Rowan looked at the two expectant won sitting before him. He knew he was completely trapped. He knew he would absolutely not be allowed to escape to his private bedchamber until he answered their many questions.
He leaned his head back against the soft fabric of the tall chair. He decided to turn to Aunt Margery to answer her practical questions first, hoping to ease her mind.
"The living condition in the countryside was perfectly fine, Aunt," Rowan began. He kept his voice completely calm, smooth, and steady to soothe her deep worries. "Please do not fret. I booked the very best, largest room in the absolute best inn they had. The innkeeper was very respectful, and I was completely comfortable."
He paused for a second, ensuring she heard him clearly.
"The als were completely to my liking," Rowan continued smoothly, checking off her questions one by one. "The food was warm and fresh. No, I am absolutely not sick. I did not catch a chill on the road, I am just exhausted."
He looked directly into Aunt Margery’s eyes, knowing exactly what she truly cared about the most.
"And Delaney is fine," Rowan said softly, a genuine smile touching his lips. "She is perfectly safe. She arrived at Oakridge Manor without any trouble. The house is very warm, the fireplaces are lit, and the new servants are treating her exactly like the true lady she is. She is recovering wonderfully."
Aunt Margery let out a massive sigh of relief. She closed her eyes and pressed her hand firmly against her chest, right over her beating heart.
"Oh, thank the heavens," Aunt Margery said, her face relaxing completely. She offered a happy, contented smile. "That is very good news. I have been worrying myself completely sick over that sweet girl. I am so glad she is finally safe in her own ho."
With the practical matters of health and safety fully settled, the atmosphere in the drawing room shifted completely. The worry vanished, replaced entirely by romantic curiosity.
Ines leaned forward even more eagerly. She rested her elbows directly on her knees and rested her chin in the palms of her hands. She looked directly at Rowan. A highly wicked, entirely mischievous smile played on her pink lips. She was completely ready for her own questions to be answered.
Rowan groaned loudly. He threw his head back completely against the tall back of the velvet chair. He stared straight up at the painted ceiling, desperately wishing he was back in the quiet, peaceful country gardens.
"Co on, brother," Ines teased him lightly. She raised her brow in a challenging manner. Her smile widened significantly, showing her perfectly white teeth. "Do not be shy now. We are family. Tell us exactly how the courtship went."
Rowan kept his eyes fixed entirely on the ceiling. He decided to answer in short, clipped, very basic sentences, hoping to satisfy her quickly so he could finally go to sleep.
"The courting went perfectly fine," Rowan replied flatly, his voice lacking any dramatic detail. "We took a stroll in the gardens. We attended the local theater. It was all very proper."
He sighed, knowing he had to answer her specific questions.
"Yes, her Aunt Renee was deeply impressed by my manners," Rowan continued, staring at the ceiling plaster. "I brought her a bouquet of flowers, and she seed to appreciate the gesture."
Rowan’s voice softened slightly, completely against his own will, despite his deep physical exhaustion. The beautiful mory of Delaney standing in the pale yellow silk dress, and later in the deep sapphire blue evening gown, completely crossed his mind.
"Delaney has always been beautiful," Rowan finished softly, his tone turning incredibly tender. "But yes, Ines, she looked incredibly radiant. She is very happy to be back in her true ho."
Ines listened carefully. She was not entirely satisfied with his short, boring, highly polite answers. She wanted the scandalous, romantic, intimate details. She wanted to know the true depth of their passion.
Ines leaned even closer. She narrowed her eyes playfully. She took a deep breath and asked another, highly direct, entirely bold question.
"Did you two kiss?" Ines asked clearly.
The blunt question completely shattered the polite, quiet atmosphere of the formal drawing room.
Rowan’s head snapped down from the ceiling instantly. His eyes widened in shock. A sudden,huge rush of burning heat flooded his face entirely. His pale cheeks, usually so composed began turning a bright, completely noticeable shade of red. The intense blush spread quickly down his neck, disappearing beneath his white cravat.
He could not help it. His mind instantly betrayed him. He rembered the wild, desperate, passionate kiss they had shared in the hidden stone alcove. He rembered pulling her against his chest, the feeling of her soft fingers in his hair, the taste of her red lip stain, and the soft, helpless moan she had muffled against his mouth.
His face burned hotter at the vivid mory.
Before Rowan could even formulate a proper, polite denial, Aunt Margery reacted.
Aunt Margery gasped loudly. It was a sharp intake of breath conveying shock.
Aunt Margery turned to Ines instantly. Her face was entirely horrified by the incredibly bold scandalous question. She imdiately began to scold the Duchess loudly.
"INES!!!" Aunt Margery shouted loudly, her voice echoing in the drawing room. She slapped her hand firmly against the arm of the velvet sofa in pure outrage.
"How absolutely scandalous!" Aunt Margery continued to scold her niece, her eyes wide with disbelief. "What a terrible, highly improper thing to ask your older brother!"
Aunt Margery clutched her pearl necklace tightly with her fingers, completely appalled by modern manners.
"They are not properly married yet!" Aunt Margery lectured strictly. "That is entirely improper behavior for a formal courtship! A true gentleman absolutely does not kiss a lady before the sacred wedding vows are spoken legally in a church!"
Rowan sat up completely straight in his chair. He was deeply grateful for his aunt’s loud interruption. It gave him a chance to recover.
He nervously cleared his throat loudly. He deliberately avoided his sister’s sharp, highly knowing gaze. He tried his absolute best to quickly hide his bright red blush and regain his Duke persona.
"Y...yes, Ines," Rowan stamred slightly. His deep voice cracked just a tiny bit, but he tried his absolute best to sound highly offended and completely innocent.
He pointed a slightly shaking finger directly at his sister.
"How could you possibly have such completely improper thoughts?" Rowan said, taking on a highly righteous tone. "Even as a married woman yourself, you must certainly rember the strict rules of polite society."
Aunt Margery nodded her head vigorously in complete agreent with her nephew.
"Exactly, Rowan," Aunt Margery spoke proudly, completely fooled by his innocent, stuttering act. She smoothed her purple silk skirts righteously. "During my younger days, absolutely no such thing happened unless you were fully and legally married. Young n simply held a lady’s gloved hand, perhaps offered a polite bow, and that was completely sufficient until the wedding night!"
Ines sat back slightly against the cushions of the sofa.
She looked at her older brother. She saw his bright red face. She saw his nervous, completely stiff posture. She saw the tiny, guilty twitch near the corner of his mouth. She saw the way he deliberately, carefully avoided looking directly into her eyes.
She knew him entirely too well. He was a terrible liar when it ca to matters of the heart.
Ines scoffed quietly, entirely internally. She did not make a single sound out loud, but her mind was racing with highly amused thoughts.
"Well," Ines thought to herself, a highly wicked, entirely private smile completely filling her mind. "Not everyone was exactly like Aunt Margery in their younger days."
She thought deeply about her own intense, highly passionate courtship with the Duke of Carleton. She rembered exactly what had happened behind the closed doors of the library studies before their own grand wedding.
"Not everyone was exactly like , either," Ines continued thinking happily to herself. She rembered the thrilling danger of breaking the strict society rules. She rembered sneaking into the library, hiding behind Carcel’s tutoring for experience, and tasting every single inch of Carcel’s mouth before the vicar even had a chance to bless the golden rings.
She knew exactly the burning heat of true desire. And she knew her brother felt that exact sa desire for Delaney.
Ines looked directly at Rowan again.
She knew exactly what happened. There was absolutely no way he had traveled all the way to the country, stood alone with her, and simply held her gloved hand like a boring old man.
"I am entirely sure he did it too," Ines concluded silently to herself. Her eyes sparkled with a victorious, highly amused, knowing light.
She decided to have a little bit of rcy on him. He looked completely panicked, and his blush was not fading. She did not press the highly scandalous question any further out loud. She would let him keep his small, passionate secret for now.
Ines simply smiled. It was a wide, highly satisfied smile.
Rowan saw her smile, and he knew instantly that she knew the truth. But he also knew she would not embarrass him further in front of their strict aunt.
Rowan let out a very slow, very careful breath. The interrogation was finally over.
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