Page 2 of The Duke's Auctioned Spinster
And it was only out of idle curiosity that she had the desire to, of course. Lydia had spoken often about Edmund over the past couple of years, and he seemed a strange and fascinating creature, someone who threw himself into life with abandon and seemed rather carefree.
Yet despite his reputation as a rake, and by all accounts, this reputation was well-earned, Lydia had always spoken about him with a sense of reverence. While she was always prone to seeing the best in things, she was no fool, and so there must have been something worthy about Edmund for him to earn a place of such esteem in Lydia’s eyes.
This contradiction played on her mind. A man who took such a casual approach to life, and yet must have had some sense of responsibility to be a duke and to have taken care of his sisters when their parents died in a tragic accident. When Lydia firstdescribed her brother to Rose, Rose was quite confused and thought she was speaking of two different men.
But no, there was just one.
Rose noticed that her parents were getting a little anxious. Her mother, Margaret, nudged her father, and they whispered to each other. They glanced toward Rose and shifted their weight between their feet.
“You should pay attention to the next lot, Rose,” her mother said.
Rose barely glanced in her direction.
“How are you getting on with the current book, Lydia? I am finding it rather dense. It feels like the author likes the sound of his own voice a little too much, as though he is trying to prove his intelligence,” she said, ignoring her mother’s words.
“Yes, it does rather seem as though he is showing off his vocabulary rather than focusing on telling a good story. I shall be glad when we move on from this one and begin the next one.”
“Are you going to finish it?”
“I am not sure. I suppose I should, if only for the sake of being able to contribute to the discussion.”
“At least it is a challenge.”
“Some would call it a waste of time.”
“Are you not going to listen to the auctioneer?” Lydia asked.
Rose rolled her shoulders. “It’s not as though I am going to be allowed to bid on anything. I am sure my parents just brought me here in the hope that I might meet someone. They have dragged me to some utterly dreadful social events. The sooner they realize that this is not in my future, the better. Now that, my friend, is a challenge,” Rose said with a wry smile.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s someone offering an engagement,” Rose continued, shaking her head. “Now then, have you thought any more about suggesting your sister’s book for our group?”
“Oh, I am not sure about that. Would a book about botany really interest the others? We do tend to read more... captivating stories.”
“I am sure it would. I enjoyed it, after all, and perhaps you could even get Charlotte to come and talk about her book! Now that would be exciting,” Rose said, although Lydia did not seem to share her enthusiasm. Lydia had never struck Rose as the jealous type, but perhaps there was some unspoken tension between Lydia and her elder sister, Charlotte.
“We have a very special lot now, an opportunity seldom granted and never before offered. The bidding shall begin at one hundred pounds for five promenades with Lady Rose Bolton,” the auctioneer said.
Rose was only paying half-attention, but the announcement of her name made her freeze. Her jaw clenched, and confusion reigned in her mind like a storm. Surely there must have been some mistake. Surely she must have misheard, or perhaps by some strange coincidence, there was another woman bearing her name.
But when Lydia squeezed her hand, and Rose saw the surprise in her eyes, she knew that there had been no mistake.
“Rose,” Lydia gasped.
Hands began to shoot up like spring flowers that were eager to taste sunlight. Rose’s stomach churned. A warm, uncomfortable tingling sensation rippled across her skin, and the world seemed to tilt around her, as though she was losing her balance.
“Did you know anything about this?” Lydia whispered as all around them, more bids were being declared with growing interest, and gazes were turning toward her. Rose’s shock quickly turned to anger, and her cheeks were flushed with color.
“Father. Mother. What is happening?” she asked tersely.
“Hush, Rose, we shall explain everything later,” Margaret said. Thomas averted Rose’s gaze, but she could not fail to see the guilty expression adorning his features.
Rose began to shake her head. This could not be happening. It was humiliating to be placed on display like this, to be offered as a thing to be bought. What on earth were her parents thinking? She sidled closer to Thomas.
“Father,” she said, taking his arm.
“We’re sorry for springing this on you, Rose, but you never would have agreed to come if we had been honest with you. Something must be done about your future, and surely a bid like this will show more intention than someone asking for a mere dance. Please, let us just see what happens. We really had no choice in the matter.”
While these last words rang hollow, Rose was shaken by the way hope replaced guilt in his eyes. They practically sparkled with delight, and the fact that this meant so much to him, coupled with the shame that would follow her if she made a scene and stormed out, made her remain.
