Page 31 of A Lady’s Guide to Subterfuge and Science

She regarded him with an intense seriousness before continuing with, “Have you ever considered that marriage might give you the family you deserve?”

A brief exhale of disbelief escaped him. “I could still very well end up with a mirror image of my family the way it is now. A husband and wife who cannot stand each other and a child who—”

“You wouldn’t put a child in your position.”

His brow creased at the sharp certainty in her words. How could she say such a thing—and with such confidence? Nothing had stopped his parents from hurting each other, from hurting him. Breaking the wheel seemed an insurmountable task, given how long it had been turning.

But he couldn’t discuss this any further. He didn’t want to begin to dwell on all the ways he hadn’t been enough to inspire love in his parents. He didn’t want to think of how different things might have been, because it was far too late for that—both literally and figuratively. So he did what came easiest to him—he attempted to lighten the mood.

“I suppose not,” he said, injecting a lazy lilt into his voice. “At least I can be comforted knowing that there are no shortage of women who would be willing to take a trip to the parish with me.”

Rafiq snorted, just as he knew she would. “Yes, I’m sure your popularity with women provides you much relief.”

“Oh, more than you know,” he drawled, despite being all too aware of his self-imposed dry spell. “Although I suspect you’ve enjoyed even more success than I have, Rafiq. Perhaps I should ask you to teach me your ways.”

“I’ve no idea why you would think that,” she sniffed, pulling her coat tighter around her willowy form.

Oliver came to a sudden stop in the middle of the path. Bending, he placed his nose level with Rafiq’s. Much to his delight, he heard her breath hitch in her throat. “Call it a hunch.”

With that, he straightened and awaited her response.

She frowned, considering. “Do you believe all men have ways they rely on?”

“I don’t doubt it,” he said, not really meaning it but desperate to hear her thoughts on the subject all the same.

“The only recommendation I can make is to treat women like the intelligent, capable beings they are. But I would think that an obvious, well-known avenue to affection.”

He raised an eyebrow in her direction. “Obvious? Do the other gents you know treat women that way?”

“Of course.” Catching herself, she began to stammer. “T-that is, I think they do. I don’t know how the women of my acquaintance perceive the way they’re treated, but—”

Deciding to save her, Oliver interrupted. “Plenty of men I know treat women as overly emotional playthings. They do not deign to listen to them—truly listen to them—nor do they consider their thoughts and feelings as objects of significance.”

“And you do?”

“Of course I do.”

She pressed her lips into a firm, unimpressed line and continued to advance down the trail. “You seem quite proud of yourself for what should be considered the bare minimum.”

He caught up to her in two easy strides. “I hope I do a bit better than that.”

“You should also reconsider the company you keep.”

“Indeed,” he agreed. “I only meant to suggest that your approach is not quite as obvious to the average gentleman as you might think.”

At the lake’s edge, Oliver took an unceremonious seat on the ground. Rafiq hesitated before joining him, keeping a healthy distance between them.

“I’ll admit to being a bit sheltered,” she confessed. “I haven’t seen much of what you’ve described in Painswick. I’ve mostly interacted with my family, and—”

Something seemed to occur to her, because she snapped her jaw shut. In the stillness that followed, Oliver began to ask himself just what it was he thought he was doing. His mind was now fixated on how he might prove to her that he would never stifle her. But what did that matter? It wasn’t as if—he reminded himself once again that he should say no to what his heart was presently eyeing with great interest.

But, then, if it were someone like her, then perhaps—

“I have seen the best humanity has to offer,” she continued. “For the most part.”

“Until you came here,” he murmured, playing at seriousness. “And met the likes of Andrew Jennings.”

She laughed at that, the sound unrestrained and sweet. He felt it in his bones, wished that he could see the way it undoubtedly lit up her eyes. Being Rafiq, she swiftly caught herself and cleared her throat.