“Indeed. It seems her father didn’t want what we see today,” she lowered her voice even quieter. “At the age of twenty-four he knew she would have enough experience to make her owndecisions.” She smiled at him warmly. “Your betrothed has a considerable fortune.”
“I’m delighted for her. It does indeed give her wider choices.” he said with genuine happiness that Olivia was no longer penniless.
At the same time, he became aware of an arrow of fear that she might no longer need their engagement. He had been uncertain, and felt reluctant at almost being forced into marriage. Yet once he had proposed, and Olivia had accepted, he had felt pure joy.
I don’t want my engagement to end,he realized.It’s what I want more than anything.He closed his eyes for a second,I hope I will still be discussing wedding plans with Olivia after the other guests have left.
He felt a little disoriented during the remainder of the visiting hours. He snatched a word with Colin as he passed. “Is all well with your Jocelyn?” he asked.
“More than. I believe she has had a proposal of marriage from Lord Hastings, but she has not accepted him yet. You were right, I should have sent letters and kept in touch while I was at Granville. I am so lucky that nothing has changed. I know she feels the same.”
“I’m glad,” replied Marcus, wishing he could be certain that things were unchanged between Olivia himself.Seeing hersurrounded by serious suitors was not what he had expected today.
He watched her smile encouragingly, responding with comments to keep the conversation flowing. Olivia sparkled as she smiled, nodded, and listened attentively. Although he felt a small pang of envy about her attention to these suitors, he found himself in awe of the way she spoke with them. The reserved Olivia, always self-conscious of her appearance had transformed into a confident hostess.
Supper was pleasant, formal but with a small group. Viscount Leighton, and the Earl of Riversmead, joined them. Marcus was relieved none of the gaggle of suitors joined them for the meal.
“I must thank your cook for this beef wellington,” he told the earl. We used to call it something else at Belvedere Abbey, but I like this acknowledgement of the duke.”
“The house staff here likes you, Marcus. They don’t yet know of your engagement, but they know you tried hard to protect Olivia’s honor. That means a lot to them,” replied the earl.
Marcus looked across at Olivia, and she caught his gaze and smiled, lips rosy and her eyes sparkling in the light of the sconces and candle flames. He watched as she chatted animatedly to Viscount Leighton and the earl. Something had changed from when he first met Lady Olivia Sherwyn. She shonesomehow, looking poised and confident, and he felt another sudden pang of uncertainty
They dined on Uncle Harold’s favorite white soup, Cook’s special beef wellington, followed by mutton pot pie, and a light elderflower syllabub. He looked at the amber liquid in the crystal glass, sipping the cognac, and hoping against hope that he might finally get to spend some uninterrupted time speaking with his fiancée.
Finally, he strolled onto the terrace with Olivia next to him. “The scent of the roses is lovely,” he commented as they walked along the winding garden path.
“All credit to my mother. She extended the rose collection at Silverton Hall and brought many of her specimens here to the townhouse.” Olivia reached to touch the velvet petals of a white rose, which looked ethereal in the moonlight.
“I don’t know if your mother realized she was creating a shelteredclair de lunegarden. It is truly lovely.”As are you,he thought, but somehow he was unable to tell her that, uncertainty holding him back. I’ll have the gardeners at Belvedere create a rose called Olivia. I think a dusty coral pink with a heady, scent of cloves permeating its petals.
“I’d put the letter from Mr. Rawlings to one side. My head was filled with the gossip sheets, and the vindictive attempt to oust me from theton.Lady Cressida, or whoever it was drove thatcampaign, succeeded. I have no doubt that without my sudden, unexpected good fortune that I would still be hiding my face, wondering what had happened to me.”
“Even then, as Lady Hatfield, you could hold your head high in society,” remarked Marcus.
“I know,” she replied.
“And Sir Jonathan? I saw him this afternoon, I admit to some surprise,” asked Marcus.
“Our families go back many years. The estates neighbor each other and we grew up together as children. I cannot hold a resentful grudge forever. He had his own reasons for ending our engagement,” explained Olivia.
The pang of fear magnified as Marcus wondered if Olivia had been holding a candle in her heart for her ex-fiancé.She is reconciled with Sir Jonathan? He’s gained her favor.
He looked at the moon shining brightly above, illuminating the garden with an eerie light. He glanced at Olivia’s face as she continued to tell him her reasons for forgiving Sir Jonathan for abandoning her.
I need to leave. I need to release her and give her freedom from her obligation to marry me. We did the right thing holding back on announcing our betrothal to society.
He took an inward breath, reluctant to speak, listening to Olivia telling him the extent of her fortune.
“So much has happened in such a short time,” he said at last. “I am delighted to know about your inheritance. It gives you freedom and independence in life to make your own choices.”
“I know. I would not even be here today if Uncle Harold had not insisted I take a season in London.”
“I think it is important that you have space to consider your direction in life. We didn’t declare our betrothal. There are very few people aware of our, erm, arrangement. I believe it only right and proper to offer to release you.” He bowed with forced formality, while his pulse raced, and his thoughts spun around his head.
“We were forced into our engagement by the gossipmonger’s atrocious actions. I want to be fair, and let you take your time to think and look around you. You might find someone else with whom to share your life.” Marcus could feel a stab of sadness as he continued saying the words he felt he needed to say.
He saw Olivia flinch and take a sharp inward breath.