Page 2 of My Darling Rogue
“Who knows what will occur?” Sebastian shrugged. “Give it a chance and see where it goes, my friend. I vow the lady will not resist if you exert even a tiny bit of the charm you possess.”
“You truly are mad as a hatter, Ravenswood.”
Sebastian only grinned. “You may be right, but I’m also rarely wrong. Now, drink up and gather your courage, for when the lady arrives, you will find yourself quite busy with the task of proving yourself worthy.”
* * *
Celia trailedbehind her mother as they stepped into the grand, barrel-vaulted foyer of Beaumont, the Ravenswood ancestral home.
“Ah, there you are! At last!” The Countess of Ravenswood swept forward, embracing Lady Darby and Celia in turn. “I do hope your journey was a pleasant one?”
“Not a single raincloud marred the skies during our trip,” Lady Darby replied. “I wish Lord Darby could have accompanied us, but with his health, it just was not wise to venture so far from the estate.”
Celia remained silent as the conversation carried on without her. Glancing around, she recognized a few guests who’d come to greet them. She smiled at Lady Sara Bentley, then stiffened when she saw the huge form of the man she’d studiously avoided over the past few months.
Gabriel Rose shouldered his way through the small crowd and positioned himself in a doorway, leaning against the doorjamb as if he owned it and the world. His eyes caught hers, and although she blushed at the scrutiny of his gaze, Celia did not look away. Instead, her chin lifted, and she glared back, her cheeks heating to a faint pink.
The last time she’d seen this man, he’d non-too gently rescued her from a precarious situation, marching her to safety in silence. The scowl on his face that night had suggested he found her slightly distasteful.
It was a thoroughly humiliating experience. Made more so by the fact she had required his help and been grateful for it. Only to have that gratitude snubbed when he unceremoniously left her outside Lady Sutter’s ballroom. He stalked away without even so much as a glance over his shoulder.
Ivy’s turquoise eyes rounded with sympathy. “Oh, my dear Lady Darby. I hope the earl is not unwell.”
Lady Darby waved her hand. “No need to fret. He’s much better since our son’s marriage. Longleigh and Violet send their gratitude for your attendance at the wedding.”
“We are so happy for the couple. Violet is such a lovely girl. Celia? I heard you recently visited the new couple. How are they?”
“Disgustingly happy and content with one another.”
Lady Darby frowned at her daughter’s flippant reply while Ivy laughed with delight. “How wonderful for them! I know you are most relieved, seeing how close you and Violet are as friends.”
“Much like yourself and the earl, Lady Ravenswood, my dear brother and his new wife are perfect examples of a successful union.” Celia sighed as if troubled with the heaviest burdens. “I can only hope I am similarly blessed one day. But it appears one must wade through a veritable sea of frogs before finding a prince, and so far, my luck has proved abysmal.”
Celia could see Gabriel Rose’s reaction to her rash declaration. The man’s lips twitched with something that might have been the beginnings of a grin. Hard, golden-brown eyes assessed her, searching for a chink in her armor.
Celia’s jaw tilted higher. He could look, but he would not find one. She would not allow it.
“Celia,” Lady Darby warned under her breath. “It is most unseemly to refer to your suitors in such a manner.” She flashed a helpless smile as Ivy choked back her own giggle. “Excuse my daughter, Lady Ravenswood. You are friends, so I know you are accustomed to how she speaks her mind even when it is not proper.”
Ivy leaned in, breaking off the connection between Celia and the impossibly arrogant Gabriel Rose. She hugged Celia tighter this time, her voice low with sympathy and understanding for the trials all young ladies endured in their search for a suitable husband.
“Perhaps you should adjust your hunting techniques, sweet friend. And look for a frog among princes.”
CHAPTER2
“Shall I tighten these ribbons, miss?”
Celia turned so her maid could lace the corset up a bit tighter. “Thank you, Katie. My dress is there on the bed when you are ready.”
“I’m glad you are wearing the blue silk,” Lady Darby said from her perch at a walnut wood vanity table. She attached a pair of teardrop-shaped diamond earrings to her earlobes. “It is lovely with your coloring. A gentleman shall find it difficult looking away once he sees you.”
Celia lifted her arms so the dress could be lowered over her head. She waited until the fabric was settled around her before addressing her mother. “I’ll have none of your matchmaking, Mother. Promise you will refrain from negotiations, deal makings, and comments regarding the size of a man’s estate. Or lack thereof.”
Lady Darby smiled. “There are no men in attendance lacking qualifications as husband material. But I shall refrain from remarking on any particular one. As with your brother, I hope you find your happiness in your own manner. But I would be remiss in my parental duties if I did not guide you.”
Celia bent and kissed her mother’s cheek. “You hide your schemes well, but I realize how you push us into making the correct decisions.” Her tone held a note of exasperated affection. “It worked with Tristan and Violet. You dangled her before him like a ripe apple until he could not help but notice her.”
Lady Darby’s eyes twinkled with mischief. “I admit a tiny bit of matchmaking, but your brother’s decision was his own. And it was the correct one to make. I only endeavor to do the same for my dearest daughter.”
