She shook her head in disbelief. “You don’t need to defend my honor, Brother.”
Richard took a step towards her, his tone turning tight. “I refuse to let him win. I refuse to let him vanish into the shadows and leave you broken.”
A new voice broke through the tension. “Good heavens, what are you two arguing about now?”
They both turned to see their mother standing at the edge of the gardens, her hands clasped loosely in front of her.
Olivia stormed past Richard. “Miss Theodosia is connected to Luke,” she stated. “And Richard tricked her into coming here so he could use her to lure him back.”
Their mother’s brows lifted, but her voice remained calm. “I see. And is Miss Theodosia complicit in all this?”
Richard folded his arms. “She’s no innocent. She’s protecting him, I’m sure of it.”
“And what proof have you?” his mother asked.
“A Bow Street Runner confirmed that Mr. Smith was seen leaving her estate on multiple occasions,” Richard replied. “That is enough for me.”
Their mother considered this in silence, her gaze steady. “Until we know the full extent of her involvement, she is to be treated with dignity and respect while she is under this roof.”
“That is more than she deserves,” Richard muttered.
“Nevertheless,” their mother said, “if you expect me to go along with this absurd plan of yours, I won’t have her treated poorly in my house.”
Olivia threw up her hands. “And I’m simply meant to pretend that everything is perfectly fine?”
“Yes,” Richard said.
“Yes,” their mother echoed, in perfect harmony.
Richard turned back to his sister. “Spend time with her. Speak with her. Earn her trust. She knows more than she’s letting on.”
Olivia crossed her arms again. “That’s distasteful.”
“Perhaps,” he said with a shrug. “But so was Luke’s betrayal. If this is how we get answers, then so be it.”
Olivia turned her face towards the towering façade of the townhouse. “I don’t need a companion,” she said. “And I certainly don’t want one.”
“I know,” Richard replied. “But ask yourself—do you want Mr. Smith to win?”
She drew in a slow, shuddering breath and let it out in a sigh. “No,” she said at last. “I do not.”
Richard stepped closer and gently laid a hand on her shoulder. “You didn’t deserve what he did to you, Olivia. None of it.”
She shrugged off his hand as though the contact stung. “I need to be alone until dinner.”
Without another word, she turned and strode back towards the house, her back rigid.
Richard watched her go, a frown creasing his brow. Amoment later, their mother’s voice broke the silence beside him. “She’s hurting, Richard.”
“I know,” he said. “That’s exactly why this plan has to work.”
His mother’s gaze settled on her son. “And if it doesn’t?”
“It has to,” he declared. “And when it does, Mr. Smith will be dealt with harshly. Swiftly. No one humiliates my sister and walks away untouched.”
She reached out and placed a hand on his arm. “You’re angry.”
He let out a short, bitter laugh. “Of course I’m angry! Olivia eloped to Gretna Green with a man completely beneath her. A liar. A coward. And the moment he pocketed her dowry, he disappeared.”
