Chapter Sixteen

 

Rose moved as far away from Holden as she could get and plopped herself down on a barrel just below a small window that sat high above her. The evening had begun curiously enough, but it would certainly end in shame. She had no doubt that soon they would be caught together, and no amount of discussion would ease her humiliation.

With conflicting accounts between Holden and his friend, Mr. Banner, she was not certain who to believe. Yet, had Mr. Banner lied to her in the past as Holden had? Even if she believed Holden, that belief would never help her in her present situation. If anything, it would only hurt her. How many young women her age had been caught alone with a man not her betrothed only to be looked upon with disapproval from that day forward?

Setting the candle beside her, she looked at the various bottles of wine on a nearby rack without seeing them. She ignored the footsteps that came up behind her

“David has ill intentions toward Caroline,” Holden said in a quiet voice. “This very night, he means to spirit her away to his bedchambers in order to take advantage of her. You must inform her that he is only using her.”

Rose let out a choked laugh. “Is that how you plan to convince me that you have changed? By telling me Mr. Banner’s intentions are not pure?”

“Consider it for a moment,” he said in an urgent tone. “David brought you here and promised to go in search of your aunt, correct?”

Rose stopped to consider this. “He did.”

“I was told you were distraught in order to get me to follow him here. Do you not see? He is lying about me. If he were honorable, we would not be in this situation right now. He had already locked you in here!”

Rose jutted her chin. “He did no such thing,” she snapped. “I was here of my own accord. I could have left anytime I wanted.”

He heaved a heavy sigh. “But I saw him unlock the door when we got here. And now the door is locked once again.”

“It is not!”

“Then go test it,” he demanded.

She glanced toward the darkened portion of the room. No, he was trying to trick her. “Even if it is locked, it does not change the fact that you set out to use me.”

He moved aside and put an arm out. “If the door is unlocked, then why have you not left already? Certainly you would be able to return to the party without anyone learning of our little predicament.”

She glanced past him again. He made a good point. She knew deep inside he was right, but she would never admit it aloud, so she changed the subject. “When I told you at the picnic that I wished to never see you again, I had doubted my own words. At times I see a man inside you whose company I enjoy. But he is hidden much too deep inside.”

He heaved a heavy sigh as he sat on the barrel beside her. “What you say is true,” he said. “That immature boy reigned for a very long time. I wanted to live my life as I saw fit, propriety and order be damned. But you must understand. The more time I spend with you, the more I want to put that boy to rest. I am much too old to play these games anymore, but I must have someone who will help me make those changes, for I cannot do it alone.”

His nearness sent a pleasant shiver down her spine, but she pushed it aside. She was finished with him and his foolish ways!

“I do not see how I can be of any help,” she said with a cynical laugh. “Even as friends I doubt I can. I believe it would be best if we walked our own paths from now on.” Yet, even as she said the words, she found she did not believe them.

“You are right once again,” Holden said. “It is my journey, and I must take it myself. Do you have any advice you can give me before I set out?”

Rose studied his face, looking for any sign of jest, but saw none. “You have mentioned that your relationship with your father is not the best.”

Holden shook his head. “I have failed him at every turn, and I can never seem to do anything right. At times, I believe I will never be the man he wishes me to be.” He looked up at her. “Yet, when I am with you, I feel as if I have every chance in the world to be the man my father wishes me to be.”

“You must be honest with me,” she said, narrowing her eyes at him. “You can no longer place the blame for your mistakes on others. Take responsibility for all you do—good or bad. That may placate your father. Even if it does not, it will make you feel better. That is what is more important in the long run.”

The smile Holden gave her warmed her heart. “I will do that. Thank you.” He paused and tilted his head. “Can you hear the music?”

“I can,” she said, listening to the marked melody. “It is beautiful.”

He held out a hand to her. “Then allow me this one dance,” he said, bowing before her. “For if we are caught, then at least I can say I had the honor of dancing with you before you throw me out on my ear.”

A giggle came of its own accord as she placed her hand in his. They stepped in close, stepped back, together and then back. Then they came in close once more, their hands above them, their bodies mere inches from one another.

“It is funny,” he whispered, “I sought you out to have more money. And now, I realize that what I have gained can never be bought with money.”

They stepped back.

“And what have you gained?” she asked.

A step forward.

“A way to see the world as I have never seen it before,” Holden replied. “All because of you.”

They stood in that same close position well past the count, their breath intermingling, until the music ended. Releasing each other’s hands, they took another step back, Holden covering a nervous cough and Rose covering a small giggle.

“That window,” he said, interrupting the moment. Had she felt something that was not truly there? “I may be able to climb through it.”

Rose stepped back and looked up at the window. “Do you believe so?” she asked with a smile. “It is quite small. How will you manage it?”

Holden pushed the barrel Rose had sat on earlier closer to the wall and climbed upon it. He was able to reach up and push open the small pane. “All I must do is pull myself up and crawl through it. It is simple, really.” He turned and smiled down at her. “I will come back through the house and save you and your name at the same time!”

Roes could not help but laugh at the image of this muscular man pushing himself through such a small opening, but, for the first time, she also admired his gallantry. “I admit that is an excellent first step one could take in changing his ways.”

Holden grasped the windowsill and attempted to step up the wall. Unfortunately, his shoes slipped on the damp rock, and soon a ripping sound filled the air. His coat had caught on a jagged piece of stone.

“You will destroy your coat,” she warned.

He waved her off. “I can purchase another,” he said, placing his hands on the sill once more. The barrel beneath him gave way, and he tumbled to the floor.

Hurrying to his side, Rose grasped his arm to help him stand. As soon as she did, however, she wished she had not, for the touch of the muscle was much more pleasing than she had expected. “Are you injured?”

“Only my pride,” he replied with a chuckle, stepping out of the shattered wood. “I am glad that it was empty.” He glanced at the window again. “I believe we must change our tactics.” He removed his coat and threw it over the now broken barrel. “I will push you up, and you will crawl through the window. You are much smaller than I, so it will be easier for you to fit.”

Rose glanced up at the window and took a step back. “You wish for me to climb through a window?” she asked. “A lady simply does not climb through windows!”

“Trust me,” he said. “I will see you are not hurt.”

With a sigh, she walked over to where Holden had set another barrel beside the wall.

“I will try to keep my hands from touching you inappropriately.”

“I do not mind,” Rose said. However, when he grabbed her by the waist and placed her on the barrel, her heart skipped a beat.

She was barely able to grasp the sill, and when he placed his hands on her thighs to give her a boost, she heard a noise. “Holden,” she said in a loud whisper, “someone is at the door.”

They stood still for a moment, and the noise came again—the distinct sound of a key in the lock.

“The door,” he said, “Hurry!”

Panicked, she pushed the window, and it opened further. She could feel the soft soil, and she dug her fingers into it just as Holden loosened his grip on her. However, she had not yet gained enough of a grip to allow the chance of pulling herself up.

Then everything happened at once. Her fingers slipped and she heard a distinct rip of fabric as her gown caught on another jagged edge of the stone. Her weight dropped onto an unprepared Holden, and the two toppled to the floor with Rose somehow ending up on her back and Holden on top of her.

“I am so sorry,” he cried in shock as he lifted himself onto his hands, leaving him looming above her. “I only took my eyes off you for a moment. Are you all right? Did you hurt your back? Your head?”

“My backside took most of the weight,” she said.

They turned their heads just as a small group of people entered the room.