Page 55 of Rose and the Rogue
“What did you hear?”
Mr. Blake nodded grimly, convinced of Adrian’s guilt. “I heard enough. You were there. So was Rosalind. I hoped it was not true, but I can tell you haven’t changed.”
“You mustn’t blame her for any rumor you might have heard.”
“I don’t. She is innocent, led down a dark path by you for your own amusement.”
“That is not true.” Well, the path at Vauxhall had been dark. He doubted Blake would appreciate the joke.
“Maybe one day you will change. Maybe another man would trust you with his daughter. But not me. I’ve heard too much. Good day, sir.” Blake deliberately opened a book and began to read it.
Adrian stood, furious. He had expected an argument, but not a complete refusal to even hear his side of the story. And who had Blake been hearing all this from? It had been a while since Adrian had done anything to bolster his shady reputation (at least, anything that was generally known to society). He wanted another chance to convince Blake, one that did not hinge on the fact that he’d already technically ruined Rose. Not that it felt like ruin. “Have you spoken to Rosalind about this?”
“Certainly not. And I will not. The faster she forgets about you, the better.”
“How nice of you to make up her mind for her.”
“That will do, my lord,” Blake snapped. “You are in my house! I will run it, and my family, as I see fit.”
Adrian walked to the door, but he turned at the threshold. “I understand your position, sir,” he said quietly. “I see there’s nothing I can do to convince you that you’re wrong. But I want you to know that since I met Miss Blake, I’ve only ever wanted to ensure her happiness.”
A strange expression crossed Blake’s face, but he only said, “Good day, Lord Norbury.”
Adrian left without another word.
When Adrian returned to his own house, Carlos was waiting with a bottle of champagne, which turned out to be wasted.
“He said no,” Adrian reported dully, though underneath he was seething.
“No?”
“Correct. The opposite of the answer I was hoping for.”
“Well, can’t you just ask Rosalind directly and let her persuade her father? After all, he’s not likely to ignore the wishes of his only daughter.”
“I didn’t think he’d be likely to ignore the proposal of a viscount, but here we are.”
Carlos frowned. “Aren’t you friendly with Prinny? Ask him to intervene.”
“This is not the sort of thing one bothers a monarch about,” Adrian returned, appalled at the very notion. “First, he’d expect me to handle it on my own, and second, he’s got bigger concerns than whether I’m getting married to the right girl.”
“You went shooting together last fall, and he can do nothing?”
“He can do what he likes, but I’m not going to waste his time with this! I need to save a favor to ask him not to behead you when you inevitably do get caught by the law.”
“I’m touched,” Carlos said. “What were Blake’s reasons for denying you?”
Adrian shrugged. “He thinks I’m a terrible person.”
“Really? Just because of a lifetime of licentious behavior, dozens of duels, and your utter contempt for rules?”
Adrian didn’t laugh at Carlos’s sarcasm. “I need to prove that I’m not what he thinks I am.”
Chapter 19
A few days later, Rose and Poppy were in the back garden of the Blake house once again. Rose had not breathed a word of what happened when Adrian took her to his house for the night. In the heat of the day, she was not entirely sure that it did happen…only to recall some particularly shocking and sensual memory that she was incapable of making up.
But she was happy. No, more than happy. She had done something for the sole reason of wanting to do it, and she didn’t regret it for a moment. Adrian had said he’d find a way for them to be together again, and Rose trusted him, though she couldn’t imagine what plans he was making. He told her it might take a few days, and she should be patient.
