Page 9 of A Lady Most Wayward
She had only betrayed Ivy and helped Percival to kidnap the poor orphans because the Crow was using Hyacinth as leverage to ensure Olivia’s obedience. But that fateful night had created a window of opportunity for Olivia to take her daughter and run. So she created a new plan. A dangerous endeavour that would end in their freedom or absolute failure. And the biggest risk to her success was the bloody Duchess of fecking Dorsett.
Olivia was struck with a mad thought as she watched Ivy’s coachman manoeuvre the smart little carriage around the far corner of Philippa’s mansion to park near the mews. If she could convince Ivy to forgive her, mayhap the woman might be her ally. Help her reclaim her money and evade Philippa’s pursuit, for surely the duchess was calling together her Deadly Damsels to plan Olivia’s capture.
Ivy always saw the good in others, even when it was barely recognisable. Mayhap she would see that same shimmer of worthiness in Olivia. At the very least, she might loan Olivia some money so she could leave this very day, collect her daughter, and set sail. It was a dream too good to be true, but fate was giving her another window. She had to climb through it.
Carefully extracting herself from the angry azalea bush, she brushed off errant leaves and snuck from topiary to fountain to rose bush until she cleared the front windows of Philippa’s Belgrave mansion. She skirted the side of the impressively large home and found herself in the cobblestone yard.
A maid emerged from the kitchen and dumped a bucket of murky water into a grate. She glanced at Olivia but barely acknowledged her. Looking down at her grey dress and ragged coat, Olivia imagined she looked like any other servant on a task assigned by her employer. Walking with confidence over the cobblestones, Olivia passed a group of men standing in a small circle smoking pipes and discussing horseflesh. They had to be the various drivers of the carriages that had just deposited Philippa’s friends on her front step.
Olivia breezed past them, turned the corner of the stables, and found four coaches parked next to each other. The horses stomped and huffed out puffs of warm breath. Olivia stiffened and bit back her cry of alarm. She had always found horses to be beautiful creatures best observed from a distance. She gave them a wide berth as she made her way to Ivy’s carriage.
Twisting the silver handle of the barouche, Olivia slipped inside. Drawing the curtains, she pressed herself into the far corner and waited.
A million disastrous scenarios played out in Olivia’s mind before the carriage dipped and the springs squealed in protest as Ivy’s driver pulled himself to the top box. The driver clucked at the horse and the carriage lurched into a slow roll over the cobblestones of the mews, then the gravel of Philippa’s drive. He was pulling to the front of the house to retrieve his mistress.
‘This is a terrible plan. What was I thinking?’ Olivia hissed. Desperation must have stolen her wits. Ivy was going to open the door, see Olivia crouched in the corner of her carriage, scream bloody murder, and that would be that. ‘No. She’ll give me a chance. I know she will.’
Before she could counter her own ridiculous argument, the door swung open. Ivy was holding the driver’s hand as he assisted her in alighting. Her face was turned away from Olivia, her lips tilted in a sweet smile.
‘Thank you, Jacob,’ Ivy murmured before turning to find her seat.
A seat that was partially occupied by Olivia.
Olivia couldn’t stop the tears from filling her eyes as she pressed a finger to her lips, silently begging Ivy to remain quiet. If she were wrong about Ivy, she would lose everything.
Ivy’s mouth fell open, and her pale-blue eyes widened in shock.
‘Is everything all right, my lady?’ the coachman asked from behind her. Ivy was blocking his view of the carriage’s interior.
‘Please.’ Olivia mouthed, her gaze never leaving Ivy’s face, willing the woman to forgive her.
‘Just a spider on my seat.’ Ivy made a display of slapping the velvet squab. ‘I frightened it off. Please take me to Scotland Yard; I need to speak with the Commissioner.’
Oh dear.
Scotland Yard was the very last place Olivia wanted to be. As Ivy shut the door, panic filled Olivia. She opened her mouth to speak. Plead. Beg Ivy to listen to her, but now it was Ivy pressing her finger against her lips and shaking her head.
‘Not yet,’ she whispered.
Ivy sat next to Olivia on the small seat and waited for the carriage to roll forward. The sound of the street became louder, and Ivy turned to face Olivia.
‘What the Devil is going on, Olivia?’ Ivy’s face hardened into angry lines.
‘Oh, Ivy.’ The tight rein Olivia had kept on her emotions snapped. Tears streaked down her cheeks as she tried to catch her breath. ‘I’m so sorry.’
‘Why? Why did you do it? Did our friendship mean nothing to you?’
The time for hiding her past was over. As quickly as she could, Olivia attempted to explain her predicament, starting with the asylum where she had been imprisoned for ten years. ‘Percival only brought me back from Europe because he needed someone to provide an entrance into the orphanages. Who better than his charity-minded wife? And Hyacinth’s debut into society was just another weapon he wielded against me. He swore to force Hyacinth into marriage with one of his oldest and most perverse friends if I didn’t agree. His own daughter was nothing more than a bargaining tool for Percy. He knew I would do anything to protect her. Iwilldo anything still to ensure her safety. But I should never have betrayed you like that. I should have found another way. You must know, if I’d seen a different path, I would have taken it.’
Ivy leaned back against the squabs, her face shifting from anger to disbelief, until finally settling into a carefully blank expression. Which worried Olivia exceedingly.
‘Why can’t you come forward? Expose the Crow? End this horrific ring of flesh trafficking?’
‘He is more powerful than you’ll ever know, Ivy. And who would believe me? I have no evidence of his involvement. Revealing his identity would only condemn me to death and my daughter to a fate even worse. Leaving here is our only option.’
Ivy shook her head. ‘Philippa is determined to catch you, Olivia. She has people watching the docks and main roads exiting London. I’m going to Scotland Yard right now to have Edward and Reading begin investigating all the potential places you might hide. You have no money, no allies. How will you possibly escape?’
‘I was hoping you might help me. If you could loan me even a little coin, I promise I will repay you once Hyacinth and I are settled abroad.’
