A Most Mysterious Gentleman (#1 Sweet Nineteenth Series) VERY SLOW UPDATES

AMMG ~39~

GUYS I AM SO SORRY.

A MONTH. 

IF I UPLOAD MORE THAN ONCE THIS WEEK, WILL I MAKE UP FOR IT?

Yes- I am slightly giving upon this. It's so annoyingly bad that I think I'm going to finish it fairly soon. Like fairly fairly soon.

That's probably good news for those people who haven't been happy with me. Sorry guys again.

Amy x

Rosalie woke to the sounds of her new maid entering her bedchamber, and considerable cramps in her midsection. If there was a time to get the monthlies, it was not now.

'I've got some chocolate for you my Lady, if it so pleases you.'

'It will please me very greatly, thank you Lily'.

Whilst the warm tendrils of sleep still beckoned her, she sat up and reached for the mug. A gentle steam and its delicious scent pulled her quickly from the sleepy vigour as she took a sip. Delightful.

A commotion and clattering downstairs made her pause. 'Lily, what on earth is going on?'

Lily turned a blushing pink. 'I wouldn't rightly know my Lady.'

Rosalie frowned at her the girl's reaction. Eva would have just told her straight- none of this blushing nonsense.

It quickly dawned on her and she smiled. 'Lily, if you or someone else perhaps overheard something, that is not your problem and I will not punish you for it- I'll find out soon enough anyway.'

The girl looked relieved of her burden. "His Grace found a page of code and began shouting about it this morning, something along the lines of 'scumbag' and something other words no lady should not rightly hear, gently bred or not."

Rosalie laughed at her affronted expression. 'I'll make sure to pass on that his vulgar language should not go unpunished', she said drily. The maid curtsied, blushing again. "Would my Lady like to dress now?"

"Oh yes please. Just a travelling dress will be appropriate. I have a feeling that today will not be a normal one."

Rosalie dressed quickly, the difficult movement was easier now she had practise. The shouts and noises still had not stopped, in fact crescendoed. Using the handrail down the stairs, she balanced herself down the stairs, into the frantic movement of many men. Seeing Henry, Lily guided her towards him.

"Henry, what on earth is going on?"

His face scanned the room and hardly settled on her face before barking orders at some men who were opening boxes. He turned around and pointed at some others, gesturing them to place several more boxes to the last spare piece of floor, the rest covered with various kinds of weapons.

Rosalie, feeling as though she had been patient, was all of a sudden feeling decidedly, intensely irritated that she was being ignored so obviously in front of all of these people. After all, she had only asked a simple question.

"Your Grace!" She snapped.

Henry looked slightly mournful, so she adjusted her tone.

"Sorry, I know you must be busy but I do not usually tolerated being ignored."

Henry's expression shuttered, a calm facade taking over his face. He bent over her hand and kissed it. "Of course, my love."

Rosalie was immediately taken aback by his slightly aggressive body language and coarse use of the pet name. He hadn't said he loved her, and she wasn't naive enough to think he did.

Tears immediately filtered through and she snatched her hand from his.

"Oh I despise you sometimes."

She rejoiced in his shocked expression and gestured curtly to Lily to help her walk away. Unfortunately the maid was a tad slow and took away the moment of arrogant pride that she'd shocked him.

"Oh come on Lily! I am decidedly grumpy and have no time for your dithering!"

Guilt pulled at her at the maids hurt and made her want to cry again, Eva knew her so well that she knew that sometimes her monthlies would affect her very much so, and would know to ignore her outbursts or snap right back.

Hauling herself back up the stairs proved once more to be more a challenge than she anticipated.

"Blast!" Misjudging the angle required to place her leg on the step, she fell, bumping down the steps and banging her head. She rubbed it, seeing stars.

"Rosalie!" Her Father rushed over, arms baring two rifles. "How you alright, dear?"

Rosalie tried to ignore the stinging feeling at the back of her eyelids and the lip wobbling she knew would come. "Yes. Blasted injury -urgh- I hate it! I hate me! I hate that treacherous snake of a man for doing this to me! Curse him to hell!" She said vehemently, ignoring the curious stares of some of the men. Henry glanced in her direction and raised an eyebrow at her assault of words, and she held the eye contact, daring him to challenge her in any way. Instead, he chose to sneer and break it, again to command the leagues of men.

She felt like properly screaming this time. Frustration at herself, frustration at the man she was half in love with, by mainly at herself. How dare she act like the selfish, spoilt little Miss she had been since before this had begun? For sure, her injury was a terrible thing, but she had earned the trust of a brilliant, though troubled man, the man she is set to marry and share her life with.

All of a sudden the pride and the fight left and shame set in.

"I apologise Father, 'twas rude and callous and unforgivable."

Simply nodding his acceptance, he pulled her up from the ground and said curtly, "I believe there are others here who deserve an apology more than I do."

Rosalie reached for her maid's hand, "Lily, I was inexcusable. I must apologise profusely and beg your forgiveness."

Shame again filled her as the maid's wary eyes never left her as she curtsied.

She glanced over to Henry who was watching her with avid interest, amongst the bustling of activity. She inclined her head, and he smiled broadly, the lines at his eyes crinkling. Her amazement at his easy forgiveness heightened her respect of him.

Her Father placed her in an armchair by the fire, and Lily bustled off back to the kitchen. A while later, when the activity had calmed down, Henry joined her.

"I'm sorry for ignoring you earlier, Rosalie. I meant no harm, I was just tired and we needed to organise the weapons."

Rosalie just raised her eyebrow at him- she knew better than to ask him directly was to why by now.

"Let's just say I now know where the Marquess is, his plan, and the way he's going to try to kill some members of parliament."