Mistaken for a Rake - Rose Pearson Page 0,45

no other choice.

“Lady Rebecca,” he said quietly, praying that Lady Hayward would not overhear him. “I have struggled with wanting your company and seeking to protect you. You have fought against the latter, although I cannot yet entirely understand your reasons for doing so.” He saw her lips quirk, and a smile caught his own. “I have found myself so enamored that even to think of you has brought a hope to my heart that lifts it from the pain and confusion and doubt that continue to surround me.” Spreading his hands, he closed his eyes momentarily. “I wish I could rid myself of this poor reputation, Lady Rebecca. Perhaps then I might have been able to follow the wishes of my heart.”

For a few moments, Lady Rebecca said nothing. Her gaze was gentle, her expression warm, and, much to his astonishment, she held out her hand to him in the boldest manner.

Jeffery hesitated for a moment, then took it in his, bowing over it as any gentleman might. The urge to brush his lips against her gloved hand was intense, but he did not permit himself to do so, knowing that Lady Hayward would be all too aware of his action.

When he lowered her hand, however, Lady Rebecca did not release his grip. Instead, she held his hand tightly for a few moments, saying nothing but with such a look in her eyes that Jeffery felt his breath catch in his chest.

“Permit me to speak to my father, Lord Richmond,” she said eventually, her words so faint that he struggled to hear them. “Allow me to discover whether or not he would permit your court.”

Jeffery shook his head and immediately saw the disappointment flare in her eyes. “It would do no good, Lady Rebecca,” he said gently. “Your father is a duke. I am a disgraced Marquess.”

“But perhaps I can convince him of—”

“Unless there is a way I can prove my innocence, then there is nothing that can be done,” he told her kindly. “If you choose to speak to the duke, then I cannot prevent you, but I fear then that he would only force you away from my company entirely. And that, Lady Rebecca, would bring me a great deal of pain.”

Lady Rebecca sighed and let go of his hand. “Then mayhap we can find a way to prove you are not guilty of what is spoken about you,” she said as Lady Hayward turned back to them, making it clear by her presence that their time for conversation was at an end. “I will not give up, Lord Richmond.”

This made him smile and, whilst he regretted that she had to depart from his company, he felt so blessed by the company he had enjoyed that his heart was filled with a contentment that buoyed his spirits.

“I did not think you would, Lady Rebecca,” he replied, inclining his head and catching her bright smile before she was led away by Lady Hayward, her sisters following in her wake. A sigh of pleasure left him as he watched her depart, realizing he had forgotten all about Lady Kensington and her demands.

“It appears you had an excellent conversation with Lady Rebecca, Richmond.”

Jeffery looked at his friend. “I would court her if I could,” he found himself saying, remembering just how fast his heart had beat when he had taken her hand in his. “I do not think I have ever met anyone like her before. She is extraordinary.”

“And the fact that she continues to seek you out also speaks of her ongoing interest,” Lord Swinton commented as Jeffery nodded. “If you could find a way to court her, to even consider matrimony, then—”

“I have told her I cannot, not unless I am able to prove myself entirely innocent of all that Lady Kensington had said of me,” Jeffery interrupted firmly. He turned to his friend, who had an exasperated look on his face. “Could you imagine the daughter of a duke being wed to someone who has a stain on his reputation? Who has been called a rogue and a scoundrel?” Shaking his head, his lips twisted in frustration. “The whispers would only multiply, Swinton. They would chase after her as well as after me. She would hear, many times over, that I am surely not a faithful husband, that I would, in time, pursue others rather than remain with her. She might not believe them, of course, but such rumors would only injure her heart, and it could