Page 73 of An Innocent Maid for the Duke
Fred stared at him for a long moment. He let out a long sigh. ‘Have it your way, Jake. But I advise you to be very careful. She seems like a nice girl.’
Rose was a nice girl. Very nice. The nicest girl he had ever met. Fred was right. Much too nice for him. He ground his back teeth.
Across the room, the ladies were engaged in a lively conversation.
Rose really was amazing. It didn’t matter where he took her, she could hold her own.
He had never felt prouder.
Or, given Fred’s admonition, more miserable as reality struck home.
Rose had spoken of children and family and he had heard the longing in her voice. Under the circumstances in which he found himself, he could never give her that. And children out of wedlock were out of the question. No child of his would suffer the way Oliver had.
He ought to stop what he should never have started. Send her on her way with a generous gift and wish her happy when she found a good and decent man who could make her an honest woman.
The thought of Rose in the arms of another did not sit well in his gut as he maintained his outward calm beneath Fred’s stare.
Fred waved at one of the servers behind the counter who was looking around for his next customer. ‘Over here, man.’
They placed their order and returned to the table, but all through the chatter and pleasantries, Jake could only worry about Rose and what he should do.
* * *
On the way home in the carriage, Lucy leaned against Rose’s arm and closed her eyes. Rose pulled her close and made her comfortable. ‘Dear little soul. She’s fast asleep.’
‘It has been an exciting day for her.’
Rose raised a worried glance to his face. ‘I met Mrs Challenger once before, you know. At the club. I don’t think she remembered me.’
‘You did what?’ He realised he had raised his voice when her eyes widened.
‘I helped her dress. Mr Challenger was most annoyed with her at the time.’
Jake could only imagine. Good for George. Perhaps she’d shake Fred up a bit. He’d become far too stuffy since coming back from the war. ‘You must never mention the club again and especially in relation to Mrs Challenger.’
She paled. ‘Oh, I would never...’ She turned her face away. ‘I would not want to put you to shame.’
Dash it, now he’d upset her. Fred was right, he was bad for Rose. He could never offer her what she truly deserved. Things could not continue as they were. The resolution came to him in a flash. ‘I have to go to Hertfordshire. To my estate. Something has come up there that requires my attention.’
Surprise filled Rose’s expression. ‘Has something gone wrong there? I thought you seemed distracted.’
He might have known she would sense his mood, though he’d been careful to keep his thoughts hidden. But her concern was misplaced. She should be worrying about herself. Guilt twisted in his gut. He really did have to make this right. ‘My steward has written concerning problems with the harvest. I need to see for myself.’
Her brow cleared. An understanding smile curved her pretty lips. Her gaze softened. ‘Will you be gone long?’
The longing not to go at all shook him to his core. Never before had he had any trouble parting from a woman. He took a deep breath, kept his expression cool. ‘I am not sure how long I will be away, actually. A week or two. Maybe longer.’
‘Oh.’ She looked nonplussed. ‘I see.’
‘I am relying on you to care for Grandmama in my absence. She depends on you.’
She gave a nod. ‘Anything I can do to help, I will.’
‘I am most grateful.’ The words sounded stilted and formal and he saw the hurt in her eyes, but he could not let that sway him. The risks were too great no matter what precautions they took. He needed to make a clean break of it. To set her free of any obligation she might feel to him so she could get on with the life she had planned for herself. ‘I will leave the moment we arrive at the house.’
Rose’s little gasp of shock, quickly hidden, cut his heart to ribbons. He ignored the pain. ‘If I leave right away, I can make it there before it is dark.’
The evenings were already drawing in, but he could do it, if he rode hard. The staff would be surprised to see him, but it was a ducal household and they were always prepared.
