She pushed herself to sitting and attempted to dab at her tears with a sleeve. “Lucian called on me this morning.”
Robin sat beside her, taking her hand. “What did he do?”
“He had obviously come straight from an assignation with another woman! Her lip rouge was all over his face.”
Robin sat back. “Oh. That.”
Rosalie looked at him strangely. “What do you mean,Oh. That?”
“I saw him,” Robin said quickly. “While I was on my way to White’s. He was coming down the stairs of his townhouse with a huge bouquet of?—”
“Red roses,” Rosalie said along with him.
Robin nodded. “Just so. These two women came up to him. They looked to be…” He waved a hand, searching for the words. “…ladies of dubious character. They were grabbing his arms and trying to proposition him.”
“Which I’m sure he enjoyed,” Rosalie huffed.
Robin’s eyes were urgent. “That’s the thing, Rosie. He wasn’t enjoying it. He kept trying to shrug them off. He said that the flowers were for you. I heard him tell them that he wasn’t interested. At one point, he told them to unhand him. He really wasn’t encouraging them.”
She frowned. “And you expect me to believe that they kissed him in the middle of the street?”
Robin shrugged one shoulder. “That’s entirely consistent with what I saw. Besides, why would he go to the trouble to buy you such expensive flowers and turn up with another woman’s lip rouge on his cheeks? It doesn’t make any sense.”
She rubbed her forehead. She trusted Robin. Had it been anyone else, she would have scoffed at the story. But her brother wouldn’t lie to her.
Alas, this left her feeling more confused than ever.
She straightened her spine. “I’m pleased you happened upon him, then. It seems to have been an honest misunderstanding. So, what did you learn at White’s?”
“Hang on, Rosie. I’ve never seen a man with the power to upset you like this. If I’m going to be advising you, then I need to understand the situation.”
Rosalie’s throat seized at the thought of admitting what had happened aloud. It had been so,sohumiliating. “I already told you.”
“I suspect there are some rather significant parts you left out.” Robin squeezed her hand. “Come on, Rosie. You know my biggest secret. Just as you would never betray me, I would never betray you. You know that. And maybe the weight of it wouldn’t feel so heavy if we shared it.”
She nodded tightly. She could not believe she was about to do this.
But deep down, she knew that Robin was right.
Her voice was tight and halting. But she managed to form the words.
“It all started two years ago…”
Chapter Ten
Two Years Ago
April 1820
The first time Rosalie clapped eyes on Lucian Deverell was at the Duke and Duchess of Tyrone’s rout.
One could be forgiven for assuming that Rosalie was right at home at a party being hosted by a duke and duchess, and a rakehell such as Lucian was the odd man out. In this case, such an assumption would have been wrong. The Duke of Tyrone was the worst sort of scoundrel, and he had for many years been shunned by thehaute ton. Why, he had even been featured in March’s edition of theRake Review!
But he had recently settled down and married, and he seemed bent on turning over a new leaf. Determined to help the man known as the Mad Duke re-enter society, Papa had ignored Mama’s objections and insisted that they attend the newly married couple’s party in a show of support.
Most of thetonhad stayed away, and it had been a relatively small gathering. Around half of the guests consisted of the duke’s scandalous friends.
Hence, the reason Lucian had been in attendance.
