Page 57 of Her Ruse with the Wicked Duke
“Mother,” he greeted, Alice on his arm as the rest of the gentlemen exited the theater.
Grace was sent to go get the carriage for the pair while they were stopped in the large crowd.
“So, this is her, then,” his mother said, eyeing Alice. “You never told me how pretty she was. If I knew…”
“It affects nothing, Mother.” He wished he could let Alice go, but his body had tightened as a response to seeing his mother, and he held onto her arm like a tether. “We are not coming over for parties or dinners for you to show off.”
“If you marry her, I want to know her. You cannot keep my daughter-in-law or my grandchildren from me, Rowan. I will not stand for it.”
“What exactly have you done to deserve that? You would be lucky to even know my wife.”
Why am I speaking as if I am marrying her?
“Do not be selfish, boy. Your father would be disappointed.”
“Do not speak of him like you ever cared,” Rowan muttered, feeling anger bubble in his chest, his eyes starting to sting at the mention of his father. “We are leaving.”
He pulled Alice through the thinning crowd and sat on a bench in a quiet hallway, controlling his breathing.
“Your Grace, are you all right?” Alice approached him slowly.
“I am fine. I just need a breather. I cannot see her.”
* * *
Alice felt a wave of protectiveness take over as she watched Rowan wiping tears from his eyes. He said he was all right, but she knew it was far from the truth.
How could she say something so hurtful? Does she not know how important his father is to him?
She watched the woman begin to approach him once again and decided to face her. His mother looked so intensely similar to him, with a smug look on her face.
“Excuse me,” she snarled as she attempted to pass Alice, which bothered her further.
Who did this woman think she was?
“Your son is the most gentlemanly person I have ever met. You would do well to treat him the way he deserves.”
“I beg your pardon?” His mother turned around, crinkling her nose. “Who exactly do you think you are?”
“I—” Alice paused, unsure of what to say. “I am his…”
“Indeed.” The dark-haired woman smiled. “He is more like me than I could have imagined. I cannot say I am surprised. He will break your heart, my dear.”
Alice frowned, understanding that that might well be true, but she refused to back down. “My Lady, I am sorry that you fail to realize just how wonderful His Grace is. The things he has sacrificed for the people in his life and business are more than you could ever imagine, and… I pity you. I pity the fact that you have successfully thrown away your connection with your son, because just knowing him is a pleasure in itself. If you truly believe that he is anything like you, aside from your looks, you are mistaken.”
Alice had not meant to scold the woman, but she could not stand there and let her smugness and blatantly wrong assumptions hurt Rowan anymore.
His mother looked confused before the angered expression set in, proving her selfishness beyond a doubt. Alice turned away, feeling like her efforts were useless as she saw Rowan behind her, staring at her with an expression she could not read.
“You are entirely out of line,” Rowan’s mother scoffed, storming away into the emptying theater lobby. “Come apologize when you have come to your senses, Rowan.”
He did not take his eyes off Alice as his mother left them with a huff,
Alice felt suddenly scrutinized, a blush rising to her cheeks once she realized how much she overstepped. “I am so sorry, Your Grace. I did not mean to say those things so harshly to your mother. I just could not bear another moment of seeing you?—”
“Miss Snow, stop talking,” Rowan interrupted her, still not breaking the intense eye contact.
“Are you upset? I truly?—”
