Page 23 of A Duke for Stealing (The Devil’s Masquerade #4)

Rose looked at him curiously for a moment before shaking her head.

“No. Even I must admit that you have great taste,” she replied.

Warmth radiated through him as he gave her an affectionate smile and offered her his hand.

“If you are finished with your lemonade, my dear, I should like very much to join in on the dancing under the tent,” he told her. “Let us show off your beautiful dress and our loving marriage.”

Rose’s curiosity seemed to deepen as she continued to look at him oddly, but she set down her empty glass of lemonade and accepted his hand.

“What was that all about?” Rose asked.

After his rather stiff retort toward Tristan Everett had led her to the dance area, they began their steps.

“Whatever do you mean?” Everett asked innocently, swaying her lightly to the music.

Rose’s brows drew down, then she darted her eyes over to where their friends now stood and watched.

“You know what I mean,” she whispered. “Tristan was just paying me a compliment, and you snapped at him.”

Rose was not surprised when Everett merely scoffed and rolled his eyes.

“You, of all people, are asking me this question? Miss Prim and Proper?”

Rose’s brows flew up in surprise as her mouth dropped open. As if amused by her response, Everett chortled and shook his head, then lightly spun her around to follow the steps of the dance.

“He was just being kind!” She whispered vehemently.

“He was being flirtatious,” Everett quickly replied, “With a married woman. My married woman.”

There was a hardness in his tone as Everett said the word my, and it caught Rose off guard. The way he said it with such possessiveness had her blushing furiously, and for a moment, she struggled to come up with a retort.

“It has been a moment since we’ve gotten to speak,” Everett said, changing the subject. “Tell me, how are you getting along with my nieces?”

Though thrown by the sudden subject change, Rose accepted it. It was better than wondering if her husband was actually jealous or not.

“Well, I believe,” she answered, “They truly are darling girls.”

She paused as the song ended, and for a moment after they bowed to one another, Rose simply stood in his arms.

“I believe they miss you, though,” she said softly.

Everett’s gaze finally softened away from his possessive look, and he nodded.

“Come, let us take a moment from our peers. Stroll with me through the gardens.”

Rose nodded, thankful to be out of sight of such inquisitive eyes, and allowed Everett to lead her away from the rest of the guests.

“In truth, I would like to spend more time with them as well,” he said as they strolled arm in arm. “I am just at a loss as to how to do so.”

He turned to her with his usual smirk.

“As you know, I am not so good with children,” he said with a laugh.

Rose’s lips twitched toward a smile, but she did not miss the sadness he was trying so hard to hide in his eyes.

“It is not just that, though, is it?” She asked, her tone gentle.

Everett turned his gaze on her, a look of awe taking over his handsome face.

“How is it you can see me so plainly?” He asked. “Even when I wear my mask of amusement, you seem to be able to see right through it.”

Rose let out a soft laugh.

“As you said while regaling the ton with our romantic tale, I have known you for years now. Even if I did not call you out on it back then, I began to decipher when you were flirting naturally and when you were using it to cover up deeper thoughts.”

Everett’s lips twitched toward a smirk, but did not quite make it.

“And you kept this to yourself?” He asked, “Even when I would goad you?”

“As you also said, I am quite prim and proper,” she replied, and felt a wave of happiness as it earned her a sincere laugh from Everett.

“So tell me,” she urged gently, “What is your hesitation with getting closer to the girls? Does it have something to do with your relationship with your brother?”

For a moment, they strolled in silence. Away from the party, the garden was quite peaceful with its colorful blooms and the soft hum of insects.

Rose took the moment to look around and was relieved to see that they were the only two who had seemed to wander away from the party.

She was grateful for Everett saving her, but even still, she did not enjoy parties the way he did.

“I told you my brother and I lived separately most of our lives,” Everett said at last, breaking the silence.

Rose quickly nodded.

“Yes, but you did not tell me why,” she answered.

For a moment, Everett appeared grim, as if an unpleasant memory flashed through his mind.

“I do not believe our mother was well,” he stated, leading them deeper into the flowers. “I have so few memories of her when we all lived together, but what I do remember was her constantly arguing with our father.”

Rose’s brows perked in surprise. She had never thought that she could relate to Everett so much.

“I would hear her saying that he was not raising Paul properly. That he was not well-groomed to take over the Dukedom when it was his time. I had tried, when I was younger, to ask Paul what we were to do, but he was always quick to rush to her defense. Then the arguing became so tumultuous that one day Paul and she just left.”

“Did you miss them?” She asked.

Everett shrugged.

“I had always felt as if my presence had been a burden to my mother,” he replied, “But I did miss Paul. I had always thought that, after our parents were gone, we would come together again. That never happened, though. By the time they passed, we were both grown and Paul had married.”

He paused, letting out a dry chuckle.

“That in itself was its own scandal. He’d fallen in love with a maid, Charity.”

Rose’s brows flew up in surprise. No servant had spoken of the previous Duchess’s past without intense reverence. She’d always just assumed that the woman had come from nobility.

“Oh, yes,” Everett went on, catching her surprised look, “It was all the talk for a while, at least. However, Paul was positively smitten with her, and Charity, well, she was dedicated to the idea of being a true lady, and she took on the role far better than most women who had been groomed from birth to assume the position. She quickly won the ton’s respect, and with Paul’s sharp mind and her kindness, they became one of the most well-honored couples of their day.

“I always meant to reach out, to find a way to be brothers once again But, by then I had established a life of my own. I missed their wedding. The birth of their twins. I missed…everything. Except for the funeral.”

Rose could hear the heavy guilt in Everett’s voice, and her heart went out to him. She could not help it- she liked this version of her husband. The one who did not hide behind amusement but instead shared his true feelings.

“Now I- we- are the only family the twins have left,” Everett continued with a heavy sigh. “And I want them to know they can rely on me, but I, I failed them so much already that I am terrified that my attempts will only fail them again.”

“You will not fail them,” Rose countered quickly, bringing him to a stop.

Everett let out a weary sigh.

“You cannot know that,” he replied.

She moved forward and brought a gentle hand to his cheek, enjoying the way his green eyes glittered with life at her touch.

“I can know that,” she replied, her tone absolute, “For I am going to help you. We can do this, Everett.”

She met his eyes, and there was no mistaking the utter appreciation in his gaze.

From above, the sound of thunder crackled, interrupting the moment. They both looked up just in time to see the gathering dark clouds alight with a trace of lightning. They had been so engrossed in their conversation that neither had noticed the sun had disappeared.

“Thank God,” Everett laughed, “This conversation was becoming far more sincere than I ever intended.”

Rose couldn’t help but roll her eyes as she smiled, and she shook her head. Of course, her husband could not speak on such things for too long. It went against everything he’d built himself up to be.

“Come along,” she urged playfully, tugging at his hand, “It is starting to rain. We should get back to the party. It is no doubt moving back inside.”

She went to move, but to her surprise, Everett’s grip on her hand tightened, and he pulled her back to him.

“Since when are you eager to return to a party?” He teased, beginning to sway her back and forth.

Raindrops began to dance upon Rose’s head and shoulders, feeling cool and refreshing against her heated skin.

“Never,” she retorted, letting him lead her through a dance with no music. “But you spent so much effort on this dress. Do you truly want it ruined?”

His smile widened as his eyes swept hungrily down her form, then he spun her around in the rain.

“I will buy you another,” he replied, “Then perhaps we could repeat that argument we had over it. I did quite enjoy helping you relax your tension away.”

Under usual circumstances, Rose would find his words far too brazen. However, with the cooling rain, his heated stare, and the way he was dancing with her, Rose found herself not disgusted by his words but emboldened by them.

“I think I should quite enjoy that,” she answered flirtatiously, batting her lashes as her body swayed closer to his, “And perhaps if you do not leave so quickly this time, I could return the favor.”