A Ring for the Pregnant Debutante Read online

  Leading Rosa out the back door of the inn and into the darkness beyond, Thomas felt the weight of responsibility as she trustingly laid a hand on his arm, allowing him to guide her. It was surprising she trusted him so much, out here alone in the darkness, but Thomas supposed he hadn’t given her much choice these last few weeks. It was either trust him or try to forge her way in a foreign country all alone.

  Nevertheless, the responsibility for another’s well-being was unnerving. For years he’d only had to think of himself, to protect himself. Now there would be someone else to put first, at least until he could deliver her safely into his ancestral home with all the servants poised and ready to cater to her every whim.

  ‘Where are we going?’ Rosa asked. In the soft moonlight Thomas could just make out the gleam of her eyes looking up at him.

  ‘Be patient,’ he counselled. ‘And the surprise will be even better.’

  Two minutes later the first of the candles Thomas had ordered to light the way came into sight. From there on the landlord had placed a candle every few feet along the path, to guide them to their final destination.

  Rosa gasped with pleasure as they followed the trail of candles to a small table in a clearing. It was surrounded by over fifty flickering candles, set up to make the whole area feel like an intimate grotto.

  ‘Thomas, it’s beautiful.’

  He glanced at her, watching the pleasure on her face as she realised he’d done this all for her and felt a flash of guilt. He wasn’t sure why he had insisted on such a spectacle for his proposal, it wasn’t as though he was going to dress it up as a romantic gesture. Far from it—he was going to calmly and precisely set out all the reasons it would be advantageous for them to make a match, but still he had decided to make the evening special.

  Deftly he pulled out Rosa’s chair and waited for her to sit down before plucking the bottle of wine from the table and pouring out two glasses. He’d asked the landlord for dishes that could be eaten cold so they would have absolute privacy for the evening.

  ‘What is all this in aid of?’ Rosa asked, her big dark eyes seeking his own out in the candlelight. There were a hundred questions written on her face, mixed with just a little bit of hope. Thomas had seen how she’d looked at him from time to time, when she’d come across him topless whilst boxing or when he emerged from the lake after his morning swims. He might be sworn to a life of celibacy, but that didn’t mean he didn’t recognise when a woman’s skin flushed and breathing became just that little bit more erratic. He wasn’t sure if she just found him physically attractive or if it was the fact he’d swooped to her rescue when she was in need of help the most, but Thomas acknowledged Rosa was a little infatuated with him. What he found slightly worrying was his willingness to play on that attraction to get what he wanted.

  ‘Eat,’ Thomas said, gesturing at the plates piled high with brightly coloured salad in front of them.

  As Rosa picked up her fork Thomas focused his mind for the task ahead.

  ‘I have a proposition for you,’ he said, choosing his words carefully. ‘I would like you to listen to what I have to say and think about it very carefully before you give me an answer.’

  Rosa smiled at him, but her expression turned serious as she studied him.

  ‘I think we should marry.’

  Rosa almost choked as he said the words.

  ‘Don’t jest, Thomas,’ she said. ‘I know I am unmarriageable, but please don’t poke fun.’

  ‘I’m completely serious.’

  ‘Why would you want to marry me? You’re not in love with me. You barely know me.’

  All very good points, but he knew enough.

  ‘You need to marry, and soon, or the child you carry will be illegitimate for ever.’

  Rosa waved a hand, realised she was still brandishing her fork, placed it on the table and then resumed her gesticulating.

  ‘That’s not what I asked. I know why I’m in desperate need for a husband.’ Rosa grimaced. ‘But no man in his right mind would take me on.’

  ‘Maybe I’m not in my right mind.’ She regarded him in silence, almost warily, until he spoke again. ‘Just listen and I will explain.

  ‘You need a husband, a father in name at least to your child. Just imagine, your son or daughter growing up as my heir, with a good family name and no hint of shame or scandal.’

  ‘It doesn’t make sense...’ Rosa started to say, but Thomas held up a hand imperiously so she would let him continue.

  ‘We would return to England as husband and wife, at least in name, and I would take you to my home. You would have an income, somewhere safe to live, a good education for your child.’

  He saw her eyes widen and her eyebrows raise as he continued talking. Rosa was an intelligent young woman and he was going to need all his guile to convince her it was a good idea without telling her all the sordid family secrets driving his proposition.

  ‘It would be a marriage in name and law only. I am not talking about a romantic union, of course there would not be love between us, but I think we rub along well together and over time a certain companionship develops. You would be mistress of your own home, never having to bow to your mother’s tyranny again. I would not interfere in how you led your life or how you raised your child.’ He paused, watching Rosa carefully. He could see some of his arguments had appealed at least, but that he was far from convincing her at the moment.

  ‘I don’t see why you would do all of this.’

  ‘I wish to continue travelling the world,’ Thomas said slowly.

  ‘Then surely it makes no sense to burden yourself with a wife and child.’

  ‘I find myself worrying about leaving my mother with no companion, no one to share her old age with.’

  ‘Then employ someone to be her companion.’

  No, he needed someone who would be compelled to keep the family secrets, not someone who had no loyalty beyond the money they were paid. Of course he could tell her the truth, tell her of the awful Hunter family curse that had already claimed his father and his brother and might well claim him, too. One day he would, but right now the idea of reliving the awful years of slow decline was too painful.

  ‘There is a certain expectation for a child to carry on the family name.’

  ‘All the more reason not to marry me. My child would by law be your first born, despite not carrying your blood.’

  Thomas shrugged and Rosa frowned at his assumed air of flippancy.

  ‘No man wants that,’ she said resolutely. ‘Another man’s child as their heir.’

  ‘There are worse things.’

  Rosa shook her head. ‘You wouldn’t think so when you decided to settle down and found yourself chained to me, with no hope of your own flesh and blood inheriting. No man wants that.’

  ‘Do not presume to tell me what I would want,’ Thomas said, hearing the icy tone to his voice and regretting it immediately. This was not the way to win over any woman.

  ‘Then treat me with at least a modicum of respect and tell me the truth behind your proposition.’

  ‘You are nearly five months pregnant and unmarried. My motivations should not matter.’

  He regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth, but she was challenging him, provoking him more than he’d expected or prepared for.

  Rosa drew herself up, straightening her back and lifting her chin, looking as though she were about to go into battle.

  ‘I may be pregnant with an illegitimate child. I may have very few prospects and very little hope for a decent life, but that does not mean I will tolerate being lied to and deceived. I deserve more than that.’

  He saw the tears in her eyes and the miniscule movements of the muscles in her throat as she swallowed again and again in an effort not to shed them. Up until now he hadn’t fully appreciated t
he strength Rosa must possess to even think about raising an illegitimate child alone in a world that penalised even the most upstanding of women. He’d underestimated her in many ways and now the quick and easy marriage he had been hoping for was out of the question. She might have started the evening trusting him, but she certainly didn’t trust him now.

  ‘Rosa, I only meant to point out the advantages you would gain from the marriage.’

  ‘And I ask again: what would you truly gain? You’re a shrewd man, Lord Hunter, and you wouldn’t be suggesting this match if there wasn’t something substantial for you in it.’

  ‘I told you...’

  ‘You told me nothing.’

  Rosa stood, the legs of her chair scraping along the ground.

  ‘I may not have much in this world, Lord Hunter, but I do still have my dignity and a little self-respect. I think I will retire before anything further is damaged.’

  He watched her go, cursing his brain for not being able to come up with the right words to convince her to stay, to convince her a marriage of convenience was the right thing for both of them, even if she didn’t know his true motivations.He wondered if he were doing wrong by Rosa, asking her to marry him without telling her the whole truth, but quickly dismissed the idea. His proposal had made it clear it would be a marriage of convenience, nothing more. She would gain his name and his protection, and some day soon he would disappear from her life. What would it matter to her if he took ill in a few years’ time? He had resolved never to be a burden on anyone, so he would suffer through the progression of the disease alone, without Rosa ever even needing to know.

  Mumbling a profanity in Italian, Thomas stood and strode out into the darkness, letting out a primal growl of frustration once he was certain he was all alone. It should have been so straightforward, so easy. He’d imagined it a hundred times—outlining his proposition, the advantages for Rosa, her grateful acceptance. Never had he thought she might turn him down because he wasn’t telling her the whole truth. His explanation should be enough.

  He made to turn and follow Rosa, but his remaining self-control stopped him. He needed a new approach, a new line of reasoning, before he tried again. One thing was for sure, Rosa would marry him. There weren’t many things in life Thomas didn’t manage to make go his way, even if it took more work than he’d originally thought. Before the week was out Rosa would be his wife.

  Chapter Nine

  ‘What a strange night it has been,’ Rosa murmured, looking down and placing her hand on the bump that was just visible through her dress. ‘I wonder what you would make of Thomas’s proposal.’

  She should have headed straight back to her room when she’d left Thomas, but Rosa was restless and knew she wouldn’t sleep. The last place she wanted to be was tossing and turning in bed on such a balmy night, so instead she had crept through the quiet courtyard, past the stables filled with sleeping horses and found a secluded spot a few hundred yards away from the inn. Her seat was an upturned log, but any discomfort she felt was more than made up for by the view in front of her. Away from the lights of the inn the sky was dark, but that darkness was studded by hundreds upon hundreds of sparkling stars. It made Rosa feel small, sitting here underneath such a sky.

  ‘I’m sure I should have accepted his offer,’ Rosa continued. It was strangely comforting to speak aloud to the tiny person growing inside her. It made her feel a little less alone, a little more grounded and sure of her place in the world. ‘I just don’t like being lied to.’

  That was the crux of the matter. In truth Rosa could appreciate all the merits of Thomas’s proposal from her point of view. How wonderful it would be to have the protection of a strong and powerful gentleman. Not to have to endure a hard life where she never knew where her next meal might be coming from or who might find out her terrible secret. Even just the fact that her child would not be born out of wedlock should have had her dragging Thomas to a church before he could change her mind.

  ‘Maybe your grandmother is right. Maybe I am a foolish, reckless girl with only half a brain.’

  Rosa fell silent. She should have given more thought to the offer before turning it down. What did it matter why he was proposing? He was a kind man, she doubted he would ever raise his voice to her, let alone a fist. He was courteous and entertaining, and when he looked at her with those sparkling blue eyes Rosa found the world around them merging into the background.

  ‘Your mama is getting carried away,’ she whispered. Thomas had never once mentioned romance. He liked her, Rosa was sure of that, just as people liked their spinster aunt or a younger sister, but he certainly hadn’t proposed because he was overcome by love for her, he’d told her that theirs would be a marriage in name and in law only. The unnerving and unwanted attraction she felt towards him was most definitely one-sided.

  Sitting back, Rosa considered the reasons Thomas had given for the proposal. He wanted a companion for his mother and an heir to his estate. None of it made sense. There was no guarantee his mother would like her, or vice versa. It would be much more sensible to hire a companion, someone who could be easily replaced if there was a clash of personalities. A wife was much harder to dispose of.

  ‘And men want their own blood for their heirs,’ Rosa said. ‘As much as I would like you to inherit a grand estate, I cannot see a situation where Thomas would not want a child of his own. I will not have you put aside for another in a few years.’

  This was a weaker argument. Even if Thomas did change his mind completely after marriage Rosa’s child would still be considered legitimate because it would be born in wedlock. It didn’t seem to matter so much the circumstances around conception, as long as the mother was married when the child was born.

  She tried to come up with a sensible reason for Thomas’s proposal, but nothing came. None of it made sense and that was reason enough to turn down the offer. She would not trap herself and her child in a situation without fully understanding all the angles first.

  ‘Am I making a mistake?’ she whispered, more up to the stars now than to the child in her womb.

  Of course there was no answer. It wasn’t the first time in her life that Rosa wished for a confidant, a sister perhaps or a close friend to talk through the options and puzzle out the conundrums. She had never had anyone like that, her childhood had been lonely and grey, a strict upbringing in a solemn household ruled by her mother’s iron will. When Rosa had come out in society she’d had friends for the first time, young women who weren’t quite as sheltered as her, people to talk to in the noisy corners of the ballroom or over a hot, sweet cup of tea in the afternoon. She’d been close to Caroline, of course, but most of the other young women had been scared away by her mother’s sharp tongue and dragon-like demeanour.

  ‘Soon I’ll have you, my little love,’ Rosa said, feeling the warm glow she always did when she pictured the small baby she would soon hold in her arms. They would never be starved of love, never have to cower away from her as she had from her own mother. She might not be able to provide much, but she was determined her household would be filled with love and laughter, not dread and misery.

  Standing, Rosa stretched and looked about her. She certainly hadn’t found any answers to the many questions Thomas had left her with, but she knew even with another few hours of pondering she would not be any further forward. All of a sudden she felt weary, the events of the last few days catching up with her. She wanted her bed and she wanted a deep, dreamless sleep to restore her. Maybe in the morning, after a proper rest, things might be clearer.

  * * *

  Thomas paused outside Rosa’s door, listening for any sign that she was awake. Everything was quiet inside, but still he lifted his fist to tap on the wood, only dropping it at the last moment. Now wasn’t the right time. He might want to get the matter resolved as quickly as possible, but it wouldn’t do to smother the girl. She might ha
ve even come round to the idea of marrying him by morning all by herself.

  Instead of crossing the corridor to his own room Thomas padded silently back downstairs into the bar below. The landlord was still behind the wooden counter, stacking glasses and wiping surfaces, and gave a nod of acknowledgement to Thomas as he entered.

  Without Thomas even having to ask, the landlord set a cup of wine on the counter between them before pouring one for himself.

  ‘The evening did not go as you planned,’ the landlord said, studying Thomas.

  ‘How did you guess?’ Thomas asked, then immediately regretted the hint of sarcasm in his voice. Signor Granese had been most obliging when Thomas had asked for his assistance in setting up the dinner arrangements that evening, and like landlords the world over had a genuine interest in the people sitting in his bar.

  ‘No. It didn’t go as planned.’

  ‘I have four daughters. Good, strong, hard-working country girls. I could introduce you.’

  ‘To all four? I think they’d eat me alive.’

  Signor Granese gave out a hearty laugh, throwing his head back and allowing the rumbles of amusement to travel all the way from his expansive belly.

  ‘Tomorrow is a new day,’ Signor Granese said as Thomas took a mouthful of wine. ‘Maybe your English lady will be more receptive to your advances after a night’s sleep.’ The Italian man regarded Thomas for a few more seconds. ‘Or maybe you just need to try harder.’

  ‘It’s not like that,’ Thomas said quietly. ‘I’m not courting her, there is no need to win her heart over. It’s her head I’m appealing to, her reason.’

  Signor Granese guffawed with laughter again for a few seconds, his face only turning serious again when he saw Thomas’s expression.

  ‘You’re serious? And here I was thinking you were an intelligent man. It seems I was mistaken.’

  ‘I’m offering her security, safety, a good home and a future. She should be jumping at the offer.’