A Rogue No More (The Rogue Chronicles Book 3)

by Lana Williams

  “Why don’t you find my wife, Lady Bolton, when you see him again,” Sir Alexander suggested, his impatience obvious. “She surely knows who he is.”

  “But he was here a moment ago.” She continued to study the crowd even as she prayed her ruse had worked and Thomas had exited the library.

  “Lady Bolton would be happy to make the introduction,” Sir Alexander insisted.

  Annabelle turned back to look at him. “Would you mind mentioning it to her? I find myself too embarrassed to do so.” She smiled and fluttered her lashes some more. Surely if she could delay him another minute or two, Thomas would return to the ballroom and all would be well.

  The man stared at her as if astounded by her request. “I suppose,” he reluctantly agreed at last. Then with a tip of his head, he gestured for Lord Thornton to accompany him to speak with his wife.

  Annabelle waited a long moment to make certain Sir Alexander was moving toward his wife before making her way out of the ballroom and down the hall toward the library. To her dismay, she didn’t see Thomas anywhere.

  Had he made good his escape? Had he even been in the library? Or was he still in there, unaware of the impending danger of discovery?

  She could think of only one way to find out. With a glance around the empty corridor, she slipped into the darkened library, pausing to allow her eyes to adjust to the lack of light.

  “Thomas?”

  A shadow moved by the desk, then Thomas’s face became visible in the glow of a single candle flame. “Annabelle, why are you here?”

  “I’ve come to warn you. Sir Alexander and Lord Thornton will arrive at any moment.”

  His muffled oath barely reached her ears. “I am nearly done.” The sound of a drawer sliding open accompanied his words.

  She waited, torn between seeing if she could help and therefore speed his departure, or waiting by the door to listen for the men’s approach.

  “Go, Annabelle,” Thomas demanded in a hushed tone as he pulled a stack of papers from a drawer. “Leave now. I’ll be done directly.”

  She reached for the knob but couldn’t force herself to turn it even though her nerves told her to go. Instead, she hurried to the desk. “It would be faster if I assisted you.”

  “Annabelle—”

  “Don’t waste time arguing.” She held out a trembling hand for some of the papers, pleased when he gave her several. She stepped close to him to use the candlelight and skimmed them as quickly as possible. “These appear to be notes he took, but I don’t think they have anything to do with our mystery.”

  “I may have already found something, but I wanted to look through the rest to see if I could find anything more.” Thomas’s gaze held on the paper in his hand.

  “We must go,” she said after a glance at the last paper. “They’ll be here any moment.”

  “How do you know?”

  “Because I kept them from entering the first time.”

  His dimpled smile eased her fear as he placed the papers back into the open drawer and closed it quietly. “Well done. Let us leave before they return.”

  He extinguished the candle then placed his hand on the small of her back, and they hurried toward the door.

  But as they reached it, the door opened, revealing Sir Alexander and Lord Thornton. Much to Annabelle’s dismay, Lady Bolton and Lady Deptford, her mother’s friend, accompanied the two men.

  Lady Deptford’s mouth gaped, her eyes rounded in horror as she looked back and forth between Annabelle and Thomas. “Miss Gold? What on earth are you doing in here?” Her gaze switched to Thomas. “With him of all people?”

  Annabelle’s stomach dropped to her knees.

  Chapter Twelve

  Annabelle’s nerves stretched taut as she sat in the drawing room at home a short time later. The ends of her mother’s dressing gown flapped around her slippered feet as she paced before Annabelle and Caroline, where they sat on the settee.

  “What were you thinking?” Caroline had asked on the ride home from the ball. “After my experience, why would you believe for even a moment that being alone with a rogue, despite the fact that he’s your publisher, was a wise notion?”

  “It wasn’t like that,” Annabelle had protested, not for the first time. But from the moment they’d been discovered, her attempts to explain that it was all a mistake and nothing occurred had fallen on deaf ears.

  Thomas had said little, not bothering to defend himself, much to her annoyance. She’d wanted him to tell Sir Alexander and the others that nothing had happened, because it hadn’t.

  Lady Gold paused before Annabelle, her disappointment and anger palpable. “I cannot believe you would place yourself in such an untenable position after watching your sister endure a similar situation. To have this happen to not one but two of our daughters...” She shook her head.

  “But I’m blessed to have married Richard,” Caroline protested, albeit quietly.

  “It may have ended well for you, but the odds of that occurring again are nil.”

  “Mother,” Annabelle began. “Mr. Raybourne was a gentleman and didn’t take any advantage.”

  Lady Gold raised one finger, effectively silencing Annabelle. “While I’m pleased to hear that, unfortunately, it makes little difference. This is the last thing our family needs when we’ve been so careful not to draw attention to ourselves and your father’s condition.”

  A knot formed in the pit of Annabelle’s stomach that made it difficult to think, but she couldn’t accept defeat. Nothing had happened and it was ridiculous that Thomas would be forced to propose based on a few minutes alone. “I don’t think we need to worry over such a small misstep. I had spoken with Sir Alexander a few minutes before, so he knows I wasn’t in the library long. And only Sir Alexander, his wife, Lord Thornton, and Lady Deptford witnessed me in the library with Mr. Raybourne.”

  “Only? Only?” The increasingly high pitch of her mother’s voice caused Annabelle to wince. “Lady Deptford might be a friend, but you know how she relishes in spreading the latest gossip. Never for a moment did I expect you to be the topic.” Her mother pressed a hand to her forehead as if her head ached. “Plus, I’m certain Sir Alexander and his wife don’t wish to have it known that a young lady was ruined the night of their ball.”

  “I didn’t even touch Mr. Raybourne—”

  “He is a well-known rogue, Annabelle. You were alone with him.” The tears shining in her mother’s eyes had Annabelle swallowing hard. A terrible ache filled her chest as she realized how much she’d hurt her mother.

  “Mother, I’m sorry. Truly. I only meant to have a brief word with Mr. Raybourne.” A glance at Caroline suggested no aid would come from that quarter.

  The entire situation was beyond frustrating. She and Thomas hadn’t even kissed—at least, not that time. She didn’t try to explain that they’d been looking for a link to the murder. Nor could either of them admit to searching Sir Alexander’s desk, but—

  Her eyes closed briefly in despair as the truth settled on her shoulders, making it difficult to catch her breath. Exploring her attraction to Thomas might have crossed her mind, but she hadn’t expected a more permanent relationship with him.

  “Alone with a rogue in a darkened room.” Her mother covered her face with both hands. “I’m quite at a loss.”

  Emotion welled inside Annabelle at the sight of her mother so upset and knowing she was the cause. She rose and touched her mother’s hands until she lowered them. “I’m so very sorry. I never meant for anything like this to happen.”

  What more could she possibly say?

  What was Thomas thinking at this moment? She wasn’t certain she wanted to know.

  “This isn’t what I wanted for you.” Her mother met her gaze then gently wiped a tear from Annabelle’s cheek. “Retire to your bedchamber. We will see what the morning brings.”

  Annabelle couldn’t allow herself to think about it. She only nodded and made her way to her chamber, her thoughts in turmoil. She fear
ed no matter how much she wished otherwise, the coming hours would herald the end of her dream of having the independence and freedom to spend her life as she wanted, preferably writing books.

  ~*~

  Thomas looked up from his breakfast the following morning to find his valet in the doorway.

  “The Earls of Carlington and Aberland to see you, sir.”

  Thomas held back a groan as he nodded. “Please show them in.”

  He rose from the table and tossed his napkin next to his half-eaten plate of coddled eggs, sausage, and toast, well aware he wouldn’t be finishing it after this meeting.

  After a deep breath to hold back a wave of anger, he faced the two men entering his dining room and bowed. “How gracious of you both to call upon me this fine morning.” He didn’t bother to keep the sarcasm from his tone.

  Graham glared at him, looking every inch an earl with buff-colored breeches, a grey tailcoat, and his light-colored hair brushed carefully in place. “Have you lost your mind? What were you thinking?”

  Aberland’s silence as he watched Thomas was far more effective, but Thomas decided against telling his brother that. With dark hair combed to one side, he was slightly taller than Graham and dressed in a similar fashion though his cravat was tied in a simpler knot.

  “Good morning to you as well.” Thomas held up his hand as Graham opened his mouth once more. “Allow me to put both your minds at ease and assure you that I intend to call upon Miss Gold and her father this morning and ask for her hand in marriage.”

  Graham promptly closed his mouth though his eyes widened in surprise. “It is?”

  “Of course. I’m not such an oaf that I would allow any harm to befall the lady.”

  “A rogue no more, eh?” Aberland asked, one brow raised.

  Thomas had relived the moment of his and Annabelle’s discovery every which way over the course of a sleepless night. Though tempted to drown the change of his plans in a bottle of port, he decided he’d prefer to do what had to be done this morning with a clear head.

  “No. Those days are over.” A heavy weight settled in his chest at the memory of Annabelle’s protests the previous evening. Based on her determination to deny that anything had happened, he was certain she didn’t want to marry him. Was it any wonder based on his life thus far? Perhaps his father hadn’t been so wrong after all.

  Aberland nodded. “I’m pleased to hear that. Playing the part of rogue is overrated.”

  Thomas stared at him, puzzled by his statement and the knowing look in the man’s eye. He knew Aberland had been a terrible rake before his marriage to Annabelle’s sister. Did the earl think to lecture him about how his life would be forever changed?

  It would, in fact. But not in the way Aberland believed.

  From this day on, he would be forced to look at Annabelle, knowing he didn’t deserve her. While he didn’t think himself the worthless bounder his father had so often called him, he hadn’t yet accomplished anything of note. However, he intended to do all in his power to be a good husband and a man of whom she would be proud.

  Yet he couldn’t help but worry that this would be another one of those occasions when, despite his best intentions, he’d fall short. He would cause harm where he intended none, much like riding his father’s horse so many years ago had ended in disaster. He had to do all he could to make the best of the situation and protect Annabelle.

  She was the one who mattered.

  If only she hadn’t come into the library. If only he’d insisted she leave. He would’ve gladly faced the consequences of being caught rifling through Sir Alexander’s desk. Then at least she wouldn’t be involved. Worst of all was that he had no true evidence that proved Sir Alexander’s involvement in the murder, only a suggestion that he might have known about it.

  “I certainly never meant for this to happen,” Thomas said as he realized his two visitors seemed to be waiting for him to say something more. “But I intend to move forward with this new course and do all I can to make it work.”

  “I’ll be watching to make certain you do.” The steady regard in Aberland’s brown eyes reinforced his statement. “Annabelle deserves no less.”

  That much they agreed on.

  Graham stepped forward to slap him on the shoulder, a grin on his face. “You might find that marriage agrees with you more than you anticipated.”

  “Indeed,” Aberland added. “At times, fate throws unexpected events into our lap, and it is only with the passage of time that we realize it was for the best.”

  “Hmm.” Thomas wondered if he or Annabelle would ever view the situation that way.

  “I’m not certain how much you know about Sir Reginald,” Aberland began.

  “I’m aware his memory is failing.” He glanced at his brother. “The family prefers to keep that private.”

  “Of course.” Graham nodded. “I’m sorry to hear this. How difficult that must be.”

  “I would be pleased to discuss the financial details after you call upon Sir Reginald.” Aberland smiled. “I look forward to comparing notes as to how that meeting proceeds.”

  At least Thomas was prepared for Sir Reginald’s odd behavior. He had to wonder if Aberland hadn’t had the same advantage.

  “Why don’t we meet at White’s later today so you can share how things progress with your proposal?” Graham suggested. He turned to Aberland. “Care to join us?”

  “I wouldn’t miss it. Best of luck to you.” Aberland’s grin caused Thomas to frown as he wondered how Sir Reginald might react.

  “Yes, best of luck,” Graham said. “I thought Hugh would be the next of us to marry, but apparently it will be you.”

  Thomas managed a smile, but he felt far from joyous at the turn of events.

  All too soon, he found himself knocking on the door of the Gold home, uncertain how the meeting would go. Sir Reginald had remembered that Thomas’s father had declared him worthless. Would he agree to give Thomas his daughter’s hand in marriage or do so only with resentment?

  Feeling far from confident, he handed the butler his card and waited in the entry until the servant returned to advise him Sir Reginald would see him.

  Thomas entered the library, surprised to see both Annabelle and her father in the room. “Good day, Sir Reginald. Miss Gold.”

  She curtsied as he bowed to both her and Sir Reginald.

  Her father stood behind his desk with a frown marring his brow. His stern expression suggested he was less than pleased by the situation though he gestured for both of them to take a seat as he did the same.

  “I’ve come to ask your daughter’s hand in marriage.” Thomas risked another look at Annabelle, wishing she’d give him a hint as to what she was thinking. He hadn’t expected her to be there. Her presence unsettled him, bringing emotions to the surface. He dearly wanted to know how she was feeling. The shadows beneath her eyes suggested a sleepless night but told him little as to why. He longed to reach out to touch her, certain the physical connection would put everything to right.

  “My daughter?” Sir Reginald glanced at Annabelle. “Which daughter?”

  “Annabelle, sir.” Thomas waited as the man continued to stare at him with a blank look. Had he not understood him?

  “And you are?”

  The question gave Thomas pause for they’d just met, though it had been under unusual circumstances. He was aware Sir Reginald’s memory wasn’t what it used to be, and that he was sometimes confused, but Thomas hadn’t been prepared for him to have completely forgotten their last meeting.

  “Thomas Raybourne.” He looked at Annabelle, hoping for guidance, but she watched her father with a worried expression that suggested more than marriage was on her mind.

  Sir Reginald turned to his daughter. “What say you, Annabelle?”

  She didn’t look at Thomas but held her father’s gaze. “I would be honored.” Her quiet words of agreement released some of his tension. While he hadn’t thought she’d refuse him, he’d at least expected a
n argument. Perhaps she realized they had no choice.

  “Very well.” Sir Reginald nodded. “There will be a modest dowry, of course.”

  Thomas smiled politely, grateful Aberland would be providing the specifics. The financial ramifications of marriage were something he needed to consider. He had to find more ways to improve business at Artemis Press in order to support Annabelle in the fashion she deserved.

  But before he worried about that, he needed to know what she was thinking. Should he apologize to both of them for the previous evening? Had Annabelle or her mother told Sir Reginald about the reason behind his proposal?

  “Excellent. It’s settled then.” Sir Reginald folded his hands on the polished desktop. “Annabelle, is there anything you’d like to say to Mr. Raybourne?”

  She glanced at Thomas and managed a tight smile. “I look forward to discussing this further as soon as possible.”

  What did that mean? Somehow, he had the impression he wouldn’t like it.

  “Say what you have to say now,” her father insisted. “Best to clear the air before you say your vows.” Sir Reginald acted as though they’d be saying them soon. Was a quick marriage what the man expected?

  Thomas waited, wondering how she’d respond. If he were still a betting man, he would’ve wagered that her thoughts centered on the murder investigation rather than the possibility of a future together.

  “It’s nothing, Father,” Annabelle told him.

  A knock on the door interrupted the stilted conversation.

  “Enter,” Sir Reginald said.

  Lady Gold opened the door, her gaze taking in each of them as she walked forward. Thomas rose to greet her.

  “You’re just in time to join me in offering Mr. Raybourne and Annabelle our congratulations,” Sir Reginald said with a smile.

  Lady Gold nodded but didn’t her small smile suggested she wasn’t especially pleased by the news. “How lovely. I wish you both the best.”

  She held her daughter’s gaze for a long moment then embraced her and kissed her cheek. The look between mother and daughter was unfathomable to Thomas, leaving him to wonder. While unsurprised to realize she wasn’t particularly happy, that was only to be expected given the circumstances.