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Olivia blinked in confusion, looking down at the beautiful silver necklace that held one large ruby pendant, which seemed to dazzle her with the wonder of it. Lifting her head to look back into Betty’s face, Olivia frowned and tilted her head slowly to one side, regarding her maid closely.
“It pains me to ask this,” she said, deftly picking up the necklace and holding it carefully in her hand. “But I must know the truth, Betty.” Seeing the paleness of her maid’s cheeks, Olivia felt her spirit fill with compassion but steeled herself against it. She had to know what had happened. “You did not take this from another bedchamber?”
Betty stumbled back as though shocked, one hand now pressed to her heart. “No, my lady, I did not!” she said at once, although her cheeks were all the more pale. “I came in to ensure your gown was prepared for this afternoon’s calls, and even though your bed was already prepared, I thought the pillows could do with a little more attention.” She moved towards the bed, as if re-enacting what she had done and, for the first time, Olivia realized that one of her two pillows was sitting away from the first. “I picked up the first pillow and set it on the bed just here,” Betty continued, pointing to it. “Then I picked up the second to give it a shake and, just as I did that, I saw that necklace sitting there.” Her eyes turned back to Olivia, an earnest expression on her face. “I couldn’t help but pick it up, Lady Olivia. I was just looking at it, I swear.”
Swallowing a sudden lump in her throat, Olivia closed her eyes and drew in an unsteady breath. “Oh, no.”
Betty was beside her in a moment. “What is it, Lady Olivia?”
Olivia opened her eyes and looked down at the necklace in her hand. “Lady Margaret was very angry with me last evening,” she said quietly, feeling a sense of dread creep over her. “Apparently Lord Monteforte asked my name and she was most displeased about that, telling me that I should have stayed out of sight and away from Lord Monteforte as he was being introduced.”
“And you think she has set this here deliberately?” Betty asked, sounding quite astonished. “Whatever for?”
Again, Olivia felt a kick of hurt as she realized precisely what her cousin was doing. “Lord Monteforte is to call upon Lady Margaret and Lady Louisa this afternoon, Betty,” she explained. “I will have to be in attendance also, I am sure. Therefore, because Lady Margaret is afraid that I will somehow garner Lord Monteforte’s attention, I am sure she will say something about the necklace in his presence and, thereafter, suggest that the staff search for it.”
“And if it is found to be in your bedchamber, then you will be disgraced.”
“With Lady Margaret making quite certain that Lord Monteforte knows where it was found,” Olivia finished, her heart sinking to her toes. She had known that her cousins cared very little for her but had not thought for a single moment that Lady Margaret would ever do such a thing as this. “Goodness, Betty. How glad I am that you take such good care of me that you thought to plump my pillows a little more.” She smiled gratefully at her maid and put one hand on her arm. “I am sorry for thinking that you might have taken it.”
“A reasonable suggestion,” the maid said, without any malice. “But what am I to do with the necklace now, Lady Olivia?”
Olivia hesitated, looking down at the necklace and wondering what was best to do. “I think you shall have to have it for the moment,” she said quietly, knowing that she was asking Betty to take on a good deal of responsibility. “If you can hide it somewhere where it will not be found, then all the better.”
Betty, her face still a little white, nodded.
“Here,” Olivia said, hurrying to pull out a handkerchief from one of her drawers so that she might fold up the necklace within it. “Take it now and, when Lady Margaret makes her way to the drawing room in time for afternoon calls, you must put the necklace back in her bedchamber.” Seeing how Betty nodded despite the slight trembling that had taken a hold of her frame, Olivia let out a long, slow breath, realizing precisely just how much she was asking Betty to do. There was a good deal of responsibility resting on her shoulders, and for that, Olivia could not apologize enough. “I would do it myself, but if Lady Margaret was to see me entering her room, then–”
“There is nothing to concern yourself about, Lady Olivia,” Betty interrupted, firmly. “I will be able to do as you’ve asked. I’m sure no one will stop me, and I certainly can’t imagine what it would be like to be blamed for something that you had nothing to do with!” She shook her head, a flare of anger burs
ting through her expression. “I don’t much like it, Lady Olivia. They don’t treat you as one of them, even though you’re their equal in everything.”
Olivia, who could not disagree with this, held back a sigh and merely nodded, pressing the handkerchief into Betty’s hand. “I thank you,” she told her maid. “But do be careful.”
“I will,” Betty promised, a hint of steel in her gaze. “Don’t you fret, Lady Olivia. I’ll make sure this goes right back to where it belongs.”
“Lord Monteforte.”
Olivia rose just as the gentlemen walked into the room, seeing how his eyes caught hers and lingered there for a just a moment too long. She had no blushes for him, no demure smiles nor batting of her eyelashes. Instead, she merely lifted one eyebrow and watched him intently.
“How very good to see you again,” Lady Margaret said, her voice a fraction too loud, for it bounced off the walls and brought a slight flush of color to Lady Margaret’s cheeks. “Please, do be seated, Lord Monteforte.” Gesturing to a chair near to her, Lady Margaret’s smile slipped just a little as Lord Monteforte chose to sit in an entirely different chair so that he was not close to one lady more than the other.
Olivia too sat down, but immediately picked up her needlework and turned herself away just a little, as Lady Dayton had informed her she must do. Olivia was only too happy to oblige, given that she had very little time for Lord Monteforte and thought it would be best for them all if he showed more interest in Lady Margaret than in anyone else.
“Lady Dayton,” Lord Monteforte began, a slight edge to his tone. “Forgive me for my rudeness, but I do not believe I have been introduced.”
Olivia’s head lifted just a little and, out of the corner of her eye, she saw Lord Monteforte gesturing towards her.
“Your two lovely daughters I already know, but I would not want to behave improperly,” he continued, as Lady Dayton made a noise of agreement. “I do hope you understand.”
“But of course,” Lady Dayton answered smoothly, without a hint of embarrassment in either her tone or her features. “Olivia, do turn around and show some respect.” Her voice became a little exasperated as Olivia did as she was bade, forcing a smile to her otherwise blank expression. “The Earl of Monteforte,” Lady Dayton murmured, one hand extended gracefully towards him. “And my niece, Lady Olivia.”
Forced to rise, Olivia kept her eyes lowered as she curtsied. Lord Monteforte also stood, bowing quickly but with evident refinement. “How very good to meet you,” Olivia murmured, allowing nothing but a blandness into her tone. “I do hope you have been enjoying this very fine weather we have been enjoying of late.” It was a dull remark, Olivia knew, but it would content her aunt whilst ensuring that no particular conversation could continue between herself and the gentleman.
“I have been indeed,” Lord Monteforte said grandly, lowering himself back into his chair as she sat down also. “I do enjoy taking out the phaeton when it is a fine day, and I have had plenty of opportunities to do so of late.”
Olivia let a brief smile twitch her lips, before lowering her gaze and, once more, picking up her needlework. She did not want to appear to be rude, but neither did she want to bring the ire of her aunt down on her head. It was with relief that Louisa then picked up the conversation, asking Lord Monteforte about his phaeton and expressing all manner of interest in everything he said, as though she had never even heard of a phaeton before.
Olivia said nothing more for the next half hour. Lord Monteforte stayed a little longer than was expected, but neither Lady Dayton nor her daughters seemed to mind. They had other callers, Olivia was quite sure, but none would be as grand as Lord Monteforte. Her lips twitched as she heard Margaret express her delight for taking carriage rides in Hyde Park, knowing full well that she spoke of such a thing in the hope that Lord Monteforte might then suggest that he would accompany her to the park in his own carriage one day soon. Unfortunately, Lord Monteforte did no such thing, even when Louisa sighed discontentedly and stated, quite bluntly, that she had never been on a carriage ride in Hyde Park with anyone other than her mother and sister.
