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Authors: Celeste Bradley
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wasn't blind.
"Sisters, milady," Letty volunteered, then hushed abruptly.
Olivia turned to catch an admonishing glare retreating from Petty's expression. Petty must be the elder. That made sense, for a lady's maid ranked higher than a chambermaid in any house. Olivia made determined note of it all. She would be the viscountess that Dane wanted. All she needed to do was keep her eyes and ears open.
For the first time, she noticed the gown that Petty held. It was the second-best evening gown from Olivia's hurried trousseau, a gray satin that matched her eyes. "Is there a problem with my dress?" She rather hoped there was. She didn't much care for the gown, thinking it dull and severe, but Mother had chosen the fabric and cut.
Petty stiffened. "Of course not, milady!" Olivia hid a sigh. The girl was determined to take everything wrongly.
Petty went on. "It will be ready for tonight."
"Tonight?" The only plans Olivia had for tonight were to obey Dane's command and await him in the altogether. Her skin heated at the thought and her mind spun off into imagining all the various and sundry things that might ensue… "… Cheltenham, my lady." Olivia's attention snapped back to Petty. "What?" Petty's lack of expression spoke volumes. "This evening you are to dine with Lord and Lady Cheltenham, my lady." She enunciated slowly, as if to an idiot. It was just this side of insulting, but Olivia scarcely cared.
They were having dinner with her parents? Dane had said nothing of the kind earlier. Olivia was wounded and dismayed to be less informed than the insolent Petty.
"Oh… yes, of course. How silly of me to forget." Petty truly was a master of the snide glance. "Yes, milady."
Olivia closed her eyes briefly. "Carry on then, Petty, Letty." She left her own room, grateful for the emptiness of the hall outside. She'd found a library earlier. She could spend what remained of the afternoon there, away from chilly servants and Dane's busy indifference.
She tilted her head back and heaved the sigh that had been brimming for several minutes. Dinner with her parents.
Oh dear. And she'd only just managed to leave them.
Another thought brightened her mood, however. At least she would be alone with Dane in the carriage on the way.
"I do hope you don't mind me tagging along, Lady Greenleigh."
Dane turned his gaze to where Marcus was smiling engagingly at Olivia across the roomy carriage. "Nonsense," he said. "Why shouldn't you ride with us?"
Olivia shot an indecipherable glance in his direction, then turned back to Marcus. "Yes, you are most welcome, Lord Dryden," she said quietly.
She seemed a bit tired this evening. He'd likely kept her up too late last night. She'd perk up once they reached her family home, at any rate.
He gazed back out the window to the grim, blurry London streets passing outside. The weather was always unpleasant now, with the air gone to soot and fog. Most of Society had already left for Scotland or their home estates. Dane looked forward to showing Greenleigh to Olivia, but that would have to wait until the Four had settled the matter of George's "companion."
Tonight's excursion was merely an excuse to hold an impromptu meeting. He'd asked Lady Cheltenham to invite the Cobra, Lord Reardon, and the Falcon, Lord Wyndham, along with a few other benign acquaintances for camouflage. Just a casual evening with friends and family, at least to the outside world.
In addition, it would surely please Olivia to see her mother again. New brides pined for their mothers, did they not?
Not that he intended to concern himself too deeply with Olivia's needs. It wouldn't do to coddle her too much but there was no reason to mistreat her by keeping her from her loved ones. They would be leaving for Kirkall Hall in Scotland in a few days' time and Olivia wouldn't see her family again until Christmas at the soonest.
He was merely being considerate.
Olivia, on the other hand, was being anything but. Her answers to Marcus's
"Sisters, milady," Letty volunteered, then hushed abruptly.
Olivia turned to catch an admonishing glare retreating from Petty's expression. Petty must be the elder. That made sense, for a lady's maid ranked higher than a chambermaid in any house. Olivia made determined note of it all. She would be the viscountess that Dane wanted. All she needed to do was keep her eyes and ears open.
For the first time, she noticed the gown that Petty held. It was the second-best evening gown from Olivia's hurried trousseau, a gray satin that matched her eyes. "Is there a problem with my dress?" She rather hoped there was. She didn't much care for the gown, thinking it dull and severe, but Mother had chosen the fabric and cut.
Petty stiffened. "Of course not, milady!" Olivia hid a sigh. The girl was determined to take everything wrongly.
Petty went on. "It will be ready for tonight."
"Tonight?" The only plans Olivia had for tonight were to obey Dane's command and await him in the altogether. Her skin heated at the thought and her mind spun off into imagining all the various and sundry things that might ensue… "… Cheltenham, my lady." Olivia's attention snapped back to Petty. "What?" Petty's lack of expression spoke volumes. "This evening you are to dine with Lord and Lady Cheltenham, my lady." She enunciated slowly, as if to an idiot. It was just this side of insulting, but Olivia scarcely cared.
They were having dinner with her parents? Dane had said nothing of the kind earlier. Olivia was wounded and dismayed to be less informed than the insolent Petty.
"Oh… yes, of course. How silly of me to forget." Petty truly was a master of the snide glance. "Yes, milady."
Olivia closed her eyes briefly. "Carry on then, Petty, Letty." She left her own room, grateful for the emptiness of the hall outside. She'd found a library earlier. She could spend what remained of the afternoon there, away from chilly servants and Dane's busy indifference.
She tilted her head back and heaved the sigh that had been brimming for several minutes. Dinner with her parents.
Oh dear. And she'd only just managed to leave them.
Another thought brightened her mood, however. At least she would be alone with Dane in the carriage on the way.
"I do hope you don't mind me tagging along, Lady Greenleigh."
Dane turned his gaze to where Marcus was smiling engagingly at Olivia across the roomy carriage. "Nonsense," he said. "Why shouldn't you ride with us?"
Olivia shot an indecipherable glance in his direction, then turned back to Marcus. "Yes, you are most welcome, Lord Dryden," she said quietly.
She seemed a bit tired this evening. He'd likely kept her up too late last night. She'd perk up once they reached her family home, at any rate.
He gazed back out the window to the grim, blurry London streets passing outside. The weather was always unpleasant now, with the air gone to soot and fog. Most of Society had already left for Scotland or their home estates. Dane looked forward to showing Greenleigh to Olivia, but that would have to wait until the Four had settled the matter of George's "companion."
Tonight's excursion was merely an excuse to hold an impromptu meeting. He'd asked Lady Cheltenham to invite the Cobra, Lord Reardon, and the Falcon, Lord Wyndham, along with a few other benign acquaintances for camouflage. Just a casual evening with friends and family, at least to the outside world.
In addition, it would surely please Olivia to see her mother again. New brides pined for their mothers, did they not?
Not that he intended to concern himself too deeply with Olivia's needs. It wouldn't do to coddle her too much but there was no reason to mistreat her by keeping her from her loved ones. They would be leaving for Kirkall Hall in Scotland in a few days' time and Olivia wouldn't see her family again until Christmas at the soonest.
He was merely being considerate.
Olivia, on the other hand, was being anything but. Her answers to Marcus's
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