His Innocent Rose (Hinley Manor Book 1)

Chapter 44: Noble guests

Once she was back within Lucille's sights, Dathan went off making up excuses about an important matter to be discussed with some other lord in attendance. Em let him go, hoping he won't be thinking of another attempt to lure her away.

"...my son can be quite protective sometimes." Lucille said, "He may not show it but he acts like a good brother or father. He may not be the sweetest gentleman out there but he does care a lot. In his own ways."

Em did not grasp the entire sentence but she assumed that it was meant for her. "He is quite a gentleman tonight, my lady. There had been no jokes or incoherent subjects so far."

"Hmm...are we talking about the same son of mine, Rose? That does not sound like Dathan."

"Indeed. But he can behave if he wished to. He is very intelligent yet brutally honest at the same time." Which would explain why he was one to never beat around the bush, Dathan was someone who would speak his mind.

"I agree. But sometimes I wish he wasn't too intelligent and be like a regular man like the others." Lucille started walking around and Em trailed behind her. "It would be wonderful to see him stutter infront of a lady, just once, and not appear too aggressive. There may be a lot of women considering him as a husband but he would soon scare them away."

"But not all women like the idea of men spewing poetry all the time. Sweet words can be taught and learned, together with courtesy and gratitude as well. Some prefer honesty, too."

"So men who are bred to be gentle and kind are just what...too refined? Does it bore you to see such charade?"

"No, my lady. I only meant, some men can be a prince  charming one day and be a dragon the next. Its the pretense that discourages me. But Dathan is merely showing his true nature. At the end of the day, what matters is that we know their true colors."

Lucille waved at some acquaintances before turning back to her. "But it would be nice to see a man act like one, a prince charming I mean, wouldn't you agree?"

Em blinked. Could she imagine Dathan that way? She figured she could not and preferred not to. She knew how he was like and she accepted him just as he is. If he were to turn into something like a gentle, sweet thing, "It wouldn't be him."

Lucille smiled. "Yes, it won't be my Dathan."

They were quite after that as Vincent came with his friends. Her mistress' attention was turned elsewhere but she was not free to go—yet.

"Count Mondiego, you have not met my dear companion have you?" She heard Lucille say.

The blonde haired man with a slightly balding head turned to them. His gray eyes squinting against the candle light. "A friend of yours, Lucille?"

"Yes, I brought a sweet little thing with me." She pulled Em by the hand so she could come forward, "Meet Rose Roderick."

The count smiled at her and at that moment, he looked younger. "Pleasure to meet you, Miss Roderick." His wrinkled hands held hers before gently planting a kiss on the back of her palm. The lines on his face seemed to give her a glimpse of how he looked like before. And she couldn't shake the feeling how familiar he looked.

"Pleasure is mine, your grace." She curtsied.

"Ahhh, what a lovely young lady she is. I'm afraid she does not belong here."

Em's ears perked. What did the count mean? Vincent and Lucille were stunned as well.

"Whyever do you say that, count?" Vincent asked.

"Well, for starters, she is young and we are old. She ought to be introduced around the bachelors. Not with shriveled nobles like us, she should be out there."