Page 62 of Rose and the Rogue
“Let’s never leave the house again,” she told the cat.
He meowed in agreement, apparently quite content where he was.
Just then, the door squeaked open. “Rose, are you awake?” Poppy asked.
“Yes.” She wished she were asleep, but alas.
“Your parents want you to come downstairs.”
“Why?”
“I think they want to discuss something with you.”
“Tell them I’m sleeping.”
“They told me that if you were sleeping, I was to wake you up. I think it’s important.”
“Oh, fine. But the cats must come too.” She heard the mewing of Miss Mist, who’d been sleeping on Poppy’s bed earlier.
“Yes, let’s bring them. Whatever is being discussed, cats will help, I’m sure.”
In the parlor, Rose moved to the long chaise, where she sat down and then held out her hands for Ralph, who stopped squeaking in annoyance and immediately began to purr the moment he nestled against Rose’s chest.
“What is it?” Rose asked dully.
“We’ve received an invitation to tea,” her mother said.
“No.” She did not want to have to sit and sip with anyone, not now. This was what was so important that she had to be dragged out of her room?
“Tea with Lady Norbury.”
Rose gasped. How could that even be? For one, Adrian said his mother was in Bath, and second, even if she returned to London, why would the lady want to be associated with a ruined woman?
“It is for this afternoon,” Mr. Blake added. “She seems impatient.”
“Attempting to patch over the scandal somehow,” Mrs. Blake said. “But I don’t believe that any good can come of this. She must not know the details, and thinks this is easily solved.”
“It is easily solved,” Poppy pointed out. “Rose can marry Norbury.”
“No, she cannot,” Mr. Blake shot back. “No daughter of mine will be foisted off on an uncaring rogue. If he offered for you, Poppy, I’d say the same.”
“Well, he hasn’t, thank goodness. But if we do not allow Lady Norbury to bully us into…whatever she’s thinking about, we still need to decide what to do about it.”
“That can be discussed later,” Mr. Blake said. His breath came heavily, and Rose worried that the strain of the scandal was hurting her family as much as her.
“Are you feeling all right, Papa?” she asked.
“What? Yes, never better, darling. Now listen. You girls are to remain here for the day. Your mother will respond to this invitation, and I will make some inquiries about what we may do about all this.” He did not sound hopeful.
Mrs. Blake leaned over to give Rose a hug. “This must be terrible for you, dear, but no matter what, we are here to stand by you. Remember, nothing lasts forever.”
“Yes, Mama,” she responded, thinking that her mother had grown up almost as much as she had over the past decade. It was true, wasn’t it. Nothing lasted forever…especially love.
Rose wished she’d never learned that lesson.
* * * *
Later that afternoon, Rose sat outside in the garden with Poppy. Alice brought out a letter, which Poppy opened immediately.
