"There are only 3 things that can make your dreams come true: your thoughts, your words, and your actions." Mike Dooley
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Chapter Three
Rose's sleep that night was light as she couldn't stop thinking about what Derek had said.
I would.
Though Charlotte had never made her feel inferior, Rose had always felt as though she'd grown up in her shadow. It was only natural, after such a disastrous and humiliating season, for her voice to fall into the shadows as well.
To have someone like Derek, a successful and respected businessman, talk directly to her and tell her that she needed to speak up made her feel quite ... giddy.
She was quite tired when the sun rose the next morning, and her bedroom door opened promptly as seven o'clock chimed. It wasn't her maid, Gabrielle, though, as she hadn't rung the bell. It was Charlotte.
She climbed into bed with Rose and sighed, sounding as lethargic as Rose felt, but for different reasons. "Good morning, my love," murmured Charlotte as she cuddled up to Rose.
"Georgie?" Rose guessed.
Charlotte nodded. "Nate might as well be a corpse. Georgie screams and he doesn't hear her. I just want to sleep, five minutes please."
Before Rose had the opportunity to answer, Charlotte's breathing become even and deep as she drifted off to sleep. Rose knew that Georgie wouldn't always be difficult. Edward wasn't. She would soon learn to sleep through the night.
Rose carefully slipped out of bed and rang the bell for her lady's maid. Traditionally, married women were served breakfast in bed and unmarried women dined downstairs with the family, but Rose thought that she and Charlotte would both remain upstairs for the duration of the morning. She deserved a little break away from the children. Rose admired her for refusing to hire a nanny, but every mother needed some time away every so often. Nate was a wonderful and doting father, and he could take care of the little ones for an hour or so.
Ten minutes later, Rose's lady's maid, Gabrielle Chamberlain, arrived at Rose's door. Gabrielle was a few years older than Rose was, and had originally worked as a housemaid in London while taking courses to secure work as a lady's maid. She was a skilled and loyal maid, but she and Rose were not confidantes, not like Bess and Anna were.
"Good morning, milady," Gabrielle greeted, smiling. She was a pretty, young lady with auburn coloured hair and warm, hazel eyes. "Shall I have a bath brought up or are you ready to dress? Breakfast is not for a little while. Would you like some tea in the meantime?"
"Good morning, Gabrielle," Rose replied. "No, Lady Montrose and I will have our breakfast upstairs today. Could you ask Mrs Weston for some eggs and some fresh bread and butter?"
"Of course, milady." Gabrielle nodded. "Will there be anything else?"
"No, that's all for now." Rose smiled.
Gabrielle curtseyed and then retreated back down the hallway.
Rose closed the door and then decided to dress herself. She selected a simple button-down gown that she could fix herself and then laced herself as best she could into her corset. The gown, a day dress, was a pale green and embroidered with a similar coloured cotton along the hem and over the bodice. The sleeves were short, which was comfortable considering the September weather was still quite warm.
Rose brushed her long, dark hair and twisted it to the best of her ability on top of her head and fixed it with some hair pins.
She looked back at Charlotte in her bed who looked practically unconscious. The poor thing was exhausted.
Twenty minutes later, Gabrielle arrived back upstairs with her breakfast tray and she set it on the table beside the settee and fireplace.
"Could you tell His Grace and Lord Montrose where we are if they ask?"
"Yes, milady," replied Gabrielle. "Is she alright?" she asked timidly, gesturing to the sleeping Charlotte. "Shall I ask Mr Hartley to call for the doctor?"
"No, she's just tired," Rose assured her.
"Very good, milady." Gabrielle curtseyed once more.
"I will ring if I need anything else. Thank you, Gabrielle." Rose then dismissed her. She went over to inspect the breakfast tray and hungrily spread some butter onto the freshly baked bread. She loved it when it was still warm. She then cracked a boiled egg with her spoon and then salted it. Breakfast in the comfort of her own bedchamber was a treat.
Once she'd finished her breakfast, she covered Charlotte's so that it would remain warm. As she sat idly, her thoughts drifted to Derek, as they had so many times during the night.
Perhaps it was presumptuous of her, but she didn't believe that a man like him would have ever given her the time of day. She was twenty years old and a lacklustre debutante, proficient in embroidery and the pianoforte. She was small and unassuming with a less than impressive face. The only tempting part of her was the thirty thousand pounds that would be given to the man who would eventually marry her. Though that was unlikely to happen.
Derek Montgomery was a clever man with an incredible knowledge of how to make things profitable. He looked sensible, experienced and worldly, with other thoughts occupying his head aside from whether he would ever marry or not. Although he could. The longer Rose thought of him, the more she thought him handsome. Unconventionally, perhaps, as he did not have the conceit that came with the handsome men she'd encountered in London. He had a nice, kind face with a strong jaw and a lovely head of hair with such sincere green eyes.
"Why do you look so quizzical?" Charlotte asked, yawning, as she sat up in Rose's bed. "What is perplexing you so?"
"Do you think that Mr Montgomery is handsome?" Rose asked her, genuinely curious as to what her sister thought.
Charlotte furrowed her brow. "I suppose so, though I didn't realise you enjoyed men of a certain age, Rosie." She smirked.
Rose's eyes widened. "I didn't mean the elder Mr Montgomery," she clarified. "Derek."
"Oh," Charlotte realised. She climbed down from the bed and made her way over to Rose, rubbing her eyes. "Yes, I think he is. He's a little reserved though, don't you agree? I'd wager him a very hard man to get to know and understand."
"Do you think me an easy person to understand?" Rose continued to question, remembering how Derek had mentioned that he'd noticed she wasn't able to hide her thoughts, even if she didn't voice them.
"Yes, I do." Charlotte nodded. "Because you are so pure of heart." She smiled. "But Rosie, where is all this coming from?" Charlotte queried. Charlotte uncovered the breakfast tray and immediately selected an egg to eat.
"Nowhere," Rose replied. "I was only wondering."
Charlotte smiled slyly. "Rosie, have you taken a fancy to our guest?"
"No!" she retorted. She was intrigued, but she certainly didn't fancy him. After all, she barely knew him.
"Alright." Rose could tell that Charlotte didn't believe her.
***
Rose helped Charlotte dress for the day and Charlotte, in turn, fixed Rose's hair. Rose was left to walk downstairs by herself though as Charlotte had to returned to tend to her children's needs for the morning.
"Where were you this morning?" Emmett asked her as she reached the foyer. He was dressed to go out, wearing his travelling coat and top hat.
"With Charlotte," replied Rose. "Where are you going?"
"Pendleton Park," answered Emmett. "Stephen and Derek wish to inspect it further."
"How long will they be staying here?" Rose asked, purely out of curiosity.
"Why? Are you itching to get rid of us?" Derek asked.
Both Emmett and Rose turned around to see Derek and Stephen descending the stairs wearing their day suits and travelling coats.
"Not at all," Rose stammered, feeling flustered and embarrassed.
Derek chuckled. "We won't be imposing on you for too long, I promise, Lady Rose. Just as soon as Pendleton Park is suitable, we'll be residing there, and just as soon as it is profitable we'll be going back home."
Rose knew it wasn't feasible to imagine that their guests would be staying in England permanently, but she couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed.
"I don't know," Stephen said, slapping his son lightly on the shoulder. "I like it here. It's quiet. Peaceful."
"Someone alert Mr Hartley," Marie announced. "We've a rodent in the foyer." Marie looked more glamorous than usual as she swept into the room. Her dark hair, she same shade as Rose's, was curled and pinned around a tiara encrusted with red rubies, the same shade as the gown she wore. The tight bodice of the waist emphasised the feminine figure she still had. She looked upon Stephen with disdain.
"Did I say peaceful? I meant hellish," retorted an amused Stephen.
"Mother!" exclaimed Emmett. "Honestly, you are being sorude. These are my guests and I am the head of this house!"
Stephen didn't seem to take offense. Instead he laughed. "I bathed this morning, Your Grace," he replied, using the address that Marie had insisted upon.
"Mama," Rose said, finding her voice. "How is the future Duke of Ascot in Davy supposed to learn about respect when his own Grandmamma cannot be polite to a man who has done her no wrong?" Rose had never spoken to her mother about her behaviour before. She'd never dared. She'd wanted to so many times as she'd grown up but she'd kept quiet. But she had a voice, and she needed to speak up. Marie needed to know that she couldn't treat people that way.
Marie's dark eyes narrowed as she glared at Rose. Rose instantly felt two inches tall. "Hold your tongue," she snapped.
Nate had caught Marie's angry reply as he'd started down the stairs as well, carrying Georgie in one arm and holding Maggie's hand with the other. Charlotte was behind him with Edward. "Marie," he called. "Let us all calm down and separate for the day. We are going to take our leave as Maggie's lessons are to start soon. Derek, are you still able to review Montrose's legers later today?"
Marie huffed impatiently as she stormed towards the library where Rose knew she would remain all day to sulk.
"Absolutely." Derek nodded. "In fact, why doesn't Lady Rose come with us to Pendleton Park? Afterwards I can escort her to Montrose so that she may visit with her sister," Derek suggested.
Rose definitely wanted to be away from Ascot if her mother was to behave sourly all day. She didn't know why she disliked Stephen so. Perhaps Marie was just distrustful of men in general. Emmett and Nate were the only two men she tolerated.
"Rosie doesn't want to spend the day talking about business," Emmett replied, sounding as if the idea was ridiculous. "Why don't you go to Montrose with Nate and Charlotte now?" he told Rose.
Rose caught Derek's eye in that moment. He arched his eyebrow ever so slightly and she knew what he was thinking. Perhaps he wasn't so hard to understand. Not always, anyway. "Actually, I would like to go," Rose said firmly. "Will you wait while I fetch my coat?"
"Of course we will," Derek replied.
Once Rose was properly dressed, wearing a travelling coat, gloves and a bonnet, they set off towards Pendleton Park.
"Whatever happened to that woman?" Stephen remarked. "Has your mother always been this way?"
Emmett took Rose's hand as he spoke. "No," he replied. "I'm told my mother was quite kind a long time ago. She had a sense of a humour." Rose had never known that side of her mother. Neither had Emmett. "Stephen, my father happened to my mother," he said simply. "You see, we aristocrats marry for financial gain. We marry for power and to climb the social ladder. Love is rare, almost unheard of."
"Is that how it was when you married your wife?" Derek asked. "Because she seems very warm."
Emmett laughed lightly. "I was fortunate. I didn't know it at first, but I have married for love. Mother thought she had too. She was born in Northumberland. Northumberland is the northernmost county in England, and she had a very distinct accent. She was also nothing more than a pauper. But she was happy with nothing. Could you believe that?"
"The woman who traipsed downstairs wearing a crown? Hardly," chuckled Stephen. "I'd wager your mother requires a lot of effort to keep happy."
"She does now," Rose murmured.
"She didn't always," Emmett added. "Mother, like any other young girl, wanted to be loved, and she thought she was loved when she accepted my father's proposal. He only desired her for her beauty and when he tired of her, Mother realised her true worth. She had produced an heir in me and he no longer needed her."
"That's terrible," remarked Stephen. "And she became like this?"
"She did everything in her power to refine herself but my father didn't care," Emmett continued. "My mother's impossible. She's rude and at times cruel, but she despises herself more than she despises others."
Stephen looked as though he felt incredibly sorry for Marie, but Rose knew if he mentioned John Wilde then Marie would most definitely explode.
"How did you handle her growing up?" Derek asked Rose. "I had some terrible arguments with my mother as a boy, but she was always kind and nurturing."
"We never really saw her," Rose replied truthfully. "Emmett raised Charlotte and I. He was both a mother and father to us." Rose looked up at her brother affectionately. No matter what, he would always be her favourite man in the world, the one she could always depend on.
"Pa," Derek said after a moment of silence. "I am so sorry for any lip I ever gave you."
Stephen laughed heartily. "You were a good boy, Derek, and an even better man."
Derek smiled widely, causing the skin around his eyes to crinkle endearingly. "I don't think I will ever understand the dynamics of the British aristocracy. The families are very complicated."
"And ours isn't?" Stephen murmured.
"Don't," muttered Derek in reply.
Rose thought his reaction was curious. Was his mother's death why he was so reserved? Rose couldn't empathise. When her father died, it felt as though she hadn't lost any more than a stranger.
"We have a relatively normal family," Emmett interjected. "I raised two beautiful, intelligent, kind and considerate young girls. I married the only woman who has ever challenged me. My best friend and I grew up as brothers, and he is now my brother-in-law. And I have the three most incredible children. We didn't have parents. But we didn't suffer for it."
"You consider yourself lucky?" Derek deduced.
"Exceptionally," replied Emmett with a smile. "Look here," he said, gesturing to Rose. "Did I not do well?"
"You did very well," commended Derek.
"Mama's not all bad, though," Rose insisted, feeling the need to defend her mother, and also to save Stephen from thinking he should never say anything to Marie. "She loves us fiercely. She just doesn't show it well."
Just as Pendleton Park came into view, Stephen replied to Rose. "Oh, trust me, Lady Rose, we know all about betrayal in this family."
For the first time, Rose saw a spark of anger flash through Derek's eyes. "I told you to stop," he snapped.
The carriage came to a halt and Derek climbed out quickly, leaving Rose and Emmett bewildered, and Stephen looking incredibly guilty.