Page 6 of Beauty and the Rake
Putting his newspaper to one side, he stood. “I’ll see you later. Oh, I’ll be having dinner at my club this evening, so don’t have Cook go to any great lengths. Enjoy yourself.”
“You as well,” she said as she concentrated on her plate, the contents of which she had barely touched as Arthur exited through the door, leaving her alone with her thoughts.
Forcing herself to finish breakfast, Roxanne moved herself to the library where there was a writing desk, not to mention row after row of books. The smell of leather was intoxicating. As a child she loved to come in here and find herself immersed in books. Her grandfather had even made a section for younger readers, making sure what they chose was at their level of comprehension.
A polished black baby grand occupied one corner of the room. Immediately, she wondered if Arthur was still playing. If his schedule allowed him a few hours a week. She could play, but her abilities never came close to matching Arthur’s.
Sitting at the writing desk, she took out paper from the drawer. Her first letter was to her aunt letting her know she had returned safely and where she would be staying for the immediate future. If it hadn’t been for her, Roxanne wasn’t sure what would have become of her during that dark time in her life. But, from the beginning of her marriage until the time of Casper’s death, her very existence had been something she never wished on anyone. Though they both led separate lives, her late husband managed to find ways to make her miserable by what he would allow or wouldn’t allow her to do. It had always been an amusing game to him, seeing her jump at his every command. He knew her weaknesses and vulnerabilities and fed off of them.
She shook off the morbid feelings she had whenever she thought about her deceased husband. Her letter to her dear aunt had to be upbeat and cheerful, but without overdoing it. Violet would read right through her words if she did, and she didn’t want the woman scolding her or worrying about her.
The weather had seemed to change since she first awoke. The clouds had parted, leaving behind sun. Her eyes returned to the letter she was working on. It amused her how quickly English weather could change. Rereading what she had written to Violet, Roxanne finished the letter and moved on to the next. Short missives went out to a few friends she knew stayed in town. Most went to their country estates to enjoy the beautiful warm weather. Then there were others who lagged behind because their husbands were not in a hurry or whose husbands left them to their own resources. Regardless, the majority ended up in the country—even herself. She knew her brother’s schedule quite well. He would be ready sooner rather than later to go to the family home in Kent. She knew he detested the hot weather, the lingering smells the city and the Thames left behind. He would expect her to join him so that she could help host his friends for various shooting matches and dinners he would want to hold. Itwas a part of their agreement, and she truly didn’t mind. He had saved her from making a huge mistake by moving into the house left to her. Hopefully something could be done with the property before long. She was sure Arthur had someone looking into options, and in a short amount of time, the wheels of progress would be in motion. If the house were sold, she would have funds to support herself or to purchase her own home in town. She would rather have that option than be a landlord or have someone else oversee the property and its tenants.
She wanted to be completely free of any reminder or connection to that sliver of her life. Free like it had never happened.
After her third letter, Roxanne decided that was enough for the day. She needed to find a book in this room to satisfy her inquisitive thirst for knowledge. Newly purchased books had always been kept either on a table to one side of the room’s center or on a shelf specifically designated for that purpose.
Quickly finding a mystery novel on the table, she decided it wouldn’t hurt for her to sit back down and read for a short period of time. She had nothing but time on her hands, and a quick escape from reality was exactly what she needed. Reading had always been an escape for her and this was no different.
A knock on the door brought her back to the present. The butler nodded and picked up her letters still sitting on the desk. It was too early for her to have a response of any sort.
“Is there anything else, milady?”
“A pot of tea would be nice.”
He nodded and retreated from the room, leaving Roxanne alone again. Not that she minded her solitude. It was only that she wished she had something—something with a purpose to fill her time. She could see about a charity or something similar to occupy her time, but she had to slow down. This was only her first full day. There was no time to rush. She had all the time inthe world, and once she began hearing from her friends, her life would be filled with a social life and purposeful things to do.
One of her projects was going to be to assist her brother in finding a wife. He had been a bachelor long enough. It was time for him to settle. He needed an heir. Arthur seemed to have little interest in the matter, but she would change all of that. There had to be a bevy of prospective brides, even if they weren’t all in London. He needed someone his equal. The last thing Arthur needed was a frail, timid bride. He needed someone who could fulfill the requirements of being his duchess.
Roxanne felt so out of touch having been away so long, but she made herself a promise that she would dive in headfirst whether she wanted to or not.
Chapter Three
Roxanne paused atthe drawing room door. Inside, the Earl of Otley, Graham waited for her. Today he’d come to escort her to Hyde Park for a concert by a renowned American orchestra. She’d been looking forward to this for days. The only problem was that the sky was gray with clouds that threatened to burst open at any time. Not to be deterred, she walked into the room. The earl stood at the window looking out.
“Do you think the weather will cooperate?” she asked as she neared.
“This is London. Hard to say,” Graham said as he turned to face her.
“True. Can I get you some tea, or shall we just get going?”
She had chosen to wear a sapphire-colored cotton dress trimmed in black piping. Graham obviously was drawn to her because he hadn’t stopped looking her up and down since she walked across the room. She desperately wanted to say something but held back, thinking it a bad idea. They were reacquainting themselves with each other, and what she had in mind to say might make him think twice about the invitation he extended to her.
“I think we should head towards the park. There are quite a few tea shops we can stop at should you like.”
It took her a few seconds to come up with an answer. Why was she so tongue-tied talking with this man? He was far from her type, though she wasn’t even sure what type of man sheliked. Besides, a man in her life was the last thing she needed. She had Arthur, and that was more than enough.
“Very well. Shall we?”
He nodded and gestured for her to walk to the door. Roxanne couldn’t help but notice he was attired to the most minute detail in a dark brown suit. A starched white shirt with a matching cravat completed his dress and, in all honesty, Roxanne could hardly keep from staring at him. He was one of the most strikingly handsome men she had ever laid eyes on. He was meticulous, not a hair out of place and not a wrinkle in his attire.
Graham stood by as Roxanne gathered her shawl and hat. He picked up his hat as they went through the door.
“We’ll take my carriage just in case the sky decides to open up.”
“Very well,” Roxanne said as she let him help her into the carriage. She caught a whiff of his shaving soap as she ascended the steps to his carriage. It was spearmint and leather combined into one. The scent was one she would not soon forget. She scolded herself for having thoughts like that and hoped her face didn’t give her away.
She settled on the tan leather, tufted seat and waited for him to join her. She was looking out the carriage window when she heard the carriage door close and the carriage shift as he settled on the seat across from her. He tapped his cane on the roof of the carriage. They were on their way.
