Page 15 of The Dream of Love
“Yes, even him,” Olivia assured. “Poppy, Penelope, and I went through this and can state with confidence that men are at heart simple creatures. They will always respond on instinct. If you are meant to be his, you will know it well before the end of the party.”
“What party?”
“The one we shall hold for you,” Lavinia intoned with cheer. “We must invite all the eligible young men in Wellesford. After all, if you do not make the choice, then your father will make it for you. That is unacceptable. We must not allow this to happen.”
Olivia and Poppy nodded enthusiastically.
“Too bad Penelope isn’t here. She’ll be so disappointed not to be in on the plot,” Poppy said.
“It is not a plot, merely a nudge in the right direction,” Lavinia insisted. “It is not our fault men are dense and need to be nudged.”
“A swift kick in the pants is what he needs,” Olivia muttered.
Lavinia ignored the comment and addressed Remi. “You are not taking advantage of him. You…we…are all thinking of his happiness, too.”
Remi groaned. “This is going to be humiliating. Every man invited will know the reason for the party, and if no one steps forward, then I’ll be a laughingstock and can never show my face in Wellesford again.”
“Dozens will come forward,” Lavinia said, feeding her precious Periwinkle a sliver of her scone as the pampered pup lounged on her lap. “Do you not realize how pretty you are, Remi? Not merely in looks but in compassion. The vicar is drawn to you. He cannot help himself.”
“He doesn’t want anything to do withThe Book of Love. He told me so himself. He’ll be angry and keep his distance.”
Poppy quietly spoke again. “Trying to move Adam’s heart will be like trying to move the twelve-foot-thick walls of an impregnable fortress. Nathaniel was the same way. War scars men, and it is nothing to be taken lightly. They respond to those scars in different ways, as well. Adam has built those thick walls because he does not ever wish to feel again. The pain of loss still haunts him, I’m sure. So, he hides from any serious commitment. If he cares for no one, he can never be hurt again.”
“But at the same time, he longs to feel love,” Olivia said. “His walls can be surmounted.”
Lavinia huffed. “Surmounted? I should say not. Remi must blast cannonballs through them. Destroy them entirely.”
Remi cleared her throat and began to fidget because she was feeling decidedly uncomfortable with this plan. And yet…if it worked, all her dreams would come true. The fact was, Adam had been in her dreams from the moment she’d met him. “A party it is. When shall this affair be held?”
Poppy arched an eyebrow. “You have six days left to respond to your father. This party will take some planning. Orchestra, food, invitations sent, furniture moved. We shall hold it in five days.”
“Leave everything to us,” Olivia said. “In the meanwhile, you must not stay idle. Adam needs to be softened up. You know what I mean, don’t you?”
Remi shook her head in dismay. “No.”
Olivia reached over and patted her hand. “Nor did I, but with the help of that book, I managed to gain a proposal of marriage from Beast.”
“How am I to accomplish this? Adam has rebuffed every woman in Wellesford.” She turned to Poppy. “Except I think he would have married you if you hadn’t fallen in love with Nathaniel and married him instead.”
“No.” Poppy was quite adamant. “Never believe those rumors. He was polite to me and perhaps for a moment thought I had the right temperament to be a vicar’s wife, but it was never about him losing his heart to me. He was only thinking of a possible match in the event he received pressure to find himself a wife.”
Poppy and Olivia were now grinning at her.
“Oh, stop it. You just said he was considering you because of your sweet and quiet nature, Poppy. I am the opposite of quiet. I ruffle everyone’s feathers.”
“Well, you ruffle something in him,” Lavinia remarked dryly. “One has only to look at his eyes when he’s around you. That icy blue gaze he is famous for turns to blue fire when he looks at you. Mark my words. I have been around men long enough to know heat and desire when I see it.”
Remi laughed. “You have been reading too many of those naughty novels, Lavinia.”
“Perhaps, but you must promise me you will continue to read the book Poppy gave you. If you want your miracle to happen, then take your task seriously and pore over every chapter.”
“I will. I promise.” Holding the faded leather tome in her hands last night had not made her feel differently. Her fingers had not tingled. The butterflies in her stomach had not fluttered. But who was to say how its magic worked?
After tea, she walked to the garden with the book in hand. She intended to read it quietly out here, but Nathaniel and Pip were talking to his gardeners, so she continued past them to the river. The sun had been shining all day, and any lingering puddles or patches of mud were long gone. Also, there was something quite soothing about the river’s flow and the gentle afternoon breeze.
She would move the bench to a shady spot under a tree and read.
To her surprise, Adam was already seated on the bench when she arrived, his size leaving little space for her. She studied him as he stared at the crystal waters flowing southward with the current.
