Page 63 of My Secret Duke
“Is Grandmama—” Olivia began uneasily.
“No, she is too busy being astounded, as are we all. You will never guess what just happened.”
Olivia and Ivo exchanged a glance. “What?” Olivia asked.
“You know that gentleman I saw with Mama in the park? He’s just arrived, and she has introduced him to us as her future husband. What do you think of that?”
“She’s getting married?” Olivia tried not to shriek.
“Yes. His name is Lord Harrowby, and he knew her before she married Papa… Well, not married, but you know what I mean.”
“Why does something scandalous always have to happen?” Olivia wailed.
Ivo snorted a laugh, and Roberta chuckled as they followed her back to the ballroom.
She could see at a glance that it was in uproar. Humber was trying to create order, with the dowager at his side, while the guests didn’t seem to know whether congratulations were in order or not.
“What on earth…?” Justina came to join them, gripping Olivia’s arm painfully. “Why is she doing this? It’s my coming-out!”
Evidently, Felicia had ascended the dais where the orchestra had been performing and was now hogging everyone’s attention. She wasn’t wearing one of her black widow’s gowns, but a lemon-colored one that must have been made for her new, more slender figure. She had a smug smile on her face, as if she was pleased with the reaction to her announcement.
A gentleman stood beside her, his arm about her, frowning in disapproval at the cacophony. Roberta nudged Olivia, her face alight with glee, and Ivo looked amused too. It seemed to be only Olivia and Justina who did not think this was funny. “We are marrying at once, and then Lord H is taking me for a long honeymoon on the continent.” Felicialooked even more satisfied with the uproarthiscaused. Of course, she could have told her family privately, prepared them, but instead, she had wanted to create an embarrassing scene. She did not care that it was her daughter’s special day—but she had never cared about any of them.
The dowager was busy trying to undo the damage, coolly congratulating her daughter-in-law, as if she had been privy to the news all along.
“At least she won’t be sneaking about Grantham, making trouble,” Roberta said.
“I wonder who paid for her new dress?” Justina added.
“I did.”
They turned to find Gabriel standing behind them, Vivienne at his side.
“She asked me, and I said yes. Told me some story about wanting to look her best for her darling Justina. I’m glad I did now. She would probably have appeared in her crow outfit and announced my pinchpenny ways to all and sundry.”
Olivia noticed Viscount Carey looking on with that beaming smile, as if he was enjoying every moment of it. Not like the prince then, who had once more vacated the ballroom.
“There is never a dull moment with the Ashtons,” Ivo said.
She met his eyes, and saw the sparkling laughter in their green depths. He was amused, but notather. He was laughingwithher, and suddenly, she felt better. If he was able to shrug off what promised to be a red-hot subject for gossip, then why shouldn’t she?
“We aim to please,” she replied.
He was still watching her, and it was as if they were all alone among the chattering and outraged guests. She was finding it hard to breathe, anticipation making her a little dizzy.
Olivia wasn’t going to change her mind about their dare, and from the growing smile on his handsome face, neither was he.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
It never ceased to amaze Ivo how shocking the Ashtons could be. He almost admired them for it. They could never do anything without making a scene. Olivia was forever worrying about being talked about, but she really should just accept that nothing she did was ever going to change her family. She needed to embrace it.
He watched as the three sisters huddled together, no doubt discussing how to contain this latest disaster. Roberta was smirking and Justina nodding, while Olivia waved her hands around rather wildly. Just moments ago, he had been kissing her.
The memory sobered him. He had tried so hard to be her friend, to subdue his careless ways, to be a better man. He had fallen in love with her but never told her because he did not want to drive her away. Seeing her dancing with that fool Carey and knowing he was the latest in the dowager’s long line of “suitable” husbands for her granddaughter had made him unbearably jealous.
He understood that the pressures upon Olivia were profound. He had accepted that she was never going to marry him, so to have her hand him such an outrageous dare had left him reeling. But only for a moment. Despite the “better” Ivo informing him in a prissy voice that he must decline, he was damned if he was going to.
Maybe it was time he fought for what he wanted? Fought for Olivia? After all, what had he to lose that he wasn’t going to lose anyway if she married Carey?
