Font Size:

It is the perfect scheme,he realized.My aunt would be overjoyed.

CHAPTERFIVE

After the dinner was done, the party of five took their peaceful revels to the drawing room, where the most beautiful sunset blazed across the immaculate grounds. The French doors had been left partially open, allowing in the sun-warmed scent of the day, rich with the aroma of cut grass and roses.

It was in front of one of those French doors that Olivia saw her opportunity to begin her scheme where she had left off and with greater determination to succeed. “Apologies if this is an impolite question, My Lord, but is there a reason we are not having these “celebrations” at your own estate? I cannot profess to know much of marriages and engagements and suchlike, having never been in this situation before, but I thought that was customary.”

Evan did not turn from the fiery display, so pretty it looked like a painting that burned across the sky. “It is simple—I do not have an estate.Thisis my primary residence.”

“How so?” Olivia canted her head, annoyed that she was actually intrigued.

He shrugged. “The manor belonging to my marquisate was sold by my father. The secondary title is mine, but it is just a title.”

“Secondary title?” Olivia pulled the other half of the French door open so she could better stand beside Evan. “Forgive me, I do not know anything about your family. Nor do I know anything about you.”

A crooked smile lifted one corner of his lips. “Now, that is not true. Earlier, you said you knew everything about me. Everything you needed to know, at least.”

“Do not be obtuse; you know what I meant,” Olivia muttered, wondering when her plan would become easier. She needed a weakness she could manipulate and thus far, all she had was Caroline’s naivety: a feeble chink in Evan’s armor, and likely not enough to make him break the engagement. Moreover, she had begun to like Caroline and did not want to wound too many others to get what she desired.

He glanced down at her. “My father is a Duke. I have a secondary title of Marquess while I wait for him to die.” He paused, raising an eyebrow. “Do you know nothing of society and hierarchy?”

“I know plenty.”

“It does not sound like you do.”

She bristled, refusing to take his bait. “What of your mother? Will she be attending the party?”

“She would have some difficulty,” Evan replied, flinching as if she had pinched his arm.

“Why is that? Is she unwell?”

Evan shook his head. “She is… no longer with us.”

“Oh…” Guilt roiled in Olivia’s stomach, leaking into her chest, where her lungs seized as if she was on the brink of a terrible panic. Her cheeks warmed with embarrassment, prompting her to look away so he would not see. “That is unfortunate. I find you can often learn more of the nature of a man by experiencing the character of his mother.”

He frowned down at her. “Then look no further than my Aunt Amelia, for she is as close to a mother as I have ever known.”

Olivia rubbed her throat, pretending to admire the sunset as her insides squirmed. She wished her friends were there with her, guiding her through what to do to convince him she was not marriageable. Matilda would have had ideas in abundance, Leah would have known how to dig for his weaknesses, Phoebe would have confronted him outright about his rakish behavior and relentlessly scolded him until he gave up, while Anna… well, Anna probably would have fallen for him. But Olivia, alone, did not know how to proceed. All she knew was she was making a mess of it.

“Your aunt seems to be a social sort of lady, though your cousin said there were rarely visitors to the house. I suppose that is why I had never heard of you until I was told we were to marry,” Olivia switched tactics. “If I did not know better, I would have assumed that you were a recluse, but it is more likely that you were too occupied with… private gatherings to attend any society events.”

Evan’s frown softened. “No matter how occupied I have been, I have attended as many events as possible. I have always relished dancing.”

“Waltzing, you mean?” She flashed him a knowing look.

He shrugged. “All manner of dancing. Indeed, I assumedyouwere the recluse, considering I have never seen you or heard your name before.” He paused, his eyes gleaming with mischief. “Although, according to my aunt, you havequitethe reputation. I suppose that is why I was so surprised when you decided to try and insult me with mine.”

“I have no reputation,” Olivia protested, glancing around to ensure no one had heard her. After all, she was supposed to be the very epitome of a charming, polite young lady.

Evan chuckled low in his throat. “Again, that is not what I have heard. In some circles, you would be deemed more scandalous than me.”

“What circles?” Olivia scoffed. “Yourcircles, where you place wagers on who can appear the most in the scandal sheets in one season?”

He tutted, irritating her even more. “We would never place wagers on such a tawdry thing. But tell me, have you and your club of spinsters made wagers on who can be unmarried the longest? I suppose it would not make sense to place a wager on such a thing, for you might all be dead before one of you can claim your winnings. Not you, of course—you are to lose far sooner than you might have expected.”

Olivia gaped at him, alarmed at how he knew so much about her when choosing to be independent and unmarried was not exactly the sort of thing that was written about or gossiped about. Yet, her fear compounded at his final sentence, for it appeared he was the kind of gentleman who enjoyed a challenge, and an unwilling bride might be just the challenge he was searching for to amuse himself.

“I am weary of talking,” Evan announced, holding out his hand. “Might you dance with me, Miss Agarn?” He spoke at a strangely loud volume that reeked of performance; his request clearly not intended for her enjoyment but for the excitement of the others in the room. If that had not been enough to convince her that he was toying with her, the smirk on his face confirmed it.