Chapter 1 #2
Evander took a step back, as though struck. The sheer arrogance, the presumption—it was unbearable. “You went behind my back. Interfered with my career, and my life, as though it were yours to control.”
“I know this is sudden,” his father said, his voice softening in a way that felt entirely false, “but you have a duty now. To your family. To your name. And whether you like it or not, that includes letting go of these… indulgences.”
“I don’t want it,” Evander ground out. “Any of it. The title. The estate. The obligations. I built a life here, on my own terms.”
“And now it’s time to abandon that fantasy,” his father snapped. “You’re a grown man, Evander. Stop playing at being a schoolmaster and come home. Your mother needs you. The tenants need you. I need you.”
But Evander had already turned towards the door. His hand gripped the knob with white-knuckled restraint. He opened it slowly and stood aside. “It’s time for you to leave, Father.”
His father’s brows lifted. “Evander—”
“I said leave.” His voice rang with finality, brooking no argument. “I need time to think. And I can’t do that with you standing in my office, dismantling everything I’ve built.”
For a moment, neither man moved. Then, with a sharp inhale and a bitter shake of the head, his father stepped past him and out into the corridor.
Evander shut the door firmly behind him.
And only then, with no one left to see, did he allow himself to lean against the wall, his eyes closing against the storm of emotion rising in his chest.
His whole life had just been upended.
And he had never felt so alone.
Lady Olivia Kendall strolled along one of the meandering paths of Hyde Park, the afternoon sun filtering through the leafy canopy above. Her Pomeranian puppy, Finnegan, zigzagged before her with unrelenting enthusiasm, tugging insistently at his leash.
“Finnegan,” she chided with a laugh, tightening her grip, “must you weave about so? You are determined to see me sprawled in the dirt, aren’t you?”
The puppy glanced up at her with wide, mischievous eyes and, if she didn’t know better, she would have sworn he was grinning. Troublesome little beast. Why had she allowed herself to be persuaded into adopting him? He was unruly, obstinate, and wholly impractical.
And yet, she adored him.
Suddenly, Finnegan plopped down beneath the wide-spreading shade of an old oak, his sides heaving as he began to pant furiously.
“Come along, Finnegan,” she coaxed, giving the leash a gentle tug.
He did not budge.
Olivia placed her hands on her hips and stared down at him with exaggerated disapproval. “You are a worthless dog.”
In response, Finnegan promptly rolled onto his back and lay there with dramatic stillness, tongue lolling to the side.
Annie, her maid, who had been trailing behind at a respectful distance, stepped forward, concern creasing her brow. “Would you like me to carry him for you, my lady?”
Olivia shook her head with a wry smile. “No need, Annie. I can manage.”
Annie bobbed a curtsy and retreated once more as Olivia bent to scoop up the small, fluffy burden.
Finnegan nestled contentedly in her arms, utterly unrepentant.
“Well, who is walking whom, I wonder?” she murmured, pressing a kiss to the top of his head before continuing her stroll.
As she turned down a more secluded path that curved gently towards the Serpentine River, her gaze fell upon a solitary figure seated on a bench. Mr. Evander Addington sat motionless, his gaze fixed on the water, his expression distant and drawn. A black armband adorned his sleeve.
Olivia slowed, concern blooming in her chest. Something was most definitely wrong.
She veered from the path and approached him quietly. He didn’t glance up as she neared, and even when she lowered herself onto the bench beside him, his eyes remained fixed on the rippling water.
Her voice was soft. “May I ask… who passed?”
He answered without hesitation. “Bryon.”
The name struck her like a blow. Her breath caught. “No,” she whispered. “How?”
“He passed away from illness while traveling to India. He was traveling with Lord Harwood,” he revealed. “They both did not make it.”
She sat back, arms tightening around the puppy now squirming in her lap. There had been a time, not so long ago, when she had fancied herself in love with Lord Harwood. But that future had been stolen when he had married another.
“I’m sorry for your loss,” she said quietly, because it was all she could say.
Evander finally turned to look at her. His eyes were glassy, and it made her heart ache. “And I am sorry for yours. I know what Harwood once meant to you.”
“He did mean something,” she admitted. “But not anymore. Not in the way he once did.”
He nodded faintly, emotion flickering across his face. “Society will know soon enough about my brother. Word always travels quickly when there’s a title involved.”
Olivia glanced at the armband. “Is that why you’re in Town and not at Oxford?”
“My father summoned me home,” he said, bitterness creeping into his tone. “Now that Bryon is gone, I’m the heir to the earldom.”
“But… what of your fellowship?”
Evander let out a short, humorless laugh. “It no longer matters. I’ll have to resign. My future has already been decided for me.”
She reached out instinctively, resting her hand on his arm. “But you fought so hard for that position.”
“And for what?” he asked, turning away. “It’s over. Everything I built… all for nothing. Now I have a new path.”
Silence stretched between them. Olivia gently lowered Finnegan to the ground, giving the wriggling puppy space to explore the grass.
“Do you want to resign?” she asked.
Evander’s shoulders tensed. “Want?” He gave a bitter shake of his head. “What I want is irrelevant. My brother is dead, and duty waits.”
She rose as he did, instinctively matching his movement. “Evander—”
He held up a hand. “Forgive me. I know I’m dreadful company.”
“You’ve no reason to apologize. We’ve known each other since my hair was in braids and we climbed trees in our pantaloons.”
That won a faint smile from him. “Those were simpler days.”
“They were.” She hesitated. “Is there anything I can do?”
His smile faded. “No one can help. It’s only been eight hours since I received the news, and already I feel like I’m drowning.”
“Have you told your mother?”
“Not yet. But I will soon. We’ll go into mourning… as we ought.”
He sighed heavily and looked as if he might leave, but then Finnegan jumped up onto the bench, barking twice before collapsing in a fluffy heap.
Evander blinked at the small dog. “When did you acquire a creature like this?”
“Shortly after I married,” she replied. “My mother insisted I needed something to focus on.”
He bent down to pet the puppy’s head. “I read in the newssheets that your marriage was annulled.”
“It was,” she confirmed. “Given that I was deceived into marrying a woman, the courts found in my favor rather quickly.”
“Was your dowry returned?”
“Yes. Lucinda has been… oddly obliging. Likely trying to curry favor with the judge before sentencing.”
Evander straightened. “She must have been quite convincing for you not to suspect.”
Olivia huffed. “I was a fool.”
He looked at her seriously. “Don’t be too harsh with yourself. You’re not the first, nor will you be the last. The world is full of masks and misdirection. Entire novels have been penned on the subject.”
She scooped Finnegan back into her arms. “Your literary references are not helping.”
“I never claimed to be good at this,” he said with a faint smile. “Grief has dulled my wit.”
“Well, we’re a fine pair, then,” she replied.
Evander extended his arm. “Shall we walk a bit?”
“I suppose we ought,” she agreed, looping her arm through his as they returned to the path. “My poor puppy is good for only the shortest of walks.”
“He does have rather dainty feet,” he said dryly.
She laughed. “When my sister-in-law, Dosia, first saw him scurry across the room, she shrieked and said she thought he was a rat.”
Evander chuckled. “A very well-groomed rat, at least.”
As they continued down the path, side by side, neither of them felt inclined to speak. The silence, though heavy with grief and regrets, was not uncomfortable—but rather the silence of old friends, grieving together.
By the time they reached the south exit of Hyde Park, the late afternoon light had begun to soften, casting long shadows across the path. Olivia slowed her steps and turned to face Evander.
“I wish you the very best, Evander,” she said, sincerity woven through each syllable.
He tilted his head slightly, a somber echo of his usual charm. “And I, you.”
There was a moment of hesitance as she searched for words that might bring him comfort. “If there’s anything I can do during this time—truly, anything at all—”
“I know.” He offered her a faint smile, one that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Thank you, Livy. You’ve always been a true friend to me.”
Finnegan squirmed in her arms, restless and eager for attention. Olivia lifted the small dog with a playful lift of her brow. “Would you care for a dog? He is in desperate need of a more disciplined household.”
Evander’s eyes held amusement. “I must agree with Lady Wilton. That is not a dog. That is… something else entirely.”
She pressed Finnegan protectively against her chest. “How dare you! He has feelings, you know.”
“And my father,” Evander added, “would likely mistake him for a rat and order his immediate execution.”
“He is not a rat,” she declared. “He is a noble creature of refined breeding and delicate constitution.”
Evander chuckled, a sound that warmed the air between them for a brief instant. Then, he gave her a respectful bow. “Until we meet again.”
“Good day, Evander.”
She remained where she stood, watching him disappear down the street. His shoulders sagged slightly, and his stride lacked the determination she had always associated with him. He looked lost in thought—or perhaps simply lost. Her heart ached at the sight.
If only there were something she could do.