long-suffering sigh. “Lion.”
Olivia smiled. She couldn’t help it. Personally, she believed Charlotte and her brother were well suited for each other. Lion was too rigidly set in his ways and often authoritarian. He had become an embittered man after Lady Alice had abandoned him at the altar. Many times over the past year when she had heard about her brother’s exploits, she had feared he would end up dissipated or dead.
Everything had changed since Charlotte came into their lives. As far as she was concerned, Charlotte was Lion’s salvation. Charlotte would help her brother learn to enjoy life again.
“What about Lion?” Olivia asked.
“I can’t marry him, Livy.” She scooted forward over the arm of the chair and said earnestly, “I’m going to look around and see if I can find someone else.”
“Oh?” It wasn’t necessary to say more than that with Charlotte. She could easily carry a conversation all by herself.
“Your brother doesn’t want to marry me any more than I want to marry him. We fight like dogs and cats, like weasels and wolverines, like—”
“Husbands and wives,” Olivia inserted. “Every couple has disagreements. The secret is to learn how to compromise.”
Charlotte shook her head. “We’re too different. And he’s too stubborn to change his mind.”
“And you’re not stubborn?” Olivia queried.
“I can be reasonable.”
“Prove it. Give Lion a chance. Try to understand him. Try to like him. Try to see his point of view.”
Charlotte wrinkled her nose. “What purpose would that serve?”
“You might find out Lion is nicer than you think.”
Charlotte bounded out of the chair as though the stuffing had exploded under her. “I think you’re wrong, Livy. But since it’s your brother I’m going to be rejecting, I suppose I owe it to you to give him a fair chance. How long do I have to be reasonable?” she asked.
Olivia laughed. “Is a month too long?”
“Oh, Lord. That’s
forever!
”
“Three weeks then.”
“All right,” Charlotte conceded. “For the next three weeks I’ll try to understand his point of view. But I’m going to keep my eyes open for someone else to marry.”
“That sounds fair,” Olivia said.
“Thanks, Olivia,” Charlotte said. “Oh, by the way. Be sure to give the duke my regards.”
Olivia’s cheeks grew hot. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“I saw the violets, Livy.”
Olivia looked at her questioningly. “How did you know they were mine?”
“Who would send me violets?” she said. “Violets are for someone mysterious and delicate and lovely. That isn’t me at all. That’s you, Livy.”
“Mysterious?” Olivia repeated. “Delicate and lovely?”
Charlotte nodded. “Tell him yes, you’ll go driving with him, Livy. And have a wonderful time.”
She was gone before Olivia could argue with her. Olivia could find nothing mysterious about herself. She was plain and ordinary and forthright. And how could someone who walked like a lopsided duck be delicate? Lovely was the worst lie of all. She knew how plain she was. She had lived with her looks long enough to be honest with herself.
She put her hands to her warm cheeks. Was that really how the duke saw her? Could he really find her intriguing? Could he really find her lovely?
She rose slowly and returned to the desk in a daze. She lifted the quill and wrote, “I will be glad to go driving with you this afternoon.” She signed her name and folded the letter and sealed it with wax. She stared at it for a few moments more before she called Galbraith to come and deliver it.
The instant the note was gone, Olivia wished it back again. She was a foolish old maid, long past her Last Prayer, who was only going to be hurt by avengeful man. Charlotte’s fanciful explanation for the violets was no more than that. It would probably turn out that Braddock had asked his steward to send the flowers, and he actually had no idea what variety the man had chosen.
But
Olivia smiled. She couldn’t help it. Personally, she believed Charlotte and her brother were well suited for each other. Lion was too rigidly set in his ways and often authoritarian. He had become an embittered man after Lady Alice had abandoned him at the altar. Many times over the past year when she had heard about her brother’s exploits, she had feared he would end up dissipated or dead.
Everything had changed since Charlotte came into their lives. As far as she was concerned, Charlotte was Lion’s salvation. Charlotte would help her brother learn to enjoy life again.
“What about Lion?” Olivia asked.
“I can’t marry him, Livy.” She scooted forward over the arm of the chair and said earnestly, “I’m going to look around and see if I can find someone else.”
“Oh?” It wasn’t necessary to say more than that with Charlotte. She could easily carry a conversation all by herself.
“Your brother doesn’t want to marry me any more than I want to marry him. We fight like dogs and cats, like weasels and wolverines, like—”
“Husbands and wives,” Olivia inserted. “Every couple has disagreements. The secret is to learn how to compromise.”
Charlotte shook her head. “We’re too different. And he’s too stubborn to change his mind.”
“And you’re not stubborn?” Olivia queried.
“I can be reasonable.”
“Prove it. Give Lion a chance. Try to understand him. Try to like him. Try to see his point of view.”
Charlotte wrinkled her nose. “What purpose would that serve?”
“You might find out Lion is nicer than you think.”
Charlotte bounded out of the chair as though the stuffing had exploded under her. “I think you’re wrong, Livy. But since it’s your brother I’m going to be rejecting, I suppose I owe it to you to give him a fair chance. How long do I have to be reasonable?” she asked.
Olivia laughed. “Is a month too long?”
“Oh, Lord. That’s
forever!
”
“Three weeks then.”
“All right,” Charlotte conceded. “For the next three weeks I’ll try to understand his point of view. But I’m going to keep my eyes open for someone else to marry.”
“That sounds fair,” Olivia said.
“Thanks, Olivia,” Charlotte said. “Oh, by the way. Be sure to give the duke my regards.”
Olivia’s cheeks grew hot. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“I saw the violets, Livy.”
Olivia looked at her questioningly. “How did you know they were mine?”
“Who would send me violets?” she said. “Violets are for someone mysterious and delicate and lovely. That isn’t me at all. That’s you, Livy.”
“Mysterious?” Olivia repeated. “Delicate and lovely?”
Charlotte nodded. “Tell him yes, you’ll go driving with him, Livy. And have a wonderful time.”
She was gone before Olivia could argue with her. Olivia could find nothing mysterious about herself. She was plain and ordinary and forthright. And how could someone who walked like a lopsided duck be delicate? Lovely was the worst lie of all. She knew how plain she was. She had lived with her looks long enough to be honest with herself.
She put her hands to her warm cheeks. Was that really how the duke saw her? Could he really find her intriguing? Could he really find her lovely?
She rose slowly and returned to the desk in a daze. She lifted the quill and wrote, “I will be glad to go driving with you this afternoon.” She signed her name and folded the letter and sealed it with wax. She stared at it for a few moments more before she called Galbraith to come and deliver it.
The instant the note was gone, Olivia wished it back again. She was a foolish old maid, long past her Last Prayer, who was only going to be hurt by avengeful man. Charlotte’s fanciful explanation for the violets was no more than that. It would probably turn out that Braddock had asked his steward to send the flowers, and he actually had no idea what variety the man had chosen.
But
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