All the Things You Never Knew (13 page)

Leon had decided to seek out Rose that afternoon after sending Longsword off with a good luck on his trip to Somerset.
He had been spying on her from a nearby tree across Dawson House, waiting for a moment he can speak to her alone. Yet, ladies like her can never go anywhere alone without a proper escort and he’s growing impatient waiting under the blazing sun.
Time for Plan B.
He jumped down from the tree and raced off behind another just a few feet from the lawn of Rose’s house. He feels like a devious thief trying not to get himself caught red-handed. Makes him feel like a half-witted fool too, but sometimes you have to be a fool to get to where you want
Leon peeks out from behind the tree and scowled as he saw Rose walking around the Dawson Garden with her maid trailing along behind her.
“Damn you honorable lady,” he hissed out loud.
He looked around for a pebble or something to distract the maid away.
Nothing.
Dawson House was, for one thing, too spotless and clean. It’s as if the Viscount Herring put out orders for his servants to pick up every fallen leaves or twigs every few seconds.
Fortunately, Leon had a silver coin in his pocket from his last bidding at a game with his friends and took it out. He looks around for a possible piece of distraction and spotted a flower vase placed out on the outdoor table. With a set aim at the target, he used all his force to throw the coin to break the vase.
Unfortunately, the coin bounces off and hit the maid at the back of the head instead.
“Oh hell!” Leon cursed at his bad aim. His sisters could have battered it.
“Frances!” he heard Rose gasped as she ran over to the falling maid on her knees, covering her head.
She said something he couldn’t really make out and took the maid inside.
Damn, he blew it!
Or not, for Rose rushed back out to search around the grass for something.
Leon gave a sigh of relief and blew out a whistle before she leaves again.
She scan around in search of the sound and then he saw what appears to be a smile on her face as her gaze set upon him.
She appears to be in a good mood, despite what had happened the day before. And if he’s not mistaken, she’s quite pleased to see him. He’s quite overjoyed to see her as well. He had always been.
She slowly strolls over and pushes open the tiny gate that separated them.
“You look…quite in high spirit today,” Leon beamed.
“Same to you,” she said, though not as pleasantly. “Did you hit Frances?”
“What?” He was lost for a moment and then realizes she was talking about the maid. “Sorry,” he answered. “I had to get her out of the way.”
“By throwing a stone at her?”
“Can’t we discuss this in private?” he asked, looking around. “Someone might see us, you know?”
“Oh, of course.”
She looked back at the house and motion for him to take the lead.
It surprises Leon to see her so obedient and calm. Usually she would have protested or argued with him about how all the scandals in the world would arise and the
ton
would look down upon her but today was different. He can’t seem to make anything out of her mood, for she changes it every time without warnings. She can be all jovial and then like a blink of an eye turn into a flesh eating serpent–an exquisite one too, that is. He rather likes it.
Leon drags her off behind another set of trees across the road, out of sight, and pin her against one of them.
Biting back her lips, she looked skeptically at him and waited for an answer to her previous question.
“You seem different today,” he said instead. She does, and it bothers him.
“New day, new feelings,” she replied coolly. “Why, you’d rather I be mad? I could if you want.”
“I’ll pass,” he answered quickly. He doesn’t want to wake the serpent.
How Rose would kill him if she had known of the metaphor he had made out of her.
She slips a hand to his waistcoat and snapped up a button he had forgotten. “So…you haven’t answered my question,” she said, looking back up at him.
Her eyes gave a sparkle that distracted his sanity. He just wanted to ravish her there and forget everything else.
“I–”
It was difficult to focus on his thoughts with her staring at him like a Goddess from above. Her hair was neatly pinned up in shining curls and she wore a lacey blue gown with ruffles on the cuffs, brightening up her feature.
“I wanted to talk to you,” he managed, trapping her against the tree with his arms.
“So you threw a stone at Frances?” she said again with a frown.
“She was following you like some bodyguard and it annoys the heck out of me,” he answered. “I thought I would rage out and kill her.”
A whimsical laugh escaped from Rose and she lightly punched him on the shoulder. “You idiot. She does serve as my bodyguard, you know?”
“Of course,” he nodded with a smile. “But I have to say, I wasn’t planning to hit her. I was…having a bad aim and didn’t hit what I had intended to hit. Plus, I didn’t throw a stone or anything.”
“Really?” She looked at him amusingly and trails a finger along his cravat.
Hell, she’s up to something.
“Stop that,” he said, grabbing her hand away before everything goes the wrong way.
She chuckle lightly and face him again. “Don’t you have something you want to talk about?’
“Yes.” He wasn’t sure if he would be able to say it when she’s acting like this.
“Go on then,” she said, leaning back on the tree and smoothing her gown. “I have something wonderful to tell you as well.”
Wonderful?
Is that why she had been acting so overly off from her normal self?
“Perhaps you should tell me of your
‘wonderful’
news then,” Leon decided.
“You sure?” she asked, cocking her head to the side.
“I’ll be pleased to hear,” he replied.
She gave out a deep breath and flashes a smile at him again. “Okay,” she started. “I’ve decided–”–she paused and sighed– “–I’ve decided that Lord Lansing and I should get marry by the end of next week.”
“What?”
That was what she called ‘wonderful?’
“I’ve made up my mind,” she went on. “After yesterday’s incident, I figure that I don’t want to lose the man I love to another woman again.”
She…
loved
that Lansing?
“So,” she continued, “I’ve decided that Lord Lansing and I should get on with the wedding as soon as possible since we…consummated our relationship.”
“Consummated what?”
No
, it couldn’t mean what he thinks, could it?
“Don’t be so surprise,” she jeered. “You know Lord Lansing and I are to wed anyway. Why not just get it over with? That way, he will be mine and I will be his in name, body, and soul. We would become one. Any woman can have him, but
he
will
always
be mine.”
“You–you’re lying!” Leon bellowed incredulously. “He–he betrayed your love last night!”
“Just as you did a decade ago!” she snapped.
That caught Leon’s tongue for a moment but he went on.
“I didn’t mean to betray you! I told you that!”
“I don’t care!” Rose answered. “I was angry with Marcus, yes–”– so now Lansing is Marcus– “But after you left and he came to apologize early in the morning, I…” She trailed off as to check his mood and then went on. “I forgave him and we made a decision magically like that–” she snapped her fingers– “–and consummated our relationship and entrusted each other with loyalty and faith for the rest of our life.”
“No!” he shouted in sudden anger as he threw a fist at the tree, just inches from Rose’s face. “You didn’t!”
God, tell him she didn’t. He didn’t just tell her that he loved her the other day just to face this. It pains him to think of that ass Lansing touching her or doing anything beyond that.
“Leon!” She grabbed his hand to examine his fist that was scraped with blood and kissed it gently. “Why are you hurting yourself? What’s done is done. Things can’t turn back to what it used to be.”
He pulled his hand free from hers and turned away. Never in his life had he ever been this furious. If what Rose said was true then his mission and everything he had set out to do is at ruin.
Hell blasts him. He was an ass. If only he had told her the truth. If only he hadn’t back out. If only he told her of his story. If only he…
Everything was too late now. Everything he had wanted her to know, everything he had wished for her to hear is going to remain unspoken and trap inside his heart forever. Everything he had dreamed as a reality would remain a fantasy, and that would be that.
“Good…bye, Rose,” he said, clenching his fist to hold his temper down. And this time, he meant it. He didn’t want to say those words but is left with no other choice. After his duty is over, he will leave her…forever.
And Lansing…
He has got to be grateful that his life is being spared.
But for his father’s crime...
That son of a bitch would still pay!

Rose watches as Leon strolled off and smiled to herself.

Ah, how easy it was for her to trick him. She had thought for it to be hard but it was not. In fact, her acting was pretty good. He fell right into it. This should teach him not to hide things from her in the future, though the way he had talked shows that he’s not going to bother ever talking to her again. He will come around eventually. The truth can never hide. She didn’t mean to sound like such a tart and say the words that she did. If he was wise enough, he will know that she made the whole thing up.

What makes Leon think she will forgive that Lord Lansing so easily when she couldn’t even forgive him for over a decade? He must have been daft.

“Leon,” she sigh his name out loud. She wanted to run and stop him from leaving, but she have to go with her plan. It pains her to see him go and hear his awful good-byes again and again. It tears everything inside her. Every little thing.

“You will find out in time, my love,” she said out with a grin as Leon disappeared from her sight. “I have set my cap back on you.”
With that little fact in mind, she scurried off back to the house and pulled out her journal
She had written herself three simple little tasks to complete and get Leon fairly to open up.
Firstly
, she had written,
lie.
She made a check mark to the first accomplished task and down to the next.
Secondly
,
wait.
She has to be patient and wait until everything clears up for Leon to see that she’s still as faithful to him as always.
She move on to look at the third and chuckled at her writing.
Lastly, love and consummation.
She would give everything to Leon. Her love, her life, her virtue– anything he wants. She just doesn’t understand why he was making everything so complicated. She wished he will just tell her what he was hiding and get it over with.
He was going to tell her something, but she–
Darn it!
Rose cursed herself and fell on the bed, shaking her head in disbelief.
Perhaps she should have let Leon spoke first. She had been a little too excited with her plan that she went…a little too far.
No, she shook her head again. She was just taking a risk–another shot at gaining Leon’s love.
Yes, he had said that he love her the night before that was why he did what he did and left her. It was highly unreasonable but that gave her hope and brightens up her heart. She just had to test him and make sure it was true. It’s quite complicated but with a little faith and courage, she can do it. She
will
do it!

Hargate Inn

“Stop!” the Earl of Longsword ordered for the a hundredth time. “You are drinking like there is no tomorrow. You will soon be lying in your deathbed, Heartily. What the devil has gotten into you?”

Longsword had just returned from his three day trip to Somerset and couldn’t believe what has gotten into his friend after such a short leave. Leon was in a massive drunken state, his cravat dangling loosely, shirt half buttoned, hair mussed with dark sack under his eyes. He looks a fright. Totally rank him down to the most unattractive man in London at the moment.

“Y-you d-d-don’t understand,” Leon stammered as he lift another glass of brandy to his lips. “S-she’s i-in love with h-him.”
“She? Who?” Longsword asked, not quite understanding. “She’s in love with whom? And must you drink another glass? What happened to your hand?” he asked, as he saw the bandages around Leon’s knuckle.
“Rose!” Leon answered as he finishes his glass and readied himself for another. “She’s…”
Longsword sigh at his friend and kicked the glass out of his hand before he can drink the life threatening fluid down his throat.
“What the hell was that for?” Leon bellowed angrily, getting out of his chair to face Longsword.
“You are torturing yourself over a God damn woman!” Longsword snapped back at his face. “Why the hell did you do this to yourself? You are better than this, Heartily! And a thousand times more wise! Can’t you think of something else other than drinking your ass to hell?”
“Shut the hell up!” Leon said furiously, pushing Longsword away from him. “Rose…She’s everything to me!”
Longsword was struck by surprise at Leon’s word. His foolish friend sure has a lot of courage to admit such thing. No–he would never say such thing unless he was foxed.
“And what happened between you two while I was gone?” Longsword asked him, cautiously walking around the table incase Leon was to flare up again.
“She let that L-Lansing take her, all right! Do you know how much that–” Leon cupped his forehead and fell down onto the floor with a loud thud.
“Heartily!” Longsword scrambled over worriedly to shake him up. “Heartily! Are you okay? God, you are such a besotted fool! I thought Hargate would be–but you…Damn if only that Hargate was here.”
“I-I’m f-fine,” Leon groaned, swatting Longsword’s hand away. “Rose…”
“What the hell happened between you two? Tell me,” Longsword demanded. “Do I have to send words to your brothers to take you off for a while?”
“It’s n-none o-of their c-concern,” Leon said with a wince. His head was throbbing like hell. It was worse than that day he went to confess to Rose. He had over ten bottles of brandy. It was more than he could usually handle.
“I’m surprise you’re not out cold yet,” Longsword said, helping Leon up to the couch in the room. “You slept like the dead that other day. I must admit that I will be all used up and unconscious by now.”
“G-Gareth…” Leon was going to say something, but the shadows fell over him and Rose was the last thing that he murmured out before snoozing off.
Longsword looked at Leon now sound asleep and snoring loudly, then walk off to pour himself a cup of brandy and sat down.
Should he get Hargate back to help?
he wondered as he took a drink. It would seem like a waste of time since his friend is crazy over a woman. Leon could handle this on his own. Who are they to get involve with his love affair?
Wait
, Longsword paused to think as he was about to drink another glass of brandy.
Did Leon say that Lady Rose let the Marquess take her?
Longsword let out a light chuckle at that.
His best friend was maddening over his old lover’s virtue being taken by her soon-to-be husband? It should be expected, shouldn’t it? And he said she was in love with the marquess? Of course she would be to agree to the engagement. Even he understood. Why can’t Leon accept the fact and leave the trouble? Things would be so much easier. But he guessed it would be hard if you really love somebody that you have to let them go without a really good reason. At the end, they’re throwing everything in your face and you are only left to sulk around. Longsword has never really experience anything like this, but he knows the role and it could hurt quite a bit.
Perhaps he should explain to Lady Rose and make it easier. No. On second thought, Leon should still do it. He has to hurry and get it done. Sure she had given up on him, but it doesn’t mean Leon should hide what he feels. The only way to lessen his burden was to release it.
All right,
Longsword snapped his fingers. He was going to force Leon to go on and tell Lady Rose. Even if it means nothing now, something good would sure to sprung. Everything should be all right. If that doesn’t work, then he will do it himself.
Three days passed by and still, Leon was soaking himself in brandy and Scotch. He couldn’t seem to forget what Rose had said to him. She really is leaving him for another. How could she? Yes, he’d done something regretful and hurt her badly, but he’d apologized. He had tried to explain but the moment was never right. Just the day before Longsword had told him to seek Rose out and explain it all to her once more. He can’t do that. It would pain him to see her and know that she would never be his again. The thought was too much to bear. He might as well let it go and finish off with the marquess to get to his next victim.
Rose should be fine. If that Lansing really loves her and she loves him, then he shouldn’t really care. It’s none of his business anyway. He won’t have an affair with another man’s wife. He could let her go. It may take a life time to forget Rose, but he will manage. There had been many hardships that he had overcome. Rose would just be another.
This is what he had convinced himself of, but yet could never accept it. All he wanted was another bottle of Scotch and alcohols of all sorts to sooth his soul. He can’t forget her no matter how hard he tries.
Longsword has grown really quite irritated and annoyed with his new habit that he’s been spacing out, which was good. He doesn’t want Longsword to be lecturing him about his foolish drunken state and the possibility of him having a failing health. He won’t die, Leon know that much as the truth. He just needs something to occupy his mind and alcohol was the perfect solution. It’s men’s best friend. When all else fail, it’s there to give company. Though he should really listen to Longsword and stop since his head is going insane.
What am I to do?
he asked himself.
He needs to get rid of that Lansing but Rose–God she’s driving him mad. Incredulously, she’d moved on, took another man in life and is to have a family soon. She ruins his plan at every turn. He wants to proceed on to his next scheme but she’s there and he has to hold back.
Damn, blast it all to hell!
He can’t do anything without telling Rose the truth, but it seems a total waste of time. He could just go and slaughter Lansing and go on to the next four suspects. She should just be happy that he’s sparing her betrothed. Plus, he’s never ever going to cross path with her again so it shouldn’t matter.
Yes
, that’s what he will do. But first–
“Heartily!” Longsword barged into the room, and came at him.
“What?” he asked, rubbing the aching side of his head.
“Get up,” Longsword ordered, pulling him up by the lapel of his coat. “Let’s go. You can’t go rummaging through all the whiskies of Hargate’s Inn. If you want to drink away your love sickness then we might as well go to Phillipa’s.”
“Why the hell would I want to go there for?” Leon asked, lightly pounding his forehead with his fist.
“You need it,” Longsword answered. “Just straighten up and let’s go.”
Leon scowled but gave in to the order. Perhaps he does need it even though it sparks no interest. It’s been a good ten years of celibacy that he had persisted. It’s probably time for him to release himself.