Chapter 4
Olive woke to the sound of rain on her window the next morning, but even that couldn’t dampen her spirits. Not after last night! Not after the way Phineas had made her feel when he’d told her she was special.
Not after that kiss.
It had made her feel alive in the same way finding a new piece of source material did. No, wait…it was better than that!
Which, up until yesterday, she hadn’t thought possible.
Humming to herself, Olive hurried through her morning routine.
Mary, the maid the L’arbre sisters had brought to Dumpkins Estate with them, was old enough to be their grandmother.
Olive had made it clear long ago she didn’t need help dressing or preparing for her morning, so hopefully Mary was still snoring gently upstairs.
Once, her sister Willow had objected, but Olive had pointed out if she ever were lucky enough to see the Great Pyramid at Giza, or camp in the jungles of Borneo, she couldn’t worry about having someone else dress her, now could she?
Only now, as she hurried downstairs, Olive was thinking about someone undressing her. She’d thought about Phineas’s hands on her last night—his tongue on her, doing the things her sisters and friends giggled about—and had touched herself, trying to recreate the feelings he’d brought her.
Perhaps the breakfast room is not the place to be thinking about masturbation.
Point well taken.
He wasn’t at breakfast, and she was greatly disappointed. Had he forgotten their plans for the morning? Had he slept late? They had been awake later than usual.
The only other person who joined her for breakfast was Tiffany, who was smirking widely enough to tell Olive something rather special must’ve happened.
“Do not tell me about it,” she warned her new friend.
Tiffany startled. “Tell you what?”
“Whatever has you humming and grinning. Do not think I failed to notice that happy little dance you just managed while holding a kipper.”
“Last night, I—
Glaring, Olive clamped her hands over her ears. “La-la-la!” she shouted. “Do not make me jealous!”
The other woman burst into laughter, and waved her non-kippered-fingers until Olive lowered her hands. “I knew there was a reason I forced my sister awake at this ungodly hour to rush over here to Dumpkins. It was obviously in order to arrive early enough to see the gentlemen riding out.”
Oh, that was right; Tiffany and her sister Bonnie lived close enough that they didn’t have rooms here at the estate. But the rain sluicing down the windows must have made travel miserable.
Still, Olive was curious as she served herself. “The gentlemen were riding out in this weather?”
“One of them, at least,” Tiffany sighed dreamily. “The Duke of Cashard.” The way she drawled the words made the man’s title sound like an illicit dessert. “I suppose dukes do not care about the weather.”
“So you have eyes for our resident duke, hmm?” Olive focused on her breakfast, amused by the other woman’s fawning. “I found him to be cold and aloof.”
“And rich.” Tiffany sat up straight, beaming. “Mother has said I am beautiful enough to snag the attention of a duke or, barring that, an earl or viscount.”
Olive, raised to tell the truth, nodded begrudgingly. “You are quite stunning.” Tiffany’s blonde hair and flawless complexion created quite the perfect image. “And I believe there is a viscount in attendance?”
This last was said with nonchalance, as if she hadn’t memorized every tidbit about Phineas’s family that he had shared last night.
“Oh yes, Lysander Oliphant!” Tiffany nodded eagerly. “He must be the most handsome man I have ever seen, and so debonair! I have not spoken with him, but I have admired the cut of his trousers.”
The open and honest way she admitted something so naughty had Olive giggling into her tea. Tiffany was the daughter of a widowed baroness, who clearly wanted more for her daughter, but the girl had an honesty and openness Olive could admire, even if she was slightly jealous of Tiffany’s beauty.
Because the other woman’s mother was right; Tiffany was beautiful enough to attract a duke or a viscount with her beauty alone. Pale angels were all the rage with Society these days, unlike quiet dark wallflowers…
Phineas thinks olives are delicious.
Oh yes.
Just the memory of his praise made her go all warm inside. Was it possible to feel this way about someone after only a few hours in his company? Granted, it had been a very revealing few hours—that dinner, the dance, the interlude in the library. That kiss.
Olive rather suspected she might be close to possibly considering falling in love with Aberdeen—or rather, with Mr. Phineas Oliphant.
It was this thought which had her rushing through her meal as Tiffany went on about skin creams and remodeling ducal homes. After, Olive hurried to the library.
He was there.
She stopped suddenly enough for her skirts to swish around her, but he heard her and looked up with a smile.
And, oh Zeus, but that smile did funny things to her insides.
“Ye came,” he breathed, then shook his head, his smile turning wry. “That was stupid. Ye’re here, obviously.”
So many times in her life, Olive had felt awkward or out of place in the company of another person. So many times, she’d seen their eyes cloud over as she spoke about things which interested her. But here was a man who could admit his own awkwardness, and she thought she might love him for that.
Determined to show him he had nothing to feel awkward about, Olive stepped closer. “Of course I came. What are you preparing?”
He was standing beside one of the tables, and as she approached, she saw he’d spread out charts, which were anchored down by books.
With a little flourish, he invited her closer.
“The rain doesnae look to stop anytime soon, so we have some peace. I brought out the charts and maps of the excavation Lady Dumpkins let me access. We can see what ye think about the possibility of another golden sphaera.” He made a show of looking under her arm and behind her. “Ye didnae bring yer paper?”
She smacked her forehead, which caused him to chuckle.
“Oh, Phineas. I forgot! I am sorry. I did not think you really wanted to—”
Gently, he took her hand, interrupting her. “Of course I want to read it. But ye dinnae have to fetch it now; there’ll be plenty of time for that later.” He squeezed her hand. “Never doubt I’m interested in everything going on in that magnificent mind of yers, Olive.”
She felt the blush start somewhere around her toes and work its way up past her knees, then her middle—could nipples blush? Interesting question—and her neck.
“And I confess,” he murmured, his eyes on her lips, “I love the way ye say my name.”
Oh.
Oh my.
Suddenly, he turned from her and reached for the lamp, drawing it closer to the middle of the table. She stood there, breathing heavily, her entire being focused on the memory of his fingers on hers, and watched him.
Today he was wearing a tailored tweed suit, which made him look very much the academic. She liked the way he looked almost as much as him in a kilt. Unconsciously, her gaze dropped to his knees, and she was a little disappointed not to see any skin.
Hussy.
The thought made her snicker softly.
“Well, I’m glad to see ye’re excited about all this research,” he said, shifting more lamps to the table. “Without the sun, it’ll be dark, but—”
“It will be cozy,” she corrected, suddenly excited to get to work. “Tell me what we are looking at here.”
He watched her for a moment longer than expected, but when his chin dropped, she had the impression it was in approval. “Let’s start with this map. It’s the overall excavation.”
And so the pair of them settled in front of the charts, bending over the table, their heads close together. Phineas pulled out a magnifying glass for her and pointed out the areas of interest as the two of them shifted around the table so they could stab excitedly at various landmarks.
Olive had been to the ruins several times since arriving at Dumpkins and knew he had as well. They were able to compare the charts to what remained and extrapolate the rest. Phineas showed her the location of the first golden sphaera and lamented the second was likely lost to posterity.
“Perhaps,” she murmured in agreement, “but if it was not excavated with the last dig, and it is still there, we will find it!”
Eventually they settled in front of a fire one of the servants had built up, each with a pile of books spread out around them. Olive noticed she was focusing on architecture, while he was reading excavation notes from archeological digs as far away as North Africa.
The sight was a reminder that she was sitting beside the Aberdeen Jones.
And he was not only as fascinating as she’d imagined, but he was interested in her and her opinions as well!
Her friends had always loved and supported her, but they had viewed her as some sort of endearing foreigner as they had no idea what she was talking about half the time.
Phineas did.
Phineas knew what she was talking about and was genuinely interested. He was interested in her.
That was almost as heady a feeling as his kiss had been!
As the rainy day wore on, others joined them in the library; some coming to read or play chess, while others popped in to pick out books, then left again.
By the end of the day, Olive’s throat was sore from the time she’d spent talking with Phineas, and she was far more tired than she’d expected to be, having spent her time sitting in front of the fire.
The following day was Sunday, and although it wasn’t raining, the clouds were threatening. Still, Phineas was one of the few who opted to venture into town for church service at the cathedral, so she joined him.
See? I can be adventurous too!
Part of her scoffed at the thought braving a bit of rain-dampened outerwear was going to impress Aberdeen Jones, but he offered her a bright smile and sat beside her in the pew.