The Clarendon Rose Read Online Free

appreciate that.”   She forced herself to look at him.   He continued to watch her, his expression intent.   “I’ll need to think things through before I can give you a response, sir.”
    “I understand perfectly.   Perhaps you’d like to let me know of your decision over dinner—or would that be too soon?   Take whatever time you need, Miss Merriweather.”
    “Dinner should be fine.”
    He nodded, pulling the door open as he spoke,   “I will not press you to accept, for I already owe you far too much for all that you have done.   But do consider it.   And please do not hesitate to express any misgivings you might have.   I will do my best to address them.”

    Later, while Jane battled with Tina’s unruly locks, trying to tame them into some semblance of an elegant coiffure for the evening meal, Tina tried to sort through her roiling thoughts.  
    The new Duke of Clarendon still had much to prove insofar as she was concerned.   His wild reputation as a rogue and carouser did not bode well for the Clarendon estates.  
    She mistrusted this sudden interest in his holdings and was half convinced that it was just a phase.   Something to amuse himself with until he got bored or found a more compelling pastime.  
    But time would tell, she reminded herself firmly.   And in the interim, if the man seemed willing to buckle down and assume the responsibility that was his by birth, then was it not her duty to make it as easy as possible for him?
    So what if she happened to be afflicted with an inexplicable attraction for the man?   He was a rake, after all.   Weren’t they, almost by definition, supposed to be attractive?
    She would just have to keep things in perspective.   She knew all about the double standard that prevailed in a society that politely averted its eyes from all but the most egregious indiscretions committed by men.   But even the smallest of missteps could lead to disgrace, poverty and ruin for a woman.   Tina only had to think of her own childhood—of her mother’s bitterness and ignominy—to remember a whole litany of excellent reasons to ignore this one-sided attraction for the new duke.
    And one-sided it would be.   She gave her reflection a stern look, trying not to feel too gloomy at the sight of her unfashionably full lips and her freckled complexion.   What kind of appeal could a countrified ape-leader have for a man whose name has been linked to the most glittering jewels of the demi-monde ?
    That put some of her misgivings in place.  
    As Jane put the final touches on her coiffure , Tina nodded grimly at her reflection.   She would be fine.   She would work with the man and ensure that she had done all she could to ensure the continued prosperity of the estates.   And she would absolutely, positively and under no circumstances, allow herself to be distracted by her spinsterish longing for the rakish new Duke of Clarendon.

    Tina’s confidence was shaken when she went downstairs to find him waiting to escort her into the dining room.   Even in her brief absence, she had somehow managed to forget how dashing he looked.   His somber evening wear only added to his air of brooding gravitas.
    Propriety, she reminded herself firmly as she curtseyed to his bow.   Look all you want, but never forget the fragility of a woman’s reputation.
    He offered his arm.   She forced herself to smile and nod in acknowledgement before allowing him to lead her into the dining room.   Suddenly she was very glad Jane had insisted on the full formality of evening wear—though her dress was of dull, black bombazine, it was cut along more formal lines than her day clothes, and the long gloves she wore added another welcome layer of fabric between them.   But despite all those layers, she could feel the firm strength of his arm under her hand.
    Edmund’s arm had been no less firm as he led her into dinner in the past, but she had never been conscious of his masculine strength.