Page 89 of Waiting for Love

“Lukewarm.” He stood up abruptly and went to his cabinet. Then he slapped his hand against it and returned to sit back down. “I know I don’t need to say it, but this is confidential. I had few words with Carleton last night. I thought he wanted to ask if he stood a chance against Ebersom. But instead, he told me he had to reluctantly withdraw. He said Olivia was a beautiful woman and he liked her very much but—” He stopped and looked at Benjamin with a bewildered expression.

“But?”

“He said he feared she had a melancholy disposition and there was too much of that in his family already. A melancholy disposition! Olivia!”

Gritting his teeth, Benjamin said, “She does not.”

“Of course she does not. Carleton’s defection means nothing. I would not have wanted her to encourage him anyway. She danced with several better. Not just the marquess, but two earls and a baron. But two flower baskets? Two?”

Names didn’t matter? Only titles? Bile rose in Benjamin’s throat. He ignored his own anger. That resentment he should not allow himself to feel.

“Iversley, it hasn’t been a full month since her ball. Surely, you didn’t expect to have her married off in three weeks. She will have more earls and barons at her feet.”

“She could. If she were to walk into a ballroom and shine like she can. Olivia is not a melancholy person, but I cannot deny she is acting that way.”

Benjamin didn’t respond. He knew what was wrong. But he could not tell Jasper. Jasper with his marquesses and his earls.

“I thought you might shed some light,” Jasper said.

Benjamin started. “Me? Why?” His voice cracked with guilt.

“The other day, when I saw you two at the foot of the stairs, you both looked…downcast. I thought she might have confided something to you. She certainly wasn’t asking you to find her fan.”

“She—she didn’t say anything.” He could not look Jasper in the eye.

“I don’t know how to ask this, Benjamin.”

Benjamin’s pulse pounded in his neck. “What?”

Reg entered, knocking on the door as he did. “Jasper, you need to hear this.”

Hazard followed on his heels. He scraped over a chair and sat down. “Were you two discussing Olivia?”

Benjamin did not move a muscle, but Jasper nodded.

“Well, then, this may not come as much of a surprise. I was at Lady Marpleton’s breakfast this morning. She asked me if it was true that Lady Olivia was consumptive.”

“Consumptive!”

“Apparently, she heard that Olivia was listless last night at Almack’s. Lady Marpleton had a cousin die of consumption and she said it started with listlessness.” Hazard’s nose wrinkled. “I had to hear all the gory details.”

“Good God,” Jasper groaned. “Listless and melancholy?”

“Melancholy?” Reg asked.

“Carleton thinks she is.”

Benjamin saw the baffled men look to one another for some sort of answer. Thank God it had not occurred to any of them to simply ask her.

“She is not consumptive,” Reg said.

“Of course not.” Jasper sounded hoarse.

“But what is the matter with her? Something is. Something real. She is not given to hysterics. Do you think someone might have insulted her? Hurt her feelings?”

“Maybe. But I would expect her to fight back. Enlist us if need be.”

Reg pinched his jaw. “Should we take her back to Chaumbers?”