeing as they were pressed to return back to the party.

  “I have looked forward to doing that all week,” he whispered into her mouth when their lips finally parted.

  “I have, too,” she whispered right back.

  He kissed her forehead as her eyes closed shut.

  “I love you,” he whispered.

  There was a brief pause before Rose responded.

  “I love you, too, Kenneth.”

  “I promise you, we shall find a way to be together,” he said.

  “Can we get back to the party now?” Noah said, from where he was in front of them.

  Kenneth released her as they began walking to catch up to Lord Rockgonie.

  “Oh and by the way, if anyone had seen you, I would have been forced to punch you in the face. You can’t be kissing my betrothed in public,” Lord Rockgonie joked, causing all of them to laugh as they walked on.

  Chapter Seventeen

  A few miles away, a figure appeared in the darkness at the beginning of the street. From its outline, one could tell that it was a man even though he had a hood over his head to shield his face from view.

  The man walked briskly, his steps filled with purpose as he traversed the inner city streets of London otherwise known as the red light district.

  From the way he walked, it was obvious he knew these streets like the back of his hands and was in a hurry to arrive at a destination.

  He looked left and right as he crossed the street, quickly doubling back in the direction he had just come from.

  An alleyway lay in front and when he got to the opening, he looked around him again before darting in. His pace quickened as he neared the door at the end of the alleyway which was hidden in the darkness.

  He arrived in front of the door just as rats scurried away from his path.

  A slight rasp on the door and a voice thundered from within.

  “Who goes there?”

  “One on a quest for liberty, equality and fraternity,” he responded.

  There was a brief pause before the sounds of locks disengaging was heard.

  The phrase the mysterious man had used in response was from the French Revolution, whose slogan had been Liberte Egalite Fraternite.

  This was the headquarters of the coming English revolution.

  The door swung open and a burly man stood in the doorway holding a lamp. From his blackened fingers to the ash on his face and clothes, it was obvious that this man worked in the coal mines. A harsh raspy cough escaped his throat which cleared any doubt that this was, indeed, a miner.

  The light from the lamp gave him an eerie glow whilst also illuminating the stranger standing outside.

  Satisfied that the mystery man was indeed authorized to be there, the burly doorkeeper stepped aside.

  As soon as the man had walked in, the doorkeeper stepped back and shut the door, securing the locks as he had done before this visit.

  When he was done, he turned to face the man under the hood.

  “Has everyone arrived?” the man under the hood asked.

  “Yes, boss,” the door keeper replied.

  “Good. Let’s not keep them waiting now shall we?”

  The doorkeeper stepped in front and began leading the way through a dark winding corridor. If not for the lamp, one would crash into the walls, unable to find their way.

  After a few paces, the corridor straightened out as light emanated from its end. On reaching the end, the corridor emptied into a room that had been lit with more lamps.

  There could have been upwards of a hundred men in that dimly lit room and everyone stood to acknowledge the presence of this new entrant.

  “Please be seated,” he announced, as he arrived at his designated seat at the head of the room.

  “So first order of business, what is the current status of our shipment of muskets and ammunition from France?” he asked.

  “The shipment has set sail from the Port of Calais. We shall soon take delivery of them,” one of the men answered.

  “And the bribes to be paid to some of the officials?” the mystery man asked.

  “I have sent out a courier with payments to everyone that was outlined in the notebook you gave me,” another answered this time.

  “Good. Nothing must hinder that shipment from arriving in London. Those muskets and ammunitions are the very foundation of our plan. Without them, we might as well start a war with Britain using pitchforks and shovels,” he responded.

  “Do not worry. The shipment shall arrive in London without incident.”

  “All right. There is something else I want to bring to attention. The gentleman we have chosen to take the fall for our actions has sent a message. He requests a meeting with the majority of you.”

  “I already said this would happen when we agreed to send him that list. There was no way he would see those names and not want to meet,” one of the men lamented.

  “Well, giving him the list was integral to our plan. We need to stack evidence against him that will ensure his arrest and keep the law away from us.”

  “Well, is meeting with him also integral to our plan?” the same man who had lamented, continued.

  “It can be. If we can send news to that detective who has been investigating us, through an informant, we can orchestrate a meeting with the gentleman in full view of the detective. When all hell breaks loose, there will be nothing he can say that will be able to clear his name,” the mystery man under the hood retorted.

  “All right, Leonard. Whatever you say. You are the boss, after all.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Rose sat smiling in the gazebo at Lord Rockgonie’s manor. The reason for her smile was Kenneth, who at this moment had stepped down from his curricle and was making haste toward her.

  It had been two weeks since Lady Christie’s birthday party and things between them had progressed nicely, thanks in no small measure to Lord Rockgonie’s assistance.

  First, a week after the party, Lord Rockgonie had prevailed on her father to allow her come visiting at his manor where he lived alone. It hadn’t been difficult in any way, seeing as Lord Somerholm was consumed with eliminating any memory or the thought of any contact with Kenneth from his daughter’s mind.

  The Earl of Somerholm had acceded to the request. However, in order to make sure Rose’s reputation wasn’t affected, Elsa had been directed to go along with her, acting in the capacity of a chaperone.

  Second, Kenneth had sneaked into the manor every day since the arrangement began, letting them spend time together in secret.

  It had been a week of bliss for her as she had waltzed and cooed in the arms of her lover without fear of discovery. Kenneth had embraced her wholeheartedly, letting her discover parts of him she didn’t know existed.

  The arrangement
had caused their relationship to blossom and she couldn’t remember a time in her life when she had been happier.

  “My Love! Diamond of the first water,” Kenneth addressed her as soon as he stepped into the gazebo, causing her to blush.