Everett loved her.
Her heart swelled for this wonderful man. Silent tears rolled down her cheeks.
He put his teacup down on the table and knelt by her chair, picking up her hand. “Please don’t cry, my darling. Tell me what I need to do to win your love, and I’ll do it. Do I need to slay a dragon or sail the mighty seas in search of treasure? Climb the highest mountain and shout out my love for you for all the world to hear? Whatever you need, consider it done,” he said, gently wiping the wetness from her cheeks.
“There are no more dragons,” she said with a tentative smile.
“Name your price. Whatever it is, however outrageous, I will see it happen. I will prove my love, even if it takes a lifetime.”
“Well, there is one thing that you can do.”
“Name it.”
“Kiss me, my darling, for I have missed you desperately, too. You have not lost my love.”
Everett stood and pulled her into his arms, kissing her with all the desperation of a man dying of thirst with her the last oasis to be found. It was heaven on earth, and at that moment, she felt true happiness. She’d found love for the first time in her life, and it was glorious.
When they finally broke apart, they were both breathless. “My darling, I have a most important question to ask you,” Robertson said.
“You do?”
He took her hand and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. “I do and it is very important. But first, would you be willing to listen to a sad tale?”
She nodded and waited with nervous anticipation and forced herself to remain still. Would Everett finally confide in her about whatever had happened to him in his childhood and explain why he was so afraid of love?
He stood, pulled a chair over next to her, and sat. “I’ll replace the chair if I ruin it with my wet clothes.”
“That’s not necessary. Please sit.”
Robertson nodded. “I had an older brother.”
“You did? I had no idea.”
“No, you wouldn’t. It’s not often talked about in the ton anymore because it happened so long ago. See, Grayson died when he was fourteen, and it was my fault.”
That was the last thing Olivia expected him to say, and it shocked her to her core. “Your fault?” she squeaked.
Everett nodded. “Yes. Grayson lit up everyone’s world. He was smart, physically fit, and had a wonderful wit that everyone loved. Exactly the opposite of me.”
Olivia wanted to reassure him that he also had fine qualities, but she feared that if she interrupted him, he’d stop talking. She desperately wanted him to continue.
“When I was eleven, Grayson came home on school break. He wanted to go sailing, but there was a storm brewing. My mother had warned me against either of us going out on the ocean that day, but Grayson wouldn’t listen. He was my hero, and I adored him. I begged him not to take the sailboat out, but when Grayson wanted something, there was no stopping him.”
Olivia squeezed his hand, encouraging him to continue. She had a feeling this was more painful for him to talk about than anything else they had discussed during their short acquaintance.
“My mother was right, and a ferocious storm blew in fast. She’d come down to the beach to drag us home, and that’s when it happened.”
“What happened?”
“The bolt of lightning that ended the light in our world. It was a direct hit on the mast, and within seconds, Grayson and the sailboat disappeared under the waves. The ocean was churning violently and there was no way he could have made it to shore. My mother screamed and turned her accusing eyes on me, blaming me for the death of the beloved Robertson heir.”
More tears streaked down Olivia’s cheeks at what he’d suffered. No child deserved that. “Oh, Everett. I’m so very sorry you had to endure losing your brother. Your mother was wrong to blame you for the accident. You were only a child.”
Everett hung his head. “It didn’t matter. Grayson was gone, and a piece of my heart died with him. I thought if I never opened myself to love again, I wouldn’t feel such pain as I experienced that fateful day, and that’s how I’ve lived my life ever since. Being polite and aloof. That is until I met you.”
Olivia reached over and hugged him. “My darling, your brother’s death was not your fault. It was no one’s fault—just a tragic accident.” She felt him shudder and squeezed him tighter, giving him the time he needed to gather himself once again. When he finally looked up, it was her turn to swipe the wetness from his cheeks.
“My darling Olivia, I’ve never told anyone that story before. It was always too painful to repeat.”
