Page 26 of The Duchess’ Second Chance

Somewhat reassured, he returned to the work in front of him.

CHAPTER 13

“Why did you want to marry Amanda?” Rose demanded.

Sampson set down his knife and fork. There was roast turkey for dinner, and buttered vegetables. It was all delicious, and he had hoped the meal would open the door to pleasant conversation, but that didn’t seem to be happening. Rose was still glowering at him, still looking sharp and angry, as though he had done something to offend her merely with his presence.

He wasn’t exactly sure how to answer the question—how much did Rose know about Amanda’s past? He didn’t want to give anything away if Amanda had meant to keep it a secret. “A friend of mine asked me to,” he said at last.

“Your friend asked you to marry Amanda?” Rose sounded doubtful. “That doesn’t seem like something that would happen.”

“He’s talking about George, Rose,” Amanda clarified. “I told you about George, remember?”

“The man you were married to before,” Rose said. So she did know about that.

“That’s right,” Amanda said. “The two of them were friends. They were in the war together.”

“But you made it back home,” Rose said to Sampson.

“That’s right,” Sampson agreed. “Before he died, George asked me to take care of his wife if he didn’t make it back.”

Rose nodded slowly. “She’s really pretty, don’t you think so?”

“Rose,” Amanda admonished. “He doesn’t need to be interrogated. We ought to be polite and thankful that the duke has offered us a home, not bombard him with questions.”

“Well, it isn’t a difficult question,” Rose said. “You’re pretty, and I want to know what he thinks about that.”

“I don’t mind,” Sampson said, slightly amused. “Yes, Rose, I agree with you. Amanda is very pretty indeed.”

“You know that another man wanted to marry her,” Rose said. “She didn’t really need you to do it.”

“I’m aware of that, yes.”

“So then why?”

“Well, I suppose I think that I can take better care of her than he could. I also don’t think George would have liked that other man very much. He wouldn’t have wanted to see Amanda married to that fellow.”

Rose glanced at Amanda. “Is that true?”

“Yes, I think it is,” Amanda said.

“Well…I still don’t know what you thought you were doing coming into a church and interrupting a wedding,” Rose said firmly. “If you really wanted to marry Amanda then you should have asked first, not waited until she was about to marry somebody else.”

“You’re right,” Sampson conceded. “I should have done that.”

Amanda met his eyes for a moment, then looked away.

“I can see that you care a lot about Amanda,” Sampson told Rose.

“Of course, I do. She’s all the family I have. Not that we’re really family,” Rose went on. “But Amanda always says that you can decide for yourself who you include in your family—you don’t just have to take what life gives you. So I say we’re family.”

Amanda looked over at her and smiled. “I say so, too,” she agreed. “And you understand, Rose, don’t you, that Sampson is a part of our family now?”

A scowl dropped onto Rose’s face. “He isn’t my family,” she said firmly. “You said I could decide for myself. He owns the house I live in. That’s all.”

“It’s all right,” Sampson said quickly. “You don’t have to think of me as family, Rose. I hope you won’t mind if I say I’d like it if we could see each other that way someday, in the future. But I know you just met me. It might take a while for that to feel right. I understand that.”

“I wouldn’t count on anything,” Rose said, glowering.