“Heavens, no,” she said with a laugh devoid of mirth. “I barely knew the man.”
“But you eloped with him?”
She looked down at the gravel. “It was a mistake. One I regret.”
He stepped closer. “I will fix this. When Mr. Smith comes for Miss Theodosia, I’ll be waiting. I’ll challenge him to a duel for what he did to you.”
“You don’t need to fight my battles.”
He met her gaze with firm resolve. “It’s a brother’s duty to defend his sister’s honor.”
Olivia gave a dramatic roll of her eyes. “And what if Luke proves to be an excellent shot and manages to kill you?” she asked, her voice tinged with a mixture of jest and genuine concern. “I might complain about you often, but I’d rather like to keep my brother alive.”
Richard gave a half-smile, hoping to reassure her. “You’re not going to lose me so easily. I’m not that obliging.”
“Good. Because I suppose you aren’t a terrible brother.”
He tilted his head, scrutinizing her with mock suspicion. “That may be the highest praise I’ve ever received from you.But, pray tell, who was this mysterious man you once loved? And how did I not hear a word of it at the time?”
Her smile faltered, and she gave a dismissive wave of her hand. “It is of little consequence now.”
“It is not,” he said more gently. “You can trust me with the truth, Olivia. You know that.”
She paused, her eyes flickering with old pain. “Very well. I was foolish enough to fall in love with Lord Harwood.”
Richard’s jaw clenched. “Harwood? That scoundrel? He’s a rake of the first order.”
“I know,” she whispered, blinking rapidly. “But he made me feel seen. As though I were the only woman in the world. I know it sounds foolish, but I believed him. I believed we had a future together.”
“You deserved far better than that preening popinjay,” Richard said firmly, his brows drawing together in a frown.
“I don’t know what I deserve anymore,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. “I’ve made one disastrous decision after another. And now I fear I’ve ruined everything. My reputation. My prospects. My life.”
He placed a hand on her sleeve. “The past is set in stone, Olivia. We cannot alter it, no matter how desperately we might wish to. But the future… the future is still yours to shape.”
Her eyes filled with tears as she asked, “Do I even have a future? Truly?”
“You do,” he asserted. “But only if you refuse to surrender to despair. Do not let one mistake—or even several—define your worth. You are stronger than that.”
“I wish I could believe you,” she murmured.
“Then believe in me,” he countered. “Let me believe on your behalf until you can do so yourself. I will fight for your future. I swear it.”
She gave a small, shaky nod, blinking away tears. “All right. I can do that.”
He released her arm and reached into his jacket pocket, producing a crisp white handkerchief.
“There,” he said, extending her the handkerchief. “You’ve been spared the rest of the speech I had so carefully prepared. It was quite moving, I assure you.”
A laugh burst from her lips. “Spare me, I beg you. I’ve endured enough theatrics for one evening.”
Just as Richard’s lips quirked with amusement, he glanced around—and froze. His amusement vanished in an instant. “Wait… where is Miss Theodosia?”
Olivia turned to look and then shrugged. “I wouldn’t worry. She’s likely wandered into the hedge maze.”
Still, an uneasy sensation tugged at him, one he could not dismiss. “I do not like not knowing where she is.”
Olivia arched a brow. “You’ve grown quite protective.”
