Chapter 3 #2
It was important to point out that Rose was not such a fool as to come here on a whim.
She had done her research on the Duke, so she knew that his mind would not be changed through emotional pleas.
He was, by her estimate, a businessman, meaning that all he cared about was perception and how others viewed him.
His mind could be changed, but through logic only. If Rose were to save her sister, she needed to give him something that he wanted.
So, it has come to this. I just pray that I have read the man correctly.
“I am not here to try and convince you to cancel the contract,” Rose said carefully.
“What I am here to do is to remind you that the contract did not specify which daughter you had to marry. Legally speaking, you can choose between Marianne and me.” She raised her eyebrows at him.
“And my father will not be able to say no.”
For the first time, Rose saw surprise flicker across the Duke’s face. And for once, he did not try to cover it. At least not right away.
“That is…” He allowed a faint smile as if amused. “That is quite the gambit.”
“It is not a gambit.”
“That’s exactly what it is,” he said sharply, and the smile left him. “Did you really think that I was not aware of the circumstances of the contract? That I did not know I was able to choose between you and your sister? Do you think so little of me?”
“No,” she said carefully. “I assumed that you knew –”
“Which should be enough to suggest the foolishness of this endeavor. I admire that you are trying to protect your sister, and I am sorry that you think of me as some sort of a monster,” he scoffed, to which she winced, because she did not think that at all.
“But I, not your father, made the decision, and I am not going to change my mind because you decided to put on a pair of breeches.”
Rose had expected his rejection, which was why she did not cower back. Rather, she stood tall and firm, bracing herself for what she had come here to propose.
“I know why you wish to marry my sister.”
“Is that not what we have been discussing?”
“No.” Rose made sure to be looking right at the Duke, refusing to break from his piercing stare.
She felt like he could see right through her and, in this instance, she wanted him to.
“You are marrying Marianne not because of some contract, but because you think that you must. You are a businessman, Your Grace, and from what I have heard, you are a very able one at that.”
He laughed mockingly. “I am so happy that my reputation pleases you.”
“What you are after is a wife who will add credence and further respect to your name,” she pressed on.
“A dutiful wife to stand by your side, to be seen, and to remind your peers that you are a man to be trusted, because what kind of man refuses to marry? You don’t care about love or family or any of that nonsense.
You care about appearances only. Admit it. ”
The Duke did not speak right away.
Still sitting on the edge of his desk, arms folded, he studied Rose with an intense gaze that she felt in her soul. He held her in it. He bore its pressure on her, and she started to sweat under the intensity. What she had said was right, but she did not know how well it would be received.
Rose’s confidence began to wane.
“You are smart,” he said finally, even allowing a smile to touch his lips. Again, he smothered it quickly. “Smarter than I thought.”
“So, you agree?”
“If I do or do not agree makes no difference,” he said with a shrug. “The fact remains that in this instance, your sister is still a far more viable wife than you are.”
“You’re wrong!” she cried. “Marianne might be pretty and subservient, but she will not aid you in these goals. She is…” She sighed with frustration. “She is innocent and without guile. She does not understand how the world of business works.”
“And you do?”
“I do,” Rose said with conviction. “I have been helping my father with his businesses since I was a little girl. I have met his associates, just as I have met their wives.” She raised an eyebrow at him.
“They know me. They like me, Your Grace. Yes, if you marry my sister, she will stand silently; she will not make a fuss. But she won’t be able to help you. ”
“And that’s what I need, is it? Your help?”
“You need a wife who knows what you want and will do whatever it takes to help you get it.” She took another step into the room, confidence growing.
“What is more, you need a wife who knows what this marriage is. I will not try to make you fall in love with me. I certainly won’t waste your time trying to start a family.
I am the natural choice, Your Grace, you know it to be true. ”
Again, the Duke said nothing.
This time, Rose could see her argument taking effect. He studied her, she did not look away, and there was a fire burning behind her eyes that she needed him to see. He held her, but she did not balk. While her legs trembled and her chest tightened, she refused to yield.
“You are right,” he said finally, looking away. “Regarding my intent.”
“I know I am.” She breathed a sigh of relief.
He frowned and pushed himself to stand. “You aren’t told no, often, are you?”
“I am,” she said. “I just don’t pay it attention.”
He laughed, and the sound was softer than Rose had expected. It was warmer. It touched her skin, seeped through her body, and made her heart flutter. For how serious he was, how dark and dispassionate, that laugh alone told her there was another side to the Duke.
But he cut the laughter short, strangling it like a babe in the crib. His expression turned serious once again, and he fixed it on Rose as he walked toward her.
Each step shook the floorboards, and the room shrank as his gait spread from wall to wall. He was so tall. So broad and powerful. And what was more, he knew it well, just as he must have known the effect.
He reached Rose and stood over her. She tried to meet his gaze but became undone by the way her body trembled and how hard it suddenly was to breathe.
It was unlike anything that Rose had experienced before, not counting the first time it had happened. A confusion to be sure, so she tried her best to ignore it.
“I will make you a deal,” he said, his voice low so that he almost whispered. “And should you meet the terms of this deal, I will consider what you have said.”
Her heart leapt. “Deal? What deal?”
“This deal relies entirely on your so-called business acumen. You think that you are smart? Clever? That you know people? That I can use you?”
“You can,” she said quickly. “Just give me a chance.”
“Tomorrow, Lord Lanchester is hosting a garden party.” He raised an eyebrow at her.
“I am aware.”
“At this garden party, a business associate of mine will be in attendance, Lord Ellery. While I believe him to be a good man, I have heard whispers of a scandal that dogs his name. It is said that he has a mistress, and with this mistress, he has produced children.”
“And you want me to…”
“To find out if it is true,” he said. “I cannot be seen to be in business with men like that, nor can I be seen as one who gives credence to mere rumor. I need you to find out for me, and to do so discreetly, so it does not come back to either of us. Is that understood?”
Rose only needed a moment to contemplate her answer. “Consider it done.”
His smile was slight, and his eyes flashed at her. “I thought as much.”
“And,” She swallowed the lump in her throat. “If I do this, my sister—the marriage…”
He licked his lips. “I am a man of my word, Miss. Rosalind –”
“Rose,” she spoke before she could stop herself.
“Excuse me?”
“Rose,” She swallowed the lump again. “Only my father calls me Rosalind.”
A smile pulled at his lips, but he held it back. “Miss Rose, then. Do this for me, and I will marry you in your sister’s stead. Assuming, that is, that you will not try and find a way out once the deal is made.”
“I am a woman of my word.”
“Good. Oh, and one more thing,” He took a small step back, and his green eyes filtered over her. A smirk pulled at his lips again, and those eyes flashed with delight. “Might I suggest that tomorrow, you wear something more appropriate?”
Her face dropped. “I– of course, I was going to –”
“Forgive me for saying, but your face,” Slowly, he reached up as if he meant to stroke her face.
Rose’s eyes widened, and she caught her breath, preparing to slap his hand down, just as she was preparing to feel his touch.
He stopped himself, however, his hand hovering inches from her cheek.
“It is far too feminine and soft to be dressed in such a way. Yes,” He licked his lips again.
“A face like yours needs to be seen. No?”
He turned and walked to his desk.
Rose took a deep breath, as if it was the first taken since entering the office. Her body was still shaking. It was warm too, and she was sweating through her clothes. That wasn’t to mention her heart. It thumped so hard that she was certain the Duke could hear it.
What is wrong with me? Maybe I am getting ill? That might explain why my body continues to act in ways that it shouldn’t be. Yes, a sickness must be coming on.
“We are done here,” he said as he sat down, done without looking at her. “But I am sure we will speak again soon.”
Rose was quick to leave after that.
Rose indeed felt relief as she scurried through the manor and then outside, where a horse was waiting for her. Her plan was a success, and for that, she could not be more thrilled.
However, there was a small part of Rose that could not escape the feeling that she had made a terrible mistake.
And it had everything to do with the Duke of Thornwell, a man she could not explain, a man she did not understand, a man unlike anyone she had ever met.
And that was a thought that both terrified and excited her in equal measure.