Page 20 of Her Ruse with the Wicked Duke
“At the garden party, my friend.”
Rowan blinked, confused.
“Do not look so surprised. It’s not like we are staying, the host would never allow me past the front gates without creating an entire scandal regarding my stepping foot on her property. But I must meet the lady batty enough to go along with one of your plans.”
“She is far from batty,” Rowan scoffed from behind his newspaper.
“Do tell us more.” Xander smiled. “I would love to hear how you so effortlessly convinced her to do something that could end miserably for her.”
“It will not. I will see to it that her happy ending comes to fruition. If she holds up her end of the deal, I will hold up mine. You know this. And our little deal came under compromising conditions, in which I may have privately convinced her in the Duchess of Suffolk’s garden.”
“You cannot be serious!” Xander exclaimed.
Rowan simply gave him a shrug.
“Quite forward of you. It sounds like you have grown fond of her.” Cain grinned. “Is she utterly infatuated already?”
“I have barely spoken to her,” Rowan replied quietly, looking down at the paper again.
He would do anything for this conversation to end. He had a hard enough time not thinking about her lips when she was not the topic at hand.
“Do you like Miss Snow?” Xander asked, and Rowan looked up, before realizing that he meant her personality. “I have heard good things about her. I cannot say the same for her brother. Have you met him?”
“He seems competent,” Rowan replied. “He wants to invest.”
“Be careful with the Baron, Rowan. I have heard some nasty rumors,” Cain added, crossing his arms.
“Rumors do not affect business, gentlemen. It matters not what he is like as a person if his pockets remain deep,” Rowan asserted.
He did not have time to think about ethics. Autumn was approaching in a few months, and if his business was not flourishing by then, he was doomed.
“The things you do for your precious reputation,” Cain scoffed.
Rowan sneered at him jokingly.
“Rowan, I know you prefer to not wear your heart on your sleeve. Forgive my honesty, but I am unsure you know how. Cain and I just want to see you happy. And you know that, even if it is hidden somewhere deep within you, one day your aversion to marriage will no longer benefit you. Keep that in mind.”
“I—” Rowan started, leaning his forearms on his knees and staring at the floor. “I appreciate your concern. But I am well. If I can solve the problems in my father’s business, I will be better than well.”
“Do not let this become a burden, my friend. We are here to assist in any way. Oh, and you mentioned my estate.” Xander paused, looking at Cain before continuing. “We made our journey here today to invite you to a dinner. The guests will be part ofourcrowd, not yours. But you and Miss Snow are welcome, of course. There are bound to be several people who would be more than willing to do business with you if that sweetens the invitation.”
Rowan would ask Miss Snow this evening to accompany him. He idly wondered if she had ever been to a party with lower-class individuals like the artists and actors that his friends made acquaintances with as he slipped his polished shoes on and walked through the long halls of his estate to the foyer downstairs.
His friends joked about various topics as they made their way out to their carriages, and rode to the garden party being hosted just a few estates away from Rowan’s mansion. He watched the rolling hills pass by through the window, the afternoon sun warming the air.
“Maxwell,” Rowan spoke quietly.
“Yes, Your Grace?”
“When we arrive at the garden party, I will be looking for Miss Snow. If you see her, inform me immediately.”
“Of course, Your Grace,” Maxwell replied, a sense of surprise in his voice.
After a short ride, they made it to the manor, and they stepped out of the carriages, standing in the driveway.
“We will not be going inside,” Cain said as he received at shocked glare from one of the guests, sounding a bit disappointed. “Is your lady here yet?”
“She should be here by now. I sent Maxwell in to look for her.” Rowan furrowed his brow, squinting in the late afternoon light, scanning the faces of the crowd of people outside.
