The Viscount's Rose (The Farthingale Series Book 5) (6 page)

“I always want you, my love. But I can’t this evening. I’ll make it up to you tomorrow, and the day after that… and perhaps…” He purposely paused, allowing the hint of a permanent commitment to linger heavily in the air. “Let me go home, Valentina. Now my stomach’s acting up.”

She pursed her lips in a practiced pout. “Very well, but I’m staying here. I wish to gamble. Lord Braswell will take me home. He’s madly in love with me, you know. Are you jealous?”

“Desperately so. You are ever in my thoughts, my love. I’ll call Brassy out if he dares to touch you.”

She shook her head and laughed. “He’s merely a boy and you’re a man. You needn’t worry about him.”

“It isn’t only him.” He feigned a worried look. “Promise me there’s no one but me who holds your heart. Promise me, my love. You know I would do anything for you.”

The coachman stepped down to open the carriage door at that moment, interrupting Valentina’s response, which would have been insincere anyway. She smirked and took the man’s offered hand. “Julian,” she said, turning to face him as he walked her to the door of the gaming hell, “do regain your strength.”

He smiled and this time feigned a cough that had her drawing away before he could kiss her. “Good night, Valentina. Dream of me.” He coughed again for good measure and continued to play his part until she finally joined her friends inside.

He climbed back into his carriage and eased his frame against the leather squabs. “Edred, get me out of here.” He’d done enough work for the night, dropping hints among their friends about his intention to propose to the dark-haired, gray-eyed diamond of the first water.

But he had a big problem.

His thoughts were on Rose, the stubborn and irritating chit who was the true diamond among the
faux
gems paraded before him each season.

Bloody nuisance.

Why couldn’t he stop thinking of Nicola’s best friend?

“I’ll sit beside
you at Lady Winthrop’s musicale tomorrow evening,” Nicola said, bounding into the Farthingale parlor two days later and dropping into the seat beside Rose while Pruitt rolled in the tea cart laden with cakes and an appealing assortment of scones. The Farthingale parlor was crowded today with more family and friends stopping by to pay a visit.

Rose’s mother and her spinster aunt Hortensia were busy dashing in and out to greet their guests. Aunt Julia had also joined them, although she was rather subdued now that her husband had gone off to battle Napoleon. In truth, all the family elders were subdued now that Harrison had gone to fight.

Rose worried about him as well, for he was the youngest of her uncles and the most adventurous. Her father, John, was the eldest, then came Rupert, then George, and finally Harrison. Hortensia was actually their aunt, but not much older than her nephews so they treated her as more of a sister than a family elder. “Oh, dear! Will you go?” Nicola asked, interrupting her thoughts.

“To the musicale?” Rose smiled at Pruitt as he set down the teapot and sugar cone beside her. “I don’t know.” She poured a cup for Nicola, trying not to be distracted by the teacup and pot, for they were of the finest bone china from a lovely set of Staffordshire floral design that her mother had recently purchased. The colors were magnificent and the graceful cascading sweep of—

“Ugh! Rose, stop counting the flowers on your teacup and talk to me. Will you come with me to Lady Winthrop’s?”

Her sprained ankle chose that moment to twinge. “I think not. I had better stay off the foot for a few more days.”

Nicola’s mouth curved downward in a pout. “No, no, no. You can’t leave me alone to face that horrid Valentina on my own. She’ll be there with Julian, brazenly clinging to his arm. What am I to do? The rumors are rampant that he intends to propose to her by the end of this month.”

Rose patted her hand. “That gives us a fortnight to come up with a plan.”

Nicola’s shoulders sagged. “Come up with one? Do you mean to say you haven’t got one yet? Oh, Rolf! I was counting on you to save us! My family is doomed unless you think of something. You must! And you can’t abandon me to face that witch alone. We’ll be seated most of the time anyway, forced to endure Lady Winthrop’s daughters singing and playing their harps, both abysmally. The only one worse at the harp is your sister Lily and I’m sure she does it on purpose because she’s brilliant in every other respect. Surely she can master the workings of a few strings if she sets her mind to it.”

Nicola paused only long enough to take a deep breath before continuing. “But enough about Lily. Why isn’t your ankle healed yet? Isn’t your Uncle George the best doctor in all of England?”

“Of course he is. But he isn’t a magician.” She rolled her eyes in exasperation. “Do calm down. It isn’t as if you’re facing Napoleon’s army. The countess is just one woman.”

“But an evil one!” Nicola said in an emphatic whisper.

Rose rolled her eyes again. Fortunately the din in the parlor drowned out their conversation so that no one could overhear them. “You think she’s evil because you don’t like her, but your brother must see something special in this woman to take her into his heart.”

Nicola’s eyes began to water. “Believe me, I’ve searched and searched for a reason, but I can’t find one. She’s hateful. What can I do, Rolf? I must stop their wedding or she will ruin his life.”

“Very well.” Rose sighed, wishing the countess would conveniently disappear. However, she was not about to condone her murder. “My sisters and I discussed the possibilities and finally settled on a solution. I fear it’s an imperfect one, but here’s the plan.”

“You do have one, after all!” Nicola let out a squeal. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner? You know I’m in agony over my brother’s idiotic choice. We actually have a plan? Thank heavens!”

Rose had never seen her friend so exuberant. In truth, it pained her, for her plan wasn’t very good and not likely to work. “It will require the cooperation of your aunt and uncle. They—”

“They’re in. Whatever it is, they’ll agree to it.” Nicola’s eyes were now glowing with excitement. She popped a piece of lemon cake into her mouth and eased back, her relief evident. “What must we do?”

Rose took a sip of her tea to calm her nerves. “You’re going to abduct him.”

Nicola, who had also just taken a sip of her tea to wash down the lemon cake, gasped. The tea went down the wrong pipe and she fell into a fit of coughing. Too late, Rose realized she ought to have slowly eased her friend into the plan. In her own defense, she was uncertain about it and knew that she had to blurt it out before she turned coward and didn’t propose it at all.

Well, it was out there now, hanging in midair like a cannonball on a dangerous trajectory. Nicola finally calmed enough to respond. “I must have misheard. What did you just say? Abduct my own brother?”

“You asked for a plan and I’ve come up with one. If you don’t like it, we don’t have to go through with it. After all, there’s so much involved in its proper execution. Anything can go wrong at any time. Forget I said anything. It’s too absurd to contemplate. I’m sorry I even suggested it. Can you ever forgive me?”

Nicola wiped her lips with her napkin and set it back on her lap. “Rose, you misunderstand. I
love
the idea. I think it’s brilliant.”

“You do?” The contents of Rose’s stomach began to churn and she felt herself grow pale, unlike Nicola, who had now stopped coughing and wore a broad grin on her face that accentuated her dimples.

“Yes, and so will my aunt and uncle think it is the best idea ever.” She edged closer and smiled conspiratorially. “What must we do to put this plan into effect?”

“Leave London. Your uncle has a lovely estate in the Cotswolds, near Chipping Camden, doesn’t he?”

Nicola frowned. “Near Birdslip to be precise, but why must we go there when my brother is here in London?”

Rose glanced about for help from her sisters, but they were busy talking to their neighbor, Lady Eloise Dayne. They’d known the kindly older woman only a few months, but she was quickly becoming as dear as a grandmother to Rose and her sisters. “Oh, Nicola, remind me to introduce you to Lady Eloise. She’s simply wonderful. We all adore her.”

Nicola nodded. “I know her already. She’s great friends with my aunt, Lady Darnley. I’ll greet her in a moment, but do go on. I’m on the edge of my seat with excitement. My brother is in London and we’re to go to Darnley Cottage, my uncle’s charming home in the Cotswolds. Why?”

“The plan is to lure him out there.” She cleared her throat. “As Lily explained it to me, the object is to separate one deer from the herd, to lure him away from the other deer who might protect him. This is what predators such as lions and tigers do when they hunt on the vast plains of Africa.”

Nicola simply stared at her. “What are you saying? Are we to put him on a packet ship to Africa?”

Rose sighed. “No, you miss my point. He’s to remain in England. We’re all to stay in England. But you say that he’s a home and hearth sort of man, only he seems to have forgotten himself while in London. So you’ll take him away for a week in the country. Your uncle will ask him to escort you all to his cottage.”

“And?”

“That’s where you’ll remind him of the simple pleasures that he truly loves and how the countess would be completely out of place in the peaceful countryside, and if he is still too dense to realize it, then… then… you’ll just have to keep him there until he comes to his senses.”

Nicola shook her head in disappointment. “It isn’t a very good plan, you know.”

Rose nodded. “I know. But do you have a better one? Short of doing away with Lady Deschanel?”

“No,” she admitted. “Will you come to the Cotswolds with us? You must, Rose. You’ve taken the lead in this delicate mission, so you might as well see it through to the end. Besides, you like Julian, so why can’t we make him like you? It can work. Once we separate him from his disreputable herd, he’s bound to notice you. He’s the stag and you’re the sweet doe he’s destined to love.” She frowned lightly. “Or wait, are you the predator who separates him from his herd? No, my family will be the predators because you need to be the sweet doe.”

Rose shook her head and sighed. “Stop, Nicola. The more you go on, the clearer it becomes to me that this scheme will never work.”

Nicola now had a stubborn set to her jaw. “It’s excellent and it will work once Julian has the chance to know you. I’ll ask my uncle to write a note to your parents today and invite you to the cottage. We must have you as bait for Julian.”

“Bait?” She didn’t wish to be compared to a wriggling worm or pieces of raw, skinned meat.

Nicola nodded. “You’re the reminder Julian needs or he’ll never break off his affair with that witch.”

“I’d rather not. Truly, I’m not necessary to this plan.”

Nicola took her hand. “Rose, I beg to differ. You’re vital. You’re the only one who can work this miracle. Good. It’s settled. You’re coming with us.”

“Oh, this is a mistake.” Rose shook her head and groaned. “I’m not a predator.”

“Heavens, whoever said you were? No, your role is the temptress. After all, your middle name is Lorelei so it must be significant. Close your eyes and think seductive thoughts.”

“I will not.”

“Especially about my brother. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind being seduced by you.”

Rose gasped, the thought of herself and Nicola’s brother with their arms wrapped around each other and their bodies arched in a passionate embrace, posed like those scandalous Greek statues on display in the halls of the various royal societies and museums around London, too shocking to contemplate. “No.”

“Please, Rolf.”

“Stop it, Nicola. I’m no temptress.”

“You are. You’re the Lorelei.”

“In name only, not in any special knowledge of the seductive arts. I wouldn’t know how to get your brother to kiss me. This is ridiculous.”

A deep, male chuckle came from behind her. “If you wish me to kiss you, all you have to do is ask.”

Rose leaped out of her chair, spilled tea all over her gown, and landed on her sore ankle, which promptly collapsed under her weight. She let out a yowl and lost her balance, certain she was about to fall to the floor and land in an unladylike sprawl. But Lord Emory caught her in time to prevent her humiliation. That he’d heard their discussion was humiliating enough.

“Are you hurt?” he asked, drawing her firmly against him and seeming to be genuinely concerned. “I didn’t mean to startle you.” She felt the quiet rumble of his chest as he spoke, for her back remained pinned against his hard body. His arms were securely around her, the heat of his body so intense she melted into him. Or was it her heat? Her blood was on fire and her limbs were quivering.

She had no chance to respond, for everyone was now gathered around them and fussing over her and her ruined gown. She was so roiled with unfamiliar sensations that she couldn’t have responded to Lord Emory even if she’d known what to say.

“You’ve strained your ankle again,” her aunt Hortensia chided, her tone muffled for Rose’s heart had flown upward into her throat and was now pounding through her ears. “How will you ever recover if you insist on walking about on it? Too soon, my dear. You must rest.”