Edmund wrung his hands together and pursed his lips. He shook his head and wondered how he had gotten himself into this situation. It was that damnable Lord Whitcombe’s fault. If it had been any man other than him, then Edmund wouldn’t have felt the need to intervene. But still, the deed had been done, and now he had to live with it, and hope that the aggravation he would avoid from people nagging him about marriage would make up for the frustrating presence of Rose in his life.
Now, there was someone who needed to learn to relax and enjoy quiet moments. She seemed so tense, he was surprised she didn’t snap like brittle ice.
Suddenly, a thought struck him.
“George, tomorrow I shall be taking Lady Rose to the Royal Academy in the morning. Please make arrangements with the footmen and have a suitable outfit ready for me. If there are any appointments, cancel them. I am sure they will understand that my future must take precedence,” he said, allowing himself a wolfish smile.
Dry meetings could be postponed, or he could get dear Alfred to handle them. Either way, he could stroll through paintings and keep a distance between them. There would be no dangerousmoment where they stood close together, for only ruin lay that way.
“As you wish, Your Grace. Is there anything else I can do for you?” George asked.
“No, no, I suppose I shall have to knuckle down and get on with work. It isn’t going to take care of itself.”
“Indeed, it is not, Your Grace,” George said, and backed out of the room, carrying his tray.
Edmund returned to the desk and casually shuffled the documents in front of him. The numbers danced before his eyes, and the words started to swirl around. He took a deep breath and puffed out his cheeks as he exhaled, then leaned back and tapped his fingers on the desk.
Edmund was the kind of man who could make a minute’s work last an hour.
“What is it about you that vexes me so much?” he muttered, thinking about Rose.
His mind turned not to the moment where the air glinted with intimacy, but just before that, when the dog escaped from Rose’s sight. She seemed deeply moved by the animal and had looked utterly crestfallen when it disappeared. Any affection in her heart must have been reserved for those poor, defenseless creatures of the world.
He thought about the matter some more, and then, with an itch at the base of his neck, he got up from his chair and strode out of the room. He saw George polishing silverware. The butler greeted him with an inquisitive raise of his eyebrow.
“Yes, Your Grace?” he asked.
“There is something else that I would like you to look into. It is a minor matter and probably not worth bothering with, but I think I ought to… Would you mind sending someone to inquire about a stray dog?”
“A dog? I have seen no dog here, Your Grace,” George said, offended at the thought that something might have escaped his attention. He scanned the floor and narrowed his gaze, as though the presence of any intruder was a personal affront.
“No, there’s no dog here, George. We’re quite safe. Actually, it would be around Green Park. Perhaps someone could ask the park keeper or people who live in the neighboring houses,” he said, and then offered a description of the dog.
“Because it could be a danger to them,” George nodded. Edmund noticed that he had turned the fork in his hand, wielding it like a weapon if anything should attack him.
“Quite,” Edmund said, leaving the butler to his own strange little fears. He left the room puzzled. It probably wouldn’t amount to anything, but, well, if there was news of the dog, then it might allay Rose’s worries, not that he knew why he wanted to do such a thing either.
He trudged back to his study and forced himself to focus on work. He didn’t want to think of the lake, or his parents, or a stray dog, or a stubborn young lady who was proving to be more trouble than he anticipated.
‘You always do make things complicated for yourself, Edmund,’his mother had once told him when he’d gotten himself tied up in knots while trying to climb a tree.
It was true then, and it was true now.
But at least he only had four promenades to go.
Chapter Ten
“It was a wonderful idea of yours to go for a walk. We never do this often enough,” Margaret said.
They were walking through the same quiet park where Rose and Edmund had shared a picnic. The afternoon was approaching, and the sun was warm on Rose’s cheeks. Margaret carried a parasol, and the two women walked close enough that they both benefited from its shade.
“I agree, Mother. It is good to get out of the house,” Rose said, almost as an afterthought, for her gaze scanned the trees, bushes, and the farthest areas of the park.
“I suppose this park must have made quite an impression on you if you were keen to return so quickly, or perhaps it was your companion who made the impression,” Margaret said with a wry smile.
Rose tried to mask her frustration, although she was not entirely successful.
“It was the park,” she said bluntly. “Although I am grateful to His Grace for introducing me to this hidden gem. It makes me wonder what other treasures London is hiding.”
