Page 107 of Waiting for Love

“You have been talking nonstop. It is my turn. There is nothing in that story to make me regret hiring you. I’m certainly not going to dismiss you because you made a few errors in judgment. You’ve paid for them. God knows, you’ve paid.”

“Thank you. Thank you for that. But Jasper, you can’t trust me. You can’t.”

“Oh, please.” Jasper suddenly grinned at him. “Don’t tell me there is more. What else did you do? Turn pirate on the ship home?”

“Jasper—”

There was a knock. Jasper turned to the door. Benjamin grabbed his arm.

“Jasper, we need to talk about Olivia.”

“I’m sorry she’s been difficult. I’ll speak with her. But I’m not going to let you resign because of this.”

The knock came again.

“Yes, enter,” Jasper said, rolling his shoulders with exasperation.

Finley stepped in. “My lord, the Duke of Lythe is calling. He is in the receiving room. Are you at home?”

“Calling? Oh, good God!” Jasper stood, clenching his jaw. “He is going to ask my consent.”

“For Olivia?” Benjamin’s blood ran cold. “She can’t possibly. Jasper, send him away.”

“I’d rather call him out. The man is a dog!”

“Refuse. You are her guardian. Refuse!”

His mouth tightened. “I would like to. But it isn’t as though Olivia will say ‘yes.’ Once she has refused him, I can justifiably tell him to leave her alone.” Jasper rounded the desk and went for the door. “Damn it! Lythe isn’t half the man you are. None of them are.”

“Jasper, this isn’t…we aren’t finished.”

Jasper sighed with annoyance. “Then wait here. This shouldn’t take long.” He waved a hand behind him as he stepped out. “Just don’t pilfer anything while I’m gone.”

Chapter Thirty-Three

If Alice could do it, so could she. Except that Alice had weeks, perhaps months, to work on Hazard, and Olivia only had minutes to change Benjamin’s mind. To bend the world.

She ran to the top of the stairs and shrank behind the banister until she saw Jasper on the first floor, walking toward the receiving room.

If this failed, at least she’d make everyone else happy.

She could put up with Lythe’s droning on and on, but his toploftiness…his refusal to even speak to Vanessa… Lud. She shuddered. He’d want to touch her.

Drawing a sharp breath, she rose from her crouch. Determined to risk it. It had to be Lythe. Most probably, within a few years, she would be a widow. She could return to Chaumbers and live in the dower house with Mama. That was a better choice than being trapped in a loveless marriage for the rest of her life with Ebersom, who deserved a wife who could appreciate him.

She ran down to the second floor and straight to the study. She burst in and found Benjamin sitting at the desk, staring morosely into an empty glass.

“Benjamin!”

He whirled around and jumped to his feet. “Olivia!”

She swallowed, taking a step toward him. “I—I am sorry. I’ve made you so uncomfortable, and you’ve been so kind.”

“What? Olivia, what are you—”

“I heard. I mean, I overheard.” She tossed her head. “I think you are heroic, Benjamin. And I’ve made a fool of myself. I’m so sorry.”

He gaped. Aghast. She could see his mind working, trying to think of everything she would have heard him tell Jasper.