Page 94 of Once Upon a Devilish Duke

The group nodded in understanding, and all made their goodnights to her.

Once in the hall, Edward tucked her arm in his and proceeded up the stairs.

“Well done, Rose. You must be worn to the bone. All that smiling. All those plans. I had not quite envisioned it this way.”

“Me either, but what else am I meant to do?”

“Nothing. I will explain to my mother that we do not intend to usurp Marianne’s wedding, and so that is why we have insisted on a long engagement. That dress plans should be kept for her daughter for now.”

“Will that work?”

“I will make it work. We have court in the morning, so let’s hope your brother has come to his senses by then.”

They had reached the landing, and she could only hope that his mother would accept the long engagement. “I wish we had no need for such lies and deception. I feel awful about lying to everyone. They will all be so hurt when they find out.”

“They will not find out. You will go back to Ashtonvale at the end of the season, and we will say that separation made us realize that marriage was not a good idea.”

She stopped walking. “Back to Ashtonvale?”

“You will be safe there, and it will give you time to decide what your next move will be.”

He had a point. It was not like he was likely to go there, so yes, separation could be a good excuse. They had come to their senses, or they realized they did not miss each other and therefore the affection was not there. Only it was there. For her, at least. If she had thought for one moment that he had any true feelings for her, she would have welcomed a proposal. Perhaps he was right, and going to Ashtonvale was the best way. Did he only feel physical passion for her? That was not the same as passion of the heart, was it?

She nodded as they reached her door. He took her hand and kissed her knuckles, and she closed her eyes for a moment to keep from leaning into him.

“Good night, Rose. I’m glad you are home.”

“Good night, Your Grace,” she replied, pulling her hand from his before turning the handle of the door. When she saw him frown, she stepped back and then closed the door.

Leaning against the door, she looked around her. Everything was the same, like she had not been gone for two days. The fire danced, and unlike the hotel, it did not smoke. She sat in the chair and waited for Elsie to come and help her undress. Part of her wanted to run back to the hotel, despite the smoky fireplace. There, at least, she could be herself instead of this lying shell of herself.

Regret filled her, and she looked around as if she should be doing something to distract herself. She kicked off her shoes and took off her garters and stockings, remembering how Edward had pulled them off when he had come to her room that night. She sat at her dressing table and started to take out her hairpins. She grabbed her brush and ran it through her hair. Looking at herself in the mirror, she studied her features. How had she become this woman? How had she put herself in such a position?

Her eyes burned, but she refused to cry anymore. She just had to get through the next few days.

*

In his study, Edward straightened his piles of paperwork, unwilling to sit just yet. He frowned again at what had just happened at Rose’s door. Did she blame him for forcing her to pretend they were engaged? Or was it simply that she needed some quiet to think about all that had happened today in court?

Cecil was hot-headed and rash. Was he simply bluffing? Saying she was a habitual liar when he could plainly see how lying to his family was affecting her. No, Rose was no liar. Edward had known Rose as a child, and although he remembered her being a little mischievous, she was never devious.

If anyone was to blame for everything that had happened, it had been him. He had kissed her first. He tried to convince her that passion could exist without love. That he would protect her from any consequences. He had failed miserably at that. He had been too absorbed in his own pleasure and excitement to realize that such things as closed doors and unsolicited visits would go unnoticed. His staff were good at their jobs and he paid them well, but although they were meant to be invisible at their tasks, they still had eyes and ears.

Once Jameson had told him that all the servants knew he had been involved with Rose instead of silently ending things, he got bolder. That kiss in the breakfast room had been more than foolish. This was all his fault, and Rose was paying the price. He could handle the looks of disgust, the glares of anger, and the disappointment in his family’s eyes, but she could not. How could he fix such a thing? Or rather, how could he mess this up even more? As that is all he seemed to be able to do. This was not the kind of mess he usually had to take care of.

He was not heartless and could see how much the court this morning had upset her. All the ton looking on and judging her. They were judging Brookhaven as well, but there was an expectation that sometimes young men, new to town and there to get some town polish, were bound to get into a little debt. To take on a wager or two. To risk their lives drunkenly taking on feats of derring-do. They would most likely forgive him, but a woman must be beyond reproach. Brookhaven likely thought the deed was worth the dents to his reputation, if it would destroy hers.

Their only hope was that Magistrate St James would see through Cecil’s plans to discredit his sister. That whatever evidence he came up with would not match up with the evidence Barlow had provided.

He sat at his desk and looked at the piles of paper and sighed. At least he could lose himself in his work. He took the first dispatch off the top and opened the seal.

*

The next morning, they all met in a group in the foyer, ready to face once again the crowded courtroom.

“Have you read the paper this morning?” Tony asked, as they headed down the steps.

“Was the engagement announcement there?”