AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Because, My Lady, I always find myself occupied with one pressing matter or the other. I still always manage to convey my regrets at not being able to attend, though,” he responded, managing to remain vague.
“So you are always preoccupied,” she continued.
He simply smiled and gestured to her in a manner that indicated that he wanted them to resume their stroll. “Shall we?” he said, avoiding her question and ploy to trap him into a corner.
She resumed the stroll and walked alongside him as they began their circuitous route around the garden.
Her memory was instantly alive with a recollection of the last time she took a stroll around this garden beside a man.
Lord Walsrock.
Thankfully, they were walking in silence at this point, affording her the opportunity to reminisce about the Marquess. A slight pain tugged at her chest as she walked on.
Elsa had promised the impossible in getting her letter across to the Marquess. Her lady’s maid had even come up with a plan that was based on leveraging her friendship with certain servants within the Duke’s manor.
Elsa was going to leave the house with Rose and Lord Rockgonie, after she had successfully lured the Earl to a stroll in the garden. While on the stroll, her lady’s maid was meant to sneak out through the gap in the hedges, and make her way to the Duke’s manor.
Elsa was then going to use her contacts amongst the servants at the Duke’s manor to get Leonard’s attention. She was going to hand over the letter with an explanation of why the Marquess needed to read it.
Hopefully, Leonard was going to be reasonable enough to accept the letter and deliver it to the Marquess.
If anyone wondered at Elsa’s absence, then Rose was going to tell them that she sent her lady’s maid on a small errand since she didn’t need to be waited on whilst entertaining Lord Rockgonie.
Hopefully, if all went according to plan, she would be retiring to her chambers with Elsa in tow, hearing the soothing news that her letter had in fact made it to the Marquess.
She winced as another pain stabbed at her chest at the memory of how she had handled things with the Marquess. She turned slightly to look behind her and noticed that Elsa was conspicuously absent. Her lady’s maid had slipped out already according to plan.
Good luck, Elsa.
“You must have heard a lot about me,” Lord Rockgonie said finally, resuming their conversation.
“Not necessarily, My Lord. In fact, I must say I have heard absolutely nothing about you,” she lied.
Two could play that game after all. If he was intent on being vague about his business, she could also be vague about what she knew of him. Not that she knew much, if she was honest with herself.
“Really? And here I was thinking the apprehension I’m feeling from you is as a result of what you might have heard about me.” He chuckled.
“There is no apprehension, My Lord. I just do not know you as well as I think I should for someone I’m supposed to be getting married to,” she responded.
“You are certainly right,” he said, and for the first time there was a change in his demeanor. “What would you like to know?” he asked, with a serious look on his face.
Now that she could ask him anything, she didn’t know how to proceed or what question to ask.
“Well, My Lady? Is there anything you would like to know about me?” he asked again.
“Well, even though there are so many questions I would like to ask, it would be nice to know why you made a deal with my father to marry me without seeking to court me first, My Lord. It will also be nice to know what this deal was.”
There was a pause which only served to raise her anticipation levels.
“But, My Lady, I didn’t make a deal with your father to marry you,” Lord Rockgonie sounded confused.
“I beg your pardon?” Rose exclaimed in confusion. She didn’t know what to make of what he had just told her.
“I didn’t make a deal with your father to wed you, My Lady,” he repeated himself.
Am I dreaming or is he playing games with me? If he didn’t make a deal with Father, why am I being forced to marry him?
“So how did I end up betrothed to you? I was told my father made a deal with you, My Lord,” she queried in confusion.
