Page 4 of Beauty and the Rake (Endless Love #1)

“I’m not. Graham is a good man to know. He knows a lot of people and is well respected.”

“I deduced as much. Otherwise, I would have never agreed to go to this concert in Hyde Park with him.”

He snorted as he picked up a newspaper from the pile. “No, you wouldn’t have agreed to it. Go, have fun. You deserve it.”

She said nothing, instead choosing to finish her breakfast. Looking outside, she sighed and reached for the marmalade to spread on her bread.

She had traded a life of sun for this? But, as she told herself time and time again, in the south of France she had been hiding from life and came back to face the reality that was her new life without Casper.

“That’s going to take some time. When you are constantly reminded that you’re only a cash cow and no one would want you, you begin to believe your attacker. Casper and I may have lived separate lives, but he always made sure I knew where I belonged in his world.”

“That’s something I plan to begin looking into today. I’m going to his attorney to see if there’s something that might have been overlooked at the initial reading.”

“I can assure you there isn’t. Everything was presented as per the will.”

“Perhaps. You’re a woman, and that closes a lot of doors for you. Having someone like Graham in your corner can only help.”

“I hope you’re right.”

Putting his newspaper to one side, he stood. “I’ll see you later. Oh, I’ll be having dinner at my club this evening, so don’t have Cook go to any great lengths. Enjoy yourself.”

“You as well,” she said as she concentrated on her plate, the contents of which she had barely touched as Arthur exited through the door, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

Forcing herself to finish breakfast, Roxanne moved herself to the library where there was a writing desk, not to mention row after row of books.

The smell of leather was intoxicating. As a child she loved to come in here and find herself immersed in books.

Her grandfather had even made a section for younger readers, making sure what they chose was at their level of comprehension.

A polished black baby grand occupied one corner of the room. Immediately, she wondered if Arthur was still playing. If his schedule allowed him a few hours a week. She could play, but her abilities never came close to matching Arthur’s.

Sitting at the writing desk, she took out paper from the drawer.

Her first letter was to her aunt letting her know she had returned safely and where she would be staying for the immediate future.

If it hadn’t been for her, Roxanne wasn’t sure what would have become of her during that dark time in her life.

But, from the beginning of her marriage until the time of Casper’s death, her very existence had been something she never wished on anyone.

Though they both led separate lives, her late husband managed to find ways to make her miserable by what he would allow or wouldn’t allow her to do.

It had always been an amusing game to him, seeing her jump at his every command.

He knew her weaknesses and vulnerabilities and fed off of them.

She shook off the morbid feelings she had whenever she thought about her deceased husband. Her letter to her dear aunt had to be upbeat and cheerful, but without overdoing it. Violet would read right through her words if she did, and she didn’t want the woman scolding her or worrying about her.

The weather had seemed to change since she first awoke.

The clouds had parted, leaving behind sun.

Her eyes returned to the letter she was working on.

It amused her how quickly English weather could change.

Rereading what she had written to Violet, Roxanne finished the letter and moved on to the next.

Short missives went out to a few friends she knew stayed in town.

Most went to their country estates to enjoy the beautiful warm weather.

Then there were others who lagged behind because their husbands were not in a hurry or whose husbands left them to their own resources.

Regardless, the majority ended up in the country—even herself.

She knew her brother’s schedule quite well.

He would be ready sooner rather than later to go to the family home in Kent.

She knew he detested the hot weather, the lingering smells the city and the Thames left behind.

He would expect her to join him so that she could help host his friends for various shooting matches and dinners he would want to hold.

It was a part of their agreement, and she truly didn’t mind.

He had saved her from making a huge mistake by moving into the house left to her.

Hopefully something could be done with the property before long.

She was sure Arthur had someone looking into options, and in a short amount of time, the wheels of progress would be in motion.

If the house were sold, she would have funds to support herself or to purchase her own home in town.

She would rather have that option than be a landlord or have someone else oversee the property and its tenants.

She wanted to be completely free of any reminder or connection to that sliver of her life. Free like it had never happened.

After her third letter, Roxanne decided that was enough for the day.

She needed to find a book in this room to satisfy her inquisitive thirst for knowledge.

Newly purchased books had always been kept either on a table to one side of the room’s center or on a shelf specifically designated for that purpose.

Quickly finding a mystery novel on the table, she decided it wouldn’t hurt for her to sit back down and read for a short period of time.

She had nothing but time on her hands, and a quick escape from reality was exactly what she needed.

Reading had always been an escape for her and this was no different.

A knock on the door brought her back to the present. The butler nodded and picked up her letters still sitting on the desk. It was too early for her to have a response of any sort.

“Is there anything else, milady?”

“A pot of tea would be nice.”

He nodded and retreated from the room, leaving Roxanne alone again.

Not that she minded her solitude. It was only that she wished she had something—something with a purpose to fill her time.

She could see about a charity or something similar to occupy her time, but she had to slow down.

This was only her first full day. There was no time to rush.

She had all the time in the world, and once she began hearing from her friends, her life would be filled with a social life and purposeful things to do.

One of her projects was going to be to assist her brother in finding a wife.

He had been a bachelor long enough. It was time for him to settle.

He needed an heir. Arthur seemed to have little interest in the matter, but she would change all of that.

There had to be a bevy of prospective brides, even if they weren’t all in London.

He needed someone his equal. The last thing Arthur needed was a frail, timid bride.

He needed someone who could fulfill the requirements of being his duchess.

Roxanne felt so out of touch having been away so long, but she made herself a promise that she would dive in headfirst whether she wanted to or not.