Rose in Bloom (Sex and the Season #2)(35)

“I’ll give them dowries. I’ll take care of all of you now.”

“But what of your own children?”

“My children will not suffer, I promise you. We are well off. Jacob and Evan both receive substantial annual allowances, and Miranda married well and is no longer my responsibility. I have plenty, darling, and I want to share it with you.”

Iris sniffed, her eyes misting. “But I have nothing, David.”

“How can you say that? You have yourself. You’re are all I’ve dreamed of for twenty years.”

“I’m afraid I come with a lot of…baggage.”

“I’m not afraid of baggage, my Iris. The only fear I have is losing you again.”

She smiled weakly, her heart pounding. “Oh, David. I do love you.”

“Then you’ll be my wife?”

“Yes. Yes, yes, yes!” She kissed his face, his neck, his chest. “I never thought I’d know true happiness.”

“Nor did I, my love. But we both will. For the rest of our lives.”

Iris leaped out of bed. “I want to bathe and dress. I want to go downstairs and tell everyone our news.”

David chuckled softly. “Whatever you wish.”



Cameron busily scraped his quill on parchment, putting the last notation on his ballad for Rose. He titled it Wandering Rose, in memory of how she had danced before him in her sheer pink veiling in his dream. Dawn had broken several hours before, and he heard Tricia stirring in her chamber. He had been up for hours, working through the tune on the pianoforte and scribbling notes and chords. The work was nearly complete. It was both the easiest and the most difficult piece he’d ever written.

“Do you want some tea, Cam?” Tricia asked, padding out into the sitting room in her nightdress.

“Yes, thank you.”

“What are you doing?”

“Working on a composition. I’m sorry if I disturbed you last night.”

“I heard the pianoforte now and then, but you didn’t disturb me. I haven’t been sleeping all that well anyway.”

“Neither have I.”

“Cam, do you think we could ride into Bath and see Kat today?”

He smiled at his sister. “You know, I had a very productive night. I think there is time to go see Kat today.”

Tricia gave him a quick hug. “That’s wonderful. I do miss her. I know she’s in good hands, but it’s frightening, not knowing what is wrong with her.”

“Yes, I know.”

“Cam…”

“Hmm?”

“How are we going to…? That is, where will the money come from for Kat’s care?”

Cameron took a breath before answering. “Don’t worry about it. I have it under control.”

“How?”

“I got another commission, and I just completed it.” He set down the parchment. “I need to go to Bath anyway to get some new quills and parchment so I can make my final copy.” He sighed. “This is my best work ever,” he said, more to himself than to his sister.

“Who commissioned the work?” Tricia asked.

An invisible knife stabbed him in the gut. “Just some stuffy aristocrat. He wants to use my music to propose to his future wife.”

Tricia brought him his tea. “Cam?”

“Hmm?”

“I was wondering… What happened between you and Lady Rose?”

Cameron took a sip of his tea and cleared his throat. Just the topic he didn’t want to discuss. “What do you mean?”

“I’m not a child, Cameron. I saw the way things were between you.”

“You’re imagining things.”

“I don’t think so.”

“She’s a lady of the peerage. She has no interest in me, nor I in her. Now leave it, will you?”

“Cam,” Tricia said, “that night she stayed here, when we thought Kat had scarlet fever, I got up in the middle of the night to use the convenience, and then I checked on Kat. Mum had fallen asleep next to her, and Kat was awake. She asked for you, so I went to your chamber, but you weren’t there. So I went back to Kat, but she had fallen asleep.”

“Trish…”

“I didn’t think much about it, but since Lady Rose left, you’ve seemed so…lost.”

“I’m just worried about Kat, the same as you.”

“Why have you never married, Cam?”

Marry? How could he marry when he bore the responsibility for her, Kat, and their mother? He’d never even considered it until Rose. And now…well, he’d never marry. If he couldn’t have the woman he loved, he didn’t want any substitute. “None of your business.”

“There are scads of pretty maidens who adore you, but you’ve never given any of them a look. But the way you looked at Lady Rose…”

“Tricia, I’m only going to say this one more time. There is nothing between Rose—er, Lady Rose—and me. And you’re only fifteen years old! This isn’t any of your concern.”

She smiled. “You know, many maidens marry at fifteen.”

“You won’t, however.” Not while I live.

“Perhaps I should. There’s no shortage of men vying for my favors, and then there would be one less mouth to feed around here.”