Page 39 of The Perfect Rose

Clara pulled Rose’s hand and led her to the front of the house. “Will you come in for tea?”

Rose smiled, letting the girl’s joy seep into her heart. “How could I possibly resist?”

Chapter Twenty-six

Surely Lady Rose would return in time to dress for dinner. What could possibly be keeping her so long? And what was she doing riding out with the servants and a pink-ribboned package? Frederick slapped his hat against his thigh. He’d been pacing the stables and surrounding areas for far too long, wishing for the woman he loved to appear.

He stopped short and ran a hand through his hair. The woman he loved. It was still so shocking, and yet, it wasn’t at all. It was almost as if Frederick had known from the beginning that he’d love Rose.

He’d erected so many walls around his heart to protect himself after Kendra’s duplicity had crushed him. All the time he’d loved her, she’d loved one of his best friends. But Kendra had given him ample reasons to believe she loved him in return. It wasn’t his fault that he’d believed her, it was the fact that Kendra had been living a lie.

Frederick had worshipped the ground she walked on. He’d doted on her and wasted far too much coin trying to win her affection. It made his stomach sour even now, five years later. Since the betrayal, Frederick hadn’t had it in him to trust any woman. They were manipulative and secretive, but most of all, they reminded him of Kendra.

Rose Gardner was different. Yes, she was beyond beautiful, but she was also determined and vulnerable and honest. Frederick found that he hardly thought of his almost-betrothed when he was with Rose. He was confident that Rose had told him the truth of her situation. And she was prepared to accept any proposal that came her way at this house party. Lord Hanby and Owen Redford’s proposals were imminent. Rose knew they were coming, and she was already trying to sort out which gentleman she should choose. But she didn’t know that he was also going to propose to her. And by the time he did, he wanted her to be so confident in her decision that she would accept him no matter what advantages a marriage to someone else might induce her to accept.

In short, Rose Gardner needed to know that she was loved regardless of what other people thought of her. Frederick had shared vulnerable moments with her, moments he was confident no one else had shared with her. And it was in those moments he’d seen who she really was: a delicate flower that somehow had survived being crushed by society, not to mention her mother’s prunings. She was resilient, strong willed, caring, and trustworthy. She achieved impossible feats and she overlooked herself. She was not perfect, and that was what made her beautiful.

His patience run dry, Frederick mounted his horse. Time was not on his side, and he needed to see her. He galloped across his estate and followed the route he’d taken with their party earlier in the week. It was the most logical way to locate Lady Rose since she wasn’t familiar with the other tenants that worked his land. He saw three horses coming toward him, and he increased his speed.

The group pulled their horses to the side of the road to allow him to pass in his haste. But Frederick would recall that pale pink riding habit forever. It was the same one Rose had been wearing the day she’d taught Clara to prune the rose bush. He pulled his horse to a stop next to the group and looked Rose up and down, finally catching on her confused, angelic face. “You’re all right.”

“I am. Are you, Mr. Hastings? You seem in a rush. Is there anything I can assist you with?” She shifted on her horse and patted its neck.

Of course she would be concerned about him. He’d been riding to find her like the devil was chasing him. He pulled his horse as close to hers as he could manage, never taking his eyes off her face. “I am well, now. I was worried about you, Lady Rose. You’d been gone for so long.”

She tipped her head to one side. “I’ve only been out for a couple hours.”

Frederick took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. “Do you know how long a couple hours feels like with you gone? It could very well have been days.”

Lady Rose laughed, and Frederick’s heart fell. She thought he was joking.

He’d certainly given her reason to believe that would be the case. But it wouldn’t do, not now. “I’m glad you are safe. But it was agony, not knowing where you were. What took you away?”

Her brow pulled together, showing her confusion. “I’ve been to visit with Clara.”

Frederick skimmed her and the servants mounts for any sign of a pink ribbon, but he found none. So the package had been for her new friend. He swallowed. “And now do you have time to spend with me?”

Lady Rose’s face lit in a timid smile, and a splash of color stole across her cheeks.

Yes. Frederick hoped that blush indicated that she was not immune to his intentions. He didn’t want to seem like a rake, but he needed her to feel his presence, and her blush was the first sign of awareness.

“And what is it we would be spending time doing?”

Frederick would have liked to take her somewhere private and kiss her senseless. But that was not the plan. If everything went as he hoped, there would be plenty of time for kissing her later. “Why, raiding the kitchens of course.”

Lady Rose laughed, the lilting song sweeping the expanse of fields around them and giving Frederick’s heart wings. “Raiding the kitchens? Truly? I haven’t done that since I was six.”

“Was it so awful then?”

Rose’s face paled. “The repercussions of it were.” She swallowed hard and pulled her horse away from Frederick’s.

He followed close on her heels until he caught up to her, then he raised his hand to the square as if he were making a solemn oath. “I can promise you that I have an excellent record of evading our cook. And I refuse to leave anyone behind in a raid. It’s a serious expedition to undertake. As the leader, if we fail, I will take the blame.”

“You are making me quite jealous of Miriam, Mr. Hastings. If I had you for a brother growing up, so much would have been different.”

Frederick cleared his throat. “Very true. For one thing, if I were your elder brother, I could not possibly court you while raiding the kitchen.” He heard her sharp intake of breath but pushed on. “That would have been tragic.”

They rode beside each other in silence for a stretch of field before Lady Rose spoke. “None of the other gentlemen from the house party will see us together if we are sneaking around the kitchen. Wouldn’t that be counterproductive to our plan?”