Page 46 of With Good Grace
‘No, madam. He’s fine. It’s my mother. I just received word that she has taken a turn for the worse.’
‘I am so sorry. You must go to her at once. Of course you must. Find Mr Parker and tell him to have one of his lordship’s carriages take you.’
‘What about Tom, madam?’
‘Molly can look after him.’
‘Certainly, madam,’ Molly said, further demonstrating her cooperative mood today. ‘I shall take him to the park.’
Olivia dismissed both maids, having told Jane to take all the time she needed and to let Olivia know if there was anything she could do to help. Alone in her room, she took a moment to check her reflection and compose herself and was then as ready as she would ever be to face Jake. God forbid that he should regret what had passed between them. Olivia had pretended that she could treat it as a casual encounter but, in reality, nothing was further from the truth. Every time he taught her a little more about passion, she fell more deeply in love with him. It was as simple and unequivocal as that.
She found Jake in his library. He looked up when she entered. His eyes came alight as he smiled at her and stood to give her a kiss.
‘How are you today?’ he asked. ‘I expected you to sleep longer, given…well, the amount of energy you expended.’
Olivia’s face warmed. ‘I could not have done so even if I wished to. I had a domestic crisis.’ Jake raised a brow in polite enquiry. Olivia explained about Jane. ‘I told her to find Parker and have him arrange for one of your people to drive her. I hope you don’t mind.’
‘Of course I do not. I hope her mother will recover.’
‘I have told Molly to take Tom to the park. It will get her out of my hair for a while.’
‘Is she being difficult? She cannot have failed to notice what we…er…’
‘Oh, she noticed right enough but made no comment.’
‘Which is as well for her. You cannot have maids influencing your behaviour; not if they value their positions.’ He dropped his voice to a seductive drawl. ‘The privilege of influencing what you do belongs to me alone.’
Olivia was saved the trouble of deciding how to respond to such an enigmatic statement when Parker entered the room.
‘I’ve had someone drive Jane in the gig,’ he said. ‘She’ll get there faster in a small conveyance.’
‘Thank you.’ Olivia smiled at Jake’s faithful retainer.
‘A telegram just came for you,’ Parker said to her.
Olivia glanced at Jake as she took the missive from the salver that Parker proffered. ‘It’s from Margaret,’ she said, breaking the seal. ‘She says the Gainsborough and two other paintings that have been in the family for a long time went to Sotheby’s in Bond Street four weeks ago.’ Olivia passed the telegram to Jake. Parker read it over his shoulder. ‘As you can see, she says that they have not been sold.’
‘As far as she knows.’ Jake tapped the telegram against his lips. ‘The Gainsborough will fetch a pretty penny. Sir Hubert would be a fool not to put it up for auction. I have heard of the other two artists but their work will not fetch nearly as much. No, that Gainsborough could make or break Sir Hubert.’ He smiled at Olivia. ‘Come along, Parker, we are for Bond Street.’
‘Thought you might say that,’ Parker replied.
‘I suppose you are thinking that if they have sold, Hubert has simply absconded with the proceeds,’ Olivia said. ‘But I think you are mistaken. He is far too aware of his position as a baronet to walk away from it all and leave Margaret with his debts.’
‘It rather depends upon how pressing those debts are, and how large, especially if they are debts of honour that cannot be ignored,’ Jake replied. He leaned over Olivia and kissed her brow, mindless of Parker’s presence. ‘Stay here. We shall not be long. If Tom is for the park you will be able to relax for an hour or two.’
‘I have arranged for Molly and Tom to be driven to the park,’ Parker said.
‘And for a footman to stay with them?’ Jake asked.
Olivia’s head shot up. ‘Why is that necessary?’
‘Just a precautionary measure,’ Jake assured her. ‘Until we know what’s to do with Sir Hubert and why someone sent Tom the boat he is so determined to launch it is better to be safe than sorry.’
‘Perhaps I should go with him.’
‘I would prefer it if you did not.’ Jake sent her a disarming smile. ‘Perhaps I am being over-protective, but I refuse to apologise for my desire to keep you and Tom safe.’
Olivia returned his smile, reassured. ‘Then thank you. Go off to Bond Street and I shall stay here and immerse myself in a book.’
