AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Be that as it may,” the raspy voice behind her countered. “I can assure you that was not the case earlier.”
“Humph.” Mrs. Harper didn’t seem convinced, but Olivia wasn’t going to stand there and argue with her, especially with the tempting man behind her still entirely too close.
Nevertheless, she dared to turn back to him, although she couldn’t quite lift her gaze to his. “If you will allow me to change and freshen up a bit from this heat, we can continue the tour.”
“I’m afraid that’s not possible today,” Mrs. Harper said firmly, causing Olivia to face her once more. “Mr. Stone’s presence in required in the parlor.”
Olivia frowned. “Are we expecting a guest that I’m unaware of?” She put a hand to her chest as she abruptly faltered. “Is it…him?”
The housekeeper shook her head and Olivia regained some of her equilibrium. “No. It’s one of the tenants. They are inquiring about an extension on the rents.”
“Oh, I see. Very well, then. I shall retire to my rooms for a respite and perhaps a bath?”
“Of course, my lady.” The servant inclined her head. “I shall see to it immediately.”
* * *
Once Olivia was gone,Mrs. Harper’s expression darkened, and Miles was the unlucky recipient. She didn’t even have to say anything, for her eyes spoke volumes.
He held up his hands. “Nothing untoward occurred.” At least, nothing he would readilyadmitto. So much for all of his firm commands that morning. They had promptly fled, along with his honor, the moment he was left alone with Lady Olivia for any length of time.
It was a relief that Mrs. Harper had arrived when she had, or he might be offering for Olivia’s hand right now—as well as being forced to tell her who he really was before he was ready to do so.
As if reading his mind, the housekeeper led the way out of the conservatory as she asked, “I take it you haven’t told her the truth yet?”
“No.”
She shook her head. “I have known the lady for most of her life, Your Grace, and I can assure you that she will not take kindly to this deceit. She doesn’t allow herself to trust in many people, preferring to keep herself closed off from most, and the fact she seems to be comfortable enough to be in your company without anyone else present speaks highly of your character. You do not want to lose that trust, and the longer you wait to reveal your identity, the harder it will be to regain her good opinion of you.”
He allowed her words to sink in. “While I do appreciate your candor, Mrs. Harper, I will have to be the one who decides the timing of that.”
She shrugged. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
As she walked off, Miles continued on toward the parlor. That was, if there was anyone actually there waiting for him, or if the housekeeper had just wanted to separate him from her mistress. While that frustrated Miles, he had no one to blame but himself for his lapse in judgement.
He paused in the middle of the hall and pinched the bridge of his nose in an attempt to bring back some semblance of reality before he adopted the demeanor of Mr. Stone, land steward. And yet, he reminded himself that he was actually the Duke of Gravesend, and now the reluctant heir to the Marlington line. A lot of responsibility had been placed on his shoulders, and while he was up to either task, raised to be a nobleman since birth, there were times he found it difficult to tackle the easiest of tasks—like recalling that Lady Olivia was off limits.
There was no doubt she would be an exceptional duchess—if he were ever inclined to marry. Unfortunately, she deserved someone that could properly care for her, that would love her unconditionally, not settle for some broken man who wasn’t even sure he had a fully functioning heart anymore. It was obvious that attraction wasn’t a problem, but for someone who hadn’t needed to consider the consequences of his actions before now, having spent most of his time in the company of lonely widows and harlots, it didn’t take much to deduce that Lady Olivia deserved someone better.
Since he was having trouble remaining aloof, he would have to ensure that they weren’t alone again without a chaperone to keep him aware of his conduct.
He dropped his hand and walked forward, confident that he had found the solution to his problem.
When he walked in the parlor, he was almost surprised to find that there was, indeed, a common dressed man there waiting to plead his case. As Miles listened to the tenant compile a list of unfortunate circumstances which made him unable to pay his rents for the month, Miles found himself more at ease. These were the issues he was used to dealing with.
“I think we can figure something out, Mr. Hayes.”
The man appeared grateful and certainly more at ease when he took his leave. Miles, who felt much the same, returned to the study where he sat at the desk and picked up the quill and got to work on the estate accounts.
* * *
Olivia was dressed in a fresh,muslin gown and, after a bath, was feeling much more revived. Thankfully, she had left behind some of her outdated gowns, which were coming in very handy now.
She checked her reflection in the mirror and told herself that she was not trying to look nice for Mr. Stone, that it was merely a coincidence that this particular shade of light green complimented her eyes. But then, she recognized it for the lie it was. She wanted to impress him. Never before had she ever tried to play the coquette like Calliope, or acted bold like Minty, but the more she was with Mr. Stone she found that something was… shifting inside of her. The shy innocent was starting to break away, and a stronger, confident woman was beginning to emerge. It was as if she had been a caterpillar in a cocoon for years and was just now starting to gain her butterfly wings.
With a confidence in her step, Olivia headed downstairs to find Mr. Stone. She found him in the study bent over her father’s ledgers. A sharp, stab of pain shot through her, for how many times had she walked in on this very scene? Mr. Stone was in such deep concentration that he was very much like her father who poured everything that he had into keeping a neat record of his profits and expenditures. It was no wonder he had been hired by the new Duke of Marlington to oversee the estate until the heir arrived. No doubt he had come highly recommended by the Earl of Somers, although Araminta’s intended likely lamented losing such an asset for himself.
Mr. Stone had yet to see her standing in the doorway, so she knocked lightly on the frame. He glanced up. “Lady Olivia.” He sighed heavily. “If you are here to resume our tour, I regret that I will have to decline.”
