“Are you hungry? Thirsty?” Dosia asked, stepping back. “I can have chocolate or biscuits sent up.”
Olivia laughed for the first time that morning. “Chocolate sounds heavenly.”
Dosia turned to the butler. “Two cups, if you please.” Then she linked her arm with Olivia’s and led her to the drawing room. “Now then, what brings you here at this hour?”
“Can’t I simply visit my dearest friend?”
“You can—and must—but you are rarely up so early without cause.”
Once seated in the drawing room, Olivia let go of Dosia’s arm and faced her fully. It was time to speak the truth.
“I made a mistake,” she revealed.
Dosia’s brows lifted. “Oh?”
“I think… I think I’ve fallen in love with Evander.”
“Youthink?”
Olivia moved to the settee and sank down, the admission tumbling out with a sigh. “No, I don’t think. I know. I love him.”
Dosia gave a knowing smile. “That is not surprising.”
“But it could ruin everything,” Olivia whispered. “What if he doesn’t feel the same?”
“And what if he does?”
She tipped her head back, staring at the plasterwork on the ceiling. “We’ve always been friends. Can I risk that?”
Dosia joined her on the settee. “It’s frightening to bare one’s heart, I know. But you cannot continue pretending all is the same.”
“Why not?” Olivia asked. “It’s safe.”
“True love isn’t about safety. It’s about truth. And truth has a way of growing, whether you like it or not.”
“That sounds rather painful.”
Dosia grinned. “Sometimes it is. But more often, it’s wonderful. There is nothing better than being in love.”
Before Olivia could respond, the sound of voices and hurried steps echoed through the entry hall. A moment later, Evander burst through the doorway.
“Olivia!” he said, relief etched in every line of his face.
She rose at once. “Is everything all right?”
“No!” He ran a hand through his hair. “You shouldn’t have left the townhouse.”
Her brows furrowed. “Why not?”
He took her hand gently. “It’s not safe. Warwicke believes someone may target you next.”
“Joseph said the same.”
Evander stilled. “You saw Harwood?”
She nodded. “He stepped into the coach on my way here. He wants me to try to convince you to sell the indigo plantation.”
His jaw tensed. “You should not have been alone with him. What if someone saw you?”
