6
Richard searched through the townhouse with growing frustration, flinging open door after door and finding no sign of his sister. The morning room? Empty. The music salon? Silent. Olivia was nowhere to be found, and his patience—never abundant—was fast unraveling. Where in the blazes had she gone?
He came to a halt near the tall window in the corridor, bracing a hand on the sill. The moment his eyes fell on the gardens below, he spotted her. Olivia was pacing furiously along the gravel path that wound between the rose beds, her skirts swishing with each agitated turn. Her posture was rigid, and her hands were clenched at her sides.
He couldn’t blame her. He had upended her world with little warning, presenting her with a new companion she neither expected nor welcomed. But he hadn’t the luxury of easing her into the plan. Time was not on their side—and Olivia, unpredictable as ever, was capable of sabotaging the entire scheme if he didn’t speak with her at once.
Without delay, he descended the stairs and strode out into the gardens, his boots crunching over the gravel. The sun hadbegun its slow descent, casting a golden hue across the blossoms, but the beauty of the setting was entirely lost on him.
The moment Olivia caught sight of him, she spun on her heel and advanced towards him.
“What were you thinking?” she demanded.
He lifted a hand in an attempt to calm her. “I know you’re upset, but?—”
“I’m not upset, I’m furious!” she snapped. “You brought that woman into our home—without so much as a word of warning!”
“She’s part of a larger plan,” he said carefully.
Olivia gave a humorless laugh. “If that’s true, then it’s a terrible one.”
“Would you calm down and come sit with me?” he said, gesturing to a wrought iron bench tucked beneath the shade of a lilac tree.
“I’ve never listened to you before. Why start now?”
“Five minutes,” he bargained. “Give me that, and I swear it will all begin to make sense.”
With a dramatic exhale, she marched past him and sat, crossing her arms tightly. “Three minutes. Starting now.”
“Very well,” he said. “I went to the village where you claimed Mr. Smith was from. He wasn’t there, but Miss Theodosia Smith was.”
Olivia narrowed her eyes. “And how is she connected to him?”
“I don’t know the exact relationship, but they are linked,” Richard said. “According to the locals, a man matching Mr. Smith’s description was seen leaving her estate. At night. Frequently.”
Olivia arched a skeptical brow. “That still doesn’t explain why you brought her here.”
“Because I’m using her as bait.”
Her head jerked back. “Bait?”
He nodded. “I brought her under the pretense of serving as your companion. If Mr. Smith truly cares for her, he’ll come for her. And when he does, he won’t slip away again.”
“You’ve gone mad,” she declared, standing abruptly.
“Mad or not, it’s the best strategy we have.”
“And you expect me to just... smile and play hostess to the woman connected to the man who humiliated me? Who married me for my dowry and then vanished without a trace?”
“You don’t have to smile,” Richard said. “But you will cooperate.”
“And what happens when Luke shows up?” she asked bitterly. “You can’t force him to return to me. You can’t make him stay.”
“No,” Richard agreed. “But I can challenge him to a duel.”
Olivia looked unimpressed. “A duel? That’s your plan?”
“It may not solve the problem,” he admitted. “But I assure you, it would be most satisfying.”
