Romancing His English Rose (Entangled Scandalous) Read Online Free

a title in their family line should Rose and Simon bear a son prior to the passing of Rose’s father.
    All in all, it was a good idea. When Rose reached the marriageable age of seventeen or eighteen, Simon would be approaching his mid-twenties. Time enough for him to have finished with school and experienced some of life before settling down into an advantageous marriage.
    However, at one and twenty, Rose was still unmarried and Simon was still experiencing life.
    While generally agreed to be handsome, Simon was tall—just over six foot—nicely built, with rugged good looks and gorgeous dark blond hair. Not that Rose had noticed…much.
    However, every other woman seemed to find him immensely attractive, and he, them.
    It was his roguish behavior that turned Rose’s stomach the most. What happened to men being admired for their gentlemanly behavior? So what if society thought reformed rakes made the best husbands? Rose would just as soon have an honorable man from the beginning.
    Fighting the urge to turn tail and run, Rose flashed a desperate look to Lady Lancaster. Surely, the duchess would be able to easily extract her from this awkward situation.
    But no, to Rose’s surprise, Lady Lancaster had no intention of letting their little tête-à-tête come to a quick end. “Mr. Trumbull,” she said, “I believe I hear a waltz beginning. Perhaps you should ask our dear Rose to dance?”
    …
    “Ah, yes…” Simon said haltingly, unable to believe that Lady Lancaster had suggested he dance with Rose. Usually when he poured on his charm, the older ladies did everything in their power to keep the young impressionable girls away from him. Of course, he was engaged to Rose, so perhaps that accounted for the woman’s unusual decision.
    Turning to Rose, Simon saw that she too was surprised by the dowager’s recommendation. She also appeared displeased by it. Most young ladies fawned over him and when he asked one to dance, they would practically swoon with delight. But Rose seemed almost disgusted by the idea.
    Pride pricked, Simon came to a decision. This dance would be the best Rose had ever experienced—one she would never forget.
    Pulling himself up straight and tall, Simon adopted the most sincere mien he could and asked, “Rose, may I have this dance?”
    Rose nodded and accepted Simon’s arm and together they walked to the dance floor.
    Soon they were moving gracefully around the ballroom floor…in complete silence. Rose was gazing absently over Simon’s shoulder and Simon was trying in vain to come up with something witty and interesting to say.
    While deciding to impress Rose enough for her to never again regret having to dance with him, Simon took a moment to get a better look at his betrothed. Something was different about her tonight, but he just couldn’t put his finger on what.
    The truth was, except for the last few weeks when he had taken to avoiding Rose, they had danced at least once at every ball. And in that time, and in all the years growing up, Simon had seen Rose…he knew he had…and yet tonight he seemed to be noticing her for the first time.
    Taking stock, Simon noted all the things he knew about her.
    Wire-rimmed spectacles…he didn’t know what age Rose had been precisely when she had started to wear glasses, but she had been quite young. Now, after so many years, they seemed a part of her. They were small and round and, honestly, they suited her. Many women considered wearing spectacles a detriment to one’s looks, but Simon rather thought Rose wouldn’t be Rose if she weren’t wearing them.
    Hazel eyes…yes, he remembered very clearly her eye color. The memory of her huge eyes filling with tears when she was five seemed burned into his memory. Certainly tonight it was the flickering candlelight that made them appear more green than the muted gray-brown he remembered.
    Red hair…of course Simon knew Rose’s hair was red. It had darkened bit by bit over the years from a strawberry