Chapter 28
Chapter Twenty-Eight
T he ride back to their London townhouse was quiet—too quiet.
Adam watched Rosaline across the narrow space, his eyes moving over her shapely cheekbones and the full lips he wanted to taste so badly, but she did not look at him once.
The trundle of the horse’s hooves was loud as they passed through the streets and Adam’s irritation rose as he waited for her to look in his direction.
When we are alone together, she should always be looking at me.
But Rosaline’s gaze remained fixed on the dark shadows moving past the windows, the chill of the night air biting through the walls of the carriage as they continued on their way.
He shifted in his seat, his knees inches from the folds of her gown and Rosaline’s lips thinned, her gaze fixed on a distant point he could not reach.
Finally, as they drew up to the house and a footman opened the door he held out his hand to assist her in alighting from the carriage, but she did not take it.
His anger slowly consuming him, Adam followed her. He almost trod on her gown, he was so close behind her as she went inside.
He practically threw his hat and gloves at the butler as she made her way to the drawing room without looking back at him.
She entered the room, her shoulders shivering slightly at the chill in the air. There was no fire prepared, and he huffed in exasperation as she turned to him, her eyebrows rising.
“What is the matter?” he barked.
“I am cold,” she retorted. “This house is always freezing,” she said bitterly, turning her back on him and walking to the window as Adam’s patience snapped.
“Do not turn away from me, Duchess.”
Her shoulders stiffened, but still, she did not turn to face him.
“I knew from the beginning that this was not a conventional marriage,” she said bitterly, her voice low and angry. “But I did not expect to hear the reason behind it from my loathsome uncle.”
Adam frowned, ice flooding his veins as he considered what Claridge might have told her.
“Of what are you speaking?” he asked, attempting to feign ignorance when anxiety was rising in his chest, mounting by the second.
What will she do if she learns the truth? Will she leave me?
He could not bear to think of it, which only made his anger increase all the more.
Rosaline spun in place, glaring at Adam venomously.
“Why did you marry me, Adam? Tell me the truth.”
Adam’s jaw clenched. “Because it suited me.”
“That is not an answer. My uncle told me that he blackmailed you into it, is that true?”
Adam stilled, glancing at her briefly before his eyes flicked away. Rosaline’s fury grew as she saw the awkward, guilty expression on his face—so unlike the hard man she had come to know.
He walked to the decanter and poured himself a measure of brandy as Rosaline’s fingers plucked agitatedly at the folds of her dress.
“Well?”
He took a healthy swallow of liquor. “I do not have to explain myself to you.”
Rosaline scoffed, insulted by those words.
“I am your wife ,” she spat. “I would say I am the only person on this earth who you will answer to. I deserve to know my place in this marriage.”
“You are my duchess.”
“That is a title only and means nothing without being treated as such. What does my uncle possess that could persuade you to marry a woman you had never met?” she snarled. “Even on the eve of our wedding, I wondered why you would have agreed to it. What threat does he pose to you that you would do such a thing?”
“It is better that you do not know.”
“Do not know what?”
Adam slammed down the glass.
“He is a fool and has treated you shamefully throughout your life. You would honestly take his word over mine?”
“What word? You have refused to tell me why we are together from the beginning?—”
“You are a convenience!” he thundered, taking a step toward her, his chest heaving. “This marriage was designed to further us both, to save your reputation, and to elevate your status. Is that not enough for you?”
Rosaline stared at him, stumbling back at his fearsome expression, a pain unlike anything she had ever felt unfurling within her.
His finger pointed at her accusingly even as the fire faded from his eyes, and he seemed shocked at his own fury.
“I see,” she whispered, taking another step back before she skirted around Adam’s frozen form and walked to the door.
“Rosaline—”
“I think it would be best if we are apart for a time,” she said, her fingers finding the door handle and pulling it open as she struggled to draw in a full breath.
The crushing weight of disappointment was almost too much to bear.
What did I expect? That he would love me after all of this? That he would truly wish us to be happy together?
She looked back at Adam, who for a splintered second, looked distraught, but his eyes slowly hardened as she watched.
“Very well,” he muttered. “Do as you please.”
Rosaline fled from the room, making her way to her bed chamber mechanically, hardly noticing the servants that scurried from her path as she went.
As she walked through the door, she slammed it shut, listening to the reverberating thud that echoed down the corridor.
Her breath came more quickly as she began to pace, her mind a whirl of confusion as she attempted to sort through each thought as it bloomed in her head.
I have been a fool. I was wrong to believe he would ever care for me.
Walking to the bed she threw herself to her knees, pulling out a small bag.
With angry, jerky movements she began to tug her clothing from the wardrobe and threw it into the bag without a care.
“Your Grace?”
Rosaline gasped, spinning in place to find her maid behind her, the young girl’s eyes fixed on the floor as usual, her face set in a deep frown.
“Can I assist you?” she asked.
“I am leaving,” Rosaline stated flatly, the pain and anger swirling within her felt all-consuming. “I am sure the whole household will be glad of my absence. Please pack what clothing I will need for a journey to the country. I shall see to the rest myself.”
The maid nodded and began to bustle around the room gathering various items that Rosaline would need.
She walked to her dressing table and selected a few of her mother’s jewels to take.
The duke had gifted her with many beautiful items of jewelry, but she would not touch them.
A prop of a wife does not need gifts or trinkets, after all.
“Here, Your Grace,” came the soft voice from beside her.
In a matter of minutes, her maid had gathered what she would need and folded everything neatly and practically in the bag. Rosaline looked down at it and nodded once, waiting for the girl to place it on the floor and scurry away.
Instead she kept her arm out, holding the bag for Rosaline to take. Usually any servant avoided coming into contact with Rosaline’s skin, but this girl did not retreat.
After a charged moment, Rosaline placed her scarred hand beside the maid’s and lowered the bag slowly to her side.
Their eyes connected as the young girl gave her a faint smile.
“I will be sorry to see you go, Your Grace,” she said quietly. “You have been very kind to me since you came.”
Then, without another word, she walked to the door, leaving Rosaline standing silently beside her dressing table, staring at her reflection in the mirror.
Of all the times to find I had an ally in this house, it is the hour in which I must leave it.
She gripped the handle of the bag more tightly and as the girl was about to leave the room she called out to her.
“Summon the carriage, please, I will be traveling to Ravenshire as soon as possible.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
Rosaline collected herself, wondering whether Adam would even care that she was gone, but when she left her room it became clear that leaving would be more complicated than she imagined.
Adam stood at the bottom of the stairs, watching her with a dark, brooding gaze that set her blood aflame with want.
It is not real. Lust does not make a marriage.
“And where do you think you are going?” he asked, as she stopped a few steps before she reached him.
She could hear the shouts of the servants below stairs and the snort of the horses as the carriage was prepared.
“Your cursed wife is going to stay with her cursed cousin. I am sure it will be of no matter to you, considering that you have been inconvenienced many times in your life to date.”
She walked to the bottom of the steps even as his hand stretched out and gripped her upper arm painfully tight.
She winced and Adam loosened his hold.
When she looked up at him, his expression was almost imploring.
“Rosaline, you cannot seriously be suggesting that you leave in the dead of night.”
“I will send word to Genevieve.”
“That is hardly my point. It is dangerous, there are highwaymen and robbers?—”
She snatched her arm from him, stepping back, the anger that had been simmering beneath the surface finally overwhelming her. She could see his eyes widen in shock.
“There are highwaymen? ” Rosaline snarled. “Not ‘ Please do not go ’ , Rosaline . Not, ‘ I have been a fool, I will tell you the truth ,’ but simply a request that I wait until morning. Is that it ?”
Her voice was quivering now, her whole body shuddering with rage as she glared at him, hurt and devastated by his indifference.
“Of course I want you to stay, I only meant?—”
“You lie,” she murmured. “You have been lying to me from the beginning and when I asked for the simple truth you refused to tell me why I am really here.”
She smirked at him. “Do not distress yourself. When I am safely in Ravenshire, I will send word—if only to spare you the burden of wondering what became of me. Goodbye, Adam.”
She turned, willing him to follow her, to beg her to stay. But the silence behind her was louder than any sound he could have made.
As she climbed into the carriage, she watched the townhouse fade from view with a hollow feeling in her chest.
He did not even come out to see me leave him. He does not care. He has never cared. I am better off alone.