Thel reached across the carriage and squeezed her knee. “We will do this.”
That was the only part of the plan that she did not doubt in the slightest. She could not regret marrying him. She looked forward to presenting herself as not the Countess Dowager Allen, but as the Marchioness of Lowell, and one day, the Duchess of Hestia.
She would be a duchess.
Goodness.
She wished she could be an invisible observer in the room when Mrs. Zephyr and the other ladies who had spurned her learned of her marriage. Just imagining Mrs. Zephyr paling and sputtering was enough to make Olivia smile.
The carriage stopped. Thel opened the door, helped everyone inside exit, and then instructed the driver to park. Before they could enter the house, however, the doors flew open, and a woman dressed in a pale-blue day dress raced toward them.
“Celina!” Thel said. “What are you doing here?” There was no anger in his voice, only surprise, for which Olivia was grateful. She did not want to cause any further conflict.
Celina captured Constance in a hug. “Oh, I was hoping you would come here. It’s not too late, is it? Please tell me you have not married him.” She pulled back and looked around. “Where is Dawson?”
Mr. Ringwell grasped Constance’s shoulder and gave the girl a look that was full of love. “That is a long story.”
Constance’s cheeks grew rosy. She touched Mr. Ringwell’s hand with her fingers and dropped her gaze to the ground.
Olivia stepped closer to Celina, hardly recognizing her from the mean-spirited viper who had accused her of murder. What had changed since she had left Celina in that bedroom? Apparently, whatever it had been, it had been for the best. Then the meaning of Celina’s words struck her. She’d known they’d been coming.
“Olivia, it is such a pleasure to see you again,” Celina said as she took Olivia’s hands. “I apologize for presuming, but when I learned what Mr. Dawson had done, I knew I had to try to stop him.”
“How’d you know to come here? Did Lord Felix come with you?” Olivia asked. She was bursting with questions, but those were the most important.
“Oh, certainly not,” Celina said. “After I told him of the affair, my husband ran off somewhere. Probably to drink himself senseless.” She waved a hand in the air. “The man is terribly predictable. He’ll sulk for a few weeks before crawling back to beg forgiveness. As to how I knew to come here, Constance told me.”
Constance slapped a hand over her mouth, her eyes wide. “Oh, I forgot,” she said, the words muffled by her hand.
“Constance,” Thel said, in a tired voice. “What have you done?”
“I told Celina that we would honeymoon here. Me and Dawson.” She flushed. “There is a lot we have to tell you, Aunt.”
Celina drew herself upright. “I see. Come, I have arranged for afternoon tea. All of you look quite famished.”
Chapter 30
The house was quiet as Olivia walked toward the room where she would spend her first night as Lady Lowell. Unexpected nerves fluttered in her stomach. They’d had sex several times, but there had always been the edge of worry that someone would discover what they’d been doing. Would it be the same now that they were married?
Thel pressed a door open with his palm, and the sight that awaited her made her gasp. There were lit candles scattered across the room, and a copper tub near the hearth, filled with gently steaming water.
She was so shocked that she didn’t realize Thel was moving forward until he tugged her hand. She followed, skipping to catch up. “Did you plan all of this?” she asked.
“Of course,” he said. He tugged his cravat free, unwound it into a strip, then looped it around her neck and reeled her in. Their kiss was gentle at first, but soon they were both panting. She reached between their bodies and pressed her palm over the hard length of him, making him groan.
“Not tonight,” he said. “Tonight, I want to cherish every second.”
She unbuttoned his jacket, tugged his shirt free, then slid her hands beneath it. “As you wish. Show your mentor what you’ve learned.”
He pushed her back until her knees knocked against the bedframe. They tumbled down, laughing and kissing until she remembered the bath.
“Our water will grow cold,” she said.
He rose above her on his elbows, his eyes dark and unreadable. “Disrobe.”
A thrill passed through her at the command in his tone. This was a side of Thel she had never seen before.
She liked it.
