always been mine.”
How easily she was swept back into the obsession that had once nearly destroyed her.
She did love Leopold, still. She had never stopped. She had only convinced herself
that she hated him in order to survive.
“It would cause a terrible scandal,” she said, as she arched her back beneath him
and nearly fainted at the pleasure of his lips on her throat. “I don’t know what Randolph
would say.”
“Tell him you love me. Tell him you will be miserable if you are forced to marry a
man you do not love.”
It was a sobering thought to imagine such a conversation. And what of Joseph? How
would she ever explain it to him? He thought the world of her. He believed her to
be virtuous and dutiful and pure of heart. What would he say if he could see her now,
thrusting her body wantonly in the throes of passion with an ex-lover in the grass?
Oh God, what was she doing?
“Please stop.” She placed her open palms on Leopold’s chest. “This is wrong. Let me
up.”
Scrambling to her feet, she smoothed out her skirt and picked up her hat. Pressing
it firmly back onto her head and tucking in a few loose tendrils of hair, she strode
toward Zeus.
“Rose, wait,” Leopold said. “Do not do this.”
She whirled around to face him. “Do what? Come to my senses? Remember my betrothal?
I don’t know what just happened, but I’m not that sort of woman. I lost my head.”
She took hold of Zeus’s lead rope and walked him to a fallen tree, where she stepped
up onto the trunk and mounted into the sidesaddle without assistance.
Her father would be so disappointed in her. Was he watching her from heaven above?
Did he know what she had done this morning?
She wheeled Zeus around to steer him to the path that would take her home, but Leopold
grabbed hold of the bridle. Zeus tossed his head and trotted backward, but Leo would
not set them free.
“I must escort you back,” he said.
“That is not necessary. I know my way.”
“I gave my word to your groom, and we cannot part like this.”
Her heart was racing. She took a few deep breaths and fought to calm herself. “Very
well, then. We must return together and behave as if nothing improper has occurred.
Please do not betray me, Leopold. I need time to consider all of this.”
“I am your servant in all ways,” he replied. “I will wait forever if I must.”
Zeus stomped restlessly and reared up, forcing Leopold to release them and step aside.
“You may catch up to me in the meadow beyond the wood,” she said. “But I must leave
you now. Without any promises.”
Responding to the firm kick of her heel, Zeus carried her across the clearing into
the cool shelter of the forest. Only then did she slow him to a walk and shut her
eyes.
Leopold would soon follow and be upon her. She must strive to regain her sanity and
think rationally. She was a royal princess and had agreed to a political marriage
that would benefit her brother’s realm.
She loved Randolph. He was the best brother in the world.
Her father had sanctioned the marriage. He was not alive to advise her now, which
was a tragic circumstance, for he had always put her happiness and well-being above
all.
But happiness and well-being were sometimes two very different things.
She was not entirely certain that Leopold was good for her. He had caused her terrible
pain in the past.
Her father had never known of it, for their affair was kept secret from everyone except
Nicholas. Though she suspected Randolph knew. She could never confess it to her father,
for it was wicked and wanton. She had desired Leopold so desperately that she had
sneaked through the secret passages of his father’s manor house to visit him in his
bedchamber and spend the night with him.
Not unlike what she had done this morning by agreeing to a secret rendezvous in the
woods.
What was it about Lord Cavanaugh that brought out the worst in her? She was not a
How easily she was swept back into the obsession that had once nearly destroyed her.
She did love Leopold, still. She had never stopped. She had only convinced herself
that she hated him in order to survive.
“It would cause a terrible scandal,” she said, as she arched her back beneath him
and nearly fainted at the pleasure of his lips on her throat. “I don’t know what Randolph
would say.”
“Tell him you love me. Tell him you will be miserable if you are forced to marry a
man you do not love.”
It was a sobering thought to imagine such a conversation. And what of Joseph? How
would she ever explain it to him? He thought the world of her. He believed her to
be virtuous and dutiful and pure of heart. What would he say if he could see her now,
thrusting her body wantonly in the throes of passion with an ex-lover in the grass?
Oh God, what was she doing?
“Please stop.” She placed her open palms on Leopold’s chest. “This is wrong. Let me
up.”
Scrambling to her feet, she smoothed out her skirt and picked up her hat. Pressing
it firmly back onto her head and tucking in a few loose tendrils of hair, she strode
toward Zeus.
“Rose, wait,” Leopold said. “Do not do this.”
She whirled around to face him. “Do what? Come to my senses? Remember my betrothal?
I don’t know what just happened, but I’m not that sort of woman. I lost my head.”
She took hold of Zeus’s lead rope and walked him to a fallen tree, where she stepped
up onto the trunk and mounted into the sidesaddle without assistance.
Her father would be so disappointed in her. Was he watching her from heaven above?
Did he know what she had done this morning?
She wheeled Zeus around to steer him to the path that would take her home, but Leopold
grabbed hold of the bridle. Zeus tossed his head and trotted backward, but Leo would
not set them free.
“I must escort you back,” he said.
“That is not necessary. I know my way.”
“I gave my word to your groom, and we cannot part like this.”
Her heart was racing. She took a few deep breaths and fought to calm herself. “Very
well, then. We must return together and behave as if nothing improper has occurred.
Please do not betray me, Leopold. I need time to consider all of this.”
“I am your servant in all ways,” he replied. “I will wait forever if I must.”
Zeus stomped restlessly and reared up, forcing Leopold to release them and step aside.
“You may catch up to me in the meadow beyond the wood,” she said. “But I must leave
you now. Without any promises.”
Responding to the firm kick of her heel, Zeus carried her across the clearing into
the cool shelter of the forest. Only then did she slow him to a walk and shut her
eyes.
Leopold would soon follow and be upon her. She must strive to regain her sanity and
think rationally. She was a royal princess and had agreed to a political marriage
that would benefit her brother’s realm.
She loved Randolph. He was the best brother in the world.
Her father had sanctioned the marriage. He was not alive to advise her now, which
was a tragic circumstance, for he had always put her happiness and well-being above
all.
But happiness and well-being were sometimes two very different things.
She was not entirely certain that Leopold was good for her. He had caused her terrible
pain in the past.
Her father had never known of it, for their affair was kept secret from everyone except
Nicholas. Though she suspected Randolph knew. She could never confess it to her father,
for it was wicked and wanton. She had desired Leopold so desperately that she had
sneaked through the secret passages of his father’s manor house to visit him in his
bedchamber and spend the night with him.
Not unlike what she had done this morning by agreeing to a secret rendezvous in the
woods.
What was it about Lord Cavanaugh that brought out the worst in her? She was not a
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