‘Right’ didn’t come nearly close enough to describing how Rose felt. But for now, she figured it would do.
Rose had never wanted to marry. And when she had, she hated the man to whom she was married. But that wasn’t so strange, seeing as the man she now loved was not the man she had all but blackmailed into marrying her.
The man she loved was kind. He was warm. He was honest. The man she loved wasrealin all the ways that mattered, and as she looked into his eyes, as she felt that love shine from him, she could not wait to see the man he grew into… or rather, see him become more of the man she knew him to be.
Rose was happy, and that was what mattered. And after all they had been through, all they had fought for, she didn’t worry too much about the future and what might come. Why would she? The hard part was now over, and the easy part was just beginning.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
“What are you going to say?” Rose asked Christopher.
He could sense how nervous she was. How tense. She had been fidgeting throughout the journey, unable to sit still because the anticipation of what was to come was tearing her apart.
Christopher, deciding to have a little fun with it, opted to play things cool. He reverted to his old self, sitting perfectly still, expressionless, even appearing bored as his wife slowly lost her mind. She saw what he was doing, glared at him in warning, and he just looked upon her with such simplicity that it was all he could do not to burst into laughter at how much it frustrated her.
“What I am going to say is between myself and your father,” he said.
“Don’t do that!” she cried.
“Do what?”
She folded her arms and glared at him. “You know what you are doing.”
“Do I?”
She started to shake with anger. “I want to know what you are going to say. Tell me!”
He sighed and shook his head. “And as I have told you already, that is between your father and me.”
“Christopher!” she wrung her hands in the air. “Tell me now –”
“Careful.” He held up a finger to silence her as he looked out the carriage window. “We are almost there. Best to control your intrepid emotions, lest they get us in trouble.”
Her stare was ice cold. “If this does not work…”
“Then I suspect I'd better start sleeping with one eye open.” Still keeping his expression neutral, he offered her a wink. “It is a good thing then that you trust me.”
“I do for now…” She narrowed her eyes. “But if this does not work, I might have to question everything that I think I know. And that includes my feelings for you.”
“Motivation then.” Christopher leaned back from the window. “Just what I need.”
He could sense Rose glaring at him across the carriage, and he grinned pleasantly as if he didn’t have a care in the world. A lot had changed for Christopher lately, chief among which was his willingness to make jokes and have fun when the timing suited him. Like right now, for example.
Let us just hope this works; otherwise, it might be a while until I find a reason to laugh again… I am certain that Rose will make sure of it.
It was less than one minute later when the carriage began to slow, and a minute after that when it came to a gentle stop. The door opened for them shortly afterwards, and Christoper was the first to climb out. Of course, he then turned and helped his grumpy wife to step outside, sure to smile gaily as she continued to glower.
“Rose!” Marianne was waiting on the driveway, and she clapped her hands excitedly as she hurried to greet them. “You made it. You’re here.” She took her sister’s hands and squeezed them.
“I told you I would be.”
“And His Grace…” Marianne trailed off as she glanced at Christopher, offering him an intrepid smile before looking at her sister again. Eyebrows raised. “Is he…”
“I have agreed to speak to your father on your behalf,” Christopher said. “And as I have told Rose more times than I care to count…” He winked at Rose, who rolled her eyes. “Youneed not worry. I am quite confident that I can change your father’s mind.”
“Thank you!” Marianne seized Christopher by the hands next. “I don’t know how I can… are you certain?” She battered her eyes hopefully. “Will you be able to convince him? That Julian and I…”
Christopher had been certain that he could convince Lord Strathvale to allow Marianne to marry her paramour, Julian Ford. As a duke, he had certain sway over men who sat beneath him… which was almost everybody. Convincing a viscount to allow his daughter to marry who she wished – for a price, of course -- should not have been a problem.
