Page 39 of Secrets of the Wicked Viscount (The Shadows 2)

“Annalise!” she exclaimed and stood from the chair.

Olivia turned and saw their mutual friend, Annalise, Lady Payne, enter the parlor on her husband’s arm.

Olivia jumped out of her chair, and together with Lavinia, they hurried toward their friend.

“Lord Payne.” Both Lavinia and Olivia curtsied as he bowed.

Annalise turned a bright smile toward her husband. “I shall be all right. I am certain you have people to greet, too.”

Lord Payne looked intently at his wife, and their gazes locked for one heated moment. Then he slowly lowered his head and kissed her on her forehead. Annalise leaned into his kiss like a cat looking for more contact. Then she caressed his cheek as he turned to leave.

Something inside Olivia tightened. She wished to have the same closeness, the same tenderness as Annalise had with her husband.

“When did you return from your wedding journey?” Lavinia asked.

“Just last week. Let us sit, please, I do not want to stand for a long period of time.” She covered her stomach with her palm.

“Oh, of course.” Lavinia took her by the arm, and all three of them settled beside the windows.

“How was your honeymoon?” Olivia asked with a smile.

“Dreadful! Dreadful, my dear.”

“How?”

“Why?”

Both Lavinia and Olivia asked at the same time.

“Well, I was ill during the entire trip on the ferry. And then when we finally reached France, I was too tired to go anywhere, so we didn’t even go to Italy. Blake wanted to turn back right away, but I convinced him to stay and enjoy the month in France. It wasn’t the most perfect stay, either. Apparently, my illness had nothing to do with the journey, but everything to do with…” She covered her stomach again. “Well, my condition. And to top it all off, I developed quite an unhealthy craving for cheese. Eventually, after three weeks of misery, I received a note from Caroline about the house party and the wedding, so we set out on the first ferry and returned to London. Imagine our disappointment when my illness ceased the moment we stepped back on our native land,” Annalise finished with a laugh.

The silence greeted her as Olivia tried to make sense of the flurry of words.

Lavinia just blinked. “The wedding?”

“Yes, Caro—didn’t she tell you?”

“Didn’t tell us what?”

Caroline appeared behind Annalise at that moment. “Good afternoon, ladies.” She smiled at Olivia and Lavinia, then turned to Annalise. “Did you rest well after the trip?”

“Yes, quite well, thank you.” Annalise turned to Lavinia. “We arrived a few hours ago, but I needed to catch up on some sleep.”

“You were right to do so.” Lavinia forced out a tight smile. “What did you say about the wedding?”

Caroline clasped her hands together and leaned over the chairs. “Let us adjourn to the library. I have some news to impart.”

Olivia watched Lavinia’s face turn ashen. But she stood gracefully and followed Caroline out of the room.

Annalise looped her arm through Olivia’s. “Tell me, how is your suitor hunt going?”

Olivia wanted to groan.Complicated. Very, very complicated.“It’s going extremely well,” she said instead.

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