Where was her mother when she needed her most? Why had she been taken away? Rose rested her head on her folded arms, one lone tear sliding down her cheek and disappearing down her neck. Another one followed soon after, and then another, until a steady flow of salty droplets had thoroughly wet her pale cheeks.
Her life has become a series of unfortunate events, and she was a fool to have believed that she could achieve anything mildly reminiscent of what she had envisioned for her life. It was safe to assume that she was utterly ruined. What man will want a woman such as she?
“Miss Charpentier?”
Rose swallowed back a sob, hurriedly wiping away her tears. “Yes, Edith?”
“Mr Banks is here to see you.”
Rose felt a lightness enter her heart. Frederick was here? But she thought that his business trip would conclude the following month? The lightness of seconds before abruptly died. What if he had heard of what she had done and had come to express his disgust? He might rethink his friendship with her. Rose felt almost too frightened to see the disappointment in his eyes when all she had become accustomed to was adoration. But there was no use in putting off the inevitable.
“Please tell Mr Banks that I shall be down to see him in ten minutes. Provide him with refreshments while he waits.”
“Yes, Miss Charpentier.”
Rose assumed that Edith had left when she got to her feet, but a glance at her doorway revealed a worried servant. “Edith! Why are you still here?”
“May I say something, Miss Charpentier?”
Rose narrowed her eyes. Was her servant about to judge her as well? It was a well-known fact that news travelled like lightning among servants. “What is it?”
“One mistake does not change who you are – that is all I wished to say. I will see to Mr Banks.”
Edith moved away from the doorway, her silent footsteps taking her downstairs. Rose had seen no judgement in her eyes, only understanding. Edith's words were few but powerful, giving her the strength she needed to pull herself together and meet with Frederick. The world might judge her, and rightfully so, but one moment of compassion was enough to drive away some of the darkness in one's mind.
Rose washed her face, pinched her cheeks for some colour, and arranged her hair in a becoming fashion. She looked presentable on the outside, but her eyes could not be coaxed to hide her misery. What was the point? Frederick had the uncanny ability to see right through her.
A deep breath as she left her room was her last piece of frail armour.
***
Frederick had his ear to the ground because it suited his need to know everything as soon as it happened. Finding out about Rose had mobilised him to leave his current business and rush to her side, knowing that she needed him. She may not realise it, but he knew it. The maid, her name was Edith if he recalled correctly, had brought him some tea and biscuits, but he could not touch a thing until he saw his Rose. Frederick felt her presence before he saw her, smelling her scent in the air around him. He looked up and his first thought was to go to her, but the wary look in her eyes kept him in his seat.
“Frederick, how are you? How was your business trip?”
He immediately saw past the strained smile to the miserable woman who was frightened of what he might say. Didn't she know that he would never judge her? She could have murdered thousands of men and still he would have remained devoted to her, loving her without reservation. Yes, he might be radical in the type of love he had for her, but it would never change. Of that he was sure.
She gave him her ungloved hand, surprised that she had received him without them. Not wanting to draw attention to her slip, he kissed the back of her hand, letting her settle in her chair before returning to his.
“My trip lived up to the goals I had set, but I fear that you cannot boast of the same.”
She looked down. “So you have heard?”
“Yes. I doubt that the whole of England has not heard of the Great Rose.” His attempt to make light of the situation only earned him a wince.
“The Great Rose? I do not think that is the name they have for me.”
“What does it matter? Their opinions are not important.” It pained him to see the sad smile that barely showed her pretty teeth. He would have rather taken her anger.
"So speaks a man. A woman is not so fortunate once society has labelled her a troublemaker – what man will have her?"
“Has one wrongful action so distorted your own image? You can make amends, Rose, do not let your self-pity ruin your future.”
“Future? Do I still have one?”
She was feeling more lowly than he had imagined. he could not stand to see her in this condition. “Have you thought about apologising to Alice?”
Rose shook her head. “She will not see me.”
“You have tried already?”
“No.”
“Then how is it you know that she will not see you?”
“Have you not heard what I did to her?”
Her voice cracked at the end, squeezing his heart tight. What could he do to bring her out of her own self-loathing? Frederick did not think twice about getting down to his knees before her. He took her hand, feeling some resistance.
“Frederick, what has come over you?”
“Just listen to me, Rose. You cannot know what Alice will say until you go to her and ask her forgiveness. Only then can you begin to move past this unfortunate situation. Once Alice has forgiven you, I am certain that Lord Shore will as well. Say that you will do it?”
She shrugged. “Frederick, I just...”
“Rose, you will not be able to forgive yourself until you have spoken to her.”
“I see that you will not allow me to rest until I do so.”
He smiled. “You are right in that.”
Rose sighed. “Very well, I shall go and see her, but I cannot promise anything.”
“That is all I ask of you. Now, there is something else we need to discuss.”
“Why not return to your seat, Frederick? I am sure that you will be far more comfortable.” She looked to his tea and biscuits, frowning. “I see that you have not eaten anything – is there a problem? I shall call Edith to bring a fresh pot of tea.”
She tried to move her hand away from his, but he held on. “Rose! Will you listen to what I have to say?”
“What is it, Frederick? I have already agreed to speak with Alice.”
“Yes, but I wish to speak about us.”
“Us?” The question in her voice made him falter just a bit. Was she so oblivious to his feelings for her?
“Now that Lord Shore is no longer a part of your plans, I wish to court you.”
“Court me?”
“Yes, you must know how I feel about you. I was content at first to merely be by your side, but now that the pathway before me has been cleared, I wish to have my chance to show you that I love you and wish to marry you.” The fact that she did not remove her hand from his was a good sign. At least, he hoped that it was.
“But I... Well, this is all so sudden, Frederick.”
"I know that I am nothing special to look at, neither do I have a coveted title, but my wealth will keep you in the lap of luxury for all the days of your life. I will buy you a position in the highest society if you so wish it, I will make you the most talked about woman – all for the right reasons. I shall give you everything you could have ever dreamed of and more if you will agree to be mine."
Rose looked at him for the longest while, her expression giving nothing away of the thoughts in her head. He knew her well enough to understand that she was still thinking about her dreams of becoming a titled woman. he could not give that to her. With a sad smile, Frederick let go of her hand, getting up. “I shall show myself out.”
He turned away from her, deciding to come back another day. Maybe by then, she would have forgotten all about his declaration.
“Frederick, wait a moment.”
He paused. “Yes?”
&n
bsp; “Turn around that I may see you when I speak to you.”
He did so. What was she thinking now?
“Speak to my father.”
“Your father?”
“Yes. You should speak to him about courting me.”
A wide smile took over his face.
Chapter 14
Violet happened to be looking out of the parlour window when she saw Luke's carriage. It was unmistakably his as the coat of arms for the Marquess of Shore was well-known. Luke?
She was sure he was here to see Alice, but her sister would surely not see him. She thought it best to meet him at the door before Mama chased him away once again.
It had been some days since she had seen him, believing that he had given up on her sister. Gregory had assured her that Luke had not given up, but more so temporarily stumped as to how to speak with Alice. Violet knew first-hand of her sister's stubborn nature. Alice had continued to keep to herself, not wishing to talk with anyone for any considerable period.
At least she was not as angry as she had been, but neither Mama nor Violet, and certainly not their father, were her favourite people. She spoke more with Mary, something that was rather shocking, considering that she did not like her.
Her sister was changed, and none for the better. If Luke was sincere about earning her forgiveness and marrying her, he had to become more proactive about winning her trust back. Her father was still determined to see Alice and Luke married, but unless their father chained Alice up and delivered her to the Shore residence, a marriage would not take place.
Violet hurried to the front door, reaching the handle moments before Mary did.
“Miss Violet! Allow me to open the door.”
“It is quite all right, Mary. I shall do it.”
Mary stared at her as though she had taken leave of her senses. Perhaps she had, but the entire household was living through a challenging time.
“Very well, Miss.”
Mary moved away, her head turning ever so slightly to look at her. The maid was undoubtedly curious as to why she should want to open the door, an uncharacteristic move on her part. Violet waited for her to turn the corner before opening the door, finding Luke with his hand outstretched towards her. He immediately put it down when he saw her, his eyebrows rising.
“Violet. I did not expect to see you at the door.”
“It was either I meet you at the door or Mama will chase you away.”
"Oh, I see. I suppose that I could not expect a warm welcome, considering the circumstances."
“But I have been expecting you.”
“Your sister has asked for me?” he asked hopefully.
“No, but I had expected you here some days ago. However, I must tell you that Alice will not readily see you. I hope that you have come with a plan of action, or your presence here will be in vain.”
Luke's face fell, his brow creased as he momentarily looked up. Violet followed his eyes, feeling a note of compassion for the marquess.
“You will not see her at the window, Luke. Alice has cultivated a strong dislike for the sun, preferring the darkness of her room. She has even had the maids change her curtains in favour of a heavier material.”
"She has shut out the light," he said softly. He brought his gaze to her. "I have come to see you, Violet. I believe you are my last chance to speak to your sister."
“How do you suppose so? She has barely listened to a word I have said. In fact, I must be careful of how I approach her or I shall suffer her ire.”
Luke rubbed his neck. “She has changed so drastically?”
"Can we blame her? While I do not necessarily blame you for her condition – it is more my father's doing – we must understand that my sister is far more sensitive than anyone would think. You are aware that she was hurt once before, but this time, the situation has taken a greater toll on her. I believe that it is due to her feelings for you."
Violet allowed this to soak in. Did Luke know of her sister's feelings towards him? He seemed surprised. Perhaps he did not know the extent of her feelings. But as Alice did not know of them herself until recently, Violet could not expect any more from him. They were a right pair, were they not?
“Do you think, well, do you suppose that she might love me?” He spoke with such uncertainty, but a good spoonful of hope kept his question from sounding hopeless.
“I do not think it, Luke, I know it. It is why she is in this state. Therefore, I hope that you are serious in your pursuit of her forgiveness.”
A tiny smile appeared at the corners of his mouth. “Perhaps there is hope for me yet.”
Violet watched him pull out two letters from his jacket, handing them to her. One was addressed to her, the other to Alice.
“Letters? Whatever are they for?”
"Your sister refuses to speak with me, and I must explain my actions to her. I believe that a letter would be the next best thing."
“Why is one addressed to me?”
"It is only right that I first explain it to you because I require your assistance. My reasons and my intentions are mentioned in great detail in my letter to you. I wish for you to understand everything from my point of view, the reasons behind my actions. Thereafter, I ask that you give your sister her letter. Convince her to read it, perhaps then she will see that I did not mean for all this to happen."
Violet turned the letters over in her hand, deep in thought. Would her sister open the letter? There was no guarantee that she would listen to her, but she could do nothing but try. “I will do as you say, but I cannot promise anything, Luke.”
“I understand, but I deeply appreciate your willingness to help me. I should go now.”
He looked up at Alice's window once more, before bowing and returning to his carriage. Luke had left her with quite a task to execute but execute it she would. Her sister deserved love and happiness as much as any other, and Luke was the man who could give her both. If only she would allow it. Violet returned to the parlour to read the letter, her mind already filling with arguments to present to her sister.
***
Alice looked at the folded letter on her writing desk from her bed. Violet had placed it there against her request after trying to convince her to read it. Why should she read it? It likely contained lies that she had no wish to waste her time reading. He could wait until the cows came home before she would be tempted to read anything that he had written.
Still, Alice found herself leaving her bed, inching closer to the letter. She reached out to it, pulling her hand to her chest when it seemed she might actually touch it. No, she could not open it and read the lies contained therein. She had already been fooled twice. How much more evidence did she need to understand that love was not in her favour?
She should have been born a man. Then she would have been given a choice to marry or not to marry. She would not have married, that she was confident about. Why marry when you have complete freedom to do as you please, and go where you please? She would not be foolish enough to throw that away on something as unnecessary as marriage.
The Way to Capture a Marquess's Heart: A Historical Regency Romance Book Page 23