Page 29 of The Perfect Rose

Samuel rolled back his shoulders and looked at Frederick. “If that’s true, then others loving her shouldn’t bother you, Freddy.”

“I’m not bothered. I just know that Owen couldn’t really be her husband. Miriam knew it too. It is the reason she went back: to save him from himself.”

Samuel shook his head almost imperceptibly. “If you say so.”

When they dropped the basket off at the Higgins home, it was a far less eventful endeavor. Frederick simply left the basket at the door with Mrs. Higgins and wished her a good day. Miriam, Owen, and Lady Rose hadn’t even caught up to him by the time he left the home and turned to go back to the house party. As Frederick passed Miriam on the return trip, one look from her confirmed his fears for Owen. The man was fixated on Lady Rose and would not get over that fixation until something untoward happened. But how to prevent it?

The concern plagued him all the way home, but he trusted Miriam to stay with Lady Rose, an unspoken understanding between them. He walked into the drawing room to find Lady Gilfordshire, Lady Gardner, and Lord Hanby in the corner of the room in whispered conversation. None of which Lady Gilfordshire was able to hear from the look in her eyes. She seemed pleased just not to be forgotten. It seemed a stone settled in the pit of Frederick’s stomach. Why would Lord Hanby be so friendly with Lady Gardner if it wasn’t on account of Rose? All he knew was that the pair of them needed to be separated from each other and from Lady Rose.

“Would you care to join me in the billiard room, Lord Hanby?” If he could get all the men into one room, surely Rose would be safe from their machinations for a few hours.

Lord Hanby gave a nod of some significance to the countess, which Frederick ached to know the meaning behind and yet wished he’d never seen all at once. “I’d enjoy that, Hastings.”

“Good, I’ll get His Grace and the Mr. Redfords.”

No sooner were they collected into the billiard room than conflict arose.

“I’m certain she will say yes to me, Quentin,” said Owen. “You should have seen her with the little girl. She was just like an angel, so kind and so good. I want to marry a woman like that.”

Quentin looked up at Frederick, pain in his eyes as sharp and as tender as Frederick had ever seen. Quentin had always been concerned over his brother. He knew he wasn’t fit to marry a woman like Lady Rose Gardner. And yet, his nature led him to love so freely and so openly.

Frederick only nodded in understanding. How torn must Quentin feel. He was likely to be engaged to Miss Trenton within the week, and yet, his brother, so deserving of love, was not likely to attain it anytime soon.

“Who is it you are in love with Mr. Redford?” Lord Hanby drawled.

“Lady Rose, sir. Who else could I be speaking of?” Owen’s unabashed declaration made Frederick’s jaw tense.

He noticed Lord Hanby wasn’t taking the news much better. The viscount narrowed his eyes. “Do you really believe that Lady Rose would . . .” He visibly bit his tongue and took a long, deep breath. “Never mind.”

Owen stood, his face turned a deep shade of pink. “You were not there, my lord. She is as an angel.”

“An angel to redeem your family from your ever-increasing financial woes?” Lord Hanby looked down at his watch fob as if he were uninterested in the answer Owen would give, but Frederick suspected Lord Hanby wanted to know nonetheless.

Owen stood, and Quentin put a hand on his brother’s shoulder.

Samuel cleared his throat like only a duke could, and everyone’s attention pivoted to him. “I believe, Mr. Redford, that you meant to say that you saw Lady Rose act in an angelic way today. I believe I witnessed the same scene, and I have to agree with you.”

Lord Hanby glared at Owen. “Don’t think that just because you finally saw her ‘as an angel’ you are the only one who has seen her that way. Do you have any reason to believe that Lady Rose returns your tender feelings?”

Samuel stepped forward again. “I do not see that as an appropriate question for the moment.” He arched one eyebrow at Lord Hanby, the warning as clear as day. “Let us leave the ladies out of this for a game or two.”

Frederick fairly ran over to the sticks, the balls already placed on the table. “I promise, I’m better at billiards than I am at lawn bowls. Who would like to play?”

Quentin stepped forward and smiled. “I’ll not be intimidated by you.”

Samuel stepped aside to talk with Owen while Frederick bested Quentin at the table, just like he had time and again over the years.

Lord Hanby challenged Owen to the next game, which was bound not to go well. Quentin took up post of peacekeeper while they played, and Frederick stepped into the hall with Samuel.

“Samuel, you know I cannot spend more time with Lady Rose than I already have. It is unkind of me, and I don’t believe it will help either of us more than I have already attempted. Would you go out of your way to speak with her? I cannot bear the thought of leaving her in her situation without a champion.”

“And you were her champion . . . until this morning?” True, Samuel didn’t know her situation, but he was more confused than Frederick thought he would be.

“I was her pretend champion. And now, by stepping away, I can be her true champion. But I need your help. She needs someone to help her look less scary.”

Samuel coughed but it sounded half like a laugh. “Were you in the billiards room just now? Lord Hanby and Owen are literally fighting over her. You don’t need me to prove to them that she isn’t scary. Which, I will remind you, I never believed of her in the first place. Intimidating, yes, but never scary.”

Frederick didn’t like the way his friend had seen Lady Rose for what she was before he had. “You’ve certainly given this some thought.”