Free Rescuing Rosalind (Three Original Ladies and Their Gentlemen) by G.G. Vandagriff

Westringham known to her and then stay as far from her as possible, if you do value our friendship.”
    So it was that midday found him knocking on the door of Shearings. When he entered the small drawing room, Rosalind was seated next to her sister, diligently embroidering a piece of linen. She looked up when the butler announced him, and he could see that she had been crying. The ordeal had shaken her even more than he had thought. The idea of his Rosalind in tears caused a rush of emotion in his breast that he was afraid to name.
    “It is not necessary for you to marry me,” she said before he could get a word out. “I am going to leave London and go back to Ruisdell Palace. I will be nanny to my niece and nephew as long as Elise needs me.”
    Despite his promise to Ruisdell Buck was saddened to hear of her departure. His voice when he spoke was gentle. “You need not do anything so drastic. I have explained the episode in its entirety to Westringham and, while he still bears us a grudge, he has agreed to say nothing about the incident. He is an honorable man, and has given me his word.”
    Rosalind set down her embroidery and looked at him, eyes round. “He had not yet put it about?”
    “I caught him in time.”
    “Thank heavens!”
    “Yes. I agree. Now I believe we should dispense with any future starts, no matter how tempting, unless we want to find ourselves leg-shackled.”
    The girl looked up at him, her eyes cloudy with sadness. “Must we?”
    “We must. How can you doubt it?”
    With eyebrows raised, Elise said briskly, “Really, Fan, you have just had the narrowest escape from complete ruin!”
    Buck was deeply sorry for Rosalind. She clearly found society as tyrannical as he did. But the duke was right. It would be disastrous to carry their unholy partnership forward, much as he would miss it.
    Thinking of his promise to her about the coming production of As You Like It as well as his promise to Ruisdell to stay away from her , he said, “I believe I will leave for my estate for a bit. I will take Westringham down with me, as well as some of my former seamen who need jobs. I will carry them down to Kent and set them to work repairing the main house. I am anxious for it to be finished. I have no wish to live in London longer than necessary.”
    “So it is good-bye then?” his Rosalind asked, standing and walking to where he stood.
    “Yes, I am afraid it is.”
    She offered her hand. “Good-bye, my lord.” Her lovely eyes glistened with more tears.
    He brushed his lips over her knuckles. An imp prompted him to say, “I shall write.”

{ 10 }
     
    A S FANNY WATCHED DEAL RIDE AWAY on his horse, a dark cloud of melancholy settled on her. She was going to miss their unconventional twosome. Obviously, she had not managed to make him fall in love with her. But she could not but be grateful to him for smoothing the road with Westringham. What a disaster that could have been! It would have reflected terribly on her sister and the duke, and even her niece and nephew. A scandal of that sort would not be forgotten soon. Obviously, she must give up her dream of performing on the London stage.
    She went slowly up the stairs to the sitting room that Elise had decorated especially for her, with its lime and cream striped wallpaper and upholstery. At her desk, she took up her quill, hoping that she could express her thoughts to Sophie and make some sense of them.
    Dearest Sister,
    I have narrowly escaped ruin. I will not bore you with details, except to say that I should have behaved better. I owe Elise and Peter so much . Had they not taken me into their home, I would still be living that intolerable life in Shropshire. My heart is so heavy. Even my imagination has ceased functioning. There is no longer a role I can fall into. The future looks grim and gray. I certainly cannot face going to Lady Constance’s musicale this evening. All I want to do is to escape from thoughts of near ruin and my lack of