“Might we sit for a moment?” Matilda gestured to a pagoda nestled in a glade by the side of the path. “In order to think and conjure a suitable strategy, I cannot be perspiring like a glassblower’s apprentice. My mind is as athletic as an Olympian, but I really must consider exercising more.”
Phoebe nodded. “What have I always told you?”
“That I should read less and walk more. I know; I am learning the hard way,” Matilda grumbled, settling on one of the benches inside the cool, shady pagoda.
The other ladies followed suit, and the wooden structure took on an air of conspiracy. If it had been dark and torches had been aglow, they might truly have resembled a clandestine club worthy of gossiping about.
“You have allowed him to soften you,” Leah began as Matilda caught her breath and fanned her face. “Is it possible that he has enlisted this Caroline as an accomplice? Maybe, she does not realize that she is one. You mentioned that Caroline was not born when His Lordship came to reside at the manor—can you be certain that what she has been told is the truth?”
Olivia blinked in astonishment. “It… had not crossed my mind.”
“These rakes are wily creatures, Olivia,” Leah warned, clicking her tongue. “It would not surprise me if it was a fiction, fabricated to tug on the hearts of hesitant young ladies.”
Anna huffed out a sharp breath. “Or, it is a tragic true story and he is a tortured gentleman in need of healing. I do not condone bad behavior, of course, but… what if all of his… um… dallying began as a pursuit of the love he never received as a child? What if he was so desperate for affection that he sought it in the arms of ladies who gave it willingly?” She turned to Olivia. “He might yet prove to be loyal. Certainly, if he is not running from this, he has some merit.”
“A rake will say anything to get what he wants,” Leah retorted, folding her arms across her chest.
Phoebe sighed, offering a kindly smile to Olivia. “Have we not seen it a thousand times—the ruination of good women by treacherous men? I am inclined to agree with Leah on this matter.”
“Allthat matters is what Olivia wants,” Matilda cut in, her cheeks an alarming shade of purple. “So, my dear girl, do you want to continue this engagement and find yourself married to this gentleman, or do you want us to help you out of it? I hate to say it, but you do not sound certain either way.”
Anna seemed pleased by that remark, though it terrified Olivia. Shehadbeen certain, and then she had learned more of Evan’s past, adding color to the gray and white sketch of his character, adding humanity to the caricature she had in her mind. But Leah’s words jabbed at the inside of her skull like thorns, digging in deep. Olivia had believed the story of Evan’s past without question, but Leah knew more of wily gentlemen than any of them; if she thought it was suspicious, Olivia had to take heed.
“I need your help,” Olivia replied after a silence that seemed to stretch for eternity. “I need your help to end this.”
Anna’s disappointment was as palpable as the cooling breeze that swept into the pagoda, but Olivia did not trust Evan. He had been right in his assumptions about marriage and trust and loyalty. Without the latter two, the former could not be happy, and she did not believe any man could be trustworthy or loyal. If anything, her doubts surrounding Evan merely bolstered her beliefs, for though he was handsome and amusing and his words and actions had made her heart flutter, she would be building her future upon sand if she married him.
“But… do you like him?” Anna cut in.
Olivia frowned. “Pardon?”
“Do you like him? Have you found some goodness in him? I thought I saw you smile when you spoke about the game of skittles. I think there are things you are not telling us,” Anna replied.
Olivia’s eyes widened, her thoughts turning back to his lips upon her bare hand and the concern in his eyes when he had held her against him, worried that she had been about to fall. In the rustle of the trees surrounding them, she heard his soft, anxious breaths, and as she clasped a hand to her chest, her palm remembered the swift rhythm of his beating heart.
He was not pretending,her mind whispered. Pleaded.
Closing her eyes, she thought of how much he adored Caroline and how dearly Caroline cherished him. Surely, Caroline would not admire someone without goodness, for she was a pure soul. Even when Olivia had stepped upon his toe, he had responded kindly, gentlemanly. It could not all be for seduction, could it? After all, there had been several opportunities where he could have made an unwelcome advance, yet he had not.
“He would be an amusing acquaintance, but he cannot be my husband,” Olivia replied at last. “I made a vow to preserve my freedom and protect my heart, and I shall not betray that vow. Help me, dear friends, for I cannot trust him with my heart. Help me to make him hate me, for I fear we do not have long.”
Matilda sat up straighter. “There is deception afoot?”
“I believe so.” Olivia gulped. “I cannot be sure, but I think there is a scheme to attain a special license. And as I was invited here for a fortnight, it is my belief—and my concern—that my father and Evan’s aunt are expecting that fortnight to conclude with a wedding.”
Her friends were silent for a moment, exchanging uncomfortable glances that made Olivia feel as if she were standing trial. Perhaps they had anticipated the rushed wedding too, or maybe it was just the shock of hearing it out loud; either way, it chilled her.
“Let us keep his tale of potential tragedy in reserve,” Matilda announced. “We do not yet need to be underhand, though rest assured we shall use it if we must. For now, let us concentrate on making you intolerable, making you deeply unladylike. You have been aiming for the wrong target, I suspect. We must make His Lordship’s family dislike you first, for his aunt is the General upon this particular battlefield.”
Olivia’s heart sank. “Even Caro?”
“I am afraid so,” Matilda replied, tapping her chin with her fingertip. “Although, we might alter our course slightly for her, as you seem to cherish her. If we make it seem like you are a terrible influence upon her, that might be to our advantage.”
Phoebe raised a hand, adding, “The Dowager will protect her daughter before insisting upon this marriage with her nephew. Caroline could, indeed, be the crack in the dam that will flood this entire marriage debacle away.”
“Yes, absolutely!” Matilda clapped her hands together.
Leah bounced her leg upon her thigh, frowning. “Make this simple, Matilda; I beg of you.” She paused. “Is Olivia to ignore His Lordship, or continue as she has been doing?”
