Her pulse stumbled and she lowered her eyes at once.
“Coming here was reckless,” he said, tone flat as he tore off a piece of the bread.
Rosamund licked her lips. “It’s not that long of a ride, and… we’ve always been free to move about the village as we please.”
His brow, the one over his good eye, arched. “We?”
“Me and my sisters,” she said with a touch of pride.
“No brothers?” Where normally one might express curiosity, his voice dripped with disdain.
“Well.” She shifted in her chair. “Yes. Just one.”
“A child, then.”
“No, he’s the eldest.”
“Then he is a fool,” the duke snapped, “to allow his sister to gallivant across the countryside without escort. Nearly as great a fool as your father must be, for setting such a poor example.”
Rosamund stiffened. “You don’t know anything about my father. Besides, we look after ourselves just fine, thank you very much.”
The duke gave a mocking laugh, shaking his head. “Your parents are raising chaos, Miss Belle.”
“My father raised us to be independent.” Even if their mother had not.
“So independent that he approves of one of his daughters wandering into the den of the beastly duke?”
“The den of the Duke of Bexley. But, yes, he would. He… he does, actually,” she said. “He’s the one who gave me the task, after all.”
Now he looked at her, really looked. “Task?”
She nodded, choosing her words carefully. Because her father’sdeath was known far and wide. Mention of the will, or any details about their unusual family, could give her away.
“Papa… has given each of us—my sisters and I—something to accomplish, something personal.”
“So, what precisely is this task, then? To write of my tragic tale?”
“Not specifically. Writing yourtaleis my choice. But… I am to publish something under my own name.”
"You’ve published your work before, then?”
"A few times, yes. But I’ve always used a pseudonym—RobertBelle.” She grimaced. “My father’s wi—My father insists that I do this one as Rosamund.”
The duke watched her for a moment before asking, “And if you don’t complete this task?”
I lose my inheritance.The contents of which still remained a mystery, seeing as that knowledge was also to be withheld until she met Papa’s terms. But she didn’t say any of that.
She shrugged. “I… disappoint him. I suppose.”
The duke gave a bark of laughter, sharp and humorless. “Ridiculous.”
Her spoon clinked against the bowl as she leaned forward. “It is not. My father, he simply wants what’s best for me. And whether you realize it or not, that will also prove best for you.”
“Ha!” His laughter cut like a blade. “And what the blazes do I have to gain by allowing you to invade my privacy?”
“Your privacy has already been invaded, Your Grace, but with speculation, and… dangerous rumors. I simply wish to clear all that up. I simply wish to put an end to the?—”
“Legend of the monster?” He was shaking his head now, one corner of his mouth lifted in disbelief. But then he leaned forward, all but sneering. “But what if those dangerous rumors are true?”