The Reluctant Marchioness

Chapter 5

"If you're waiting until you feel talented enough to make it, you'll never make it." Criss Jami, Healology

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Chapter Five

"Why would I lie?" Derek immediately demanded to know, looking incredibly concerned as he furrowed his brow.

Rose bit down on her lip. "Perhaps you are trying to curry favour with my family, I don't know."

Derek scoffed, looking utterly offended at the insinuation, and Rose felt incredibly guilty for assuming it. At that moment, Rose wanted nothing more than to be away from Pendleton Park and safely confined in her bedchamber. "Curry favour? I haven't given a woman a compliment in a long time but I didn't know it was this hard."

Was it really a genuine compliment? She'd never received one from a man before. It was strangely unsettling. But that was her own fault. She wasn't sure how to accept them without sounding facetious. "Please forgive me," murmured Rose. "Tell Emmett that I'll await you in the carriage." She stood up from the piano stool and tried to make her way swiftly to the door, desperate to escape him, but Derek stopped her, holding her gently by the arm. She met his green eyes timidly.

"You are curious, Lady Rose," he said quietly, searching her face, before releasing her.

Rose quickly escaped from the music room feeling foolish for suggesting that Derek would want to curry favour with her family. He and Stephen had been very pleasant house guests, what need would they have to be false?

She knew it was a rather pathetic reason to be self-conscious. So many other features of one's self were more important than beauty, but Rose had grown up in an environment where women who were fair of face would secure husbands. Which was why Charlotte was the talk of the town whenever she attended a party. She would have had a thousand offers were she not so miserable in London after Nate had left for America. Obviously beauty was not enough to overcome sullenness.

***

Rose didn't see much of Derek or Stephen for the rest of the week. She wasn't asked to go to Pendleton Park again, not that she was particularly desperate to. Instead she spent the time with Bess and her mother, who were organising the ball for that Friday.

Invitations had already been sent out to every nobleman and woman in the neighbouring counties, a strings band had already been hired and Mrs Weston was well prepared with the sustenance that would be provided.

"Are you alright, Rosie? You've been awfully quiet as of late," Bess asked as they sat down to afternoon tea in the drawing room after dressing the ballroom for most of the day.

"Yes, I'm alright," lied Rose as she sipped her tea slowly.

"Would you like to try again?" Bess called her on her lie. At that moment, the drawing room door opened and Anna entered the room with the children. David, the attentive older brother that he was, held the smaller Imogen's hand as they walked while Alexandra wandered in on her own. Bess' face lit up as she opened her arms to receive her children. "Hello, my darlings!" she cried, lifting each one onto the settee to sit by her. "Thank you, Anna," Bess said gratefully.

She smiled warmly. "Will there be anything else?" Anna asked.

"No, that's alright. I'll ring for you later when it's time to dress for dinner," Bess replied, before turning her attention back to her children.

"Mama, is there going to be a party?" David asked curiously.

"Yes, Davy, tomorrow night," Bess explained. "Are you going to make sure that your sisters are sleeping soundly?"