AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Lord Benedict turned to look at her, it was the first time Rosaline had seen genuine surprise on his face. Then his face creased into a smile, and he let out a sharp bark of laughter.
“Good heavens, woman, are you still comparing me to a hawk?”
“Iam afraid so.” Rosaline glanced up at Benedict, and her heart skipped a beat. He was laughing, for the first time. He had such a wide smile, with straight white teeth. His eyes looked warmer when he laughed, no ice there at all. He shook his head, smiling fondly down at her.
“Miss Rosaline Wyre, I don’t think I have ever met a young lady like you. Society had better watch out now that I’m unleashing you upon them.”
“Ishouldn’t worry, any prospective ladies will be careful to avoid my manners once they see you cruelly cast me aside. I’ll have to come up with quite a sob story.”
“Don’t you dare.”
“Why not? I shall tell tales of how you cared nothing for my love, how I begged you to stay, and you spurned me.”
“You are a dreadful woman.”
“Spurned, I say.” Rosaline continued, warming to her subject. “And then, only a few weeks later, I’ll fall madly in love with another man, and Society will applaud my resilience.”
Lord Benedict was laughing again, a deep, manly laugh that echoed around the narrow forest path.
“You are incorrigible, Rosaline.”
“Yes, I know. I’ve heard that before. Will you want the dresses and jewels and things returned after our relationship ends?”
His laughter stopped abruptly. “No, I will not. Those are gifts for you. I couldn’t return them to Madame after you’ve worn them, so what should I do with them if you gave them back? Wear them?”
Rosaline blushed. It was rather a silly thing to say, but she couldn’t quite get over the fact that Lord Benedict had bought her several hundred pounds’ worth of clothes and other items, and those items were sitting in her dressing room at home, hers to dispose of how she wished.
“I’m sorry,” Rosaline said in a small voice. “I didn’t mean to insult you.”
“You didn’t insult me.” Lord Benedict said, much more softly. “But when I give a gift, Rosaline, Igive a gift. One doesn’t ask for a gift back. Once I give you something, it’s yours. I couldn’t and wouldn’t take it back, even if I wanted to.”
CHAPTER13
“Are you ready?” The Baroness asked.
The answer was no, Rosaline was not ready, she would never be ready for this.
That wasn’t exactly the question. The Baroness meant to ask whether Rosaline wasdressedand ready to go.
That answer to that, unfortunately, was yes.
There was no getting out of it now. This was Rosaline’s introduction as the Duke of Keswick’s consort, and she had a feeling that she was very much expected.
The Baroness stepped forward, tweaking Rosaline’s already perfect curls into place.
“Ienvy you, my dear.” She murmured, pulling on a curl somewhat painfully. “Going out into Society again like this. And yet, you barely seem to understand the privilege you have. All these dresses and trinkets could pay for so much in our home. It could buy us all nice clothes, if we sold them, and yet we can’t touch them. Isn’t that strange? So unfair, I think. You ought to speak to His Grace about it.”
Rosaline swallowed, squinting against the pinpricks of pain against her scalp. When her jaw-dropping wardrobe had been brought it, she’d realized immediately that her parents intended to sell as much of it as they could get away with. So, she told them that the clothes were only lent to her by Lord Benedict, and they thankfully let it drop.
“Very strange, Mama. I must go, Lord Benedict will be here soon.” Rosaline disentangled herself, or at least, she tried to. The Baroness’ hand shot out, grabbing Rosaline’s wrist.
“Don’t mess this up, Rosaline.” She said, face cold and stony. “This opportunity – thisman– could save us all. If you don’t manage to secure him, you are no daughter of mine. We will not forgive you.”
That was a cruel thing to hear from one’s mother. Rosaline stared at her mother, waiting for a sign that she softened, that she didn’t really mean it.
No gesture came. The Baroness simply let go of Rosaline’s wrist.
“Hurry.” She said sharply. “You should never keep a man like that waiting.”
