“Assaulting a young woman is never acceptable, you arse. Get out of my sight!”
Olivia watched Pressley scramble away after Robertson released him. All the strength had drained from her body, and she felt faint. Tears flowed down her cheeks. How could this nightmare keep happening to her?
Robertson turned to her. “My darling Olivia, I’m so very sorry I was delayed. Please forgive me.”
His apology broke the dam inside her, and she began to sob uncontrollably. He reached for her, and she melted into his arms. “I didn’t invite him,” she said between sobs. “I promise I didn’t.”
“I know, my darling. I know. You’re safe now,” he said, rubbing her back… until he wasn’t.
It took her a moment for Olivia to realize something was wrong. When she looked into his eyes, she saw it: disgust.
“What happened to your back?” he demanded.
“It’s nothing. Let it be, please,” she pleaded, taking a step away from him and out of the comfort of his arms.
“Olivia, that isn’t nothing. You have scars all over your back. Tell me, who did this to you?”
“I can’t. Please, forget this ever happened.”
“That I cannot do. Olivia, please trust me. No one should endure such beatings, especially not someone as lovely as you. Was it your father who beat you?”
She didn’t want to tell him. It was her dirty secret that she couldn’t seem to satisfy her husband. “No.”
“Armstrong? I swear if that old bastard weren’t already dead, I’d kill him myself.”
Olivia wanted to die. This wasn’t how she’d wanted Everett to find out about the scars. She hadn’t told him about the scars when she revealed to him earlier a little of what Armstrong had done to her.
Now everything was ruined.
“My lord, you must excuse me. I need to leave.”
“Let me escort you at least,” he said. “You should not be alone.”
She shook her head. “No, it’ll be easier if I slip in through the servants’ entrance and return to my bedchamber.”
He reached for her, but she pulled away.
“Please, just let me go.”
“Olivia, please don’t go. Don’t you know how I feel about you?”
She shook her head. “How do you feel?”
“I admire you a great deal. More than I’ve ever admired another woman of my acquaintance.”
“You admire me?”
“Yes.”
“I see.” She pulled herself together, trying to force back the love he didn’t want.Admiration?!Was that all? It wasn’t nearly enough. “Goodnight, my lord. Please do not follow me.”
With one final look at the man she loved, she fled the garden. Tears flowed down her cheeks as she slipped into the house and up to her bedchamber, their perfect time together ruined before it ever had a chance to blossom.
Chapter 18
Robertson watched Olivia flee fromhis sight. He’d been shocked to feel the crisscross of scars across her back. What monster did that to a young woman? He’d heard stories about Armstrong, but he hadn’t paid much attention to them at the time. Now he regretted that more than he could say.
He never should have lingered in the parlor so long, but he’d been talking with Miles… unfortunately giving Pressley the opportunity to beat him to the garden.
