Always a Rogue, Forever Her Love (Scandalous Seasons #4)(32)

He spread his hands before him. “It would be ungentlemanly for me to say such a thing about a lady.”

She smiled with motherly approval.

“Which is why I rather appreciate your saying it for me,” he finished, motioning a servant over.

The footman rushed forward to provide Jonathan a fresh, warm glass of coffee.

Mother tossed her arms up despairingly. “Then the Lady Diana Shorington. She is a diamond of the first water.”

Ah, yes, but what living, breathing man would desire a mere diamond when he could have a crimson ruby?

“You must at least promise to begin taking your responsibilities as earl seriously.”

“Don’t I always, Mother?”

“No, you don’t,” she said bluntly.

Jonathan blew on his steaming coffee. “You wound me, Mother. I did find Miss Marsh.” It was only a mere technicality that he’d in a way, won her at a game of cards. He took a sip.

She sighed. “You did find, Miss Marsh, I suppose,” she granted.

Which proved the perfect reprieve. He took a final sip, wincing as it scalded a path down his throat. “If you’ll excuse me, Mother? Patrina?”

“Where are you off to?” they called after him.

“I merely want to see how my three sisters are getting on with their lessons.”

More specifically, he cared to see Juliet. He grinned in anticipation of seeing the young lady who’d captivated him since…hell since she’d climbed up into his carriage, nothing more than a stranger.

Jonathan made his way through the house, toward the Ivory Parlor his sisters took their lessons in. His footsteps beat a quiet path along the thin red carpet lining the corridors. He studied that red carpet, never having appreciated just how dull the shade was…until Juliet. The young woman could set a room ablaze with her courage and crimson beauty.

He slowed to a halt as he reached the closed door, and turned his head sideways against the wood panel. Not that he was eavesdropping per se, but rather…

Oh, hell, he was eavesdropping.

He listened close for Juliet’s tears, prepared to storm the room and give his sisters a dressing down for their unruly behavior. By God, they would not drive her from this house. If they did, they’d not set foot in another shop, he’d swear it upon the title Sinclair. The door muffled what sounded much like a giggle. Or was it a whimper? Another giggle-whimper.

Jonathan listened closer.





Poppy peeked over Penelope’s shoulder. “That is horrid.”

Penelope frowned and studied the page in front of her. “It is not.” She growled. Then with a “humph” she tore the page out, crinkled it into a neat little ball, and tossed it to the floor.

Amidst an ever growing pile.

Juliet stared at the mound for a moment with pained regret. She’d assured Jonathan they had enough supplies, but that had been before Penelope had made her way through most of one of Juliet’s sketchpads. “It is not horrid, Lady Penelope,” Juliet assured her.

“Aren’t you supposed to instruct us on how to sketch?” Prudence called out from her spot beside Poppy on the ivory sofa.

Juliet walked over to the seat, trailing her fingertips along the richly upholstered furniture. “Is that what you would like, Prudence? Would you like me to tell you what to sketch?”

“Well, isn’t that your role?” Prudence tossed back. “Isn’t that what governesses do? Instruct young ladies on what is expected of them?”

Instruct young ladies on what is expected of them. Yes, Juliet suspected their well-ordered world had very specific expectations of a young lady. What to paint…how to dress…how to laugh, even. Juliet leaned down and said softly, close to the girl’s ears. “But where is the fun in that?” The one joy she’d found in life had come at the freedom Papa had given her to express upon the blank pages of numerous sketchpads.

“If you’re a proficient artist, Miss Marsh, then why’ve we not seen your work?” Penelope said with a heavy dose of skepticism.

Juliet’s lips twitched. “Would you like me to provide samples of my work?”

The three girls exchanged a look. Prudence nodded for them.

Juliet slid into the vacant King Louis XIV chair and reached for a sketchpad. She shuffled through the pages until she came upon a blank sheet. She sat there in silence for a long while running her charcoal across the sheet. “You see girls, I can tell you what to sketch or paint,” she murmured as her fingers danced upon the page. “I can tell you that ladies sketch floral arrangements.” Her fingers stilled, and she glanced up at the trio of enrapt stares. “Floral arrangements that a lady is, of course, expected to arrange.” She resumed her work, adding lines to the page. “I can demand you sketch that which I demand you sketch, but what would that serve to accomplish?” Juliet paused a moment to study the page with a critical eye. “You’ll despise me for stifling your ability to creatively express yourself, and more, you’ll detest art. You won’t see the beauty in it.” She added a line. “You won’t see the freedom in it.” She shifted the book on her lap and rubbed the charcoal back and forth. “You see, I far prefer these young ladies,” she turned the page out for the girls to examine.

Prudence, Penelope, and Poppy all wordlessly leaned forward in their seats to examine the animated girls captured upon the page. Wide, unabashed smiles wreathed their cheeks, merriment danced in their eyes.