Chapter 4

As a diplomat's daughter, Rosalie Matthews has navigated many sticky situations with her sharp mind and practical nature. She has never let emotions cloud her thinking and run out like a ninny. With as much dignity as she can muster, Rosalie stood straighter and slowly made her way back to the library.

Joshua arched his brow inquisitively upon seeing Rosalie. "Rosalie, everything okay?"

"I hadn't quite worked that part out," Rosalie confessed. "But it is bad form to simply walk out on a guest, however unwelcome they prove to be."

Joshua laughed. It was an attractive laugh, deep and sonorous with just a hint of devilment, Maya thought. He obviously adored his sister.

Lucien could not help being impressed by Rosalie's daring. She did not drop to her knees. She did not even lower her eyes. Rosalie stood there with her hair a mess, clothes wrinkled and yet she looked more of a lady than anyone else he'd met in his life.

"Lady Rosalie," Lucien said carefully. "Please forgive me if I've caused you any disrespect."

Rosalie stiffened. 'What do we have in common Lord Friar?'

Joshua, smiled and inclined his head, then strode to the library. "Before this get any further, we should take this conversation away from prying ears."

Sitting, Lucien wondered — and not for the first time — what the devil he was doing here. He should order his driver to take him home. Or to his club. Or even the closest tavern. Anything but beard the young Matthews in their library and explain that he did not wish to marry Rosalie. The suggestion had been made by Joshua.

"Lord Friar why don't you explain how you think that an engagement between us will help with your difficult situation?" Rosalie turned her gaze on her brother, "Unless of course you can explain it better Joshua."

Joshua answered Rosalie before Lucien even had the chance to respond. "A young woman was being forced upon Lucien by her father and my friend here is not quite ready to shackle himself so I suggested that perhaps he can present himself as someone who is already committed." Joshua turned and glared at his friend as he continued, "I did not however, told Lucien to distress you. Merely to talk to you."

"I see." An idea, an outrageous idea, was beginning to form in Rosalie's mind as she eyed Lucien. 'You could marry me,' suggested Rosalie. 'I don't mind.'

"What the blazes? Rosalie Matthews what are you up to?" Joshua demanded, glaring at her.

Rosalie's brown eyes flickered and a sardonic smile curved her full lips. "I think your idea was sound Joshua. Besides, Lord Friar is an old and dear friend of yours, I am delighted to be of assistance to him."

Taking a deep breath, Lucien faced the open mouthed Joshua. "That is not necessary. I appreciate the offer Lady Rosalie but there is no need of that, and I regret any inconvenience."

Before he could turn away, Joshua heaved himself to his feet with surprising speed. "Not so fast, Your Grace. I would speak with you."

Lucien suppressed a sigh as he waited for the man to proceed. No doubt Joshua intended to berate him, and soundly, too.

"Lady Rosalie, why don't you and—"

'You are in a difficult position and I can help you. Joshua said you needed a prior engagement and a reason to keep it quiet. The scandal over our brother Cornelius' engagement would work. How could I be celebrating my own betrothal when poor Cornelius has broken off with Lady Lorraine?'

'Strong-minded lady, your sister.'

'Of course! She found the beast having us Matthews men on our toes.'

'Joshua,' Lucien said. He sounded a trifle strained, but that must be the effect of having to remain polite in the face of Rosalie's proposition, instead of laughing his head off. 'Lady Rosalie, would you excuse us? I need to ask Joshua's permission.'

'Permission?' But she was of age and knew her own mind perfectly well and this was only pretence, after all.

'About the matter we were just discussing, my dear.' My what? But the flat of his hand, lightly against her back, urged her towards the open door. 'We can discuss it again after dinner.'

Rosalie turned back slightly to acknowledge Maya. With all the hoopla and anger she's presently experiencing she had completely forgotten about her young friend. She felt relieve to see that Maya is somewhat looking amused instead of frightened and lost. Maybe witnessing other people's drama had helped the young woman to forget her own worries.

'I want to marry your sister Rosalie,' Lucien repeated. He would never have thought of it, but now Rosalie had suggested it, it seemed an ideal solution to his problem.

Joshua sat down with a thump in the nearest chair. 'Forgive me. But why?'

'Because I hold her in high esteem, naturally. As you know, Missy Beaufort apart, I was intending to find a bride this Season. Rosalie has all the qualities I am looking for in a wife —'

'And you just happened to be struck all of a heap by this revelation twenty minutes after telling me of your despair at being entrapped by the Beauforts?' Joshua did not sound pleased. Lucien could hardly blame him. An earl for a brother-in-law was one thing, but no man wanted to think his sister was being used.

'Actually, it was Lady Rosalie's suggestion,' Lucien offered. 'I haven't persuaded her.' Not very gallant, but this was Joshua, after all. He'd understand.

Or not, apparently. 'You are telling me she needed to persuade you that she was an eligible bride?'

'No! Not at all.' He must stop digging himself into this hole before the sides caved in. 'Weren't you here when Lady Rosalie proposed…suggested that we tell Beaufort of our engagement using your brother's recent troubles as an excuse for not announcing it earlier. Naturally, I was reluctant to take advantage of her in any way.' That could have been better put. The hole was getting deeper, along with Joshua's frown. 'Take advantage of her generosity, that is. I think we would suit.'

And, surprisingly, the more he thought about it, the more it seemed to him that they would suit. She was intelligent, well-bred, presentable. Well, she could be, if she stopped sticking pens in her hair… He'd been taken aback by the directness of her approach but he supposed she was tired of being the spinster sister. But he wouldn't hold her to it, not if she got cold feet when she'd considered it at leisure.

'I must talk with her.' Joshua shook his head. 'I don't understand this, she is rarely impulsive. Too much the realist, I suppose. We had given up trying to persuade her to consider marriage.'

'Did she hate the Season so much?'

Joshua shrugged. 'No-one took her seriously and then when she did find someone who was interested in her they had a blazing row because he accused her of being too direct and disrespectful.'

'Lady Rosalie is not disrespectful, she's just too smart for her own good at times.'

'Sounds as if you understand her better than most, at any event.' Joshua perked up a little. 'You both need to sleep on this, it is too important for a spur of the moment decision.'

'Perhaps I should go back to the Clarendon,' Lucien suggested. The ceilings of his town house were being re-plastered after the water tank had burst the week before and Joshua had invited him to stay upon hearing he was putting up in an hotel.

'Does Beaufort know you've moved here? Best stay below the horizon until you and Rosalie get this resolved, given that he's out for your blood.'

True, but a night's sleep away from this house might remove the sensation of careering downhill on an out-of-control sledge. A tap and the door opening prevented him agreeing. 'A Mister Beaufort for Lord Friar, my lord. He appears a trifle…agitated.'

'Hell.' Joshua muttered. 'Dunton, tell Mr. Beaufort that his lordship is not in and we are not certain when he is returning.'

'I regret, my lord, that Lady Rosalie was crossing the hall when the gentleman arrived, told him Lord Friar was here and took him into the drawing room. She requested the presence of you both.'

'If she has told him she's betrothed to you, then that's final,' Joshua pronounced. 'I don't care whether you're suited or not. I'm not having another sibling's marriage causing a scandal.'

Lucien realized that he was committed to marry Rosalie, whether she liked it or not. Her suggestion had been impulsive and well-meant and his insistence on formally asking Joshua's permission had been intended to push her into considering more carefully. But now that Beaufort knew…

For himself, he could contemplate with equanimity marriage to an intelligent, kind young woman who was the sister of a good friend. He did not expect a love match and it seemed that neither did she. But he had wanted her to think about it first.

Joshua opened the door into the drawing room onto muffled sobs and a deep, rather desperate, voice saying, 'There, there, Lady Rosalie, you mustn't take on so.'

'But I feel so guilty,' Rosalie wailed from the depths of a large handkerchief that must belong to Mr. Beaufort. 'I could tell you were upset. If he had been able to tell you earlier…I told Lucien we could not announce our betrothal until poor Cornelius recovered from his tragic disappointment.'

Cunning. She hasn't said when she told me that, Lucien thought as he strode into the room and held out his hand to the squire. 'Sir, I can only apologize for this whole misunderstanding. I had no intention of raising expectations in Missy's mind that I was not prepared to meet. I regard her as a good friend, and always have.'

'Aye.' The older man stood. 'That's what she says.' Lucien gave a silent whistle of relief. 'Your father and I were fools to bring you up so close, we might have known that would happen.' He edged further away from the sobbing figure of Rosalie. 'I had no intention of upsetting your betrothed, but she came right out with it, said she wouldn't have me blaming you. I'll not deny I was in no very good temper with you, my lord.'

'Lady Rosalie is very loyal.' Lucien felt the sweat trickling down his spine. Surely those tears weren't real? He could have kicked himself, first for not taking the ridiculous family joke seriously and clarifying the situation with Missy earlier and now for putting Rosalie in this embarrassing situation. He sat down on the sofa and patted her shoulder. She threw herself into his arms and continued crying against his shirt.

It was a rather pleasing sensation. Not the sobs, of course, but the slim, soft body pressed against him. Rosalie smelled of plain soap, rosemary hair rinse and ink, with a faint overtone of glue, and her tumbled hair tickled his chin. He stroked her gently between the shoulder blades.

'We'd be obliged if you'd keep this confidential at present,' Joshua was saying. 'There will be no announcement for some time. We will have to wait for the arrival of our parents and arrange for a proper announcement.'

'Of course,' Mr. Beaufort agreed gloomily. 'Quite understand. But I'll have to tell Mrs. Beaufort and Missy. Can't leave them in suspense.'

'Naturally,' Joshua said, showing him out. 'We'll just leave my sister to Lord Friar shall we?' The door closed and Rosalie emerged from the handkerchief.

'Phew!' She was dry-eyed and perfectly composed. 'I am so sorry I told him without consulting you first, but he was in such a taking and I feared he would be overheard by the staff. But I think it went well in the end.'

'Absolutely,' Joshua agreed, coming back into the room.

'Except that Mrs. Beaufort and Missy are incapable of keeping a secret for one minute, let alone weeks,' Lucien said grimly. 'They'll tell their best friends and the next thing is we'll be the talk of the ton.'

'But then how are we going to break it off without causing a stir? I thought if only the Beauforts knew and we waited until Missy fixed her interest with another parti…' For the first time Rosalie seemed disconcerted. In fact, she had gone quite pale.

'You mean you intended this as a ruse the entire time?' Lucien demanded.

'But of course. Didn't you? Is that what you were discussing with Joshua? Actually marrying me? But…I only wanted to help out.' Lucien really expected to marry her? But she was plain, eccentric and he most certainly could not be in love with her. 'Even if the Beauforts talk, if we leave it until the end of the Season we can put it about that we mutually agreed we would not suit. No one would be surprised then.'

'Why wouldn't they?' Lucien demanded. He looked annoyed and really rather masterful. Which should have been alarming, or, at least, annoying for a rational woman who did not agree with male domination. But it was rather thrilling when one knew one could argue back and hold one's own.

'You will have become exasperated by my work. You will not approve of my shopping trips and you will certainly tired of accompanying me to meetings of various societies.' Just one of that selection of reasons had been enough for the handful of gentlemen who had considered her breeding and dowry reason enough for a half-hearted courtship.

'Shopping trips?' Lucien asked.

Rosalie shook her head, bemused. 'I can see that you have no idea what I am about. You may have known that I speak my mind but you certainly did not know that I am a business woman.'

'A business woman?'

'Yes. I believe I mentioned that I am a seamstress my Lord. I have a small shop besides Joshua's. Lord Friar, this is a fascinating area for discussion, but I fail to see how it is relevant to the question of marriage.'

Joshua had seated himself, his head turning from one to the other like a man following a game of shuttlecock. He seemed bemused and Rosalie could hardly blame him.

'I certainly do not know that you are a business woman, to be honest I am not the least surprise. You are a very smart woman. I was just taken a back that your family had agreed to let you have your own dress shop.' Lucien said. 'I belong to a number of societies. I am not the dull landowner you seem to think me, interested only in hunting and shooting. Nor,' he added when she opened her mouth to protest that assumption, 'am I a town fribble, apt to spend my resources on drinking, gaming and…'

'Wenching?' Rosalie suggested.

'Quite.' She could not discern whether the look he gave her from under those dark lashes was one of amusement or disapproval. 'In other words I am known to have enough intellectual interests for it to seem improbable that I would propose to you without understanding the depth of yours.'

'But even so, you did not come to Arkansas seeking a wife,' she argued.

'Yes I did.' He did smile then, but apparently only at having knocked the wind out of her sails. 'I am twenty-nine. It is time I gave thought to the question of heirs. If Joshua has no objection, I would consider an alliance between our families an honour. And as I have told your brother: I would like an intelligent wife.'

'Who does not giggle,' Joshua added, his mouth twitching. As well it might, he is probably delighted to have me off his hands.

'I do not giggle,' Rosalie agreed. And after this I may never laugh again. It was one thing to impetuously offer to help a man to annoy her overbearing brother, it was quite another to find herself married to him when he did not love her.