better.
Winston turned to Harry and said, for no apparent reason other than to torture his sister, “Olivia’s room faces the south.”
“Does it now?”
Olivia looked as if she might—
“It does,” Winston confirmed, putting a halt to Harry’s speculation on what Lady Olivia might or might not do. But he was thinking that spontaneous combustion was not outside the realm of possibility.
“You’ve probably seen her window,” Winston went on. “You really couldn’t miss it. It’s—”
“Winston .”
Harry actually stepped back an inch or two. It lookedas if there might be violence. And despite Winston’s greater height and weight, he rather thought he’d put his money on his sister.
“I am sure Sir Harry is not interested in a floor plan of our home,” Olivia bit off.
Winston stroked his chin thoughtfully. “I wasn’t thinking of a floor plan so much as an elevation.”
Harry turned back to Olivia. He was not sure he had ever seen such well-controlled fury. It was impressive.
“It’s so nice to see you this morning, Winston,” Miss Cadogan put in, quite possibly oblivious to the familial tension. “Are you often out and about this early?”
“No,” he replied. “Mother sent me to fetch Olivia.”
Miss Cadogan smiled brightly and returned her attention to Harry. “Then it seems you are the only regular morning visitor here in the park. I, too, came looking for Olivia. We haven’t had a chance to chat for ages. She has been ill, you know.”
“I did not know,” Harry said. “I hope you are feeling better.”
“Winston was also ill,” Olivia said. She offered a frightening smile. “Much sicker than I.”
“Oh, no!” Miss Cadogan gushed. “I am so sorry to hear that.” She turned to Winston with great concern. “Had I known, I would have brought you a tincture.”
“I shall be sure to inform you next time he falls ill,” Olivia told her. She turned to Harry, lowered her voice, and said, “It happens more often that we would like. It’s very distressing.” And then, down to a whisper: “He was born that way.”
Miss Cadogan rose to her feet, all of her attentionon Winston. “Are you feeling better now? I must say, you look a bit peaked.”
Harry thought he looked the picture of health.
“I’m fine,” Winston bit off, his ire clearly directed at his sister, who was still sitting on the bench, looking extremely satisfied with her recent accomplishments.
Miss Cadogan looked past him to Olivia, who was shaking her head, mouthing, “ He’s not .”
“I will definitely bring you that tincture,” Miss Cadogan said. “It tastes a bit foul, but our housekeeper swears by it. And I insist that you return home at once. It’s chilly out.”
“It’s really not necessary,” Winston protested.
“I was planning to return soon, anyway,” Miss Cadogan put in, proving that young Bevelstoke was no match for the combined might of two determined women. “You may escort me.”
“Do inform Mother that I shall be back momentarily,” Olivia said sweetly.
Her brother glared at her, but he had clearly been outmaneuvered, and so he took Miss Cadogan’s arm and led her away.
“Well played, Lady Olivia,” Harry said admiringly, once the others were out of earshot.
She gave him a bored look. “You are not the only gentleman I find irritating.”
There was no way he could ignore a comment like that, so he sat beside her, plopping right down into the spot recently vacated by Miss Cadogan. “Anything interesting?” he asked, motioning toward her newspaper.
“I would not know,” she replied. “I am besieged by interruptions.”
He chuckled. “My cue to apologize, I am sure, but I shan’t indulge you.”
Her lips pressed together, presumably pinching back a retort.
He sat back, crossing his right ankle over his left knee, letting his lazy pose signal that he was settling in beside her. “After all,” he mused, “it is not as if I am invading your privacy. We
Winston turned to Harry and said, for no apparent reason other than to torture his sister, “Olivia’s room faces the south.”
“Does it now?”
Olivia looked as if she might—
“It does,” Winston confirmed, putting a halt to Harry’s speculation on what Lady Olivia might or might not do. But he was thinking that spontaneous combustion was not outside the realm of possibility.
“You’ve probably seen her window,” Winston went on. “You really couldn’t miss it. It’s—”
“Winston .”
Harry actually stepped back an inch or two. It lookedas if there might be violence. And despite Winston’s greater height and weight, he rather thought he’d put his money on his sister.
“I am sure Sir Harry is not interested in a floor plan of our home,” Olivia bit off.
Winston stroked his chin thoughtfully. “I wasn’t thinking of a floor plan so much as an elevation.”
Harry turned back to Olivia. He was not sure he had ever seen such well-controlled fury. It was impressive.
“It’s so nice to see you this morning, Winston,” Miss Cadogan put in, quite possibly oblivious to the familial tension. “Are you often out and about this early?”
“No,” he replied. “Mother sent me to fetch Olivia.”
Miss Cadogan smiled brightly and returned her attention to Harry. “Then it seems you are the only regular morning visitor here in the park. I, too, came looking for Olivia. We haven’t had a chance to chat for ages. She has been ill, you know.”
“I did not know,” Harry said. “I hope you are feeling better.”
“Winston was also ill,” Olivia said. She offered a frightening smile. “Much sicker than I.”
“Oh, no!” Miss Cadogan gushed. “I am so sorry to hear that.” She turned to Winston with great concern. “Had I known, I would have brought you a tincture.”
“I shall be sure to inform you next time he falls ill,” Olivia told her. She turned to Harry, lowered her voice, and said, “It happens more often that we would like. It’s very distressing.” And then, down to a whisper: “He was born that way.”
Miss Cadogan rose to her feet, all of her attentionon Winston. “Are you feeling better now? I must say, you look a bit peaked.”
Harry thought he looked the picture of health.
“I’m fine,” Winston bit off, his ire clearly directed at his sister, who was still sitting on the bench, looking extremely satisfied with her recent accomplishments.
Miss Cadogan looked past him to Olivia, who was shaking her head, mouthing, “ He’s not .”
“I will definitely bring you that tincture,” Miss Cadogan said. “It tastes a bit foul, but our housekeeper swears by it. And I insist that you return home at once. It’s chilly out.”
“It’s really not necessary,” Winston protested.
“I was planning to return soon, anyway,” Miss Cadogan put in, proving that young Bevelstoke was no match for the combined might of two determined women. “You may escort me.”
“Do inform Mother that I shall be back momentarily,” Olivia said sweetly.
Her brother glared at her, but he had clearly been outmaneuvered, and so he took Miss Cadogan’s arm and led her away.
“Well played, Lady Olivia,” Harry said admiringly, once the others were out of earshot.
She gave him a bored look. “You are not the only gentleman I find irritating.”
There was no way he could ignore a comment like that, so he sat beside her, plopping right down into the spot recently vacated by Miss Cadogan. “Anything interesting?” he asked, motioning toward her newspaper.
“I would not know,” she replied. “I am besieged by interruptions.”
He chuckled. “My cue to apologize, I am sure, but I shan’t indulge you.”
Her lips pressed together, presumably pinching back a retort.
He sat back, crossing his right ankle over his left knee, letting his lazy pose signal that he was settling in beside her. “After all,” he mused, “it is not as if I am invading your privacy. We
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