Chapter 8 #2
She leaned forward and met Lady Charlotte’s well-practiced glare that was fully intended to intimidate her.
“Why?” Her simple question made Lady Charlotte blink for the briefest of moments, and gone was the feigned intimidation, replaced by pure shock.
Olivia willed the corners of her mouth to remain still; oh, how she wanted to break her own facade of seriousness and laugh at the countess’s reaction, but she was going to prove she could be in control of her own blasted expressions if it was the very last thing she did.
“Because your place is by my side,” Lady Charlotte replied with a steely tone that almost had Olivia shifting in her seat.
The carriage lurched forward slightly as it came to a stop. Damnation. Olivia cursed under her breath as she was the first to brace herself.
No longer locked in battle. Lady Charlotte winked at Olivia as she moved to exit the carriage. “Come along, Miss O. We have much to discuss.”
Resisting the urge to plant her foot on her mistress’s bottom and assist her out of the vehicle, Olivia inhaled deeply and stepped down from the carriage.
The path in front of her seemed to stretch out twice as far as she remembered.
Dread mounted with each step as she got closer to the front door.
When the Guernsey butler appeared in the doorway, the urge to flee had Olivia tripping over her own feet.
Lady Charlotte steadied her by the elbow and whispered, “You promised Guernsey ten days.”
A promise is a promise. Olivia squared her shoulders and pushed forward with the goal of cornering Lady Guernsey, her only ally to devise a plan. Surely with the aid of the woman who knew Warren best, she would succeed. A shooting pain pierced through her heart, and Olivia inhaled sharply.
“Is something amiss?” Lady Charlotte’s voice was filled with concern. The countess scanned the foyer keenly, as if she were accustomed to sensing danger.
With her mind a whirl, formulating a reasonable explanation for her abrupt behavior, Olivia busied herself with removing her cloak and handing it to the butler.
Egad. She was behaving like she was a lady.
Before she could correct her mistake and step behind Lady Charlotte rather than stand beside her, Lady Anne appeared with a bright sunny smile.
Lady Anne was the epitome of style and decorum.
A true blueblood, the exact opposite of her.
Yes, Lady Anne was a woman worthy of becoming the next Viscountess of Guernsey.
“Miss Olivia! It’s lovely to see you.” Lady Anne linked her arm through Olivia’s and led her down the hall. “Warren has been hiding in his study all morning, but now that you have arrived, I’m certain he’ll emerge sooner rather than later.”
Olivia looked over her shoulder to find Lady Charlotte studying the paintings that lined the walls as if they were masterpieces being displayed at Somerset House. Olivia turned her attention back to the lady next to her. Even Lady Anne’s profile was perfect.
As they approached the double doors at the end of the hall, Lady Anne leaned closer and shared, “Lady Guernsey is as eager as Warren to see you.” Lady Anne gave her arm a warm, affectionate pat.
Olivia swallowed hard, trying to ignore her longing for female companionship.
She had Ian to confide in, except he never quite understood or shared her viewpoint.
Ian was always ready with a remedy rather than being pleased to act as a confidant.
Ugh. She had to remind herself that she was no lady.
She did not travel in the same circles as Lady Anne.
And once Lady Anne and Lady Guernsey discovered the truth, they wouldn’t treat her the same.
They paused as the footman swung open the doors for them to enter.
Moments away from confessing her true identity, Olivia’s palms began to sweat in her gloves.
Olivia squinted as her eyes adjusted to the sunshine streaming through the windows.
Led by Lady Anne, she found herself standing in front of Lady Guernsey, who immediately reached out to grasp her hands. “Miss Olivia!”
Knees buckling, Olivia masked her weakness with a curtsy. “Lady Guernsey.” She raised her gaze to meet the woman she had feared to face a decade ago.
Lady Guernsey’s inquisitive gaze swept over her. “Olivia.”
This was her opportunity to reveal her real identity, yet her throat tightened, and she was unable to utter a word.
“Lady Guernsey, it’s so kind of you to have us over for tea.” Lady Charlotte took Lady Guernsey's hands in hers, allowing Olivia to take a step backward; only before she could take another step back, a warm body pressed up against her.
Warren’s familiar hands wrapped about her shoulders to steady her. “Going somewhere already?”
Heat radiated up her spine as the memory of him promising to be her shadow flashed before her.
She wanted to lean back and allow him to hold her, while her conscience was screaming at her to do no such thing and to escape his grasp in order to confront her dilemma.
Frozen in place, she observed as Lady Charlotte convinced Lady Anne to take a turn about the oversized morning room.
The trio stopped walking and huddled together by the windows as Lady Anne pointed toward the gardens. Was Lady Anne in cahoots with Lady Charlotte?
“Would you like to explore the gardens?” Warren asked from behind her.
Escaping outdoors sounded like bliss, but it would do her no good to spend more time one-on-one with Warren. She shook her head.
“A tour of your future home, then?”
His hands momentarily left her shoulders as she turned and stepped away to face him, but he reached out for her once more, preventing her from being more than half an arm’s length away. “I’ve searched for you for ten long years. You’ll not get away so easily now that I’ve found you.”
The Warren she remembered was not at all sentimental nor prone to uttering flowery words, yet with one sentence, the man had set her heart a flutter. Why did he affect her so?
“Did you inform your mother and Lady Anne of my identity?”
“Of course, they know who you are, Olivia.”
“That’s not what I meant, and you know it.”
She tried to shrug off his hands, but he simply tightened his hold as he leaned forward to speak into her ear. “Help me remember the events from our past, and I’ll happily share the truth with Anne and my mother.”
Warren never lied; she knew that with certainty but making such a deal would be risky.
Was she ready to relive their past? Olivia glanced at the lady whom Warren freely referred to by her given name.
Ugh. She should be grateful there was a suitable lady for Warren.
Why did her chest ache at the mention of Lady Anne?
She returned her gaze to Warren and said, “Deal.”