Page 84 of My Secret Duke
But she was ogling him too. Her gaze was almost a caress as it slid over his formal jacket and snowy cravat, before her attention shifted to his cleanly shaven jaw. His mouth… She lingered on his mouth, and he wet his dry lips with a sweep of his tongue before he could stop himself.
Her eyes widened and shot up to his, before quickly returning to her plate. She did not look at him again. She ate her meal, and smiled at her companions, and agreed with something Justina said… Ivo knew all of this, because he couldn’t look away from her. He thought he could watch her forever and still not be satisfied.
“Olivia looks lovely tonight.”
Annette.He had forgotten she was there, but when he turned to her, she was observing him with amused interest. She always did know him too well.
“So do you,” Ivo said smoothly. “When is your wedding again?”
“You know when it is,” she scolded. “Next April. Plenty of time to finish my book.”
Ivo snorted a laugh, but Annette looked serene. She was happy, so much happier than she would have been if she had married Ivo, and he was glad to see it.
Gabriel was proposing a toast to Charles and Justina, and they all responded.
“This should be you next,” Annette murmured at his side. “I see the way you look at her.” She nodded toward Olivia.
He wanted to tell Annette about Jacob Rendall andhis continued presence. He wanted to explain that it wasn’t just himself who was at risk, but more and more he was beginning to think anyone who meant anything to him might become quarry to the smuggler. His sisters and his mother, his new brother. Until his enemy showed them exactly what his plan was, they were all in the dark.
At least while he kept their love a secret, Olivia was safe.
Thankfully, the next course arrived, and the person on Annette’s other side claimed her attention. Ivo was left in peace, for a moment at least.
“Ivo!” His mother was calling for him to make another toast to his brother, and with a smile, he rose to his feet.
Chapter Forty
Justina was blooming. Olivia smiled at her favorite sister and watched her send covert glances in Charles’s direction, which he returned. She was overjoyed for them both. Her own emotional state was another matter, and not one she wanted to share because it would certainly bring down the mood.
Freddie Hart, seated beside her at dinner, had been telling her about his new job. “Very hush-hush,” he said. As far as Olivia could gather, it was something to do with the government and foreign spies, but it did sound exciting. And at least it took her mind off Ivo.
Over the past weeks, there had been many more invitations to society events, and Olivia had never felt so welcome and so comfortable in her role as sister of a duke. It was as if all her societal hopes and dreams had come to pass. It just wasn’t enough. There was a hollowness in her chest that she knew now could only be filled by one man. She understood why he was absent—he was dealing with his own troubles, trying to ensure they could be together. But she still missed him dreadfully.
With dinner over, they moved into the drawing room, and Lexy entertained them on the piano with the latest tunes. In an adjoining room, the older guests were enjoying quieter conversation over coffee or, in Grandmama’scase, a snooze. Olivia liked to think her grandmother could relax now that Vivienne had taken on so many of the responsibilities of Grantham. That the dowager had put her full trust in Gabriel’s wife boded well for a harmonious future.
Roberta was seated on a sofa beside Ivo. Olivia watched the two of them through her lashes, and wondered what they were talking about. At one point, Ivo raised his eyebrows and Roberta laughed, as if he had given her the reaction she’d wanted.
She let her thoughts drift. Maybe despite Ivo telling her he was trying to be “good,” she could persuade him to slip away? Or she could find his bedchamber later? The idea made her squirm pleasurably.
“Psst!”
Olivia looked up. The hiss came from the direction of the door, which was slightly ajar. A curly mop of brown hair bobbed into view. Edwina put a finger to her lips and then beckoned.
With a long-suffering sigh, Olivia rose and went to see what her youngest sister wanted. “You should be in bed.”
The little girl’s big blue eyes were swimming in tears, and she stood barefoot in her nightdress. “Iwasin bed. Georgia took one of my dolls and threw it out of the window!”
“Then Georgia should go down and fetch it,” she said, even knowing that would not happen. If anyone was going to fetch Edwina’s doll, then it would be Olivia. “Which window was it?” she asked, resigned to her fate.
Edwina flung herself into Olivia’s arms. “Thank you,” she said, her face pressed into her sister’s waist. “I knew you would help. You are the best of my sisters.”
Olivia couldn’t help but smile. As they made their way across the empty foyer to the front door, curiosity had her looking about. Whitmont was not as grand as Grantham, but it appealed to her, with its old furniture and oak paneling and more intimate rooms. It felt cozy in a way Grantham never could, and it was most definitely in better condition. As Ivo had promised, there were no leaking roofs or an east wing completely closed off. She liked it. From the golden brick façade, to the unlikely cupola upon the roof, to the flat salt marshes all around.
“My feet are cold!”
The little girl was hopping about on the cold marble. Olivia lifted her into her arms, and gave a theatrical groan. “You are too big for me,” she said as her sister snuggled comfortably against her.
“But you’re only little,” Edwina retorted. “One day I will be taller than you, taller than all the others.”
