Page 94 of This Marquess of Mine

“Sophie suits him,” Griff said dryly. “He can barely keep away from her.”

His mother nodded as they stepped onto the terrace and paused just outside the door. “It is sweet, isn’t it? They are a good match.”

There was no arguing with that. The two were obviously in love, as evidenced yet again by the way the two were smiling at each other as Sophie handed James a glass of lemonade.

A stab of envy shot through Griffin’s chest, its intensity surprising him, and before he knew what he was doing, his gaze had shot to Olivia.

She was standing with Lady Augusta at the edge of the terrace, her pale pink gown rustling in the breeze, the late summer sun warming her hair to an even richer shade of wheat. God, she was lovely today.

Of course, she was always lovely, whether she wore pink silk, peacock feathers, or nothing at all.

Especially when she wore nothing at all.

“When are you going to marry the girl, darling?”

Griff stiffened and glanced at his mother, feigning ignorance, though she’d clearly caught him staring. “I beg your pardon?”

“Olivia suits you,” Lady Keswick said quietly. “The same way Sophie suits James. And it is obvious you’re in love with her.”

He drew in a steadying breath, resisting the urge to look to the sky. First Emmy and now his mother. Why was everyone so bloody certain of his feelings when he didn’t know them himself?

“I don’t know how you can say that,” he said, keeping his voice even. “I’ve done nothing to suggest it.”

“Nonsense. Your feelings are right there for everyone to see. It’s the way you look at her.” A small smile curved her lips. “It’s the same way your father used to look at me.”

Was it? He remembered how his parents were with each other. Did he really look at Olivia that way?

“Your story is special,” he argued, crossing his arms over his chest. “It was love at first sight for you.”

She hooked a brow. “For your father, it was, but I wasn’t so certain of my feelings. Or of marrying your father, for that matter.”

Griffin glanced at her in surprise. “Really? That isn’t what he told me.”

Lady Keswick smiled. “Your father was a romantic, bless him. And love at first sight makes for a far more romantic tale than the real story.”

“What was the real story?”

His mother motioned to an empty bench abutting the house, and after they sat and she’d adjusted her skirts just so, she continued.

“I loved your father dearly,” she said, “but our beginning was anything but romantic. It was a match arranged by our parents, and we met only a handful of times before we were married, but your father always said he knew the moment he laid eyes on me that we were meant to be. That it was divine intervention that brought us together.”

She laughed softly. “I liked to tease him that it was our parents who brought us together, but he would only smile and say we would have found our way to each other, with or without their help.”

Her smile softened and her eyes turned wistful, as if seeing the memory anew.

“Do you think he was right?” Griff asked.

“Oh, without a doubt,” she said, waving a hand in the air. “It took me a little while to realize it, but eventually I came to agree with him. And, day by day, I fell more and more in love with him. With his kindness, his quiet strength, his infectious laugh.” She flashed Griffin a wry grin. “And, of course, the way he spoiled me with gifts and flattery did help sway me to his way of thinking.”

Griffin smiled, leaning his elbows on his knees. “I don’t remember you two together as much as I’d like to, but I do remember bits and pieces. His arm around your waist, your hand on his cheek. A kiss in the corridor when you thought no one was around.”

His smile faded a bit. He missed that. He missed when they were whole.

“You can have that for yourself, you know,” his mother said, her gaze on his face. “Marry the girl, Griffin. Marry her and make her as happy as your father made me.”

Griff’s jaw clenched and he gave a sharp shake of his head. “And if I do, how long will her happiness last?” he asked. “Fifteen years? Ten? Five?”

Lady Keswick’s head tilted to one side. “What do you mean by that?”