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“All right, all right, come with me then,” Lily said.
“I’ll check the stables and kennels, although what she’d be doing there at this hour is beyond me,” Daniel said. “You two look through the house.”
Lily and Cameron checked the conservatory, the library, the art gallery, the chapel. No Rose. “I suppose we should check all the vacant guest chambers, but that will take hours.”
“What about the ballroom?” Cameron asked.
“Why not?” Lily said, and they descended.
Rose was not in the ballroom. “My God,” Cameron said, shaking. “What if someone took her?”
“We have lots of servants, Mr. Price. They’re on duty at all hours. It would be nearly impossible for someone to kidnap a person under this roof.”
“Then if she’s gone, she went of her own accord?”
“Most likely.”
“Oh my God.” Cameron sat down in one of the chairs on the side of the ballroom. “What the hell have I done?”
“If she left, Mr. Price, someone would have seen her go. Yet when I questioned the servants, none of them had any knowledge.”
“They could have been paid off.”
“Our servants are very loyal.”
“Damn it!” Cameron stood and paced around the room. “I need some air.” He strode toward the double doors at the back of the ballroom, unlatched the lock, and went outside onto the terrace. He paced back and forth across the terrace, and then settled his elbows on the ledge and looked down.
There, lying under the stars, bathed in the glow of the moon, sleeping peacefully, was Rose.
Chapter Sixteen
“Rose, my love. Rose. Wake up.”
Rose stirred and opened her eyes. What a lovely dream. She was under the stars, and Cameron was gazing down at her with love in his eyes. He held a rose. She reached for him, closing her eyes again tightly, willing the dream to last. He wrapped his arms around her and lifted, carried her away…
“Wake up, sweetheart. Wake up.”
“No.” Rose refused to open her eyes. “Not yet. Don’t want to wake up.”
“Yes, sweetheart. Please.”
Rose opened her eyes, her vision slowly clearing. She was sitting in a chair. Was that Cameron kneeling before her? And where was she? “What is going on?”
“You’re in the ballroom, sweetheart. You fell asleep on the lawn,” Cameron said.
“Yes, yes, of course.” Rose remembered now. “What are you doing here?”
Cameron took her hands in his. “Your sister and the duke found me. They insisted I come see you. And Rose, I’m so glad I did.”
“Oh, no.” Rose exhaled. Lily had told him.
“I’ve been a fool.” Cameron brushed a piece of grass out of her hair. “Why did I ever try to live without you? You’re my muse, the other side of my song. I need you. I love you.”
“Cameron, what is this about?” Rose brushed his hand away. She couldn’t take more of his lies. Her mind was still muddled with sleep…
“No, please don’t push me away.” He reached for her hands again and brought both to his lips. “Can you ever forgive me?”
Rose shook her head. “Cameron, don’t do this. Please.”
