Mistaken for a Rake - Rose Pearson

Chapter One

“Do hurry up, Rebecca! The carriage has been waiting for some minutes and you are, again, tardy.”

Rebecca bit her lip and forced herself not to retort words she would later regret back to her father. She would have liked to have told him the reason she was a little later than he expected was that she had spent some time sorting out a strong disagreement between her twin sisters, Anna and Selina. That had been a very lengthy discussion, and thus, she had been left with very little time of her own to prepare for this afternoon’s outing.

“The carriage, the carriage!” the Duke said, ushering her in. “Your sisters are waiting!”

Smoothing her skirts as she sat, Rebecca looked at her sisters enquiringly, seeing the blush on both of their faces. They knew full well that the duke had been irritated with her when the fault was entirely their own. Of course, neither of them confessed, given that their father was already irritated and they did not want to incur his wrath. A little frustrated, Rebecca turned her eyes to the window, hearing her father give instructions to the driver before he climbed into the carriage. She took a breath, letting it out slowly, dampening down her frustration.

“Now that we are quite ready,” the Duke said, the door closed behind him, “perhaps we can finally be on our way to Madame Bernadotte.” He sighed heavily. “You will have to be much more punctual from now on, Rebecca. From what I recall of London society, it is not at all acceptable to be late to soirees and dinner parties.”

“Yes, Father,” Rebecca replied monotonously. There was no excitement within her at the prospect of being a part of London society. Instead, there was the heavy burden of knowing that, most likely, she would have to guide her younger sisters through London in the hope that they would find suitable matches, for her father certainly would not do so. These last few years, her father had become more and more detached from his children, and Rebecca had been the one to step in where her father had failed.

Nothing would change now that they were in London, she was sure of it. He would expect her to do as she had always done. What hope did she have of finding a husband for herself when she had the responsibility of her twin sisters? It was just as well that the younger three remained at the estate in the care of their governess, else Rebecca did not know how she would have managed even to step outside the house!

“Rebecca?”

Turning her attention back to her father, Rebecca tried to smile. “Yes, Father?”

“Make sure that your sisters find what they require,” he said vaguely. “I have no notion of fashion plates and the like. They will be guided by you.”

Sighing inwardly and wishing that she knew what the fashion was to be this Season, she gave her father a brief nod and then returned her gaze to the window. This was going to be a very difficult Season indeed.

“Oh, I beg your pardon!”

Rebecca stumbled back, heat pouring into her cheeks as she realized that she had practically walked into another lady of the ton without realizing it. “Are you quite all right?”

The lady laughed and put one hand out towards Rebecca. “You need not worry, my dear,” she said kindly, her blue eyes sparkling. “Are you going to Madame Bernadotte’s?” She gestured to the establishment just ahead of Rebecca, her smile warm and friendly.

“Yes, yes, I am,” Rebecca replied, still a little embarrassed. “My father...” She closed her eyes, then opened them, taking in a deep breath. “Forgive me.” Dropping into a quick curtsy, she smiled back at the older lady. “If you would permit me to introduce myself, I am Lady Rebecca. My father is the Duke of Landon. He is presently inside with my two sisters, Lady Anna and Lady Selina.”

“I see,” the lady replied. “Then I do not think we should keep a duke waiting, Lady Rebecca. Shall we?”

A little surprised by the lady’s forwardness, Rebecca nodded and turned towards the door, all the more astonished when the lady followed after her.

“My son, it seems, has purchased me a pair of most expensive gloves,” the lady continued with a wry smile. “He and I have come to London to speak to my late husband’s solicitors about a few affairs. I think this gift is to encourage me to remain in London a little longer!”

Rebecca turned