All the Things You Never Knew (10 page)

“Longsword!” Leon shouted angrily as Longsword swung Rose up and rode off into the darkness.
Did he just say he was taking Rose to Phillipa’s brothel to get her fiancé? What was Longsword thinking? He was the proper earl and knew this was wrong.
Without much thought, he jumped back on the carriage and drove out after them.
What is this all about? Why was Longsword bothering with bringing Rose?

“You’re really sure his lordship is over here?” Rose asked, still unable to believe what this Earl of Longsword had told her.
“I made sure I wasn’t seeing doubles before coming to get you,” the Earl replied.
“I don’t see any reasons why he would be at a whore house when he’s marrying me,” she said. She thought he was better than this.
“Lady Rose, we’re men. And men don’t always act as honorable as they appear before a lady,” he said. “You don’t really have to go with me if it makes you uncomfortable then.”
“No,” Rose shook her head. “I want to confirm your observation.”
“You don’t believe me?”
“I can’t until I have seen it with my own eyes,” she replied, and took the lead in the walk as they arrive at the brothel.

Yes. Exactly as Gareth had wanted.
Lady Rose is in a raging fury and is most determined to seek the marquess out. He will have to say that this lady of Leon has a quick temper. He’d better be careful with his actions because this Lady Rose now seems to be in the mood of shooting off his manhood from announcing her fiancé’s dallying with light-skirted madams at the brothel.
Longsword wonders if Hargate has taken the case to its climax yet. He’d better hurry up with the pace because this Lady Rose is coming up fast. Gareth doesn’t want them to arrive at the wrong timing but just at the perfect scene.
Plus, Leon was out there on his way too. They have to act fast. Leon didn’t look too happy when he had dragged away Lady Rose.
There would surely be hell to pay.
He’s totally sorry for having to do this but it’s the only good choice to bring Leon and her back together.
She’s to lose that marquess after all so let it be this that parts them.
God, he just hopes Lady Rose’s not on the verge of killing here. It would be quite an unpleasant sight.
Gareth hurried after her and they both stop in front of the House of Pleasure glowing in the dark with shadows lingering around the window.
“So this is it?” she asked, cocking her head to one side.
“Yes,” Longsword answered. “Phillipa’s House of Pleasure as it’s called.”
“It won’t be so pleasurable once I find that Lord Lansing.”
“You won’t do anything violent, would you?”
“Depends on what you mean by violent,” she answered, and ran up the steps to start pounding on the door.
She was mad. Totally mad.
Gareth has to do something about this. He has to find Hargate.
He saw the door opened and fortunately, it was Hargate.
Lady Rose didn’t seem to care but pushed right in.
Hargate waved down at Gareth and whistled for him to come up.
“You came just in time,” Hargate told him. “Lansing’s just about to come down.”
“I thought I was too early.”
“Almost a little too late, but you made it.”
“Lady Rose is really in a fury temper,” he said.
Hargate nodded. “I can see she is.”
“You suspect this would work?”
“Most certainly,” Hargate said. “Though I might have to pay extra for any damages she might make.”
“You did have your share of women, did you?”
“Not this time,” he shook his head. “And not for the many years to come.”
“Heartily’s on his way here too,” Longsword said. “I encountered him with Lady Rose and just kind of stole her.”
“He’s back already?” Hargate looked a bit worried. “Very well. I’ll explain everything.”
There was a sudden crashed in the house with several screeching women and a few shouting voices before Lady Rose dashed out angrily, and ran her way out into the darkness of the night.
“I suppose a riot is caused in there,” Hargate said with a light whistle.
Gareth shook his head. “This is so not good.”
“Rose!” came the marquess as he dashes out after her.
“Hold on, Lansing,” Hargate said, halting him. “What’s the matter?”
“I don’t know,” Lansing said breathlessly. “How did Rose know I’m–”–he cupped his forehead and shook his head– “No. Now she’s going to be mad at me.”
“Perhaps we weren’t careful enough when we came here,” Hargate said.
Gareth has to admit that this fool of a duke is pretty good at playing his game.
“Maybe,” said Lansing, “but I have to go after her.”
“Don’t waste the time,” Hargate replied. “She’s angry now. She won’t listen. Wait till tomorrow.”
Lansing hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
“Don’t worry, old pal. She’s already mad so get done with your business here and explain things tomorrow,” Gareth suggested. “There’s no use bothering when she’s in a fury temper.”
“But–” The marquess was going to say something but then stop. “I guess you’re right.”
“Don’t worry,” Hargate said to Lansing. “If anything goes bad, I’ll talk to her. She’ll understand.”
“Thanks,” Lansing cheered a little as Hargate spoke.
“Now get back in there and finish having your fun before you’re strip off the chance,” Longsword put in, afraid that Leon might arrive and things won’t be good.
“Aye,” the marquess saluted and stumbles back inside.
“I think Lansing has the dumbest son in the world,” Hargate said, shaking his head.
“I would’ve run after the lady,” Longsword said.
“Oh, well. Let’s see if our little friend Leon would come.”

Rose could hardly believe this was happening to her.
Again!
The moment she rushed into the whorehouse of Phillipa’s she’d encountered the most repulsive scene ever. It was almost like the sight she had seen a decade ago. His lordship was half-naked with his arms around two floozy half dressed women flirting and laughing.
Before Rose knew it, her temper had ticked off and she was in an aggressive act yelling, and beating the heck out of every furniture in the house. It wasn’t until the tears begin to strike through the barrier of her weakness that she came to her senses and bolted out of the place.
How much heartbreak is she going to have to endure before she finds true love?
First Leon, then Marcus.
Could any men ever be trusted?
She had thought to be the best wife for Marcus, hasn’t she? He chose a whore over her...just like that God damn Leon had!
What do those whores have that she doesn’t? Bosoms the size of a pumpkin? An hour glass figure that shows all temptingly seductive curves? A voice that lies and flatters without much to its meaning? A body to sell for nothing more than business of unimportance?
Rose wiped at her eyes and slows down her pace of running as she thinks to herself.
Why should she cry? There’s no reason. She should have known better from her experience with Leon. Men are never faithful. Not a single one of them. Their words were all lies to fool the heart.
Devil takes it, she’s letting history repeat itself again! She had tried so hard not to let it happen. And here she is, crying over the same situation from years ago.
Curse that Leon for taking it to effect in the first place, now it has ruined her whole–
“Rose!”
She stopped and tries to run off into the woods as she saw that it was Leon calling and riding towards her on the carriage.
He jumped off and ran right after her, reaching her within a breath.
“Rose!” He shook her shoulders and tried to hold her still as she struggles.
“Let me go!” she cried, pushing against him.
She despises him and all men.
“What is wrong with you?” he asked, gazing down at her.
Rose quickly turns away as the tears begin to form in her eyes again, and shook her head.
“It’s none of your–”
Before she could finish, he pulled her into his arms and hold her, blinding everything else.

Leon couldn’t think of anything he can do to comfort Rose, except embrace her like this to ease her pain.
The moment he’d looked into her eyes, he could see how badly she was hurt.
Longsword must have taken her right into the brothel to catch that Lansing.
He would thrash the hell out of that man for this if he wasn’t so damn considerate of Rose’s feelings.
He knows he had hurt her once, but there was a good reason and he tends to make it up. Lansing had different intentions.
It bothers Leon to see Rose in this way. He still couldn’t forgive himself for having her suffer like this in the past. He wanted to apologize and tell her that he still loves and cares for her, but it seems she would never trust him again.
“Rose,” he murmured, smoothing her hair. “What’s the matter? Why are you–”
She raised a finger to his lips, shutting him off and pulls away from his embrace. “It doesn’t matter now,” she said, quietly with a little sniff.
She was crying.
No…why is she crying?
And what doesn’t matter?
“Rose.” Leon was about to raise a hand to her shoulder but thought better at the moment to restrain.
“Are all you men this way?” she asked, turning slowly to look at him.
Damn if her eyes doesn’t make him want to pull her back.
“What do you mean?” Leon asked, confused at her question.
“Lie to a woman that you love her and then run off to a fucking whorehouse to dally with those tarts of a bitch!”
Leon was caught by surprise at the sudden change of tone in Rose’s voice and her use of terms. And also at the situation she’d mentioned. He’d never seen her so furious–well, not since the last time he had done her wrong anyway.
Her glare was so set and sharp that if it was a militant weapon it would’ve killed him right this instant.
“Why do you ask?” Leon said, not knowing what else there is to say.
“Tell me,” she ordered infuriatingly. “Why do you men choose those whores over a proper lady?”
Leon would have laugh at that ridiculous question if Rose didn’t look so malevolent at the moment, but knew better.
“I can’t really say,” he said with a light shrug. “Men have different intentions.” That was merely the truth. Men do have different intentions. He knows he does.
“Do they?” She raised an eyebrow at him and sighed. “And what are their intentions may I ask?”
Why is she doing this to him?
“I can’t really say,” Leon answered.
“What were
your
intentions when
you
did it?”
She looked and sounded so threatening that Leon hesitated a bit.
His intentions? He can’t tell her.
“I can’t really–”
“Don’t say you
‘can’t really say
’ or else I’m going to burst!” she interjected madly.
“I can’t–why do you want to know anyway?” he asked halfwittedly.
“You–forget it!” she cried, turning away. “I know how you men are now. You can never admit your wrongs. You and his lordship are just the same!”
“Wait a minute. You can’t compare me to him. We’re two different–”
“Oh, you two are just alike! I hate you both! Get out of my life!”
“Rose–”
Leon reached out to grab her but she had already fled her way down the road. He wanted to go after her but know it’s not going to get any better.
Why is she having such a mood swing? First she was all miserable and tearing, but then pleasant in his arms for a moment. Now she’s ranting on about him and that Lord Lansing, comparing them to one another.
What exactly was all this?
He’d only been gone for a few days and troubles are already beating at his heels.
He has got to seek out Hargate and Longsword, for this must have been a game of theirs.
He has no doubts about it.
Curious, Leon rushed to Phillipa’s to find Hargate and Longsword standing outside at the bottom of the steps.
“Finally you’re here,” Longsword said with a wave of his hand, acting as if nothing had happened.
“You’ve made a new record, Heartily,” said Hargate, looking at his pocket watch. “Bridlington, East Riding is hours away and you made it here quite faster than I have expected. When did you depart anyway?”
“That is not important,” Leon answered, not in the mood for jokes. “What’s important now is that Longsword just took Rose away to here and had her crying back when I was coming. I need an explanation.”
“Oh, that.” Hargate sighed, and ran his fingers through his hair. “Well, I can explain.”
“Speak then,” Leon demanded.
After seeing how upset Rose was, he’s not going to let that marquess off. Not to mention that
he
himself was involved in the situation that made Rose cried.
“Relax, Leon,” Longsword said. “You look so enraged.” “I am!” Leon snapped. “God knows I am!”
“About what?” Longsword asked rather dumbly.
Leon waved a dismissive hand. “Just tell me why the fuck that Lansing was here,” he said. “Besides the obvious, I know you two had something involve.”
“We took him here for a little fun,” Hargate answered.
Leon turned and narrowed his eyes at Hargate. “A little fun?”
“Well, it was a part of the plan I had,” Hargate said.
Leon arched an eyebrow. “A plan?”
“While you were gone, I hatched out a plan to help reunite you and your beloved little Rose,” Hargate replied.
“And?”
“It went successfully,” Longsword put in with a grin of a dupe.
“Did it?” Leon highly doubted that after encountering Rose. “And what was that plan, may I ask?” Although he already had a sense of it.
“I called Lansing out to Phillipa’s House of Pleasure and told Longsword to get Lady Rose to catch him in the act of intimacy.”
Leon could hardly believe what Hargate had said. “Oh hell,” he cursed. “Of all the plans in the world!”
“You should be happy,” Longsword told him. “Lady Rose got quite furious and almost destroyed the whole place. You should be able to win her love now.”
“Bloody hell I would!” Leon had never thought to be this piqued. How could this possibly happen again? No wonder Rose was so angry and compared him to that Lansing.
“You are not happy, aren’t you?” Hargate asked.
Stupid question.
“Of course not!” Leon bellowed. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”
“Not in the least,” Hargate admitted.
“Of course you wouldn’t.” Leon gave a sigh and paced the ground.
They wouldn’t know.
“Are you…okay?” Hargate asked. “Want to tell us what’s on your mind?”
Obviously not.
Leon shook his head and stop to release an indignant breath.
“We made it worst, didn’t we?” Longsword murmured with a light shook of his head. “I told you it wasn’t a good idea, Hargate.”
“I thought it would help–”
“It’s all right,” Leon interjected. Though their little act made him most furious of all things, he’d got to let them off. They didn’t know about his past with Rose and how they had fallen apart.
“You guys were trying to help and I am most definitely grateful,” he told them, flashing a light grin.
“Tell us, Heartily,” Hargate demanded, walking up to Leon. “I know something has been weighing on your mind. Your disapproval of this tells me so.”
“It’s really none of your concern, Hargate,” Leon answered coldly. “Might as well leave it.”
“No,” Hargate objected. “You are my friend and I intended to help you. Makes me feel bad to fail. Please tell me.”
“No,” Longsword put in. “Tell
us
. We’re here for you, Leon.”
Bastards of a friend they were, Leon thought to himself as he turns to look at them. Friends are truly idiots who would always stand by you after a foolish act. How is he ever going to keep his privacy to himself with these two idiots lurking in every time? Perhaps it’s time he tells them of his past, for he’d been waiting a long time to get rid of it.
“Let’s return to the inn and sort it out,” said Hargate. “This isn’t the place.”