Chapter 20
Olivia stood in the aftermath, her pulse thrumming so loudly in her ears she could scarcely hear anything else.
It didn’t feel real—none of it. Joseph, a man she had known for most of her life, had turned out to be something else entirely.
A liar. A traitor. A coward. She had never suspected the darkness behind him, and now she saw him for what he truly was.
Joseph had demanded respect from others.
But Evander had never demanded anything from others.
Or her. He simply lived with such quiet integrity, such gentle steadiness, that respect—and eventually love—had bloomed of its own accord.
He had been her refuge through all of this, patient and constant, even when she had pushed him away. And now, she could no longer pretend.
The truth beat against her ribcage, frantic and desperate for release.
She turned her attention to Lord Warwicke, barely registering the conversation as he crossed the room to take the pistol from Lord Everwyck.
“I understand why you shot Harwood, but that was foolish,” Lord Warwicke said, his voice edged with tension. “You could have missed.”
“I never miss,” Lord Everwyck replied, his tone steely as he handed the pistol over. “I want him to pay for what he did to Bryon.”
Warwicke gave a nod, grave. “He will. I’ll make sure of that.”
Lord Luca cleared his throat, shifting with visible discomfort. “I do believe I will be on my way now.”
Evander turned towards him. “Thank you for what you did.”
“It was nothing,” Lord Luca deflected quickly. “I only hope Harwood gets his comeuppance for what he’s done.”
As the conversation faded, Olivia’s heart pounded harder. Now. She had to speak now, before her courage fled.
Her hand reached out before she could stop herself, gently brushing Evander’s sleeve. “Can I speak to you?”
He turned to face her fully, his gaze softening the moment their eyes met. “Always. Is something troubling you?”
“No…” she whispered, heart in her throat. “I just need to talk to you.”
A slight furrow formed between his brows. “You can speak freely here.”
Not this. This couldn’t be said in front of an audience.
She took a breath, shaky and full of unspoken longing, and whispered, “I love you.”
His brow lifted slightly. “As a friend?”
She shook her head, adamant. “No. I love… love you.”
A pause. A moment of silence that stretched painfully between them. Then Evander turned and addressed the others, his voice calm but commanding. “Gentlemen, may we have a moment?”
The men, to their credit, needed no further prompting. They cleared the room silently, leaving Olivia standing with the man who had always seen her.
He looked back at her. “You were saying?”
“I… uh… love you,” she repeated, aware of how small her voice sounded. “Truly.”
“You said that already,” he murmured, the corners of his mouth lifting just slightly.
She stared at the front of his coat, the weight of her confession making her throat tighten. “I know my timing is horrid. But after that kiss… everything changed. It made me realize a part of me has always loved you, and I would follow you to the end of the earth.”
He stepped closer and one gentle finger slid beneath her chin, guiding her to look up at him. “Are you quite sure, Livy?”
“I am.”
His gaze searched hers. “What do you expect me to say? That I love you and my heart beats for no one else?”
She swallowed. “You don’t have to say anything—”
“But that is precisely how I feel,” he said simply.
“You do?”
A slow smile curved across his lips. “I can’t recall a time I didn’t love you. From the moment you marched into my life with grass in your hair and dirt on your boots, I knew I’d never be the same. You had a place in my heart before I even understood what love was.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
He shrugged, almost sheepish. “Because I was afraid. Afraid if you knew how deep it ran, you might pull away. I couldn’t bear to lose you.”
Her throat tightened at the truth in his eyes. He had been waiting all this time. And maybe, just maybe, she had been walking towards him without realizing it.
“I wasn’t ready before,” she admitted. “But I am now.”
He reached for her hands and held them between his own, warm and steady. “Then I propose we make this a true marriage.”
“I am in agreement.”
“Good,” he said, leaning forward just slightly. “And you’d best get used to me kissing you.”
Her gaze dropped to his lips. “You’ll hear no complaints from me.”
And when he kissed her, it was unlike anything that had come before. It was slow, reverent. A promise made in the hush between heartbeats. A kiss that didn’t rush or demand, but cherished.
When he drew back, his eyes were filled with wonder. “I can’t believe this moment is real. I’ve loved you for so long… sometimes I thought it might break me.”
“I’m sorry it took me so long.”
His thumb brushed against her cheek. “No. Your timing is perfect. I never thought I’d be lucky enough to earn your love.”
“You never had to earn it,” she whispered. “You love me without trying to change me. You never have. You’ve always seen me for who I am—and loved me anyway. That means everything.”
He touched her face, tender and adoring. “Should we host a ball?”
She laughed softly. “I’m not sure that’s wise.”
“I want the world to know how madly, irrevocably in love I am with you,” he said. “It’s no less than you deserve.”
“Are you certain?”
He smirked. “Just as certain as when I followed you around as a boy and got scolded for tracking mud into your mother’s drawing room.”
She grinned. “We did get into a lot of mischief.”
“And I promise we’ll continue to do so,” he said, leaning in.
Their lips met again, and this time she kissed him back with everything she had. This wasn’t the beginning of something new—it was the homecoming she never expected. And she knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that she would love this man for the rest of her life.
A soft knock at the door shattered the warmth of the moment, as if the world had suddenly remembered them again.
Evander pulled back, though only slightly, their breaths still mingling between them. Olivia’s gaze shifted to the doorway where Lord Everwyck stood, his hands clasped behind his back.
“May I have a word, Son?” he asked, stepping farther into the room.
Now? Olivia barely suppressed a groan. Could they not have five uninterrupted minutes?
Evander’s voice was reluctant. “Can it not wait?”
But Lord Everwyck didn’t pause. He moved towards them with a measured gait, and there was something in his expression Olivia hadn’t seen before—something that looked suspiciously like humility.
“I feel as if I owe you—and Olivia—an apology.”
Evander seemed skeptical. “You do?”
Stopping just in front of them, Lord Everwyck gave a solemn nod. “I thought this marriage was a mistake. I believed Olivia would hurt you. I let my assumptions cloud my judgment, and I was wrong. Entirely wrong. The truth is that you two are perfect for one another.”
Olivia stood very still, unsure how to respond. She had braced herself for his disapproval for so long that his unexpected contrition knocked the wind from her.
Beside her, Evander looked as though he were trying to determine if this was some elaborate jest. “Thank you, Father.”
Lord Everwyck’s eyes, so often sharp with criticism or cool with detachment, filled with tears.
“I know I haven’t been the best father. But I want what is best for you.
I always have.” He paused. “I also wanted to apologize for not telling you about Bryon’s will.
That was wrong of me. I should have trusted that you would do what was best for the estate. ”
Olivia felt the air shift. Not dramatically, but just enough to crack something inside her. Perhaps not forgiveness—at least not yet—but something that resembled grace. She stepped out of Evander’s arms and walked up to Lord Everwyck, hesitating only briefly before wrapping her arms around him.
His body was stiff, startled, but after a moment, he returned the embrace. Lightly. Awkwardly. But he didn’t pull away.
When she stepped back, he cleared his throat gruffly. “That’s all I wanted to say.”
And without waiting for acknowledgment, he turned sharply on his heel and exited the room.
The door closed with a soft click.
Evander’s eyes stayed fixed on the door. “I never thought I’d hear my father admit he was wrong.”
Olivia looked up at him, her voice quiet but hopeful. “Perhaps it’s the start of something new between you.”
He exhaled, almost a scoff, though not unkind. “I’m not na?ve enough to think he’ll change overnight. But still… it’s something. And I would have loved you, with or without his approval.”
Her lips curved. “That’s why I love you.”
“I don’t think I’ll ever tire of hearing you say that.”
Olivia tilted her head, suddenly mischievous. “I was merely wondering if you might be interested in getting into a bit of trouble right now.”
One of Evander’s brows lifted. “What sort of trouble?”
She slipped her fingers into his, threading them tightly together. “Why don’t you come with me and find out?”
His steps matched hers instantly as she tugged him towards the door.
“Where are we going?” he asked.
She glanced over her shoulder at him with a smile that was all challenge and promise. “I believe it’s as good a time as any to make this a true marriage.”
His grip on her hand tightened. “Lead the way, my Kicksy-Wicksy.”
Olivia groaned and laughed at the same time. “I thought we had agreed to retire that ridiculous term.”
“But it suits you so nicely,” he said with that insufferable grin that always made her want to both kiss him and mock him in equal measure.
She rolled her eyes, but her heart was soaring. She felt light. Whole. Free.
This was what love felt like—safe and thrilling all at once.
It was him.
Always would be.
“And that is how Olivia begged me to love her,” Evander declared with a grand flourish of his hand, reclining just slightly in the chair near his mother’s bedside.