If he believes that I will play the obedient wife-to-be while he has left my dearest friend in danger, he is sadly mistaken.
“Please, Your Grace, answer me. Why has she not returned here with you?”
“Isaac. Please call me by my Christian name. You will be my wife soon enough.”
She swallowed. She knew she would not get her answers, or indeed anything from him, if she refused his request.
“Very well, Isaac. I–”
“It sounds ever so lovely coming out of your mouth, Rowena.” He placed his glass of Cognac on the table beside the chaise. A whiff of his perfume wafted to her nose.
She noted that he was seating himself closer to her. Too close for her comfort, but still far enough apart to maintain decorum. She looked up at him, noticing again the scar above his eyebrow.
She had to admit, the way he looked at her was not threatening. Indeed, one could call it tenderness. And yet, she felt no tenderness in her heart for him at all.
“Isaac, please. My mind is in a state of worry over my friend. Please help me set these sad thoughts aside.”
He smiled at her benevolently.
“Now is not the right time to talk about the matter. It is rather rude to interrupt your sister at her play, is it not?” He nodded with his chin toward the front, where her sister had just begun another piece of music, this one by Beethoven.
For a moment, she caught her father’s eyes. He looked at her with an expression of relief on his face. As if it only took the Duke of Thornmouth’s mere presence to squash Rowena’s feelings for Christopher.
She sat back, fighting the urge to want to cross her arms in front of her chest. She knew this would be a petulant way of showing her dissatisfaction with his words. Instead, she remained graceful, nodding once to acknowledge his decision and then looked back at her sister.
Inside, however, her blood was boiling
Chapter 25
Christopher sat on the small porch in front of his uncle’s London house and scanned the street. He knew it was much too early in the evening for Rowena to appear, yet he could not stand to be inside the house any longer.
He’d been pacing the halls of the house for hours, waiting for time to pass. He didn’t yet know when she would arrive, but he knew it would be late in the day. They were going to slip away under the cover of dark.
He tapped his foot on the ground and sighed when someone approached the house. With his heart leaping, he jumped up in anticipation.
“Topher! What are you doing sitting on the porch? Rather unusual for you.”
He sat back down as Henry made his way up the steps and plopped into the chair beside him.
“Topher? What has happened? You look vexed.”
He turned to his brother, a wane smile on his face.
“I …” he stopped. He had not confided in his brother about his plan to go to Gretna Green, but perhaps it was time to do so now. Yes, he could not leave his brother in the dark. He cleared his throat.
“I am waiting for Rowena.”
Henry’s eyes widened. “You are waiting for Rowena? But how? Why?”
He stopped, a grin appearing on his face. “You are putting it in motion. Your plan.”
“Who says I have a plan?” Christopher asked innocently.
His brother shook his head. “Do not act coy with me, Christopher. All this passing notes back and forth. I knew there had to be a plan in the making. There was no way you would allow Thornmouth to marry her. Nor would she have agreed to it without a fight. The only question is, what is the plan? What are you going to do once she is here?” He widened his eyes. “You are leaving for Scotland, aren’t you?”
Christopher nodded slowly. There was no point in denying it, even if he’d wanted to. There were not many options for pairs such as himself and Rowena, that wanted to be together but were prevented from doing so by society.
“We are. We are going to Gretna Green tonight.” He felt his stomach leap with excitement at the mere mention.
