Family.
Ah, Christ.
Why did his heart suddenly start to throb?
Chapter Four
Rosilee entered thedining room of the inn where they were spending the night, and her eyes found him instantly. The duke sat alone at a table against the wall next to a window. His large frame and dark presence were impossible to miss among the other guests, even though he was cast slightly in shadows. His entire demeanor screamed: Do not approach.
Rosilee smiled.
He might seem like a grumpy bear, but she suspected his heart was softer than heated butterscotch. Her gaze shifted to the window, where droplets of rain splattered against the glass. The rain had started an hour before they had reached the town, and she’d insisted Ben and Bishop share the carriage then. And the rain was no mere drizzle; it was a downpour, heavy and merciless, and it showed no signs of stopping. They had been forced to stop for the night earlier than expected.
She strode over and wiggled into a chair across from the duke.
His vivid green eyes met hers. “I wasn’t sure what you wanted, so I ordered some ale and tea. We can change the order if you wish for something else.”
“No need,” Rosilee replied, glancing around the room. “Whatever you ordered is fine.” She wasn’t all that hungry either. Her appetite had diminished after Leopold’s letter. Her gaze hopped over the guests. All the tables were occupied, and a lively chatter filled the space while a rich, spicy aroma filled the air. It was all rather soothing.
“What is so interesting?” the duke asked.
Rosilee chuckled at the wariness in his question, her gaze sliding from an older couple back to him. “Do you not find people interesting? Watching them?”
“I do not.”
“Really? I quite enjoy it.”
“Why?”
Such a flat tone! “I’m not sure.” Rosilee pursed her lips in thought. “I merely enjoy watching people’s mannerisms and facial expressions. I imagine their stories, both current and past. It’s a fun pastime.”
“You mean you spin imaginary tales of love.”
She laughed. “Love, yes, but most importantly, their adventures. It calms my soul.”
He nodded slowly, then said, “You do seem calmer now than before.”
“Calmer? Wasn’t I calm before?”Well. You did wave a horse down in the middle of a road and nearly get run over.Upon reflection, she could see how he might think she may have been exhibiting the behavior of an erratic woman. Heh.
“I prefer not to answer that.”
Rosilee narrowed her gaze at his hand, tugging at his cravat. “A wise choice, Duke. In any event, things are finally going according to plan.” As much as they could, anyway. Before today, she had never considered the possibility that the only way to get out of one marriage might be to marry someone else. But she also wasn’t the sort of person who lamented what circumstancethrew at her. This was the moment she had come to, so she would do what needed to be done.
She would save her brother.
She would save herself.
She would save their home.
I refuse to bow to a blackmailer.
But enough of that. “Where are Ben and Mr. Bishop?”
“You haven’t spotted them in your perusal of the guests?”
Rosilee started, her gaze tracking over the dining room again.Ah. She found them not far away in another shadowy corning, doing what she enjoyed best—surveying people. “Well, wouldn’t you know, even they like people watching.”
“It’s Bishop’s job.”
