The Forgotten Princess Rose
Chapter 173

Chapter 173: Chapter 173

As night fell upon the town, Madeline walked around inspecting the manor as she awaited Victor’s return.

"Emmett, please have some maids ready to draw my husband a bath when he returns. He is a bit late," Madeline said, worried about his late return. "Did he go somewhere other than to a friend?"

"War might be upon us, Lady Ambrose. The lord informed the guards to be ready for any attack and he spoke about a ship. For all my years of knowing the lord, he must be doing a lot of planning to keep you safe," Emmett said in the hope of calming her fears.

"That is possible. There are some close friends and relatives he would want to prepare for anything. Let us hope it does not come to war. It would be upsetting to have to leave our home and quiet life. I heard there were plenty of gifts put away for Rose," said Madeline.

"Yes. She had us place them in her room. Do you want me to speak to the maids to keep them from speaking about it? If I may, the town might find it odd that you have allowed her suitor to stay here," Emmett voiced his concern.

"Hmm," Madeline hummed, touching a flower placed in a vase. Since Rose’s return, she felt the need to brighten up the manor with more flowers. "The town is finding everything odd. I know some have been calling her a ghost."

"Zayne brought Rose home to us. Had I sent him elsewhere instead of opening our doors to him, they would have called us rude. There is nothing I can do to please them and I won’t. My focus is on my daughters at the moment. Have you heard anything about my mother-in-law?" Madeline asked.

"My apologies for not finishing what you tasked me with. The boy I sent out has not returned," Emmett answered.

"It is fine. Do not let anything about her reach my daughters’ ears. I beg you," Madeline pleaded, needing help in this matter. "You have been here since my early years. Other than Victor, I think no one understands my battle with her like you."

"I am on your side," Emmett declared. The lady had not done anything wrong in his eyes.

Madeline smiled. "How kind of you but I don’t need you to take sides. As I told you in the past, we never know if she will succeed in chasing me away from this manor."

"The lord would never allow it," Emmett answered.

"He wouldn’t but it doesn’t make me feel happy as it would for others to see him fight with his mother. What a difficult spot to be in. Have they finished with the gates around the field? Rose will want to go there at some point. Nothing must happen again," Madeline said, not having it in her to relive Rose’s kidnapping.

"The gates are high and guards are walking around the fields. It is safer now. Would you like me to place more flowers in the manor? Perhaps it would spark her memories of you referring to Rosaline as your little flower," said Emmett.

"No. If her memories will return, let them come slowly. I don’t want her to remember the time she was taken. You may speak," Madeline addressed a maid.

"Lady Ambrose, there is a visitor at the gates introducing himself as a friend of Lady Rose. He said she would know the name, Alexander," the maid informed Madeline.

"A friend? Rose hasn’t spoken of a friend with that name. Emmett, please bring Rose so I can confirm it with her first," said Madeline.

It could be a trick by some fool looking to lie to them.

Madeline went to the front doors with the maid and looked at the gates. A familiar carriage started to enter but stopped. "Victor must be speaking to the visitor. Thank goodness for his timing."

Madeline wished to be at the gates to hear the conversation.

"Mother!" Rose called, hurrying to the door with Anna at her side. "Alexander is here?"

"You know him."

"He is an old friend I made at the beginning when I was taken. He is now a soldier in the king’s army," Rose explained.

"A soldier? How many soldiers do you know?" Anna asked, excited to meet someone from the king’s army. "All the women in town must come to you if they want to marry a soldier."

"I do not know many soldiers. He is the only one from the king’s army that I know. Well, that I consider a friend," Rose corrected herself since she knew of Mathias.

"I see. Send word to my husband to let Rose’s guest inside," Madeline informed a maid. ’A friend of yours is a guest to us. When you spoke of the beginning, does that mean he was to be sold somewhere?"

Rose nodded her head. "He was to work in the brothel. Sometimes Graham would have men go to the customers who requested them or they would eventually become his guards."

"What an awful man," Anna muttered. She couldn’t understand how Rose had gone so long while living with a man in love with her. "Is this soldier handsome?"

"Alexander is. You shouldn’t mention this when he is here since it makes him uncomfortable but it seems he has the princess’s attention. I know of your interest in meeting her so I must warn you, she is not kind. She ruined my dress because she misunderstood my friendship with Alexander," Rose revealed.

Anna’s shoulders dropped due to disappointment. What Rose said was nothing like she had heard about the princess. "They said she was kind."

"That is why I have warned you about rumours," Madeline said, hoping this would end Anna’s interest in the royals. If the princess shared her mother’s jealous ways it would not be good for anyone in her way.

The three stood together as Victor’s carriage came up to the manor and inside it was Alexander seated with Victor.

Alexander could not believe his eyes that Rose was standing among the family. It was his first time seeing the Ambroses as he only heard about them and had he seen Madeline before, he would have placed her as Rose’s mother. There wasn’t a mistake that this was Rose’s family but how did Rose go missing when she was the daughter of a nobleman?

"Lady Ambrose," Alexander addressed Madeline first.

"You’ve travelled a long way from the palace to see a friend. It is good to meet another friend of my daughter. I hope you will stay for dinner," Madeline offered.

"I would like to stay for dinner," Alexander replied, his attention then turning to Rose. She looked different now that she stood with her family. "Rose and I did not see each other for eight years. I could not wait any longer to see her so I left the king’s army."

Rose found this to be shocking. It was a great deal for him to leave the palace just to come to see her. Was it truly for her or was he running away from the princess? He would be protected here since her family was not fond of the royals.

Madeline watched the two and like she noticed with Zayne, she could tell that this one had feelings for her daughter. The timing was a little bad since Rose seemed to be moving forward with Zayne. She hoped Alexander’s arrival would not bring trouble for Rose’s growing feelings for Zayne.