Chapter 9

Theo was sitting in his dimly lit study with Gavin.

He swirled the whiskey in his glass, watching it with concentration...trying to get a certain woman out of his head.

He couldn't get the image of her laughing face out of his mind. Her face tipped up, eyes scrunched close and her rosy lips parted. Everything in him had clenched when he'd seen her that way.

"You've got it bad, eh?" Gavin chuckled, pulling Theo out of his reverie.

"She wants to be friends with me," Theo said in a low voice, not looking up from his whiskey.

"Some friend you're going to be," Gavin laughed, clearly amused.

"It's probably for the best. I can't have her anyway. She's a Lady. And Ralph's sister," he muttered.

"You can always marry her," Gavin grinned.

"Balls I can."

"It can't be so bad."

"Marriage isn't for me."

"We'll see, my friend. We'll see," Gavin smirked, annoying Theo more.

"You know, I met her friends too," Theo murmured.

"Oh?" Gavin asked, suddenly interested, just like Theo had guessed.

"There was Lady Alice, Lady Sarah and Lady Vanessa..." he said, appearing to be deep in thought.

"Cut out the bullshit and tell me the dazzling black haired beauty's name," Gavin growled.

Theo just chuckled.

"I believe you're talking about Lady Vanessa, although all of them are quite dazzlingly beautiful," he said, putting Gavin out of his misery.

"Vanessa, you say?" Gavin smirked, his eyes gleaming.

The next morning.

Rosalyn was riding King again. Along the same path.

She only grinned when she heard the hoof beats this time, not intimidated in the least.

She turned right again. And this time, King jumped gracefully over the branch.

As she turned, making a half circle, Lord Fortescue followed suit.

"I must say, I'm quite impressed, My Lady," he said by way of greeting.

Rosalyn made a theatrical bow, looking ridiculous bowing while she sat on her horse.

"Thank you, My Lord."

"I'm surprised to see you. Why didn't you come all these days?"

"Let's just say that I was afraid of some unsavoury characters that lurk around the woods at this time of they day," Rosalyn said coyly.

"Unsavoury eh?" Theo chuckled sheepishly.

"So you're not afraid anymore?" He asked, leaping down from his horse.

"Of course not," she grinned as he helped her down from her horse.

She tried to ignore the way the heat of his hands on her waist seared her.

Rosalyn was wearing her riding dress. She certainly couldn't come to woods in men's garments when she knew she was going to run into him. It was was different the last time, she hadn't expected to see anyone.

They strolled side by side, both the reins in Lord Fortescue's hands.

"So have you readied a list of all the eligible ladies?" Theo asked.

"You need to give me some time!" Rosalyn accused playfully.

"Alright," he sighed.

"My my, looks like someone is very eager to get married," she peaked up at him.

He just shrugged noncommittally.

They sat below a tree, leaning against its wide trunk.

"What about Lady Greta?" Rosalyn asked suddenly.

"Who?" Theo asked, raising his brows.

"Lady Greta Marbury," she clarified.

"Oh? She's a blue stocking, from what I've heard."

"And you are intimated by intelligent women?" Rosalyn asked, angry now. But he was only amused.

"Of course not, my lady. In fact I love intelligent women. But people like Lady Greta are far too immersed in their studies and so they wouldn't have the time or inclination for all the activities I will have in mind," he grinned, wiggling his brows.

Rosalyn turned beet red.

"That's a very improper thing to say, Lord Fortescue," she murmured, not offended.

"You must call me Theodore if we're to be friends."

"Well, then you must call me Rosalyn," she smiled.

"Rosalyn," he murmured huskily and suddenly all the comfort that Rosalyn had felt with him disappeared.

Her ease replaced by something else. Something that heated her blood.

God, he literally just said her name.

But the intensity in his gaze said that it was something more significant.

She got up hastily and made her way to King, eager to bolt.

"Rosalyn," he called out, catching up with her.

"Yes?" she breathed, turning to look at him.

"There's a horse race two days later. You want to come?" He asked, looking hesitant.

"Of course," she smiled.

"Alright then."

"Alright then," she grinned and disappeared into the woods.

The Morley household.

"Why are you smiling?" Vanessa asked, looking up from the magazine she was reading as Rosa entered the parlour.

"Because I'm happy?"

"Why?"

"Because I have such an attentive friend," Rosalyn snapped.

"You met Lord Fortescue," Vanessa smirked.

Rosalyn almost chocked. How did she know?

"I can read your face," she grinned.

"Yes, I ran into him in the woods."

"How fascinating," Vanessa murmured.

Rosalyn groaned and plopped down on the love seat.

"You do realise that he's a rake, do you not?"

"Yes. But he's not a bad person. Besides, we have no romantic interest in each other. We're just friends," Rosalyn shrugged.

"Do you even hear yourself? Friends?" Vanessa scoffed.

"Can we talk about something else?"

"Has he kissed you?"

"What?" Rosalyn gaped.

"Oh Lord, he has," Vanessa gasped.

"No, he hasn't," Rosalyn muttered unconvincingly.

Vanessa merely raised her brow.

"Well it was before we were introduced, okay? And it wasn't a romantic kiss."

"And that just makes everything more acceptable," Vanessa murmured sarcastically.

"Are you quite done?" Rosalyn asked, frustrated.

"No," Vanessa smiled.

"So if he has kissed you, you're probably on first name basis too?" she grinned again.

"That's it, I'm leaving," Rosalyn said getting up and walking out of the room.

"And that answered my question," Vanessa called out, much to Rosalyn's annoyance.

She couldn't believe it. How did her friends have this uncanny ability to extract every morsel of information from her?

Rosa groaned inwardly.

When Alice and Sarah found out about this, it wasn't going to be pretty.

And was it a good idea for her to go with Lord Fortescue, no...Theodore for the horse race?