Passions of a Gentleman (Gentlemen of Honor #3) - Rose Gordon Page 0,39
about going to London the next Season.” She bit her lip, hesitation in her eyes. “I can’t remember exactly what I said, if I didn’t say it, he must have known that would happen because he suddenly became very adamant about his feelings for me and that he’d already spoken to my father—” She broke off, her voice becoming hysterical.
She swallowed convulsively. “I believed him,” she whispered hoarsely. “I believed he truly loved me and that he’d already secured the match with my father.”
Another sharp pain pierced Simon’s chest. Rae loved Mr. Fisher.
“He insisted I refuse to go and stay and marry him. I told him I was too young to have a say, that I must do what my father commanded.” Only a deaf man would have missed the bitterness in her tone. “I should have known.” She used the tips of her fingers to wipe her eyes. “If he’d truly made arrangements with my father, he wouldn’t be worried about me going to London, My father might not have a shilling in his pocket most days, but he keeps his word.” She sniffled. “I was just too excited about his declaration of loving someone such as me that I didn’t think about it and instead I let him talk me into making him a promise that I’d go to London to satisfy my father, then I’d come back and marry him.
“But it wasn’t enough?” he guessed.
She stared off into the distance, her lower lip trembling. “He wanted more than my word.” She clenched her hands into fists. “I suggested if my word wasn’t enough, that we just run away right then and go to Scotland. He said no, he couldn’t just walk out on his work or he’d lose business.”
Simon rubbed her back with his open palm. Though they both already knew the end of the story, it didn’t make it any easier for her to tell.
“I told him no, but he insisted. I reminded him my mother was the most fertile woman I knew. He just shrugged and said there are precautions a man can take.” She sighed. “He had an answer for everything: we’d go to his house which was so far out no one would ever know; he’d take precautions to avoid conception; this was the only way he’d know I’d come back to the one who loved me and would be waiting for me at the end of the summer. I should have said no and ran home, but I was afraid of losing him.”
“You didn’t think you’d have a successful Season?”
“No.”
Simon’s jaw dropped at her simple answer and hysterical tone. She was the most beautiful debutante London had ever seen. How could she not see that?
“Your set is full of marriages that are based on connections and money, not love.”
Simon snorted. “I shall have to introduce you to my parents when we return.”
“But they’re not—” She coughed. “Excuse me.”
He gave her a little squeeze. “Nobles,” he finished for her, winking. “No, but my…er…half-brother, Giles, is.” Those words almost killed him to say. He forced a smiled. “Wait until you meet the young lady he’s marrying.”
Rae knit her eyebrows. “Exceptions.”
“Juliet and Drake? Your guardian and chaperone, Lord and Lady Townson?” He arched an eyebrow. “That lady’s family is full of love matches—her sisters, her cousins, her parents, her friends.”
She swatted him on the shoulder. “Lady Townson isn’t my friend. She’s my sister’s friend and therefore she’s kind enough to tolerate me. Same with Ladies Sinclair and Watson.”
Something about her statement arrested Simon. Rae didn't have any friends. He’d never thought about that before. She was always the most beautiful lady in the room, but he’d never actually seen her standing near the same set of ladies more than once. He’d bet that Lucy and Isabelle would be glad to have another friend—if either of them would ever speak to him again, that is.
“I can see your mind is working, likely calculating all sorts of ways for my assignation with Mr. Fisher to end, so let me just assure you this, it was not pleasant nor favorably memorable. He took me to his…” she cocked her head to the side and curled her lip up in disgust— “shack.” She shuddered. “He gave me a brief tour that ended with us in his bedchamber where he reminded me about commitment and promises and life together…trust…and love.” She practically spat the word, leading Simon’s heart to fully break for her. Another round of tears started pouring from