Page 82 of Waiting for Love

“No? Tell me anyway.”

Jasper let out a long sigh. “Lythe asked to take Olivia out riding Friday morning.”

Hazard scowled. “Tell him ‘no.’”

“Yes, well, the problem is that Olivia already said yes.”

“Cassieopia?” Hazard said. Incomprehensibly. The men talked in code. Jasper only nodded. “He is fiendish.” He drummed his fingers on the arm of his chair. “But he has not asked to call on her? Formally?”

“No. Just the ride. He made it sound like a favor he was granting.”

“Bollocks. The man is old enough to be my father. Tell him ‘no.’”

Reg stood, drawing their attention. “It is not so simple.” He spoke quietly but firmly. “Jasper’s maiden speech will be in two weeks.”

“Eulogy for your father. King and Country. We’ve defeated Napoleon. Now on with it.” Hazard almost sneered. “Not a controversial word.”

“Have you read it?” Reg asked.

“No. Not yet. Jasper has not shown it to me. He said he was still working on it.”

“Then you will be surprised. It is all that you said, but signals a shift. Father was of his time. Jasper intends to be of his.”

Hazard turned to study Jasper, then said, “Good. Let me go over it with you. Don’t come too strong. You need to bring your fellows with you before they realize what is happening.”

“I thought I would show it to Alice.”

Hazard laughed. He sounded more like himself, but not entirely. “That was my intention also.” Then he said, “Even so, I don’t think you should kowtow to Lythe.”

“There is Vanessa to think of,” Reg said.

Hazard’s eyebrows shot up. Then he frowned. “Yes. Yes, that is difficult. The man could well be vindictive.”

Jasper said, “But maybe Cassieopia…bloody hell. Olivia has been…I don’t know how to say this. She has been bearing up well. But as Vanessa points out, she shouldn’t be ‘bearing up.’ She should be enjoying herself. Any other girl would be overjoyed. I don’t know what is wrong.”

Benjamin felt kicked in the gut.

“You think she misses her horses?” Hazard sounded skeptical.

“She misses Chaumbers,” Reg said. “The horses, the country…being herself.”

Jasper flicked his hand. “She has to grow up—”

“It is not childishness!” Benjamin interrupted, unable to hold back. “It’s who she is.”

“Well, the deuce.” Jasper shifted in his chair, but with an expression more perturbed than impatient. “I just don’t like to see her long faced when she thinks no one is looking. I thought a ride on a horse like that…but I fear I’m just being selfish.”

“Probably a bit of both,” Hazard said. “I suppose she would like to go riding—”

“I’ll send Alice with them,” Jasper said, making up his mind.

“No.” Hazard sat up straight. “No, you won’t! You must stop treating Alice like some sort of paid companion.”

“I don’t—”

“Why on earth would you consider her an appropriate chaperone? She is an unmarried, lovely girl in her second Season. She is not a spinster or matron. Would you send Olivia out to chaperone Alice?”

Jasper looked as though he’d swallowed a frog. But Benjamin thought: Good. Hazard is right.