Red Rose

She had had a short and uncomfortable interview with Raymore two days before, the day after the concert, at her own request. She had told him that she had ended her betrothal and that she wished to return to the country. He had made no comment, put up no argument, merely agreed to make all the arrangements for her journey. And he had promised to send his man of business into the country the following week to give her a signed copy of his agreement to allow her undisputed possession of Raymore Manor during her lifetime. This man would also go over with her the details of her fortune, so that she might decide for herself how she wished to manage it. It had been a purely businesslike meeting. The concert and the tense bond that she had felt with him on that evening might never have been.

The two days before her departure had been busy ones. In addition to helping the maid, Je

But then, she thought with a sigh, still staring out the window, there would never be any other man. She was going home to the life of a hermit, the life she had chosen for herself. Back to her dreams of Alistair, except that now he had changed name and had acquired a far more forceful character than Alistair had ever had. She would remember him as he had been a couple of hours ago as he said good-bye to her. He had said very little. His face was serious and controlled, but not cold as it had been when she first knew him. He had shaken her hand, wished her a safe journey, and finally, as an afterthought, had bent and kissed her on the cheek.

The carriage bounced on its springs as the coachman drew it to a sudden halt. As the horses slowed down, both Rosalind and Je

"Oh, lawks, madam," Je

"Nonsense," Rosalind replied, "this is daytime on an open and well-traveled highway."

She did start forward in alarm, though, when the sound of hoofbeats suddenly stopped and the carriage door was flung back.

"Don't have hysterics, my girl," the Earl of Raymore said to Je

Having lifted the girl out, Raymore vaulted into the carriage and shut the door behind him. Rosalind sat on the edge of her seat, saucer-eyed, staring at him.

"It's no good," he said, obviously greatly agitated. "I ca

She sat back in her seat and turned her head to look out the window. "I see," she said stiffly. "Has Sir Rowland made a more tempting offer, or do you have someone else picked out for me?"

"The latter," he said.

Her head jerked back in his direction. "No," she said, "I am not for sale. You promised, my lord."

"I am the one offering," he blurted. "I love you, Rosalind. I don't think I can live without you."

"You ca

His jaw clenched. "I will not have you describe yourself that way," he said. "You are your own worst enemy, Rosalind. You are beautiful, quite exceptionally lovely, like a red, red rose.' He must have known you, Robert Burns. And do you still limp? I confess I have not noticed lately."

"No," she said, her face pale, "it is not true. You know it is not true, Edward. People would laugh at you."

His jaw was still clenched. "You know," he said, "when I realized finally that I loved you, I thought I would never wish to quarrel with you again. Right now I am holding onto my temper with all my willpower. Why do you do this to me?"

"I belong at Raymore Manor," she said stubbornly, "where no one can see me and where I can do the things I love doing."

"Come back to London with me," he said, "and I shall see to it that you spend the rest of your life doing what you like doing. But not in loneliness, Rosalind. You have too much to share: your musical talent with the world, your passion with me."

She darted him a startled look.

"You have proved your worth, love," he said. "You are well-admired in London. I want to marry you in St. George s. and I want you to walk the whole length of the aisle toward me, with your chin up and your eyes on me. Will you?"

"Oh, Edward," she said, laughing but with tears springing to her eyes, "what an absurd picture you paint."

"Will you?"

"Are you sure you really wish to, Edward?" she asked wistfully. "It is not just that you have fallen in love with my music?"

He smiled. "It is not my pianoforte, much as I value it, that I long to take to bed or to Florence and Milan and Rome with me. I believe you will make a much warmer and more passionate companion, Rosalind. You have become part of my life, love, whether you wish it or not. You are like the other half of my soul. I ca

"I do love you so," she said almost in a whisper.

They sat and stared at each other from opposite corners of the carriage for long moments.

"Come here," he said finally, and when she came, he pulled her down roughly across his lap and met her open mouth with his in a kiss that immediately had passion flaring between them.

Ben had to expend some energy steadying the horses when the carriage suddenly lurched. He addressed the head of the horse most distant from him. "If I ever understands the quality," he said, "I'll know I've up an' died an' gone to 'eaven. Is lordship just took 'is leave of 'er two hours past."

Je

The Earl of Raymore leaned his head out of the carriage window at that moment. "Is the girl comfortable up there, Ben?" he called. "Will you tie my horse behind and return to Grosvenor Square?"

Ben and the footman exchanged knowing glances and Je

"Now," said Raymore, shutting the window and settling Rosalind more comfortably on his lap, "what was I saying?"

"I don't believe you were saying anything, my lord," she replied, twining her arms around his neck.

"Really?" he said, his eyebrows arching above very blue eyes. "What was I doing, then?"

"This, Edward," she said, threading her fingers through his thick blond hair and feathering a kiss across his lips.

"Ah, yes," he said, "I remember." His fingers began to remove one by one the pins that held her hair on top of her head. "I have noticed that you have not answered my question. I am determined that you shall marry me, Rosalind. As your guardian, I strongly disapprove of your present behavior with a man who is not even your betrothed. If you do not say yes immediately, I shall have to use coercion, you know." He brushed his lips tantalizingly across hers. "Well, what do you say?"

She looked down at him, her heart shining from her eyes. "You had better try coercion, my lord," she said, shaking her hair loose as he removed the last hairpin.