Page 30 of The Duke's Auctioned Spinster
“And it has nothing to do with being thoughtful or considerate.”
Edmund shuddered at the words. “Such things are poison to me,” he overstated.
Lydia sighed and shook her head before folding her hands in her lap. “Well, the first thing you need to know about Rose is that she prefers the countryside over ballrooms. If she had her way,she would never set foot in a ballroom again. She enjoys riding, animals, and feeling the wind in her hair.”
“Riding? But she gave me the impression that she was precious about her shoes.”
“People are not always what they seem, Edmund. You should know that more than most.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” he asked, but before Lydia could say anything else, he continued speaking, not wishing to engage in such a ridiculous line of conversation. “Well, then, I shall arrange something that takes place outside. I would not want to bore her.”
“I am sure she will be glad that you put so much thought into it.”
Edmund waved a dismissive hand in the air. “It is no great effort. I shall simply get George to arrange it. I am merely doing Rose a courtesy, Lydia. I am not going to be a bore for her.”
“Of course not, brother. Nobody would ever accuse you of being a bore.”
“Indeed. Such a thing would be a great sin. Well, there we have it,” he slapped his thighs and stood up. “I shall leave you to your reading now. What book is capturing your attention?”
“It’s calledEternal Love in an Endless War.”
Edmund made a face. “That sounds dreadful,” he said, then left her to it. Lydia was smiling to herself as he left the room, enjoying a private joke. Edmund paused to look at her and, once again, reflected on her growing into a woman. How the years turned, he thought. His baby sister was becoming a woman and might soon be a wife.
And he had become a man, but he wasn’t the kind of man his father had hoped he would be. A knot tightened in his stomach, and a bitter taste appeared at the back of his throat. He pushed the thought aside and found George.
“Prepare two horses for the day after tomorrow. I am going to ride with Lady Rose.”
“Very good, Your Grace.”
Edmund was planning to test Rose and expose her lies. And then a devilish idea flashed in his mind.
“And there’s another thing,” he continued. “Start sending out invitations for an event next week. I am going to host a small gathering here to take advantage of the fair weather. There shall be riding and games. Invite the usual suspects, nobody dull. I do not wish for stiff conversation.”
“As you wish, Your Grace,” George said. Edmund smiled. That had settled the third and fourth promenades, and after that, there would only be one left. Suddenly, it did not seem like an awful lot, and he wondered if he would ever get a true sense of what Rose was like.
As George left the room, Edmund called out after him.
“I don’t suppose there has been any word about the dog?” he asked.
“None, Your Grace,” George said.
Edmund nodded. It had been a long shot, after all, but still, he couldn’t help but feel disappointed. He moved to the window, and when he stared at the ghost of his reflection, he could almost believe his father was looking back at him. In his eyes, he saw dismay and shame.
Edmund turned away, knowing he had not lived the life his parents wanted for him.
Chapter Thirteen
“What do you think of the book so far?” Rose asked. It was a hefty tome, so the group decided to read a third of the book each week over three weeks.
“It’s better than the last, although there will be plenty of opportunity to discuss the book once the meeting is underway,” Lydia said. The two of them were sitting together and enjoying some tea. There was always some time set aside for lively conversation as everyone arrived. “I would prefer to hear about how things are going with Edmund.”
Rose cleared her throat and adjusted her posture slightly. Although she had anticipated this question, she wasn’t entirely sure she was prepared to answer it.
“It is going about as well as can be expected.”
“High praise,” Lydia said dryly.
“He has been a gentleman,” Rose said, for she did not want to speak badly about Lydia’s brother when there was no cause to do so, while also laying seeds for her plan to declare her love for Edmund. She didn’t think there would be any difficulty in convincing her parents, but Lydia would be another matter.
