Read Online Courting His Countess (A Historical Romance Novella) by C.J. Archer - Free Book Online Page B

not before Rose saw the tears
in her eyes.
    At least someone could cry. Rose had not
been able to in the two days since Thomas had given his latest
apology. Her heart and head felt numb. It was as if a bubble
surrounded her and his words had fallen on them only to bounce off.
She heard them but she couldn't feel them.
    "Thank you, Annie, it is a beautiful
gown."
    "Aye. Are you ready, my lady?"
    Rose nodded. She had pleaded illness the
previous night and the gown Thomas had provided for her to wear to
the evening's entertainments went unworn. It was nothing compared
to the one he'd procured for her for the New Year's Eve ball. The
cloth of silver bodice and forepart were embroidered with pale blue
thread and dotted with the newly added pearls. The sleeves and
overskirt complimented them beautifully in pale blue silk with
silver embroidery. A ruff fanned out behind her neck, leaving her
throat and décolletage bare. Perfect to display her Christmas gift
from her husband.
    "The necklace please, Annie."
    With a little sigh of pleasure, Annie placed
the gold band around Rose's neck. Rose wiped her thumb over the
sapphire nestled against her bust like a fat tear. It was already
warm from the heat of the room and her skin.
    "He won't be able to take his eyes off you
tonight, my lady," Annie said, smiling sadly. "No man will. Better
watch Her Majesty doesn't get jealous."
    "Annie, hold your tongue. These walls have
ears."
    Once her hair was fixed in place, Rose went
in search of her husband. She didn't find him in the great hall
where dozens of couples danced the Galliard. Nor was he in the
library or the nearby rooms. Perhaps he was still in his rooms or
outside or...oh lord, where was he? Panic churned her gut.
Thomas was her rock at court, the one solid thing in a strange,
ever-shifting world. Why had he left her?
    She stopped her search in the roofed gallery
running alongside the courtyard. The cold wind snapped at her
cheeks and bare shoulders and teased her hair in an attempt to
dislodge the pins. Snow twirled more erratically than any of the
dancers inside and finally settled on the flagstones at the
gallery's edge. It was freezing but Rose breathed deeply, dampening
the fear clutching at her insides. A gentleman strode past, bowed
politely and asked if he could be of assistance. She shook her head
and walked away. She looked out to the courtyard, lit by torches
fighting for survival in the wind and snow, but there was no one
there who resembled her husband. No one tall enough, commanding
enough, handsome enough. She stamped down on the dense foreboding
as it welled again.
    "Ah, there you are, Lady Avondale."
    Rose lifted her eyes to the gallery's
ceiling and prayed for resilience. "What do you want, Lady
Mossdale?"
    "Oh dear, you sound quite upset. Is there
something I can do?" The towering beauty's smile wasn't at all
sympathetic or comforting. It was malicious. She was up to
something.
    Rose turned on a smile to match. "I was
simply taking in the air."
    "Oh? Not looking for your husband?"
    "Do you know where he is?" Rose winced at
how desperate she sounded. There was no doubt it was the question
Temperance wanted her to ask and doing what the wasp wanted was the
last thing Rose liked to do.
    Temperance waved a hand at the door. The
garnets in each of her rings flashed red in the flickering
torchlight. "He's with the queen and her advisors in the audience
chamber. Shall we wait for him together?"
    "Thank you, but I'll go to him on my own."
Rose ignored the arm Temperance offered and strode past her.
    "You can't go into the audience chamber
uninvited."
    Rose walked on, back into the great hall
where the fiddle and lute wove merry tunes for the dancers, and fat
gentlemen stood at tables overflowing with comfits, tarts and
cakes. She felt their eyes on her and she wished her gown was more
demure. She wished she was anywhere but at Richmond Palace with its
idle, indulged nobles and their constant desire for
entertainment.
    She