Read Online The Love Match (Entangled Scandalous) by Lily Maxton - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Lily Maxton
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shaking air.
“It’s of no consequence,” she murmured.
Lord Ashworth smiled sadly.
He handed her up into the carriage when it pulled in front of them, squeezing her hand before letting her go. She sank back into the plush seats and stared across at her two agitated parents as the equipage began to shake and move.
They browbeat her the whole way to Middleton Hall, not allowing her a moment’s worth of rest. But she didn’t budge. Not when her father threatened to lock her in her room until she agreed to marry Mr. Cross. Not when her mother said she would burn all of the books in the library. Olivia could be as stubborn as Anne when she wanted to be.
As soon as the carriage stopped, Olivia spilled out from it. She shoved open the door and leaped down without waiting for the footman. She drew in a lungful of fresh air after the two hour ride, feeling a faint drizzle on the top of her head.
Then she heard her name called, and she looked up to see Anne and Elizabeth running out from the front door of Middleton Hall.
“We came as soon as we heard the rumors,” Anne said. “Is it true?”
“That depends. What did you hear?” she asked cautiously. Goodness, gossip traveled quickly.
“That you and Mr. Cross were discovered on the floor of the library in Eastwold Abbey, in the middle of—”
Elizabeth sent her sister a warning look.
“Well, you know. In flagrante ,” she finished.
“No. It’s not true,” Olivia said. They both looked relieved. “We were found just after,” she clarified. “And we were leaving the library. Not on the floor.”
“Olivia!” Anne exclaimed. “I never guessed you could behave—”
“As scandalously as you?” she said sharply.
She was never sharp. Her sister eyed her a bit warily.
“Let’s all go inside,” Elizabeth suggested. “We’ll drink tea and everything will be sorted out.”
Olivia followed them into the sitting room where Mr. Cameron and Lord Thornhill waited, lounging on opposite sides of the room. They both stood when she and her sisters entered. Her mother and father swept in behind them.
Lady Middleton gave a brilliant curtsy to Lord Thornhill, then glanced across the room at Mr. Cameron and barely inclined her head. “I see you’ve invaded our house,” she said, directing her words to Mr. Cameron. When she glanced back at the earl, she said, “Of course, you’re welcome whenever you wish to visit, my lord.”
Anne rolled her eyes.
“Have you all been apprised of the scandal Olivia has brought down upon our family?” Her mother sniffed.
Lord Middleton sighed. “I need a brandy.” His footsteps were heavy as he stalked out the door.
“I can find the man and wring his neck for you,” Elizabeth’s husband said helpfully.
“That’s not the way to solve this,” Thornhill responded.
“Then how would you do it, Thornhill?”
“A duel is typically the way these things are ended,” he suggested.
“Forgive me, I forgot. The civilized aristocracy,” Mr. Cameron said drily.
“I would never let you fight in a duel, Michael,” Anne pointed out.
Mr. Cameron smirked at the earl. “How long has it been since you married—two months?”
“Are you suggesting I’m henpecked?”
Mr. Cameron shrugged.
Elizabeth cleared her throat. “I think, at the moment, Olivia is our main concern, not whether Thornhill is henpecked. Which I find rather insulting to begin with.”
“ I didn’t use the term.” Mr. Cameron flashed her an apologetic smile.
She shook her head, her lips twitching slightly in response before she turned to Olivia. “What would you like us to do about this Mr. Cross?”
Olivia stood with her arms wrapped around her middle, wanting to shrink down and disappear so she wouldn’t feel their questioning eyes upon her. What did she want them to do ? There was nothing. Nothing to be done.
“You are under the impression that Wil— Mr. Cross, did not offer for me,” she began in a voice that wasn’t quite steady.
“It’s of no consequence,” she murmured.
Lord Ashworth smiled sadly.
He handed her up into the carriage when it pulled in front of them, squeezing her hand before letting her go. She sank back into the plush seats and stared across at her two agitated parents as the equipage began to shake and move.
They browbeat her the whole way to Middleton Hall, not allowing her a moment’s worth of rest. But she didn’t budge. Not when her father threatened to lock her in her room until she agreed to marry Mr. Cross. Not when her mother said she would burn all of the books in the library. Olivia could be as stubborn as Anne when she wanted to be.
As soon as the carriage stopped, Olivia spilled out from it. She shoved open the door and leaped down without waiting for the footman. She drew in a lungful of fresh air after the two hour ride, feeling a faint drizzle on the top of her head.
Then she heard her name called, and she looked up to see Anne and Elizabeth running out from the front door of Middleton Hall.
“We came as soon as we heard the rumors,” Anne said. “Is it true?”
“That depends. What did you hear?” she asked cautiously. Goodness, gossip traveled quickly.
“That you and Mr. Cross were discovered on the floor of the library in Eastwold Abbey, in the middle of—”
Elizabeth sent her sister a warning look.
“Well, you know. In flagrante ,” she finished.
“No. It’s not true,” Olivia said. They both looked relieved. “We were found just after,” she clarified. “And we were leaving the library. Not on the floor.”
“Olivia!” Anne exclaimed. “I never guessed you could behave—”
“As scandalously as you?” she said sharply.
She was never sharp. Her sister eyed her a bit warily.
“Let’s all go inside,” Elizabeth suggested. “We’ll drink tea and everything will be sorted out.”
Olivia followed them into the sitting room where Mr. Cameron and Lord Thornhill waited, lounging on opposite sides of the room. They both stood when she and her sisters entered. Her mother and father swept in behind them.
Lady Middleton gave a brilliant curtsy to Lord Thornhill, then glanced across the room at Mr. Cameron and barely inclined her head. “I see you’ve invaded our house,” she said, directing her words to Mr. Cameron. When she glanced back at the earl, she said, “Of course, you’re welcome whenever you wish to visit, my lord.”
Anne rolled her eyes.
“Have you all been apprised of the scandal Olivia has brought down upon our family?” Her mother sniffed.
Lord Middleton sighed. “I need a brandy.” His footsteps were heavy as he stalked out the door.
“I can find the man and wring his neck for you,” Elizabeth’s husband said helpfully.
“That’s not the way to solve this,” Thornhill responded.
“Then how would you do it, Thornhill?”
“A duel is typically the way these things are ended,” he suggested.
“Forgive me, I forgot. The civilized aristocracy,” Mr. Cameron said drily.
“I would never let you fight in a duel, Michael,” Anne pointed out.
Mr. Cameron smirked at the earl. “How long has it been since you married—two months?”
“Are you suggesting I’m henpecked?”
Mr. Cameron shrugged.
Elizabeth cleared her throat. “I think, at the moment, Olivia is our main concern, not whether Thornhill is henpecked. Which I find rather insulting to begin with.”
“ I didn’t use the term.” Mr. Cameron flashed her an apologetic smile.
She shook her head, her lips twitching slightly in response before she turned to Olivia. “What would you like us to do about this Mr. Cross?”
Olivia stood with her arms wrapped around her middle, wanting to shrink down and disappear so she wouldn’t feel their questioning eyes upon her. What did she want them to do ? There was nothing. Nothing to be done.
“You are under the impression that Wil— Mr. Cross, did not offer for me,” she began in a voice that wasn’t quite steady.
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