“I have nothing to be distressed about, especially not regarding him.” Her shrill tone belied her words.
“Tedric journeys into the village each Monday to do weekly errands. Often, he hears gossip floating about. Even news from London.”
Olivia, who had just taken a portion of biscuit, coughed so that she spewed a few crumbs from her mouth. She recovered and patted her lips with her napkin. “Pardon me. Now, you were saying you heard news from London all the way out here?”
“Of course. You know how quickly rumors fly.” He leaned forward. “So can you tell me, is there any truth to the rumor that Lord George Loughton became betrothed to his distant cousin not a fortnight ago?”
“Yes. It is true. The marriage is not a love match. They will be combining their estates, keeping them both in the Loughton family line. I think under the circumstances, he has made a–a wise. . .decision.”
For a moment, he almost felt sorry for Olivia. So she really did love that dog after all. He wanted to reach over and pat her hand but realized that she had been playing him for a fool. And he had fallen willingly into her trap.
“Perhaps a change of subject is in order. Tell me Olivia,” he said, “what have you been reading lately?”
She shrugged. “Nothing of consequence.”
“Since I have been home, I have begun a fascinating study of my father’s books. I am currently comparing the philosophies of Plato and Socrates. Did you know that Socrates believed that no human agent knowingly does wrong?”
“No.”
“Plato disagreed, saying that weakness of will can interfere with moral conduct.”
“Oh. That is quite interesting, I am sure. But I have no idea what you think those philosophies have to do with me. Are you implying that I am weak willed or that I knowingly do wrong?”
“Of course not. I was merely sharing what I have been reading.”
“If you say so. My mother taught me to be a lady and to leave discussions of problems that have no solution to men with nothing better to do than to discuss them, trying to make others believe they are superior in their knowledge.” She let out an exasperated sigh. “Really, Cecil, I thought you came here to hunt. Have you nothing better to do?”
Nothing better to do. Eunice had not responded with such disdain when he had asked her about Socrates and his student, Plato. The very topic had resulted in a lively discussion that lasted most of the afternoon. Not that he could blame Olivia for her lack of interest. Admittedly, women were not usually encouraged to think about the unanswerable questions philosophy could pose. Eunice had admitted a love for solitude during her school years, and he pictured her as a girl with her nose stuck in a book. Her studies had resulted in a finely tuned grasp of the classics. While she didn’t pretend to know all the answers, she offered excellent insights and opinions that were informed and entertaining. He realized that Eunice had spoiled him. He now expected every woman to be equipped for intelligent discourse.
“Indeed,” he answered, “I think I have spent my time wisely.”
“Prodded by my little cousin, no doubt.”
“Eunice?”
“That is right. I heard about your so-called etiquette lessons.” She threw him a knowing smile. “Just as you say news travels from London to the country, remember, the news travels from the country to London just as rapidly.”
“Who told you?”
“Eunice. . .and Giles.”
“Giles.” He nodded. “I might have known.” He patted his napkin against his mouth with several quick motions, then set it again in his lap. Rather than letting go, he crinkled the cloth in his hands.
Apparently his nervousness didn’t go unnoticed. “Why does my knowledge upset you? Unless you are too weak-willed to keep from doing what you know to be wrong. . . Is that why you are studying philosophy? To find an excuse for your failings?”
“Not at all. I seek no excuse, but I hope to improve. Just as you asked me to.” He leaned toward her. “Remember?”
She bristled, then drew back, reminding him of a cat ready to defend herself against an angered hunting dog. “Of course I remember. Why else do you believe I came here today?”
“Oh, is that the reason for your visit? I find it interesting that you chose to grace us with your presence without so much as a letter advising us to expect you. Were you hoping to find me in error?” Now back in control, he smoothed his napkin on his lap.
“No. Of course not. And from the looks of you, I think I would be hard pressed to find you drinking or smoking. Or even overeating. I notice you seem thinner than when we last met.”
“An improvement, I hope?”
“I suppose you do look better.” Her tone indicated that he would never look handsome in her eyes.
“Now that you have seen me again and conducted your surprise inspection, I trust you are satisfied that I will be able to meet your requirements by our agreed-upon date?”
“Yes, I am quite satisfied. In the past, you had normally consumed several glasses of wine by this time in the afternoon. I am pleased to find you sober.”
“Then by all accounts, your inspection has been a success, although I trust you will be staying this evening.”
“I plan to do more than that. I plan to stay several weeks.” She paused, obviously to give him time to process this tidbit of news.
“Several weeks?”
“Yes.” She smiled in triumph. “It is time to plan our wedding. I want to marry right away.”
Cecil didn’t know how to respond. “Right away? In a matter of months, you mean.”
“No. In a matter of one month at most.”
One month? This was the moment he had been waiting for—Olivia’s willingness, no, eagerness, to marry. He searched his heart to find an inch of excitement. He found none. Not even an iota of anticipation. Only a strange sort of fear. Why?
He could only stall by asking her questions. “Why the change of heart? First you wanted me to wait a year. Now you are not looking forward to the prospect of waiting a day. This sudden change is not like you, Olivia.”
“As I said, a woman is entitled to change her mind.”
Cecil thought for a moment. Olivia never reacted irrationally unless she felt threatened or abandoned. Now that George had committed to someone else, that would explain her feelings of abandonment. But who would be a threat? He thought back to moments before and realized that she had mentioned the woman she feared most—Eunice.
“I will grant you that. But this sudden uge to marry isn’t like you, Olivia,” he pointed out.
She shrugged. The motion, obviously meant to be casual, seemed contrived. “Oh, I do not know. Perhaps I thought a wedding just after Easter would be lovely.” She waved her head in a coy manner.
“Perhaps.” He paused, hoping for elaboration.
“The spring is so pretty with fresh blossoms everywhere.”
“A date that close wouldn’t give us much time to be engaged.”
“But it would give us plenty of time to prepare. I have the perfect dress in mind.” Olivia chattered on about commissioning her seamstress for a dress dripping in lace and pearls, but Cecil took in few of the other details. He was too shocked by her sudden change.
“Cecil!” Her sharp tone interrupted his thoughts. “Have you heard a word I said?”
“I cannot promise to quote you directly, no.”
“But you must know about the catering. I just attended the Williamses’ wedding, and the ceremony and reception were quite stupendous. You should have seen the food. George could not stop praising each delicacy.”
“George? You went to the Williamses’ wedding with George?” His voice was an octave higher than usual.
Her face fell, taking on a look of guilt. “Did I not mention that?”
“You mentioned you had no plans to attend—in one of the few letters I have received from you,” he added.
“You know I never was one to keep up a warm correspondence. And I suppose I did not wan
t to bother you with journeying all the way to London when you were enjoying yourself here in the country.”
“Or perhaps you thought I was not yet ready to escort you to an event of such importance,” he deduced. “You will be happy to learn that I have made considerable progress not only in improving my bad habits but in recalling all the niceties I learned in the past and refining them to perfection. Just ask Miss Norwood.”
She rose to her feet, nearly knocking over what remained of the tea and biscuits. “Eunice! Eunice! Eunice! I am so sick and tired of hearing nothing but Eunice! Eunice! Eunice! First from Giles, and now from you. I wish I had never heard the name of my little country cousin!”
“Giles?” Jealousy roared through Cecil. He threw his napkin on the table and stood up to face Olivia. “What did Giles say about Eunice?”
Olivia crossed her arms and glared at him. “Oh, nothing much. Just how she had broken his heart.”
“How absurd! Why, she never even so much as gave him a second look.”
“But he had eyes for her. And he told me that instead of contemplating courtship with an eligible bachelor, she had set her sights on you!”
“That is even more absurd. I admit we developed a fondness for one another during our lessons and discussions, but Eunice would never consider me as a suitor. She knew she was teaching me manners only so I could become betrothed to you.”
“My question is, why did Eunice have to teach you manners? Certainly your sister-in-law, Abigail, could have done the job.”
“You know the history Abigail and I share. I think she made the right choice to ask her friend to take me on.”
“So her friend could steal you away?”
“She did not steal me away. If you want to place blame on anyone, look in the mirror.” He tilted his head toward the large gilded mirror that hung beside the window on the north wall.
She took his advice. He watched Olivia appraise herself. “Anyone can plainly see that I am no longer as young as Eunice.” She cocked her head. “But I am still attractive. And I have connections. Why, I am the most popular hostess in London!” She turned back to him, eyes narrowed. “How could you even consider her?”
“Who says I am?”
“Giles, of course. And your fit of rage at the mention of his name confirms the suspicions he expressed to me.”
“You listen to the ramblings of a lovesick puppy. Pay him no heed.”
“So you say, but I am not so sure. If you really want to prove Giles wrong and put to rest any rumors that might be circulating about the three of us, you will agree to an Easter wedding.” She nodded once as though her declaration would settle the matter.
He didn’t have to think before making his decision. “I will not.”
Her eyes widened and took on a light he seldom saw in them. Fear, perhaps? “A month later, then,” she suggested.
“No.”
“June?” Her features hardened. “The wedding must take place no later than in the spring.”
“I am sorry, Olivia, but I have no idea why you are hurrying to set a wedding date. We are not formally betrothed as of yet. And I am not sure at this moment that I wish to prolong our courtship.”
Olivia gasped. “What! How dare you! How dare you reject me for that. . .that. . .” She pointed an accusing finger in the general direction of South Hampton Manor.
“Although I regard Eunice highly, do not blame her. She is not the one who caused me to lose my love for you.”
“Then who?”
“You did.” Speaking the words aloud made him realize the truth they held. “You took your love away from me bit by bit. First, by putting conditions on our betrothal.”
“And you are looking all the better for it.”
“I must admit, I am feeling in much better health, although I do miss my wine. But that is not all. You have humiliated me by cavorting with that dog, George.”
“And a dog he is, too. You have no reason to feel humiliated. You were out of town,” she pointed out. “But George is neither here nor there. I am not going to lose again. I want you to come back to London with me today. London is where you belong, with me.”
“Why this sudden desire to wed at all? I thought you liked your freedom. At least, that is what you told Eunice.”
Olivia blanched. “What else did she tell you?”
“Nothing. Just that she admired your independent spirit.”
“Oh, really?” Her voice dripped with doubt.
“I give you my word as a lord and a son of the empire, Eunice never said a negative word about you. Even though she admitted she does not know you well, she spoke of you with the highest regard. Perhaps, my dear, that is precisely why she spoke so well of you.”
“How dare you! Why, if you were any other man, I–I would—”
“Slap me across the cheek? It would not be the first time.” Cecil couldn’t help but remember his first encounter with Eunice, when she had spurned his kiss with a sound slap that echoed through the garden.
“So she never told you that I—” Olivia stopped herself short.
“Told me what? That you do not really love me at all?”
Olivia couldn’t meet his gaze.
“You did not need Eunice to betray a confidence. As you should be able to deduce, I had already come to that conclusion on my own.”
“If you think you can have Eunice, think again. How can you be happy living here in the country all the time, with nothing to do but hunt and fish? I will admit readily that I am not as pure as your Eunice. She reminds me of a nun with her piousness. If you indeed chose not to marry me, never in a lifetime would I have chosen Eunice as a match for you. We are two of a kind, you know. Irresponsible, selfish, reckless. Unrepentant sinners. I assure you, living with Eunice would be your worst nightmare.”
“But that is where you are wrong. I would be happy with someone like Eunice. For I am no longer an unrepentant sinner. I have come to know the Savior.”
Olivia sneered. “So you say, just to pacify her, no doubt. But I doubt your so-called faith can sustain you when you face the one temptation you never speak of—even to me. Yes, I know about her. Lizzie.”
A small gasp escaped his lips.
“You thought I never knew? I know more than you think.”
Shame flooded him. “I had no idea. I was a cad. I never meant to cause you such anguish.”
“Do you think you are the only man with such an arrangement? The gossips are only too happy to let us know as many details as they can.”
A wave of protectiveness swept over him. He wanted to console the woman he had hurt. He strode over to her and reached out his arms for an embrace.
She twirled out of his reach. “You think I am so fragile that I will break into pieces if I discover the way the world works? I am not. But Eunice is. As you no doubt have seen, she does not go to church for appearances as some of us do. She truly is a Christian, and despite being orphaned and pawned off on an uncle at an early age, she has lived a very sheltered life. She has just inherited a grand house and enough money to keep her protected from the underworld. I doubt she has even heard of the likes of Lizzie. Gambling, drunkenness, debauchery. What will she think?” A laugh escaped Olivia’s lips, but the sound was not pretty.
Cecil shuddered.
“Do you really believe that Eunice could overlook your past? Could she believe your vow to change your ways? I think not.”
Other than to stop pacing, Cecil didn’t answer. How could he argue?
“I, on the other hand, am more than happy to overlook your diversions.”
“You put up a brave front, but in reality, I think you would prefer a husband who would never think of patronizing a gaming hall. And I want you to know, I have not seen Lizzie or gambled in months and never plan to do so again.”
“Indeed? Then why was your carriage parked in front of her house the same night you visited me in London?”
She certainly hadn’t exaggerated about the gossips. He held
back a grimace. “I admit, I instructed the driver to take me there. But once I arrived, I discovered that I had no desire to join the party. I immediately went to see you instead.”
“I suppose I should be flattered, but I am not. You never thought of giving up anything for me before I asked—no, demanded it. But you are willing to give up everything you consider amusing for Miss Norwood?”
“Your query deserves an answer.” Yet he didn’t respond right away. Instead, he thought for a moment. True, he had started out giving up his bad habits to please Olivia, but only because she forced his hand. So why was it so much easier to resist temptation now? At that moment, Cecil realized why. “Olivia, I have come to the happy conclusion that the things I once called ‘amusing’ no longer are.”
“But how can that be? You enjoyed all those things for years.”
“And you wanted to take them away from me. You thought I would fail, did you not? You thought I would never be able to give up every undesirable habit I had acquired over the years. That would have given you an excuse to go to Loughton. Am I right?”
“Do not be absurd.” The guilt on her face told another story.
Cecil could only look upon Lady Olivia, a part of that past life, with pity. How could she ever have a happy and satisfying relationship when she was so obviously willing to settle for seconds?
“Olivia, you deserve better than me. Do not settle for a marriage based on a relationship where the love has withered. Go back to London and find yourself a man who loves you so deeply in his heart and soul that nothing you can do will quench his love for you.”
“So this is good-bye.”
“Not forever. I am certain we will meet again. I bid you a good day and a safe trip to London.”
“I’m not going to London. My next stop is South Hampton.”
Olivia turned on her heel and made a quick exit. Whatever the purpose of Olivia’s visit, she wasn’t about to tell him. Cecil’s heart beat with anxiety. Surely Olivia planned to see Eunice. What would she say to her?
Twelve
Eunice and her aunt sat together at the empty dining room table. Even though Eunice thought the dinner party was still too far away to take such a step, she and Aunt May had met with the best local caterers, who had left lists of suggested menus. Her aunt was too excited about the prospects to delay discussion.
Lady And The Cad Page 14