Page 79 of Redemption

Chapter 17

Rhea opened her eyes and sat up in bed. Arianna had left shortly after Ruckley’s departure to make arrangements for tonight. Her aunt had been ready to put off a visit to an ill friend, but there was little to be done before the evening, and Rhea had urged her aunt to go. In truth, she’d simply wanted to be alone. After her verbal duel with Ruckley and the lack of sleep last night, her exhaustion had driven her to lie down in an attempt to rest.

Although she’d thought it would be impossible to sleep, surprisingly it had not. A glance at the brooch watch lying on the table beside her bed declared there were only three more hours until her final battle with Ruckley. She stared listlessly at the black gown she’d laid out for the evening. The garment was a fitting choice. Not only did it have a pocket for the pistol Arianna would have for her, it also symbolized Ruckley’s impending demise, as well as her own, whether by Ruckley’s hand or the courts.

Arianna’s display of support earlier had been given without realizing what tonight’s outcome would likely be. If her sister had even thought Rhea wouldn’t emerge unscathed from her battle with Ruckley, she would have objected vehemently. Even though she was certain the bastard would be dead by the end of the night, she had no doubt Ruckley would take her to hell with him. Her stomach churned at the thought. The entire time she’d been under Ruckley’s control, she’d fought to survive—fought to see the day when she’d be free of him. Now her fate was tied to the man forever. A knock on the door made Rhea turn her head to see Bessie, the downstairs maid, peek into the room.

“There’s a gentleman caller downstairs, miss. He asked for Mrs. Fremont, but she hasn’t returned, and he asked to speak with you instead.”

“Did he give his name?” she asked with puzzlement.

“I’m sorry, miss, Mr. Bartlett was in the midst of dealing with a small mishap and didn’t say. He simply said he’d seen the gentleman into the parlor and ordered me to come fetch you.”

Rhea frowned. It couldn’t be Percy, he would have asked for her outright. Ruckley? Fear slammed into her chest. The idea of seeing the man again before tonight sickened her. She shook her head. No, Ruckley would never think to reiterate a threat twice. He’d simply act swiftly and brutally if he was crossed. She focused her gaze on the maid.

“Very well, I’ll be down shortly,” Rhea said with a nod.

The girl nodded then disappeared, leaving Rhea to quickly repair her appearance. The image in the mirror showed she looked more haggard than before she’d left the house this morning. It wasn’t all that surprising given everything that had transpired this afternoon. The emotional resolution she faced tonight had only added to her pale countenance. With a sigh, she made her way down to the salon.

If she’d been thinking clearly she would’ve told Bessie to send the man away. As the thought filtered its way through her head, it further emphasized how draining the events of the last few days had been for her. Percy’s marriage proposal, his sister’s visit to Green Hill House, her realization that she loved Percy, and then there was Ruckley. It had all taken its toll, and she had little reserves left for polite behaviors. As she entered the salon, Rhea’s heart skipped a beat as her gaze met Percy’s. She quickly gulped down the flood of emotions rising inside her.

“I was told someone wanted to speak with my aunt,” she said in what she could only hope was a voice devoid of all the emotions assaulting her at the moment.

“I asked to see Mrs. Fremont,” he said quietly. “I was fairly certain you would refuse to see me, and I thought your aunt would petition my cause with you.”

“Why are you here, Percy?” She looked away from him. The determined expression on his strong, handsome features made her realize she might not have the strength to refuse him anything if he were to ask it of her.

“I think you know why. Did you really think I would let your letter go unanswered?”

“I had hoped,” she said softly, unable to deny that his persistence warmed her heart.

The memory of how difficult it had been for her to write her note filled her head. Although she’d already made plans to take Peter to Green Hill House, she’d been grateful for any excuse to leave London. She now realized the real reason she’d been grateful to put distance between them was because she wanted nothing more than to give way to him. If she’d seen him prior to Ruckley’s visit today, she knew she would have agreed to his marriage proposal. But the threat Ruckley presented to all those she loved, including Percy, made that impossible now. Almost as if he could read her mind, he walked toward her. With less than a foot between them, he lightly touched her cheek.

“We could be happy together, Rhea.”

The quiet entreaty in his voice twisted her heart in a way that made her chest physically ache. Everything would change in a few short hours. At that point marriage would be out of the question. Percy could never marry a murderer. She would never embroil him in the scandal unfolding around her now. Loving him as she did made it impossible for her to do anything that might harm him in any way. Rhea averted her gaze.

“You ask too much of me, Percy,” she said as a tremor rocked her body.

“No, you simply believe you’re unworthy of being anything else other than my mistress,” he bit out angrily.

She stared at him in shock. Was that the truth? Had she offered her own arrangement because she thought herself unworthy of him? No, that wasn’t why. She’d simply been terrified of being trapped in a prison of her own making. She shook her head.

“I don’t feel unworthy of you, Percy. You’ve demonstrated time and again that I’m not what Ruckley tried to turn me in to. With you, there have been times when I’ve been able to forget my past for an hour or more. I’m grateful to you for that.”

“I don’t want your god damn gratitude. I want you to marry me.”

“Did it ever occur to you that I might view marriage as another kind of prison?” she snapped.

“Fuck. I’m not Ruckley. Do not ever judge me by that bastard’s behavior.” The explosive response made her flinch. As she met his harsh, censorious gaze she realized how badly she’d insulted him. Remorse swept through her. He could never be anything remotely like Ruckley, and for her to make him think she believe such a thing pained her.

“I could never judge you like that,” she exclaimed softly as she caught his hand and pressed her lips into the heart of his palm. The familiar scent of him swept over her senses as he pulled her into his arms. Gently, he tipped her head so he could look into her eyes.

“Then how can you doubt me when I say I’ll never treat you like a possession? I don’t want to own you, Rhea. I want to keep you safe, make you happy, be there when you need someone to lean on and when you don’t.” Indecision crossed his features, and she saw his throat bob. “I want to marry you because I love you.”

The declaration made her heart slam into her chest. He loved her. The knowledge wrapped itself around her like a warm cloak. Rhea closed her eyes as joy spiraled through her. The sound of him clearing his throat made her look at him again. There was a questioning look on his face that made her stiffen with fear.

“I’m a reckless Rockwood, sweetheart, and I’m usually quite good at weighing the outcome of my actions,” he said with a trace of misgiving. “Was I wrong in my calculations that you care for me, if even just a little?”