Page 40 of The Tantalizing of a Scandalous Rake

“Ah.” His lips quirked. “I rather thought my letter explained the situation.”

“Your letter?”

“Do not tell me you did not receive it?”

She shook her head. “No.” She glanced over her shoulder at Harriet who lingered around the barrels, well within earshot of their conversation. “Did I receive a letter?”

Harriet hastened to make herself look busy with pouring ale into the empty jugs. “No letters. I would have remembered if we had received one from you, Adam.” Harriet pursed her lips. “I had wondered why you did not get in touch.”

“Well that is a pickle.” Adam set his hat down on the bar top. “Because you see, I most definitely did not marry Miss Kingsley.”

“Then what...” Rosie drew in a breath and held it in an attempt to will away the giddy excitement working its way from her foolish heart to every part of her.

Simply because she was not yet his wife did not mean anything. It had been two months after all. Perhaps he had returned to his old life and remembered how much he enjoyed it.

“What happened then?” she asked quietly.

“I found the father of Miss Kingsley’s child. It took some time but with the aid of her brother, we tracked him down.”

“Oh.” She folded her arms. “Oh, do not tell me her brother forced her into marriage with some blackguard?”

“Still always ready to argue with me,” Adam said. “Oh how I missed it.”

“Do not avoid the question.”

“The man was not a blackguard as it turns out. He simply had no idea she was with child.”

“But how? Everyone knew of Miss Kingsley?”

“You did not,” he pointed out.

“Well, I do not have time for gossip.”

“Neither did the father of her child it seems. He is a viceroy, currently stationed in Africa. Much like the postal service here it seems, he did not receive word of her situation and was entirely in ignorance.”

“So he has...”

He nodded. “Wed her and most happily so. It seems it is a love match.”

A hand to the bar top, she held her breath and tried to ignore how wobbly her legs felt. He had not married Miss Kingsley. Which meant…

Nothing. Surely? With him gone, she had come to realize what a fool she had been, and he likely felt the same. What man would give up the pampered life of a nobleman to work in an inn? And he must know she could never give up her living.

“Do you have nothing to say on the matter?”

Straightening, she forced a smile. “I am glad for Miss Kingsley. And I am glad you fixed the matter for her.”

“There will still be some gossip surrounding her and my mother is most displeased that I came back brideless but it is a far better outcome than she hoped for.” He glanced at the floor. “I should have acted sooner. My selfishness did not even let me think of Miss Kingsley and I am grateful to you, Rosie, for awakening me.”

“I take it you did not press charges against Mr. Kingsley?”

“I cannot claim I would not have done the same thing if I had a sister.” He pressed a hand to his stomach. “And thankfully for him, I am entirely healed.”

Hands laced together, she focused on his neatly tied cravat and the little glittering pin inserted into it. If she did not think on how handsome he was and how an ache built inside her, making her want to lunge forward and kiss the silly man, maybe she could bid him farewell with dignity.

“I am glad all worked out well.”

“I see the ale is a success.”

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