~~ I ~~

It was a sunny afternoon in early September. Olivia Paige had decided to make use of the fine weather and to go for a long walk that afternoon. She often went for walks, nearly always unattended, a habit that almost always brought her mother's reproach on her but which she was unwilling to give up.

She walked downhill towards the village, leaving the old Manor House behind her just as a light curricle stopped in front of the main entrance. A young man, perceiving Miss Paige, got down from the curricle and immediately followed her. Olivia sighed. Sir Edwin Arncott was a neighbour, and she had known him all her life. Lately, it seemed, he had developed a tendre for her, and she feared she would soon have to tell him that his attentions were unwelcome. Olivia wished that her sister Agnes was still there – she had been her principal advisor in matters of the heart, and her advice had always been worth listening to. But Agnes was married now, and her advice would take some time until it reached her little sister. There was nothing for Olivia to do but to face the inevitable and do whatever she saw fit to do.

Meanwhile, Sir Edwin had reached her. He was not ill-looking, though he was not really handsome either. There were one or two attractive traits about him – he had dark, curly hair, a pleasant smile, and excellent manners.

"Good afternoon, Miss Paige," he said as Olivia had stopped to meet him. "How lucky I am to meet you! You are going on your customary walk, I suppose."

"Quite so, Sir Edwin," Olivia said.

"May I have the honour of escorting you, Miss Paige?"

"Certainly, sir, if you choose to. I suspect, however, that you did not come to Bradenham for the sole purpose of accompanying me on my walk."

"I came here to meet your father, Miss Paige," Sir Edwin said. "There is a matter of some … delicacy … I wanted to settle with him."

Olivia did not need a great deal of imagination to know what the "matter of some delicacy" was. During those past weeks, it had become quite obvious for her that Sir Edwin wanted her to become his wife. He had hinted at it several times – that "he trusted Miss Olivia would soon follow her sister's example", that "Miss Paige's beauty and refinement made her the paragon of all young ladies in the neighbourhood", and that "any man lucky enough to win Miss Paige's heart" should be "fully aware of the honour bestowed upon him and thank the Lord daily". Things like these led to only one conclusion – Sir Edwin considered himself to be that man. Unfortunately he was not.

"My father has gone out, Sir Edwin," she therefore said, coolly. "We do not expect him back before dinnertime. Is it an urgent business you have with him?" She sat down on a stone bench overlooking the village.

"Urgent, Miss Paige? Why, yes, one might say so," Sir Edwin said. He sat down next to her and, for a moment, nothing was said, though Sir Edwin was looking at her intently. Olivia pretended not to notice. Suddenly, Sir Edwin seized Olivia's hand and said, "You cannot be in doubt as to what purpose there is to my visit, Miss Paige."

Olivia withdrew her hand and looked at Sir Edwin reproachfully. "Indeed, sir, I have no idea," she said coldly. Agnes had once told her that one could put off an unwelcome admirer by acting with strictest decorum even when he did not. Olivia could only hope that Agnes had been right.

"Please forgive my boldness, but surely you must be aware of my feelings for you!" Sir Edwin exclaimed.

"I am afraid I do not know what you mean, sir," Olivia said, continuing the game. "What exactly are you talking about?"

"I mean to marry you, Miss Paige," Sir Edwin answered indignantly.

"Do you?" Olivia said dryly. "Why, sir, I always thought that a lady had at least something to say in that matter. You did not even ask me whether I meant to marry you."

"You must be aware of the advantages of this match, Miss Paige," Sir Edwin said stiffly. "As Lady Arncott you will be well respected in the neighbourhood, and Bradenham Park is only two miles from here – you will be able to visit your parents whenever you want. Besides you have known me for years – there will be no surprise in my character, as might happen if you chose to marry a man you do not know."

"Despite all these advantages I do not wish to marry you, Sir Edwin," Olivia replied. "There is one thing you have not even mentioned, yet I believe it to be vital for a happy marriage. Love."

"What has love got to do with it?" Sir Edwin asked.

"A great deal, sir. I do not intend to marry a man I do not love, or someone who does not love me. Mutual love and respect is the only thing that will ever induce me to marry."

"I have seen a great deal of love-matches end in bad marriages, Miss Paige. Believe me, there are other things one must consider. Love is all very well, but it does not feed hungry mouths, and it does not keep you warm and dry."

"Perhaps not, sir. Still, I only have to see my sister and her husband to know what I want. They are very much in love, sir, and they are happy. Nothing short of such happiness will do for me. I am sorry, sir, but I cannot and will not accept your offer."

"Perhaps your father will…" Sir Edwin began.

"You underestimate my father, Sir Edwin," Olivia said crossly. "Once he has heard my opinion of the matter, he will not even try to persuade me."

She got up and went towards the old manor house, not waiting for Sir Edwin to follow her. However, he came up close behind her, and they entered the house together. Upon Sir Edwin's enquiry, the butler informed him that Mr Paige was not at home and would not be home before dinner time, and, having received that bit of information, Sir Edwin abruptly took his leave.

Olivia, relieved that she had finally had the chance of telling Sir Edwin her mind on the subject, entered the drawing room where her mother was doing some crochet work.

"You look flushed, my dear," Mrs Paige remarked calmly. "Have you been out?"

"Yes, Mama," Olivia said.

"Was that Sir Edwin Arncott I heard you talking to?" Mrs Paige inquired. Olivia saw that the drawing room window was open, so it was quite likely that her mother had overheard parts of her conversation. There was no use in trying to keep the subject of their conversation secret, it seemed.

"Yes, Mama, it was Sir Edwin," Olivia said. "He came here to see Papa, but left when he found that Papa was out."

"Why did he not come in? I would have loved to have a nice little chat with him. Sir Edwin is one of my favourite neighbours, as you know."

"I know, Mama, but I am afraid he was vexed, so he left."

"Vexed? Why should he be vexed?" Mrs Paige asked, taking her daughter's hand. "Did you annoy him, Olivia?"

Olivia smiled. "I am afraid so, Mama. I told him I would not marry him."

"Sir Edwin has made you an offer, my dear?" Mrs Paige exclaimed.

"Yes, he has, and I refused him," Olivia said. "You see, Mama, he had a good reason to be vexed."

"Quite so," Mrs Paige said. "I hope you know what you are doing, Olivia. There are few men like Sir Edwin."

"I know, but I do not love him. Would you have married Papa, had you not loved him?"

Mrs Paige sighed. "I suppose not," she said. "Although, my dear, in my day the matter was usually settled between the young man and the girl's father. I do not know whether my dear Papa would have allowed me to choose for myself. Fortunately the young man who offered for me was very much to my taste." Mrs Paige smiled, lost in recollections of the days of her youth.

"Well, if you will not have Sir Edwin it cannot be helped," she finally said. "But let me tell you, my dear, that both your father and I are very disappointed. We hoped you would consider him. He would have been able to make you happy- just as happy as dear Lady Gordon."

Ever since Agnes had married, she was "dear Lady Gordon" to her mother. Olivia smiled. "Mama, if ever I find a gentleman only half as amiable as Sir Felix Gordon, I will be most happy to marry him – and I have no doubt I will be happy with him."

~~~o~~~

When Olivia entered the breakfast parlour the next morning, her father greeted her with the words, "So Arncott has popped the question, has he?"

"Papa," Olivia exclaimed. "How can you be so indelicate?"

"Have I hurt your sensibilities, dear? I am sorry to have done so. So, has he?"

"I see Mama has already informed you," Olivia sighed. "Do you have no secrets from each other, Papa?"

"Why should we?" Mr Paige retorted. "Olivia, once you have been married for as long as we have been, you will know that it is quite unnecessary to have secrets from each other. The other is bound to find out sooner or later, and usually a quarrel ensues. Too much fuss. – Your mother is quite disappointed, you know."

"So she told me," Olivia said, "but I could not give Sir Edwin any other answer than the one I gave him. I do not love him, Papa."

"A pity," Mr Paige said. "Olivia, there may be more amiable, more handsome, and richer men around than Sir Edwin Arncott, I admit that. But at least one thing we can be sure of – Sir Edwin is not a fortune hunter."

Olivia sighed. Ever since her father's eccentric old aunt, Mrs Granby, had left her vast fortune to be equally divided between her two grand-nieces, her father had been in agony lest they should fall prey to that species of young men generally called fortune-hunters. He had strongly opposed their coming out in London, and had not been able to hide his satisfaction when his younger daughter had contracted the measles and had had to stay at home. Agnes had made an instant hit in London, and within three months she had become engaged to Sir Felix Gordon, a young baronet from the North.

Mr Paige had thoroughly researched the young man's circumstances before he had given his blessing, and even the fact that Sir Felix was evidently devoted to Agnes had not allayed his doubt. Fortune hunters, in Mr Paige's opinion, were one of the Biblical Plagues, and he was determined to protect his daughters from that kind of men.

The post arrived, and among the letters there was one for Olivia from her sister. She excused herself, and went to the drawing room to read her letter – but she did not stay there for long. Mr Paige had hardly settled down to read his newspaper when his daughter burst in and exclaimed, "Papa, may I go?"

"I would love to give my permission," Mr Paige said dryly, "but first I would like to know where it is you wish to go."

"Agnes has invited me, Papa. She wants me to join her and her husband in Surrey, and she wants me to spend the season in London with them. Say I may go, Papa!"

Mr Paige sighed. "I suppose there will be no peace until I allow you to go," he said. "However, I will not." He saw Olivia's disappointed face and smiled. "Should your mother, however, give her permission, I cannot withhold mine."

"Give my permission for what?" Mrs Paige asked, this moment entering the breakfast parlour. Olivia handed her Agnes's letter and watched her mother expectantly. Mrs Paige nodded. "One thing is certain," she said. "Lady Gordon will be able to introduce you to circles to which I have not been admitted. What an opportunity!"

"Is Agnes not a bit young to be her sister's chaperon?" Mr Paige asked. "I do not want to saddle her with the duty of bringing her sister out."

"Why not? She offered to do so," Mrs Paige said. "I suspect she misses Olivia, and we know Olivia misses her too. If Sir Felix finds no reason to object – and if he objected, Agnes would hardly have issued this invitation - why should we?"

"We are Olivia's parents," Mr Paige pointed out. "My dear, imagine what kind of people she will be meeting in London, under Agnes's aegis."

"She will be meeting Sir Felix's friends, mostly, and that is recommendation enough. Sir Felix will know with whom to associate. We trusted him with our oldest daughter, why should we not trust him with both? He will take good care of Olivia."

"I am still here, you know," Olivia remarked. "Do not talk about me as if I were not with you."

Mr Paige laughed. "Very well," he said. "Now, what do you say, my dear? Shall Olivia go?"

"Of course she will!" Mrs Paige said. "As if there could ever be a question as to that. – You will need new clothes, my dear."

"I do not think I will buy that many here," Olivia said. "I will buy some in London, though. Agnes will indulge in some shopping, I am sure, and she will be most happy to go shopping with me as well."

"Will she?" Mr Paige asked, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

"She would not be Agnes any more if she did not," Olivia said with a smile, put her arms round her father's neck and kissed his cheek. "Thank you, Papa, for letting me go."

"It was your mother's decision, not mine," Mr Paige protested, but he was pleased nevertheless.

Olivia turned to her mother and kissed her, too. "Thank you, Mama," she whispered. "I shall go now and answer Agnes's letter."

~~~o~~~

For the following two weeks, the ladies of Bradenham Manor were very busy. Despite Olivia's protests that she would buy any new clothes she needed in London, Mrs Paige had taken her to Marlow to buy a couple of things – "For, my dear, you have to admit that the things you wear here in the country will just not do," she had said, and Olivia had been obliged to agree with her.

Crewe, Olivia's lady's maid, was busy packing her trunks, and Mr Paige took every opportunity to warn his daughter against the dangers of the Metropolis. Olivia felt sorry for her father, yet his behaviour exasperated her. She considered herself clever enough to avoid the lures thrown out by certain people, and besides she put absolute trust in her sister and Sir Felix.

So she was glad when, finally, the day of her departure arrived and she got into her father's carriage which was to take her and Crewe to Surrey. It would be a fatiguing journey, for they had chosen to travel the entire distance in one day – Mrs Paige had strongly objected to their spending one night at an inn – and so they departed from Bradenham Manor very early in the morning. They stopped for lunch at Staines, and travelled on until, towards the evening, Sutton Court came into view. Sir Felix had bought the estate from one of his friends, a Mr Farnham, who had inherited Sutton Court from his great-uncle and had found himself unable to finance the necessary renovation of the estate. Mr Farnham's great-uncle had preferred life in London to the countryside, and had hardly ever visited his property in Surrey. Therefore, both the house and grounds had fallen into disrepair, and the damages had been so bad that Mr Farnham had thought the place uninhabitable. He had not understood why Sir Felix Gordon had set his mind set on buying the place, but had jumped at the opportunity to get rid of a cumbersome inheritance. Under Sir Felix's supervision, Sutton Court had been repaired, and once the new Lady Gordon had furnished the house according to her taste, nothing was left to be desired even for the most fastidious visitors. 

Olivia looked out of the window and saw the huge Elizabethan house situated in a large garden. There was still much to be done with the garden – it was orderly, on the whole, but some of the trees needed to be pruned, and some of the statues lining the driveway towards the house were in need of repair.

The rays of the setting sun made the windows of the house shine like gold, and as the carriage drew nearer to the entrance Olivia noticed the front door being opened and a procession of servants coming out to await her arrival.

The carriage stopped, the door was opened and a footman assisted Olivia in stepping down. Olivia noticed her sister and brother-in-law, who were awaiting her at the door. Agnes came towards her at once, embraced her briefly, kissed her cheek and said brightly, "I am so happy you are here, Olivia! I was in agony all day, imagining all kinds of things that could happen to you. Did you have a pleasant journey?"

"Very pleasant, thank you," Olivia replied smilingly. "So this is Sutton Court! No wonder you are so fond of it, Agnes! I am positively in love with the place already!"

"And you have not even seen what it looks like inside," Agnes replied, well pleased with her sister's appreciation of her home. "I am sure I will never love a place as much as this."

Olivia turned towards her brother-in-law. "How do you do, Sir Felix?" she asked. He replied to her greeting with a pleasant smile, and welcomed her to Sutton Court. "I am glad you favour the place with your approval," he said. "I hope you will feel at home here, Miss Paige."

"Miss Paige?" Olivia asked, with a smile. "I beg you, Sir Felix, to leave aside such formality. We are brother and sister, aren't we? So please call me Olivia, as everyone in the family does!"

With a laugh, Sir Felix promised Olivia to consider it, and asked her to come into the house. Olivia entered a great hall, with a grand oaken staircase leading upwards. The walls were decorated with portraits of Sir Felix's family - Agnes had taken away the old tapestries that had made the place gloomy and even frightening, as she confided to her sister.

"The house looks much more cheerful now," she said, and Olivia agreed with her that the staircase looked much better without the tapestries.

Sir Felix took his leave for the time being, and went to the library to "get some work done", while his wife took her sister to her room.

"It is our best guest room," she said to Olivia as she opened the door. Olivia liked what she saw. The walls were wainscoted, and a small door in the panelling led to an adjoining dressing room, where Crewe was already at work unpacking Olivia's trunk. Two large windows would provide the room with ample light during the day, even though it was dark now. The furniture was new and looked comfortable.

"How do you like it?" Agnes asked Olivia.

"I love it," Olivia said, smiling at her sister. "I think I will like this place so much you will have trouble dragging me to London for the season."

Agnes laughed. "I think not," she said. "But Sir Felix will be pleased when he hears this. He is prodigiously proud of this place, you must know. Just imagine, he bought Sutton Court for my sake! When we were courting, I once told him that I did not want to live too far from my family, you know, so when I had accepted his offer of marriage the first thing he did was settle the purchase with Mr Farnham! Is he not the best of all husbands? I sometimes wonder whether I deserve to be loved so much."

"Agnes!" Olivia exclaimed. "Of course you deserve it! How can you ever have doubted it?"

"I do get these odd notions at times," Agnes said smilingly. "I will leave you alone now, Olivia. If there is anything you need, just ring, one of the servants will supply it. I have ordered a bath to be prepared for you, by the way, it is just the thing after a hard day, is it not? We will dine at half past eight – do not worry, we usually dine earlier, but today we wanted to wait for your arrival."

Olivia promised to make haste, not wishing to keep her sister and Sir Felix from their repast for longer than necessary, and Agnes left her sister to her abigail's care.

~~~o~~~

Half an hour later, Olivia joined her host in the drawing room. While they were waiting for Agnes to make her appearance, they had a comfortable chat, mostly concerning the purchase and renovation of Sutton Court. Sir Felix, after having expressed his fear of boring his sister-in-law and being assured that she was genuinely interested in the topic, was happy to oblige, and pointed out the changes he had made in the house and surrounding grounds. He promised Olivia to treat her to an extensive tour of the house the next day, and, should the weather allow it, to take her on a tour round the grounds in his curricle in the afternoon.

"I do not know whether seeing the two of you on such familiar terms pleases or vexes me," Agnes said as she entered the room, seeing her husband and sister absorbed in their conversation.

"Jealous?" Sir Felix asked her with a grin, rising from his seat to greet her.

"Absolutely," Agnes said. "My sister is very pretty, after all, and you are bound to notice it, as all men do."

"All men are not married to you, my dear," Sir Felix replied gallantly. "I am. So tell me, how could I possibly want for anything – or anyone – else?"

"Flatterer," Agnes said, evidently pleased.

"I am not done yet," Sir Felix said. "This is a fetching shawl you are wearing. Have I seen it before?"

"No, you have not. Your aunt sent it to me as a birthday present. Do you like it?"

"Were your sister not present, I would already have shown you how much I do," Sir Felix said, and added, with a laugh, "But I will not corrupt Olivia's morals if I can help it."

"Felix!" Agnes exclaimed, blushing. "Really!"

"I apologise," Sir Felix said, seemingly repentant but not fooling anyone. "Shall we go in?" He offered his arm to Olivia and led her into the dining room, where a delicious dinner was waiting for them.

During the meal, Agnes informed Olivia of their plans for her stay. "Felix will have to go to his estate in Cumberland next week, and until he returns we will stay here in Sutton Court by ourselves. I am so happy to have you here with me, Olivia – how lonely I should have been, had you not come!"

"You might have joined me," Sir Felix pointed out.

"No, I might not!" Agnes said. "I told you that what with the preparations for our stay in London there was no way for me to join you. I will come with you next time, I promise," she added in a softer tone, seeing the disappointed look in her husband's eyes. "When I am not quite as busy."

Sir Felix nodded, giving his wife a tender look. "I shall miss you, too," he said, simply, and turned to Olivia. "I am glad Agnes will have someone to bear her company while I am gone."

"How long will you have to stay in Cumberland?" Olivia asked.

"Heaven knows," Sir Felix said. "But I will try not to stay longer than two weeks. After that, I will come back and take you to London. By the way, Agnes, Forde has written to me today telling me that he has taken the house I told you about – the one in Half Moon Street."

"Delightful," Agnes exclaimed. "I am looking forward to London. Aren't you, Olivia?"

With smile, Olivia assured her sister that she, too, was looking forward to their season in London. They spent the rest of the meal discussing their London acquaintance and telling Olivia whom she was most likely to meet there.

The evening ended soon. Having got up very early and fatigued from her journey, Olivia retired to her room very early, and fell asleep the moment she lay down on her bed.

~~II~~

The next morning, Olivia awoke to the sound of birds singing just outside her window. The sunlight streaming in through the window painted golden rectangles on the floor. Olivia remained in bed for a while, enjoying the luxury of being fully awake and not having to get up immediately. Then the door opened, and in came Crewe with a cup of tea for her mistress, informing her that the weather was fine and rather warm for the time of year.

On entering the breakfast parlour, Olivia found her sister in Sir Felix's arms, and although he released Agnes at once and greeted his sister-in-law pleasantly, Olivia felt like an intruder.

After breakfast, Agnes showed Olivia Sutton Court. The building was even larger than Olivia had imagined, and their tour of the house took them nearly two hours. They started in the kitchen, where a formidable female supervised the preparation of the meals, and ended in the Long Gallery where the tapestries from the staircase had found a new home.

"I did not have the heart to throw them away," Agnes said, "and Felix thought that here they would do no harm. We rarely come here, you know – although I sometimes walk in here in bad weather."

Between the windows there were some portraits, but Agnes could not tell Olivia anything about the personages in the pictures.

"They are members of the Farnham family, I suppose," she said. "Felix bought the house including its contents; Mr Farnham did not care for any of the things. So, I am afraid we will never know who those people are. But I let the pictures stay here – some of them are quite nice, aren't they?"

Olivia agreed that some of the pictures were well worth looking at – one of them, showing a mother with her two children – even bore Gainsborough's signature.

Descending the stairs to the drawing room, Olivia looked at the portraits that lined the staircase. "I trust you can tell me who these people are, at least," she asked her sister smilingly.

"I can, though I admit I do not make such a good job of it as Felix does," Agnes said, laughingly. "If you want to, I shall get him to explain them to you."

"I would love to know everything about the portraits," Olivia said, and Agnes sent one of the servants to fetch her husband.

Olivia spent the following half hour listening to her brother-in-law telling her stories about the personages shown in the portraits. He did so in a very amusing way – among other things, he informed her that Sir Frederick Gordon, Sir Felix's grandfather, had been a "libertine of the worst kind" – "I do not like to shock you, Olivia, so I am not going into detail, but he was a great favourite with the ladies, they say." Looking at his portrait, Olivia could verily believe that – allowing for the different fashion of his time, Sir Frederick had been an exceptionally handsome man. Another picture showed Sir Felix's father, a sober-looking man in his mid-forties dressed in hunting clothes, and his favourite horse. "My father was a great sportsman, you must know," Sir Felix explained. "That horse was a brute, though – I lived in mortal dread of him. We had to have him shot when my father died, for no one else could handle him. Nearly killed one of the grooms. The devil of a temper, if you will excuse my saying so." Olivia did excuse him.

There were two more pictures – one of them was a full-length portrait of two young ladies, the Misses Broadbent, seated in some kind of bower or summer house. "The portrait was done in my grandfather's garden, they say – not Sir Frederick's, of course – in their favourite place, shortly before the elder Miss Broadbent got married. It was to be a parting gift for my mother, as you may have guessed she was. She is the one on the left, by the way. The other young lady is my Aunt Honoria, Lady Burnhope."

"Is she the aunt who sent that pretty shawl to Agnes?" Olivia asked, recalling the previous evening's conversation.

"I guess so, for she is the only aunt I have got," Sir Felix laughed. They walked on to the next portrait, Olivia's favourite. It showed three boys, two of whom were evidently brothers. One could see the family likeness in their hair, their eyes, and their mouths. Yet one of them, presumably the older one, looked at her with a serious expression, while the younger one was smiling, and showing a picture book to the smallest boy who was sitting on a stone bench next to him. A spaniel puppy was at their feet, looking adoringly at the boy with the book. Olivia could nearly see the dog wag its tail.

"What a beautiful picture this is," Olivia sighed. Sir Felix nodded. "And very true to life, too. Look at the smallest boy. Do you know him?"

Olivia gave the boy a closer look. "Is that you, Sir Felix?"

"Yes, this is me," he said, smilingly.

"Who are the other boys? Not your brothers, I presume, for I know you have no brothers."

"They are cousins of mine," Sir Felix said and pointed to the earnest one. "William Lennox, now Viscount Burnhope. And –" he indicated the boy sitting next to him, with the book in his hands, the boy who seemed to be the object of admiration of both his young cousin and the puppy, " – his brother, Adrian."

"It looks as though you were very close to your cousins," Olivia said. Sir Felix nodded. "They – Adrian especially – were the brothers I never had," he said. "They used to spend a great deal of their time with us in Cumberland, and we were at school together. I was rather small for my age, and some of the older boys thought that was reason enough to tease me – until Adrian stopped them. He could be a bit of a bully if he wanted to." Sir Felix chuckled. "As long as I was under his protection, no one dared even look at me in a way he might not like."

"But your cousin seems older than you. He must have left school one day," Olivia said. "What happened then?"

"Nothing," Sir Felix replied. "By that time, I was old and strong enough to stand up for myself. Adrian had taught me that, too. – William is not quite as energetic as his brother; he is more like his father. A sensible fellow, does not talk much, but what he says is usually well considered. You will meet him in London. A pleasant enough gentleman; I am sure you will like him."

"I am looking forward to meeting Lord Burnhope," Olivia said. She was curious whether Mr Lennox would be in London as well, but did not want to appear so. Therefore she refrained from asking, thinking that she would soon be able to find out for herself.

Olivia looked at the picture once again. The artist had been able to capture the boys' different characters – William's earnestness and quiet reflection, Felix's affectionate and trusting nature, and Adrian's vivacity and the laughter in his eyes – amazing grey eyes.

In the afternoon, Sir Felix took Olivia on a tour of the park. He explained to her what the place had looked like when he had first set eyes on it, and the changes he had made ever since. Olivia duly admired the beauty of the grounds, and marked out some especially beautiful spots worthy of closer inspection. Olivia hoped that the fine weather would continue for a while, to allow her to go for her walks and explore the park on her own.

The evening of Olivia's first day in Sutton Court was quite uneventful. When Sir Felix joined the ladies in the drawing room after dinner, Agnes took her place at the pianoforte to play one tune after the other without showing any signs of fatigue. Olivia accepted Sir Felix's challenge to a game of backgammon. Thus, the evening passed peacefully – too quiet an evening it was, Sir Felix remarked, said he hoped that his guest was not bored and asked his wife to invite the local parson and his wife one of the following evenings.

"We must not make poor Olivia feel like a recluse," he said with a smile.

"She will not feel like one once we are in London," Agnes replied, "but if you want me to, I shall of course invite the Watsons."

"Do so," Sir Felix said and turned to Olivia. "The Reverend Mr Watson is one of the most entertaining men in the neighbourhood, though he does not intend to be." He laughed. "He will take the opportunity and warn you against the frivolities of London, Olivia."

"I did not know we would be indulging in frivolities, Sir Felix," Olivia said, smiling.

"What else could we do in London?" Sir Felix answered with a grin. "Yet, listen to Mr Watson. One should always listen to the advice of worthy men like him." He paused. "Whether one follows it is another question," he finally said.

~~~o~~~

The next morning, Sir Felix announced that he would spend the day in his library, where his steward would call on him shortly. In view of his prolonged absence, he said, he had better arrange matters as well as he could, rather than interrupt his sojourn in London.

"I might, of course, ask Burnhope to escort you to all those social gatherings," he said with a broad grin, "but I daresay I would do neither of you a favour if I did. Burnhope is not too fond of those squeezes. Then there is Cousin Bernie – no, I had better not ask him. I might as well trust the cat to keep the cream." He laughed as Agnes protested.

"Do you not trust me, my dear?" she asked indignantly.

"My love, I would trust you with my life," Sir Felix said, taking his wife's hand, "but I am not sure whether I can trust Captain Lennox with a beautiful woman. He is what mothers warn their daughters against. – But never fear, I will not be obliged to leave you to his mercy."

"I am relieved to hear it," Agnes said.

Once Sir Felix had left them to themselves, Agnes and Olivia went out into the garden to cut flowers for the numerous vases in Sutton Court. Then Agnes went to see her cook to discuss the way the produce of the orchard should be dealt with, leaving Olivia to arrange the flowers. Having finished, Olivia sat down in the morning room to write some letters, and afterwards decided to practise on the pianoforte. Although she knew that she would never reach Agnes's excellence with the instrument, she liked playing the piano very much. Thus, she passed her time until luncheon, when both Agnes and Sir Felix joined her again.

They had several suggestions for Olivia's amusement, but Olivia had already made plans of her own. There was a lake in the park, in the middle of which there was a small island. On the island she had perceived a small summer house, and this was where she meant to go. Neither Sir Felix nor Agnes had any objection to this, and so Olivia set out into the garden soon afterwards, looking forward to a pleasant afternoon.

She took the long way to the lake, enjoying the warm sun and the scent of the roses and lavender growing alongside the path. She met no one, apart from a middle-aged gardener trimming a hedge, greeting her respectfully as she passed. Olivia responded to the greeting and continued her way towards the lake.

Once arrived by the lakeside, Olivia walked along the waterfront until she finally came to the bridge that connected the small island with the garden. Olivia looked at the bridge apprehensively. It was an old, wooden bridge, and it did not look quite safe. A tiny little voice in Olivia's head suggested that she had better give up the notion of going to the summer house, and should find herself some other place to sit down instead. This tiny voice of reason, however, was not to Olivia's taste, and she chided herself for giving way to such thoughts. Certainly Sir Felix would have warned her, had it been dangerous to cross the bridge, she thought and decided to go nevertheless.

The lake was beautiful. The deep green water was covered with water-lilies, and one could distinctly see some carp swimming in it. Gingerly, Olivia stepped onto the bridge, ready to retreat the moment it would creak, or make any kind of distressing sound. There was none, and this made Olivia bolder. She took some more steps, and as nothing of an alarming nature happened, she walked on. Having reached the island, she followed a narrow, winding path and soon arrived at the summer house. From there, she had a stunning view of the house and grounds, as well as the village in the distance. Olivia felt that her walk had certainly been worth while, and sat down to enjoy the peace and quiet of the place and the beautiful scenery. She remained there for about half an hour, and then decided to explore the island some more before she turned back towards the house.

The island, apart from the summer house, was not very interesting. Not much had been done to keep the former flowerbeds in good condition, although lately the beds had apparently been weeded. The shrubs, too, were in desperate need of some trimming, and Olivia decided to ask Sir Felix what plans he had for the island. It was unlikely that he had forgotten to give instructions concerning the place. He may have given some orders, Olivia thought, but there being so much to do – as he told me himself – the gardeners may not have got around to carrying out his instructions. Why did the old gentleman who owned the place before Sir Felix let it come to ruin like this? It is a shame!

She directed her steps towards the bridge again, and this time did not hesitate to use it. Having reached the highest point of the bridge, Olivia stopped and looked at the water lilies in the lake. Among their leaves, Olivia could see the fish swimming in the lake, and leant forward to catch a better glimpse. Suddenly, with a loud crash, the railing gave way and Olivia, losing her balance, tumbled into the lake. Instinctively she let out a scream, and managed to take a deep breath before she disappeared in the deep, dark water. I am going to drown, she thought, and began a desperate struggle to get to the surface. Somehow, she managed to do so, but could only attempt to cry for help and take another breath before she went down again. Her cry for help had been nothing but a gurgle, she knew that, and it was unlikely that anyone had heard it. Once again, Olivia somehow came to the surface, and drew another breath. Yet she knew that, unless someone came to her rescue, she would sink sooner or later, and drown. She could not swim, and how she had managed to come back to the surface twice was beyond her understanding.

Just as she sank to the bottom of the lake again, she suddenly felt two hands grab her arms and pull her towards the surface. Frantically, she got hold of whoever her rescuer was, and in her desperate attempt to reach the surface again, she pushed him underwater. He showed considerable strength by escaping her clasp, and when he was back on the surface he snapped, "Don't do that again or I'll leave you here. Now hold still and I will try to get the both of us out of here." Trying to calm herself, Olivia did as she had been told.

The moment they reached the lakeside, Olivia sat down on the lawn, coughing and nearly in tears. Her saviour, a young gentleman about the same age as Sir Felix, sat down next to her and watched her in a way she found quite impertinent. He was good-looking – he had dark hair, and a dark complexion that would have made him look like a foreigner, a Spaniard, perhaps, had it not been for his lively grey eyes and the distinct English accent in his speech.

"Here," he said and handed her his greatcoat which he had apparently taken off before coming to her rescue. "Take this – the water was beastly cold, wasn't it?"

"I will ruin it," Olivia protested, as she took the greatcoat from him.

"So what?" he asked, indifferent, it seemed, to the mortal danger his garment was in. "I had rather have a ruined greatcoat than be blamed if you catch your death of cold."

"But what about you, sir?" Olivia asked. "Will not you catch cold as well?"

"Not likely, I hardly ever fall ill," he said. Olivia, becoming aware that her fall into the lake had made her white walking dress rather more revealing than it was intended to be, hurried to put the greatcoat around her shoulders, blushing violently.

"Are you hurt?" the young man asked, with some concern in his voice. "I am afraid we will have to walk to the house. Unless you want to ride, that is," he added, and Olivia realised that there was a horse grazing not far from them. She declined the offer, not being much of a horsewoman. The gardener, attracted by the spectacular sight of a horse feasting on Sir Felix's lawn, came near them and was at once ordered to take the animal to the stables, and to send word to Miss's abigail to be ready to assist her. 

"Can you walk, or do you need my help?" the young man inquired, as Olivia shakily rose to her feet.

"I think I can walk, thank you," she said quietly. "I only just realise what danger I was in. How can I thank you, sir?"

"Don't," he laughed. "I threatened to let you drown, after all. – You were lucky I just happened to ride past when your accident happened. I doubt the gardener would have been with you in time – provided he could swim."

Olivia shuddered at the mere thought.

Meanwhile, they had reached the main entrance of the house and, in walking in, nearly bumped into Sir Felix who was coming down the stairs.

"Good God, Olivia, what has happened?" he exclaimed at the sight of them.

"I fell into the lake," Olivia said. "The bridge was not as safe as I thought it would be – the railing did not hold my weight. It broke when I leant on it."

"You could have drowned!" Sir Felix cried.

"She nearly did," the young man said, matter-of-factly.

Sir Felix turned to Olivia's rescuer and broke into a broad grin. "Adrian!" he said. "What are you doing here?"

"Nothing much, apart from pulling young ladies out of your lake," the young man retorted. "Now, would you be so kind as to present me? I do not wait for introductions when rescuing damsels in distress."

Sir Felix, still grinning, turned to Olivia. "You may have guessed already," he said, "but never mind. Olivia, please meet my cousin, Mr Adrian Lennox. Adrian, you have had the honour to save the life of Miss Olivia Paige, my sister-in-law."

Mr Lennox greeted Olivia with a polite bow, which seemed absurd considering the circumstances of their meeting. Olivia could not help but laugh as she curtseyed and said, "Pleased to make your acquaintance, sir."

"Pleased to make yours, Miss Paige," Mr Lennox said.

"You still have not answered my question, Adrian," Sir Felix said. "Why are you here? I thought you were in Italy!"

"Apparently I am not any more," Mr Lennox replied calmly. "Could we postpone this conversation until later? I would like to make myself presentable before meeting your wife. I want to make a good impression on her."

"A better one than having saved her sister's life? Agnes will adore you, Adrian."

"Can't she adore me later, when I have put on dry clothes?" Mr Lennox asked, with a smile.

"I guess she can," Sir Felix said, and took Mr Lennox upstairs to one of the guest rooms. Olivia went to her room, where Crewe took her in hand at once, not withholding her opinion of young ladies who went for walks by themselves, fell off bridges, allowed themselves to be rescued by young men wholly unacquainted with them ("It could have been anyone, ANYONE, Miss Olivia!"), and acted in a way that ought to make any sensible young lady feel thoroughly ashamed of herself.

Olivia did not really listen to Crewe's sermon, but thought of Mr Lennox instead. He had lived in Italy, apparently, so that was why Sir Felix had not expected to meet him in London. Yet he had come back – taking his friends and family by surprise. Apart from rescuing her, an act that ought to guarantee Olivia's eternal gratitude, he had other qualities as well. He was handsome, one could not deny it, even though his complexion was rather dark – a blemish brought on by the Italian sun, probably, and likely to be remedied once Mr Lennox had been in England for a while. He seemed to be good-humoured, too, and Olivia liked his wry sense of humour. Olivia was looking forward to seeing him again at dinner – this evening promised to be more entertaining than the previous one had been.

~~III~~

Olivia had just put on her evening dress and had settled down at her dressing table to let Crewe do what she could to her hair "to make it fit to be seen", when the door burst open and Agnes hurried into her room.

"Dearest," she exclaimed, "I only just heard! It is terrible, simply terrible! Are you hurt? I shall send for the doctor immediately."

Slightly amused but also touched by her sister's concern, Olivia assured Agnes that she was perfectly fine, and asked who had informed her of the accident.

"Bailey did," Agnes answered. Bailey was Agnes's dresser, a young woman with impeccable taste but also an unfortunate inclination for gossip and exaggeration.

"In that case you must be surprised to find me still alive," Olivia said dryly. "Did you ask Sir Felix to have the lake dragged?"

"Do not talk nonsense," Agnes snapped. "Do not make fun of me just because I am worried about you!"

"I am sorry," Olivia said. "But if I did not make fun of it, I would die of fright – even now. Had Mr Lennox not been at the right place at the right time…" Olivia left the rest unsaid.

Agnes shuddered. "Do not think of it, pray," she said. "I shall always be grateful to him! How can I thank him enough?"

"I have already asked him that question, but he refused to answer it – he actually advised me not to thank him at all," Olivia said with a smile.

"Modesty. I like that in a man," Agnes said. "Tell me, what is he like? Bailey could not tell me, though she did tell me about his valet, who arrived an hour ago. An Italian, apparently, with such eyes…. and Bailey said he had a way with women, so I suppose he is of the dangerous sort. I will have to keep a strict eye on the housemaids. – But do tell me about Mr Lennox!"

"I have not seen much of him," Olivia said. "But I think he is quite an amiable, gentleman-like man. He was in Italy – did you know?"

"Oh yes, Felix told me."

"He looks like an Italian, too," Olivia continued. "Though he does not sound like one, of course."

"As if you knew an Italian by his speech," Agnes said with a smile.

"I know I would not, but I would know him for a foreigner, wouldn't I?"

Crewe, after having put the finishing touches to Olivia's hair, solemnly announced that she had done her best, and that she hoped Miss Olivia found nothing amiss with her appearance – "for it was all that could have been done in such a hurry".

Olivia cast a critical glance at her reflection in the mirror. "What do you say, Agnes," she asked.

"You look very pretty, my dear," Agnes replied. "Mr Lennox will find that his act of heroism has been worth his while."

"So you think he should not have rescued me, had I been ugly?" Olivia asked, her eyes twinkling mischievously.

"Of course not," Agnes said. "But if the female in need of rescue is pretty into the bargain, show me the gentleman who would hesitate."

"Next you will accuse me of having fallen into the lake on purpose," Olivia laughed. "Just in order to be saved by Mr Lennox. It is a rather spectacular way of making a gentleman's acquaintance, and I daresay it makes a lasting impression."

"I suppose you are right," Agnes said. "Shall we go down? I do not like to keep the gentlemen waiting."

"Which is a polite way of saying that you are dying to meet Mr Lennox," Olivia said teasingly, as they left her room.

~~~o~~~

The gentlemen were already waiting for them and rose from their seats as Olivia and Agnes entered the drawing room. While Sir Felix introduced his cousin to Agnes, Olivia took the opportunity to continue her assessment of Mr Adrian Lennox.

He was rather tall, though not quite as tall as Sir Felix, elegantly dressed, and his attire was both fashionable and expensive, although probably the leaders of the dandy set in London might find one or two items of clothing not quite fashionable enough. His black hair and his dark complexion made an interesting contrast to his eyes – those amazing grey eyes Olivia had already noticed in the portrait. His manners left nothing to be desired – though he seemed to be quite as easygoing as Sir Felix, he was perfectly polite.

Olivia could see that Agnes liked him very much, so much in fact that Sir Felix joked he ought to be glad his cousin had not been in London when Miss Agnes Paige had made her first appearance there. But he added, more earnestly, that he was happy his wife and the cousin he had always regarded as a brother got along so well.

At the dinner table, Agnes was eager to hear all about Mr Lennox's stay in Italy, and Mr Lennox obliged her by answering all her – and Olivia's – questions.

"How long have you been in Italy, sir?" Agnes asked.

"The journey was meant to take six months," Mr Lennox replied, "but in the end I stayed for two years."

"Two years!" Olivia exclaimed. "How so?"

He gave Olivia an amused smile and said, "My original plans were to travel south, starting from Venice. I wanted to see some of the northern cities, such as Padova, Verona, Piacenza and the likes. From Genova I went to Leghorn by boat, and spent some time in Tuscany. After that, I went to Rome, and finally to Naples, from where I was to start my journey back to England. There was, however, a flaw in my plan."

"A flaw?"

"I had not planned to fall in love," Mr Lennox said and laughed as he saw the look of surprise in Olivia's face. "Not with any woman, I ought to add, but with Naples. I loved the place so much that I was reluctant to leave it."

"So you stayed." Olivia took a sip of wine and looked at Mr Lennox expectantly.

"So I stayed. Higgins, my valet, thought I was going mad, and handed in his notice. He said he was not going to stay in this fever-infested place any longer than he had to, and if I wished to remain there I had better find someone else to do his work. I paid his ticket back to England, and went in search of another servant – and found one in the person of my landlady's son. Signora Bonifacio is the most formidable female imaginable, and her sons live in constant dread of her. Even now, though he knows that he is out of her reach, Luca fears nothing more but to be sent back to Naples in disgrace and having to face his mother's wrath. I only have to mention his mamma to make him do what I want." Mr Lennox laughed. "I do not do so very often," he admitted. "I am not in favour of undue severity to servants." His eyes sparkled merrily, and Olivia could not imagine him ever to be cruel – to anyone.

"But what fascinated you so much that you wanted to stay in Naples?" Agnes asked. "I do not think it has a particular reputation for its beauty – I never thought it was an interesting place."

"Neither did I," Mr Lennox said. "One has to get there to feel its charm. Once you have seen Naples, Lady Gordon, you will know what I am talking about."

"Yet what did you do there?" Olivia asked. "Somehow I cannot help thinking that Naples is quite boring."

"That is because you have never been there," Mr Lennox said. "Naples is full of life, and there are plenty of things to do. I did not feel bored for a moment."

"Can you name a few things?" Agnes asked.

"Certainly. I went up Monte Vesuvio, for example."

"Is Vesuvius not a volcano?" Olivia asked.

"It is, Miss Paige."

"Still you went up? Were you not afraid?"

"Not in the least, although it can be a frightening place. One thing is certain – should Monte Vesuvio erupt once again, one had better be far from Naples."

"How comforting to know that I am far from Naples," Olivia said dryly. "But what else did you do? Forgive me my curiosity, sir, but I do not quite think it took you eighteen months to climb Vesuvius."

Mr Lennox laughed. "One day, I met a gentleman who told me that he was supervising some excavations not far from Naples, and asked me whether I wanted to see them. It was a place called la cività, the city, by the local people. I asked the man – a certain Signor Bottazzi – what I would see there. He only told me to ask Pliny. A bit of an unsatisfactory answer, you will admit. Anyway, nothing could have prepared me for what I was to see."

"What was it?" Agnes asked.

"The remains of an ancient Roman city, Lady Gordon. A place buried in ashes within hours when Vesuvius erupted centuries ago. Pompeii."

"I think I have heard of the place before, " Olivia said and turned to her sister. "Do you remember our history master back in school, Agnes? Mr Tate? The gentleman so obsessed with everything Roman that each of his history lessons would somehow end up in ancient Rome?"

Both Sir Felix and Mr Lennox laughed.

"Olivia, you know I never paid attention in Mr Tate's lessons," Agnes said. "History was … well, I still think it is quite useless. But you are right, Mr Tate always managed to come back to his Romans in some way."

"Julius Caesar, especially," Olivia laughed. "I distinctly remember Mr Tate mentioning Pompeii; this is what I meant to say. But I do not know much about it. Did you go to Pompeii often, Mr Lennox?"

"Very often," Mr Lennox said. "I spent a great deal of time there, I have to admit – Bottazzi and I became good friends, and he asked me to do some sketches of the place. It is fascinating – and, Lady Gordon, I wager even you would discover your interest in history if you were to see it."

"Should I ever go to Italy, I will hope for you to show me around, Mr Lennox," Agnes answered laughingly. "Did you bring those sketches to England with you, sir? I would dearly like to see them!"

"I did bring them with me," Mr Lennox said, "but I do not have them with me at the moment. They are on their way to London, along with most of my luggage. I promise I will show them to you once you are there. Be warned, Lady Gordon, you have hit on my favourite subject here. Please do not hesitate to tell me, should I bore you to death. - Felix told me you were going to London soon."

"Yes, and I am so looking forward to it," Agnes said. "I have been there only once, and everything was so new to me then. I know I ought to say how tiresome it is, having to go there for the season, but I think I am going to enjoy myself."

"Is this going to be your first visit to London, Miss Paige?" Mr Lennox turned to Olivia and gave her an expectant look.

"Yes, it is. Now you will think me dreadfully provincial, won't you, Mr Lennox?" Olivia laughed.

"Not at all. Sophistication is a state of mind, and has nothing to do with people's place of residence. I have met some very interesting people who never even got near London. I know it is a dreadful thing to say, but so it is." He laughed.

"This sounds as if you were tired of London, Mr Lennox," Olivia said.

"Let us say it does not attract me as much as it did when I was younger, Miss Paige. I have seen and done things…" He stopped. "But some occupations pall after a while," he said, with a slight smile. "And people change."

"You still have not told us why you came back to England," Sir Felix suddenly asked.

"I had a letter from William, practically begging me to come back," Mr Lennox said.

"Begging you?" Sir Felix frowned. "Somehow the words Burnhope and begging do not fit."

"You might also say he demanded my presence here," Mr Lennox said, laughingly. "He made his demand sound like a request, however. A pretty urgent one."

"Burnhope can be quite imperious when he chooses," Sir Felix said. "But why did he decide to use his power as the head of the family to summon you? Has it something to do with Bernie?"

Now it was Mr Lennox's turn to frown. "What is wrong with Bernie?" he asked.

"Nothing, but I have heard he has come back to England, too."

Mr Lennox sighed. "Then something will soon be wrong with Bernie," he said. "No, I have no idea why William wanted me here or why Bernie has returned when he ought to be staying with his regiment in Gibraltar. I have yet to fathom my brother's mysterious ways – for mysterious he is, you must admit that."

"True. It takes a greater mind than mine to understand Lord Burnhope." Sir Felix grinned. "But I am ready to thank him for having accomplished what I have been trying to do these past eighteen months – he got you to come back. I remember a letter in particular in which you told me that wild horses could not drag you to London."

"I was perfectly serious, at that time," Mr Lennox sighed.

Olivia wondered what the reason for Mr Lennox's aversion to the city was. Could there have been an incident which had made him loath to set foot in London again? If so, what kind of incident had it been?

She was just about to ask, when Agnes gave her a warning look and announced that they would retire to the drawing room. Reluctantly, Olivia followed her.

~~~o~~~

In the drawing room, Agnes started her praise of Mr Lennox at once. Sir Felix's stories about his cousins, she said, had prepared her to meet an amiable gentleman, but she had not expected Mr Adrian Lennox to be quite as charming.

"For you must know, Olivia, that while Lord Burnhope is a very pleasant gentleman, he is a bit shy, and does not possess Mr Lennox's charm," she said. "Did you notice how happy he was to talk about Italy? The way his face shone when he told us about his visits to Pompeii? I am looking forward to seeing his sketches, Olivia."

"Are you?" Olivia asked, smiling mischievously. "You will have to put up with a great deal of history, Agnes. Roman history, most of all."

Agnes laughed. "I think I can bear with that," she said. "And you must admit that Mr Lennox is more interesting to listen to than poor Mr Tate, an old man, and he was so distracted – he could hardly ever finish a coherent sentence, now could he?"

Olivia had to agree that their old history master had not been the best of orators, but since his subject had interested her, she had never found any fault with Mr Tate's lessons.

She picked up her embroidery, and settled down in a chair next to the fire to continue her work on what she hoped would become a handkerchief, a present for her mother's birthday. It had been quite warm in the dining room, but here it was rather chilly, and Olivia still felt cold in consequence of her accident.

The big fire burning in the grate made her feel a bit better, but she still shivered occasionally. Finally, Olivia got up and told Agnes that she would go to her room to fetch a shawl.

"I am afraid I have caught a bit of a chill this afternoon," she said with a smile, but when Agnes expressed her apprehension concerning her health and advised her to go to bed she told her that nothing was wrong with her, apart from feeling a bit cold, which would be remedied once she wore her cashmere shawl.

Olivia set out to her room, put on her shawl and was on her way back to the drawing room when she noticed that the door to the library was ajar. She went there, intending to close the door, but stopped when she heard Sir Felix's voice inside.

"I am glad to have you back, Adrian," he said. "I have been very happy lately, yet something was missing. You are going to come to London, aren't you?"

"I do not know yet," Mr Lennox replied. "You know what happened, after all. I do not think I can stay there without all those memories coming back…London has not been very good to me, as you know."

"London had nothing to do with it, Adrian," Sir Felix said firmly.

"All that gossip, all those people looking at me askance…and no one bothering to ask me how things really stood!"

"Things would have been the same anywhere else, Adrian. Even in Naples, depend on it. The situation will have changed by now, you have nothing to fear. Everyone has forgotten about the affair. "

"Still, in a way, those gaming debts were my ruin." Mr Lennox said bitterly.

"You will recover, Adrian. Once you meet the right woman…"

"Do not talk nonsense," Mr Lennox said sharply, and Olivia realised that they were coming towards the door. She did not want to be caught listening at the keyhole, and tiptoed back up the stairs. There she waited until the gentlemen had left the library and had gone into the drawing room.

So Mr Lennox was a gamester! Who would have thought it! But then, Olivia thought, she had never really met a gamester before, so how could she recognise one when she saw him? Apparently he had accumulated gaming debts to such an extent that he had hardly been able to pay them – and now Sir Felix advised him to marry "the right woman", whoever that was.

"It will certainly not be me," Olivia muttered to herself. And he seemed so nice, she thought regretfully. But that does not mean I cannot enjoy his company, does it? I only have to be very careful.

~~IV~~

Olivia joined the party in the drawing room, careful not to betray her thoughts. Much as she despised irresponsible people, she owed Mr Lennox her life – and did not want him to think she was ungrateful.

Although she took great care to treat him civilly, she was afraid he might notice her change of attitude towards him. There was something in his manner – a searching look in his eyes when he talked to her – that told her he had picked up something in her conduct, but could not really tell what it was.

After a game of cards, coffee was served, and soon afterwards Olivia and Agnes went to bed, leaving the gentlemen to themselves. Mr Lennox took his leave of them, telling them that he would resume his journey to London early in the morning. Olivia was glad to hear it – this meant she would be spared another awkward encounter with him.

"Will we meet in London, Mr Lennox?" Agnes asked him.

"We will see, Lady Gordon," he replied earnestly. "It depends on what my brother wants me to do."

"I will be seriously displeased with him if his business keeps you away from us," Agnes said, teasingly. "Do tell him so!"

Mr Lennox laughed, and wished the ladies a good night. When Olivia got up the next morning, he was already gone.

~~~o~~~

The evening before Sir Felix's departure to Cumberland, the local parson and his wife were to dine at Sutton Court, and before dinner was over Olivia wished she had never met them. Mr Watson was in his forties, short, stocky, and unbearably smug. Mrs Watson was intolerably stupid and, what was worse, thought herself exceedingly clever. 

During dinner, Mr Watson bored Olivia with a sermon on the dangers of London (Olivia had some difficulty in keeping a straight face, when Sir Felix's comic expression nearly made her burst out laughing), and warned her not to be dazzled by people's appearance, "for I am sure many an exalted personage's morals are so corrupted that I would not wish any of my daughters to make their acquaintance". As if any of his daughters actually had the chance to make their acquaintance, Olivia thought. Corrupted morals, indeed. This sounds like sour grapes to me.

Sir Felix set out to Cumberland the next day, and Olivia had a hard time trying to soothe Agnes's fears. For the better part of the day, Agnes was on the brink of tears, afraid something dreadful would befall Sir Felix on his way north and she would never see him again. She was anxious for two more days, until Sir Felix's first letter reached them, and only returned to being her usual calm self when they received the news that Sir Felix had arrived safely in Gordon Castle, and that his business there would not keep him away for longer than two weeks.

"You do not know what it is like," Agnes confessed after having read the letter to Olivia – or at least the parts of it that were suitable for her to hear. "I have grown so accustomed to having him around, and indeed I miss him so much…" She sighed. "I only wish you will, one day, love a man as much as I love Sir Felix," she said. "Promise me only to marry if you find such a man!"

"That is a promise I can safely make," Olivia said with a smile. "For I intend to be just as happy as you are. – Tell me, Agnes, how did you know Sir Felix was the right man for you? The man you were going to marry? Did you know right from the start or did you realise it gradually?"

"Gradually, I think," Agnes said, smiling. "When I first met him, I had a good impression of him, of course – he was so amusing, yet I was not intimidated by his wit. I felt so overwhelmed by society – I was happy to finally meet someone I could be comfortable with. The more often I met him, the more I liked him – until, finally, a party without him provided me with no pleasure at all. Then I knew I needed Felix to be happy."

"So you were not surprised when he proposed to you?"

"I was a little surprised, I think, though not very much. I knew he liked me – I simply did not know how much."

"Do you know now?" Olivia asked, smiling mischievously.

"Of course – Felix misses no opportunity to show me how much he loves me," Agnes said. "If I had not realised by now, I'd be the greatest simpleton in the world! Olivia….I really miss him," she finally said. "I hope he will be back soon."

~~~o~~~

After four weeks of absence, Sir Felix returned to Sutton Court, only to pick up his wife and sister-in-law and start his journey to London the next day.

They arrived in Half Moon Street in the evening, and moved into the house that was to be their home during the Season. Servants had been sent to London to prepare everything for their arrival, and Agnes was well pleased with the results.

Dinner was a quiet affair – even though Sir Felix took great care not to show it, the past week of travelling had had its effect on him. His cheerful expression faded away when he thought no one was looking, and gave way to an expression of fatigue. His smile was a bit forced, too, but he was his usual amiable self. If his exhaustion showed in one way, it was his uncharacteristic silence. He was happy just to sit there, watch his wife fondly and listen to what she had to say.

"So, what are you going to do tomorrow," he finally asked his wife.

"Oh, we have plenty of things to do," Agnes replied. "First of all, we will need to call on some acquaintances – Mrs Somerville, who is Olivia's godmother, you know, and Lady Burnhope, of course. After that, I suppose we will have to do some shopping."

"Have to," Sir Felix asked, grinning.

"Yes, have to," Agnes retorted. "You do not want your wife to run around in dowdy clothes, do you?"

"Heaven forbid," Sir Felix exclaimed mockingly, taking Agnes's hand and kissing it. "Go shopping by all means."

~~~o~~~

The next morning, Agnes and Olivia set out to call on their acquaintance. Their first stop was at Mrs Somerville's house. Mrs Somerville had been a close school-friend of Mrs Paige's, and was Olivia's godmother. She seemed beside herself with joy upon seeing her.

"Let me have a good look at you, dear!" she said. "My, what a beauty you have become! Just as your mother used to be! Tell me, how is she?"

Olivia informed her that her mother was well.

"I am glad to hear it!" Mrs Somerville said. "How long are you going to stay in London?"

Agnes answered this question for Olivia. "We are going to stay for the entire Season," she said. "Afterwards, I will go to Cumberland with my husband, and Olivia will return home."

"To Cumberland," Mrs Somerville exclaimed in horror. "Of all places!"

"I am looking for it," Agnes said firmly. Olivia recognised the defiant look in Agnes's eyes. Mrs Somerville had better change the subject, she thought. Mrs Somerville had probably realised that she had made a mistake, for change the subject she did.

"While you are in London, my dear Olivia, you must meet my nephew, the Earl of Swafford," she said. "Such a charming young man! I am quite fond of him – which says a great deal, for my nephews are a worthless set on the whole."

Agnes's expression betrayed that, as far as she was concerned, Lord Swafford's popularity was highly overrated. Mrs Somerville continued to praise her favourite nephew in the highest terms until it was time for Olivia and Agnes to leave. Once in the carriage, Olivia burst out laughing. "I cannot help but suspect that Mrs Somerville has plans for me," she said.

"Oh," Agnes said lightly, "if you are looking for a titled husband, the Earl of Swafford may be your best bet."

"Indeed? What about Lord Burnhope then?" Olivia asked, her eyes glittering mischievously.

"My dear, a girl hunting for a titled husband should always try to catch the one with the highest rank. Swafford is an Earl – Burnhope is only a Viscount."

"Only a Viscount, I see," Olivia said. "Quite beneath my notice, I should say." She laughed.

"Besides," Agnes continued, as a wicked smile crept over her face, "no one else will want Swafford, whereas I know several young ladies who are setting their caps at Lord Burnhope."

"Lord, what harsh words!" Olivia exclaimed. "Tell me, what is wrong with the Earl of Swafford? How ugly is he, exactly? Tell me the worst!"

"He is not ugly at all," Agnes said. "He is a man of fashion and quite handsome. Unfortunately, he knows it. The problem is that he is insufferable – he hardly deems anyone worthy of his notice, and his major concern is his outward appearance. My advice is, never marry a man who spends more money on his clothes than you do."

Olivia laughed. "How wise you are, Agnes," she said. "I shall keep this in mind when I meet Lord Swafford!"

The carriage stopped in front of a large, imposing building.

"Burnhope House," Agnes said. "Let us see whether Felix's aunt is at home."

An ancient butler opened the door, and ushered them into what he called "the Green Drawing Room", where Her Ladyship was awaiting them.

Lady Burnhope was surprisingly young – a lady in her mid-forties, and still beautiful. Her fair hair was elaborately curled, and she wore clothes that Olivia would have expected on a much younger woman. Her dress was very fashionable and, as far as Olivia could judge, must have cost a fortune. Lady Burnhope greeted them with a radiant smile.

"My dear Agnes," she exclaimed. "How glad I am to meet you again!"

Olivia liked her at once. Lady Burnhope was "charmed to make her acquaintance" and confident that they "would see a great deal of each other". She regretted that her daughter had gone riding in the Park, for she was certain that Miss Paige and Susannah would get along famously.

Olivia was soon to find out – they had not been sitting with Lady Burnhope for more than five minutes when the door opened and a young lady in a fashionable riding habit, accompanied by a young officer entered the room. Lady Burnhope lost no time in introducing her daughter, Susannah Lennox, and her son, Captain Bernard Lennox.

So this is the infamous Cousin Bernie, Olivia thought as she gave Captain Lennox a closer look. He was handsome, but completely different from his brother. His hair was light brown, as were his eyes, and though his build was athletic, he was not as tall as Mr Lennox. He did have the most charming smile imaginable, Olivia had to admit, and she recognised a likeness to his brother in his easy, lively manner. Miss Lennox was a beauty, a younger version of her mother, and she too possessed a liveliness that was endearing.

Once the introductions were made, Lady Burnhope turned back to Agnes to fill her in on which social events should not be missed if one could help it, while Captain and Miss Lennox sat down on the sofa on either side of Olivia and started a conversation with her.

"Have you seen much of London yet?" Captain Lennox asked.

"No, I have not – I only arrived yesterday evening," Olivia said. "But I am sure Sir Felix will show me around as soon as he can find the time."

"No doubt he will," Captain Lennox said and smiled. "The lucky fellow."

"I see no reason why anyone should envy him the task," Olivia said.

"Indeed? I see plenty," Captain Lennox said with a laugh.

"Is this your first season in London?" Miss Lennox wanted to know.

"It is. I was supposed to be presented to society last year, along with my sister, but I fell ill the last moment before our departure."

"How vexing!" Miss Lennox exclaimed. "It is my first season, too. Mama is planning a ball in my honour. Is this not exciting?"

"Extremely exciting," Captain Lennox said, his tone indicating that he could not quite see his sister's point.

"Stop being odious, Bernie," Miss Lennox said sharply, and her brother bowed his head in mock humility. "Do not mark him, Miss Paige, he does not know how to behave with ladies," Miss Lennox continued.

Captain Lennox listened to his sister's comment on his manners calmly, but Olivia noticed a mischievous sparkle in his eyes and a slight twitch at the corners of his mouth – and strongly suspected that, if he put his mind to it, Captain Lennox knew exactly how to behave with ladies.

"I have to apologise, Miss Paige," he said gravely, "for my odious behaviour – whatever it may have been."

Olivia laughed.

"Dare I hope to be forgiven?" Captain Lennox asked, smiling at her.

"Sir, a gentleman who can make me laugh is forgiven anything," Olivia said.

"I am glad to hear it. My sister is my severest critic, you see – and I have it on good authority that she is always right. Her authority, to be precise."

"Bernie," Miss Lennox said in a threatening tone. With a wink at Olivia, Captain Lennox promised his sister to behave himself.

"I sometimes have to be strict with him," Miss Lennox said smilingly. "It is hard to be the only girl in the family, and with three elder brothers, too! Have you got any brothers, Miss Paige?"

"No, I only have this one sister," Olivia said.

"How I envy you!" Miss Lennox sighed. "I have always wanted a sister!"

"Especially since your brothers treat you so abominably," Captain Lennox said dryly.

"Quite so," Miss Lennox said, unimpressed. "Do you think you will be at Lady Culverthorpe's ball on Thursday, Miss Paige?"

"I do not think so," Olivia said. "I have not been invited. I am not even acquainted with Lady Culverthorpe."

"Pity," Miss Lennox said. "Though, coming to think of it – I am certain Mama can procure an invitation for you. She is one of Lady Culverthorpe's closest friends, you must know. It would be such a relief to have you there – at the ball, I mean – I am not really friendly with the Misses Culverthorpe, and the only people I know apart from them are Bernie and his cronies, who are quite a wild set, I have to warn you."

"And she only knows the respectable friends of mine," Captain Lennox said with a grin.

At this point, Agnes announced that they would be leaving, and so Olivia had to follow her and take leave of Lady Burnhope.

In the carriage, Agnes told Olivia that they had been invited to dine with Lady Burnhope the next day. Olivia, who was looking forward to meeting Captain and Miss Lennox again, was pleased to hear this.

"We will not meet Lord Burnhope or Mr Lennox, though," Agnes added. "I do not know whether you have heard, you were talking to Miss Lennox at the time, but Lady Burnhope told me that they are not in London at the moment. Apparently, Lord Burnhope has some important business on the Burnhope estate, and Mr Lennox has accompanied him. They are not expected back before next week."

Olivia did not know whether to be glad to be spared a meeting with Mr Lennox, or to be sorry not to make Lord Burnhope's acquaintance very soon – after all she had seen of his family, he had to be an amiable gentleman. But then, Olivia was quite certain that she would meet him before long – and she had better prepare for an encounter with Mr Lennox as well.

~~~o~~~

The next morning, they received another invitation. Mrs Somerville wanted them to dine with her on Friday.

"If things go on like this," Agnes said with a smile, "we will hardly spend an evening at home!"

"I know," Sir Felix said with a sigh. "I would prefer spending my evenings at home in your company, my dear."

"You will get enough of these evenings once we are in Cumberland," Agnes said. "London is not the place for spending one's evenings at home. You knew what you got yourself into when you suggested spending the season here." Sir Felix laughed.

Olivia was slightly nervous as the carriage took them to Burnhope House in the evening. This was to be her first appearance in London society, and Agnes had hinted that several people had been invited just for the purpose of meeting her. Enough reason for Olivia to believe that a great deal was expected of her. She had put on one of her new dresses – a sea-green evening dress with an embroidered bodice that, according to Agnes and the even more reliable judgement of Bailey and Crewe, looked extremely good on her. Crewe had outdone herself in the arrangement of Olivia's hair.

When they arrived in Burnhope House, many guests were already there. Apart from the Lennox family, Olivia knew no one. She was introduced to so many new people that she wondered how on earth she could ever keep their names in mind. One of the first people she was introduced to was Lady Culverthorpe, a formidable lady in her fifties, who immediately invited her to her ball that was to take place on Thursday. She had her daughters with her, twins named Augusta and Felicity. They were pretty, but far too arrogant for Olivia's taste, and she understood why Miss Lennox did not like them.

Sir Felix presented some of his friends to her, among them Mr Farnham, the gentleman who had sold Sutton Court to him.

There also was a Lady Hervey with her son and two daughters. Miss Hervey seemed to be an intimate friend of the Misses Culverthorpe, and just as haughty as they were. Miss Jane Hervey was different. She was a quiet, modest girl, and although she was very pretty - black hair, sapphire-blue eyes and a complexion like porcelain – she did not seem to have any admirers among the guests. Olivia found a possible reason for this when she witnessed Captain Lennox's attempt to start a conversation with her. He directed a commonplace question at Jane Hervey, which made her blush furiously and stammer a monosyllabic answer. She looked downright frightened that he might wish to continue the conversation, but upon noticing her discomfort, he did not. Olivia pitied Jane Hervey with all her heart. Captain Lennox left Jane Hervey to herself, and it took her some time to recover. When Miss Lennox joined her, she was able to smile again, and seemed quite comfortable talking to her.

At the dining table, Olivia was seated between Mr Farnham and Captain Lennox. During dinner, they entertained Olivia with anecdotes concerning some of the people present, Mr Farnham readily answered Olivia's questions (why he had sold Sutton Court, for example), and Captain Lennox gave her a detailed account of his doings in Gibraltar.

When the ladies went to the drawing room, Olivia overheard the two Misses Culverthorpe and Miss Hervey talk about her. Their snide remarks were probably supposed to be overheard, for Olivia noticed how they looked towards her as if to see her reaction on their comments. Olivia decided not to show how annoyed she was – they had angered, but not hurt her. Jane Hervey, however, who had overheard them, too, seemed to be greatly embarrassed by her sister's conduct. She moved aside on the sofa, making room for Olivia to sit down next to her.

"Please, pay no attention to them," she said quietly, blushing as if she had said something improper.

"I have no intention to let anyone spoil my evening," Olivia replied, giving Jane Hervey an encouraging smile. That moment, Miss Lennox joined them, casting a sharp look at the Culverthorpe sisters.

"Are they at it again?" she asked and, as Jane Hervey told her that they were, said, "I should have known. Jane, dearest, I do hope you will not take offence if I say so, but your sister and the Culverthorpe girls are entirely lacking in manners. Ignore them, Miss Paige, they are only jealous. They hoped to be the centre of attention tonight, especially the centre of Bernie's attention, and he has not done them the favour. Did they criticise your dress?"

"Among other things, I heard them remark on country manners and tastes, yes," Olivia said, laughingly.

"Each of them would give an arm if they could be only half as pretty as you are," Miss Lennox said. "And I think your dress is gorgeous – isn't it, Jane?"

Jane Hervey agreed, then caught her sister's censorious stare, blushed and fell silent.

"Do not let her bully you, Jane," Miss Lennox said firmly, but could not get Jane Hervey to talk again.

When the gentlemen joined the ladies in the drawing room, Jane Hervey became more nervous than before – as if she were afraid of them, Olivia thought. When Captain Lennox came to talk to Olivia, Jane Hervey shrank visibly and tried to be as inconspicuous as possible, probably fearing nothing more than being addressed by a gentleman who was clearly the object of her sister's admiration. Sir Felix, for some reason, was not considered a threat – he managed to start something resembling a conversation with her. She was able to answer most of his questions without looking like a mouse facing a snake. The moment her brother joined the group, however, she fell silent again, and Olivia heard nothing more of her until she shyly took leave of her.

Intrigued by this uncommon mixture of extreme shyness and remarkable beauty, Olivia inquired about the Herveys as soon as she was in the carriage with Agnes and Sir Felix.

"How come Jane Hervey is so shy?" she asked. "I have never seen a girl as timid as she is! She hardly dared talk to anyone!"

"Jane Hervey is not always like that," Sir Felix replied. "I know her quite well, and she seems comfortable enough with me. But new people – especially men – frighten her. She is the quiet, insecure sort – but a very nice girl, once one gets to know her."

"She seemed to be afraid of her brother and sister," Olivia said.

"Cannot blame her," Sir Felix said. "They even frighten me! I do not know whether you noticed, Olivia, but Miss Hervey is a shrew, and her brother is a brute. I do not usually speak ill of other people, but the Herveys, apart from Jane, are an abominable set. They are able to subdue the poor girl without an effort. You know what? I really wish you would become her friend. She has Susannah, of course, but the more support she has the better it is."

"I would very much wish to be Jane Hervey's friend," Olivia said smilingly. "And Miss Lennox's too. I like them both very much."

As she got out of the carriage in Half Moon Street, Olivia decided to further her friendship with Miss Lennox and Jane Hervey at Lady Culverthorpe's ball – and she would do her best to outshine the odious Misses Culverthorpe and Hervey, just to spite them.

~~V~~

Wednesday passed quickly, as Olivia and Agnes went shopping for some more ball gowns. Agnes pointed out that it would not do to be seen in the same gown twice in such a short time – "People would think we cannot afford another dress, and this is simply not true, " she said, and took Olivia to the most fashionable shops in London. It was not as if Olivia was averse to the plan – she loved shopping, and came home with even more purchases than she had intended at first. Her gown for Lady Culverthorpe's ball was delivered on Thursday morning, just as Susannah Lennox was visiting them, and Olivia was well pleased to hear her wholehearted approval.

"That will teach the Culverthorpes a lesson," she said, smilingly. "Though they will not admit it, of course. They will find fault with you nevertheless – but do not mind them, they always do that to people that make them feel inferior."

"What have I done to make them feel inferior?" Olivia asked, taken aback.

"You exist," Miss Lennox said. "That is enough, as far as they are concerned."

Thursday evening came, and Olivia entered Lady Culverthorpe's town house, anticipating a pleasant evening. Of course, the Culverthorpes were a drawback, but Olivia was well disposed to hope they would behave themselves this time.

Lady Culverthorpe welcomed them at the entrance of her drawing room, while her daughters were standing next to her, staring critically at Olivia and Agnes. Agnes did not seem to notice, or at least she did not care, but Olivia felt their appraising glances and felt some kind of satisfaction when Miss Augusta (or was it Felicity? Well, who cared?) whispered something to her sister, and both gave her a displeased look.  Standing next to Lady Culverthorpe, there was another young lady wearing an exquisite ball gown and smiling radiantly while greeting the guests. Lady Culverthorpe introduced that lady as her eldest daughter, Lady Wesley. Olivia noticed the ice-cold, yet courteous tone in which Sir Felix greeted Lady Wesley, and wondered why he did not like her – considering what her sisters were like, Lady Wesley seemed amiable enough.

They went to join Lady Burnhope and Miss Lennox who were standing by the fireplace and talking with some acquaintances of theirs. Miss Lennox smiled at Olivia, and told her once again how pretty she looked in that dress. They were interrupted by Captain Lennox who asked Olivia to dance the first two dances with him.

"Lennox, this will not do," a fair-haired young man exclaimed, hearing Captain Lennox's request. "I just wanted to ask this young lady to dance with me!"

"You cannot," Captain Lennox replied with a broad grin. "You have not been introduced, Simmons."

"You could introduce me," Mr Simmons suggested.

"So I will. Once Miss Paige has consented to dance the first two with me," Captain Lennox said laughingly. Olivia promised to dance the first two dances with Captain Lennox and, once Mr Simmons had been properly introduced, to dance the next two with him.

Shortly before the dancing was to start, the Herveys arrived. Miss Hervey joined her friends, the Misses Culverthorpe, while Jane Hervey, after looking around anxiously, went to sit with her friend, Miss Lennox. Olivia, thinking of her resolution to become friendly with Jane, went up to them and took part in their conversation, even if she did not have much to add to their remarks, not being acquainted with any of the people they were talking about.

"Is your brother still in Burnhope," Jane Hervey finally asked Miss Lennox.

"I think so," Miss Lennox said, "though he promised to be back next week. I think you will meet him before long," she added slyly, causing Jane Hervey to blush. "Adrian might try to keep him away for a bit longer, though. He is not very fond of London – although he used to, when he was younger."

"What happened?" Olivia asked, innocently. Perhaps Miss Lennox would reveal her brother's secret?

"Oh, I do not know. He would not tell me," Miss Lennox said. "He changed his mind about London two and a half years ago, and he thought I was a mere chit of a girl – not the sort of person to know about his exploits." She laughed. "But I know that Lady Culverthorpe has invited all my brothers to this ball, and that only Bernie consented to come. William said at once that it was not likely he should be in London at the time, and Adrian said he had some urgent business in Wetherham he could not possibly put off until later. Feeble excuses, if you ask me, I have witnessed Adrian come up with better ones – but then, I am only a girl, and know nothing of business at all. Perhaps those excuses were relevant after all." Miss Lennox laughed. "Here are our partners, come to dance with us. Be kind to my brother, Miss Paige – at least as long as he deserves it!"

Laughingly, they proceeded to take their place in the set with their respective partners. Olivia found that Captain Lennox was a very agreeable partner – his conversation was light and amusing, his dancing was superior, and Olivia noticed more than one envious glance directed at her.

"Are you well acquainted with Mr Simmons?" Olivia asked Captain Lennox.

"Simmons?"

"The gentleman with whom I am going to dance the next two dances," Olivia said.

"Oh, him. Yes, I know him quite well," Captain Lennox said. "We were at school together. I have high hopes concerning this friendship. His father is a General, and stationed in the East Indies, which is where I wish to go."

"The East Indies? Why, Captain Lennox?"

"A man can make his fortune there if he puts his mind to it," Captain Lennox said calmly. "I was not born to a great fortune, Miss Paige, but I am willing to work for one. Besides, I admit that I have a taste for travelling and seeing the world, just like my brother Adrian. India will be a great adventure."

"A dangerous one, Captain Lennox," Olivia said. "Think of all those tigers…"

He laughed. "I will be on the lookout for them," he said, his eyes twinkling. "The first tiger I happen to shoot will be dedicated to you."

"Good lord, how barbaric!" Olivia exclaimed. "Whoever would want a dead tiger dedicated to them?"

"I can see your point," Captain Lennox said with a grin. "Is there anything in particular you would wish me to dedicate to you?"

Luckily, the dance stopped just then, for Olivia was quite at a loss for a suitable answer to the question. She was not certain whether Captain Lennox was flirting with her for the sake of it, or whether he had other, more serious plans.

Olivia did not meet Captain Lennox any more until he sat next to her at the supper table, and by then his flirtatious manner had given way to a calm friendliness she was more comfortable with. His sister had asked Olivia to call her by her first name, and they were engaged in a lively conversation when he sat down next to them.

"Will you come for a ride with us tomorrow morning, Olivia," Susannah asked. "I go riding in the park nearly every day, whenever the weather permits me to do so – so does Jane. We would dearly like to have you with us!"

"I am afraid I am not much of a horsewoman, Susannah," Olivia said. "I fell off a horse when I was seven years old, and since then I have been afraid to mount one. I do, sometimes, but I do not really wish to make a fool of myself during my first week in London." She smiled. "Should you ever consider going for a walk in the park, or a drive, I shall be glad to come with you."

"You do not ride?" Susannah asked, all astonishment.

"As I said," Olivia said. "I am afraid of horses. Now despise me if you dare."

"Something must be done about that," Susannah said resolutely and turned to her brother. "You will teach Olivia, won't you, Bernie?"

"It will be an honour," Captain Lennox replied. "But, Susannah, you should leave the decision to Miss Paige. She did not say she wished to learn to ride, did she?"

"Of course she wishes to learn it," Susannah said. "How else can she go out to the park with us?"

Olivia caught Captain Lennox's exasperated look and smiled. "I promise I will try," she said to soothe Susannah. "Only give me the time to muster all my courage for the attempt. I have not been on horseback very often ever since I took that fall."

Susannah, Olivia and Jane were just walking back to the drawing room, laughing at some joke Susannah had made, when Olivia suddenly found herself addressed by an only too familiar male voice.

"Miss Paige! I had not expected to meet you here."

Olivia turned around and found that she had not been mistaken. The voice belonged to Sir Edwin Arncott. She curtsied politely, saying, "How do you do, Sir Edwin? What brings you to London?"

Sir Edwin bowed respectfully, and told her that some important business had taken him to London. "You will be glad to hear, Miss Paige, that both your parents were well when I left Bradenham."

"I am glad to hear it," Olivia said with a smile. "I know that my mother would never tell me if it were otherwise, for fear of spoiling my sojourn in London. You have met them lately?"

"Yes, I went to see your father the day before I left."

"I am glad to see that…recent events have not led to an estrangement between my father and you, Sir Edwin. I was afraid you might be angry," Olivia said, regretting it a moment later when she saw Sir Edwin's wistful expression.

"I was not angry, Miss Paige," he said quietly. "Disappointed, yes, but not offended. Let us not talk about it any more. Will you honour me with the last two dances, for old times' sake?"

Olivia assented, and Sir Edwin led her to the set. They danced without talking much, and once the music stopped Olivia took Sir Edwin to meet Agnes and Sir Felix. Agnes, though genuinely pleased to meet a friend of her family, was anxious for Olivia - after all, she was acquainted with all the details concerning Sir Edwin's proposal. Sir Felix, it seemed, took to Sir Edwin immediately, and the two gentlemen spent another half hour talking until Agnes announced that it was time for them to leave.

"I hope we will not see too much of Sir Edwin Arncott while we are here," Agnes said as they were in their carriage, going home. "It might be awkward, indeed!"

"Why?" Sir Felix asked. "I thought he was quite an agreeable fellow!"

"So he is," Agnes said. "But Olivia may still be loath to see him."

"Never mind me," Olivia said. "It is not really awkward to be talking to him, you know – he has shown so much understanding tonight. We agreed not to talk about…what happened. Actually, I was quite happy when he addressed me. I thought he was angry – he did not come to see me until I went to visit you, Agnes."

"Fine," Agnes said. "If you think you can handle it, Olivia, I think I shall invite Sir Edwin to dine with us one of these days."

~~~o~~~

The dinner party at Mrs Somerville's did not provide Olivia with much amusement. The people she met there were either old, or intolerably arrogant.

"My dear, I would like to introduce my nephew, the Earl of Swafford," Mrs Somerville said to her, smiling as if she were bestowing an immense favour on Olivia.

Olivia had to agree with Agnes. Lord Swafford was handsome and well-dressed, but his smile did not reach his eyes, and the only topic he seemed to be interested in was his own importance. He was careful to mention many famous names in his conversation, probably hoping to impress Olivia with the illustrious company he kept. In the end, Olivia was glad to get away, and on her way back to Half Moon Street she entreated Agnes not to dine with Mrs Somerville too often.

"We will have to dine with her at least once more," Agnes said. "She has promised to provide us with vouchers for Almack's."

"Almack's," Sir Felix muttered, with an air of desperation. "How could I have forgotten Almack's?"

"How could you, indeed, when it was Almack's where we first met?" Agnes demanded.

"My love, you were the only reason for me to go there," Sir Felix said.

"And for my sake you will continue doing so," Agnes said smilingly. "Unless you want to ask your cousin, Captain Lennox, to take your place."

"No doubt he would feel honoured," Sir Felix said. "But I can only repeat what I said before – Bernie is not the sort to be trusted when any females are around. Very well, I will go to Almack's for your sake – but for my sake, will you limit your evenings there to a tolerable minimum?" He gave his wife a pleading look that made her laugh.

"I promise," she said.

~~~o~~~

When Olivia returned to Half Moon Street after a walk with Susannah the next day, a surprise was awaiting her in the drawing room. Two gentlemen were sitting there and talking with Agnes. One of them was Mr Lennox, and the other – judging by his looks – had to be his brother, Lord Burnhope. Olivia looked at Mr Lennox only to realise how very handsome he was, and welcomed him perhaps more warmly than she had intended. At least the awkwardness she had felt after overhearing his conversation with Sir Felix was gone, and she could talk to Mr Lennox quite freely.

Lord Burnhope did not talk much. He politely answered every question anyone asked him, but Mr Lennox did most of the talking while Lord Burnhope sat and watched and – this was Olivia's impression of him – listened very closely.

"I hope everything is fine in Burnhope?" Olivia asked him. "Your sister told me you were attending to some business there."

"So I was," Lord Burnhope said. "And yes, everything is fine in Burnhope – not that I had expected it to be otherwise, my steward is an excellent man."

"Then why did you go there to check on him?" Olivia asked, smiling.

"I always go to Burnhope at this time of the year," was Lord Burnhope's answer.

Olivia turned to Mr Lennox. "Have you brought your sketches with you," she asked him.

Mr Lennox gave her a puzzled look. "Sketches, Miss Paige?"

"The ones you made in Italy – you promised to show them to us, remember?"

"Ah, those sketches," Mr Lennox exclaimed. "No, I have not brought them with me today, but I mean to show them to you nevertheless, whenever it is convenient for you."

"Excellent!" Agnes exclaimed. "I confess I am most curious to see them. Have you seen them yet, Lord Burnhope?"

"I have seen some of them," Lord Burnhope said calmly. "They were very interesting."

"When did you arrive in London, Mr Lennox?" Olivia asked.

"Yesterday evening," Mr Lennox said.

"Too bad you could not make it to Lady Culverthorpe's ball," Olivia said, remembering what Susannah had said about her brothers not wanting to attend the ball. For a moment, Mr Lennox's eyes hardened.

 "Very bad, indeed," he said, in an indifferent tone. "I gather you enjoyed yourself, Miss Paige?"

"Very much," Olivia said. "I enjoyed the ball more than dining with Mrs Somerville yesterday – that was a terribly flat affair. – Are you, by any chance, acquainted with Lord Swafford? I met him at Mrs Somerville's, and I am not sure what to think of him."

"I am not really familiar with Swafford, although I do know him," Mr Lennox said. "Does he still look like a tailor's advertisement?"

Olivia laughed. "He is very fashionable," she said.

"I suppose that means yes, then," Mr Lennox said with a mischievous smile. "To be honest, he is not the sort of fellow I associate with, although one cannot escape the acquaintance, really." He rose, and his brother followed suit.

"I am afraid we have to leave now," Mr Lennox said. "But with your permission, Lady Gordon, I will come tomorrow morning to show you the sketches – what do you say?"

"An excellent notion, Mr Lennox," Agnes said smilingly. "I can hardly wait to see them."

Lord Burnhope, too, took leave of them, and left.

Olivia went to the window to look out, and saw the two brothers walk towards Piccadilly, talking animatedly. She felt a pang of regret that they had had to leave so soon, and that she had missed half of their visit. But there was one thing to look forward to – Mr Lennox would be back the next day to show them his sketches. Olivia was determined not to miss that.

~~VI~~

The following morning seemed interminable to Olivia. Had anyone asked her, she would have denied it, but she was eagerly waiting for Mr Lennox’s visit. She listened carefully for any sound that might announce a visitor, and when she finally did hear the arrival of someone, she was hard put to hide her disappointment when she realised that it was not Mr Lennox who had come, but Sir Edwin Arncott. He paid her some compliments which made Olivia strongly suspect that he had not yet given up all hope to win her heart. Olivia resolved that she would have to ask for Agnes’s advice. She wanted to spare Sir Edwin any further embarrassment, but she did not want to marry him – not even out of pity. Especially not out of pity. Sir Edwin’s visit, in short, did nothing to make Olivia feel any more comfortable, and she was glad when, after having sat with them for twenty minutes, Sir Edwin took himself off.

Her next two visitors were greeted with more eagerness. Susannah Lennox and Jane Hervey came to call on her, to persuade her to go for a ride in the park with them.

“You said you would,” Susannah pointed out when Olivia declined. “You remember? You promised you would ride with us, when we discussed the matter at Lady Culverthorpe’s ball. You cannot let us down, Olivia!”

“I did not promise to go with you so soon,” Olivia protested. “I said I needed some time! Besides, I do not have anything to wear – I do not have a riding habit, you know, and I would cut a poor figure indeed if I went riding with you in a borrowed dress. How shabby I should look! You would be quite ashamed of me!”

Susannah admitted that Olivia had a point, but asked her to mend this as soon as possible.

“Bernie is quite eager to teach you, you know,” she said with a charming smile that, Olivia had come to believe, was a common trait in the Lennox family.

“But your brother did not send you here to press me, or did he?” Olivia asked, smiling back.

“Of course not. Bernie would never do such a thing. But he said it would be a splendid thing if you joined our party one of these days.”

Jane had listened to their conversation, but had not contributed much to it. Olivia suspected that Jane was still not really used to her, and that this was the reason why Jane was so quiet most of the time. She did speak up now and then, of course, and whenever she said something there was a great deal of sense in what she said – which made Olivia sincerely hope that, one day, Jane Hervey might overcome her shyness and speak up more often. With some encouragement from the right people, Olivia thought, Jane would become quite a different person, someone to be admired not only for her beauty and sweet temper but also for her extraordinarily good sense. If only she were not afraid of people...and if she could find a husband who, instead of wishing to subdue his wife, would let her have her say...

Susannah and Jane did not stay long, but left soon after Olivia had told them that she would not come with them that day.

“I hope you are not offended,” Olivia said as she accompanied her guests to the door. “I promise I will go riding with you one day. Besides, I could not have come with you anyway, for you know your brother has promised to show us his Italian sketches, which I really want to see, and it would be intolerably rude to ask Mr Lennox to bring them here again.”

“Say no more,” Susannah said archly. “If I were not his sister, I suppose I, too, would prefer sitting at home waiting for Adrian to make his appearance.”

Olivia was just about to protest when the doorbell rang once again, and the butler opened the door to admit Mr Lennox and an exceptionally handsome youth carrying a portfolio which contained, without doubt, Mr Lennox’s sketches.

“There you are, Adrian,” Susannah exclaimed with a saucy smile. “You have been eagerly awaited, I assure you!”

“Have I?” Mr Lennox replied calmly, greeting Jane and Olivia with a polite bow.

“Your sketches have, at least – or so Olivia has been trying to convince me,” Susannah laughed.

Mr Lennox did not answer that remark but handed his hat, gloves and walking stick to the butler, turned to his companion, spoke to him in rapid Italian, took the portfolio and dismissed the young man.

“Is this the gentleman you hired in Italy?” Susannah asked. “I have heard a great deal about him already. He looks quite amiable, I have to say, not quite as stuffy as your old valet was.”

“Luca has been a change for the better, indeed,” Mr Lennox laughed. “He is the perfect servant – without wanting to interfere too much with my life, which is what his predecessor did. He did not need to, of course, his mother was more than capable of taking that part.”

“The formidable Signora Bonifacio?” Olivia asked, smiling.

“You know about her? Ah yes, of course you do, I told you about her that evening I stayed at Sutton Court, didn’t I? Yes, the formidable Signora Bonifacio is Luca’s mother, and as my landlady she thought it was her duty to take care of me. A tigress defending her young could hardly be more fearsome than Signora Bonifacio in her attempts to protect me. She hesitated to let me go, too, I only got to leave her after I had promised her to beware of le donne in England, who seem to be a very bad sort.” Olivia laughed, and he laughed along with her.

“Harsh words,” Olivia finally said.

“Oh yes, but after being reminded that my mother and sister were both English AND a good sort, she was willing to make allowances for them.” He turned to Susannah. “I suppose that makes the two of you honorary Italians,” he said, grinning.

“While Jane and I remain a very bad sort,” Olivia said dryly. “Do not forget to beware of us, Mr Lennox.”

“I will keep it in mind,” Mr Lennox said with a smile, and expressed his hope that he had not kept Lady Gordon waiting for too long, at which point Susannah and Jane left and Olivia took Mr Lennox upstairs to the drawing room.

Giving him a closer look, Olivia realised that he did not look like a man in straitened circumstances. Although his attire was not nearly as flamboyant as, for example, Lord Swafford’s, Mr Lennox was dressed elegantly and, as far as Olivia was any judge, expensively too. She wondered how a man who had fled the country to escape his gaming debts could afford such clothes, but then it occurred to her that his appearance was probably of utmost importance to him. A man wishing to conquer a rich heiress’s heart would have to look rich, or affluent, at least, lest the heiress would be on her guard right from the beginning. The expense laid out on clothes such as Mr Lennox’s could be seen as a necessary investment in a more prosperous future, Olivia surmised.

Agnes greeted Mr Lennox eagerly, telling him she had already despaired of ever seeing him again, and ordered some refreshment to be served immediately – “for I am persuaded, Mr Lennox, that you will need some refreshment once you have explained your work to us.”

Mr Lennox laughed at this and pointed out that his portfolio did not contain quite as many pictures as to justify any need of refreshment.

“But certainly you must have taken a great deal of sketches during those two years in Italy,” Agnes said.

“About two hundred, not counting those I left with Bottazzi – the ones I made for scientific purposes,” Mr Lennox said. “However, I know better than trying to show you all of them. Felix would never forgive me if I bored his wife to death.”

Agnes laughed. “There can hardly be any danger of you doing so,” she said.

“Yes there would, if I were to show you two hundred sketches of Roman ruins,” Mr Lennox retorted. “I remember you are not exactly interested in history, Lady Gordon.”

“But my sister is, Mr Lennox,” Agnes said. “Very much so, in fact.”

“Interested enough to subject herself to two hundred sketches, including explanations? I doubt it,” Mr Lennox said laughingly.

“So how many are we to see today?” Olivia asked.

“I did not count them, but about twenty or thirty, I suppose,” Mr Lennox replied. “I only took the ones that are of general interest, showing you the Italian scenery, and some of the towns I have been to.”

“None of Pompeii, then?” Olivia asked, trying to hide her disappointment.

“There are some pictures of Pompeii among them, Miss Paige,” Mr Lennox said. “But I thought you wished to see more than just ruins. – I have to add that I do not consider myself a very talented artist – I drew most of these sketches to pass the time and amuse myself, and as a document of what I had seen, rather than for showing them off. I confess I was not always pleased with the outcome.” He smiled. “I hope you do not expect too much, for I am afraid you may be disappointed if you do. That being said” – he put the portfolio on the table and opened it – “here they are.”

After Mr Lennox’s explanation, Olivia had not expected much, and she was all the more surprised when she found that what Mr Lennox had called sketches were elaborate drawings, some of them finished in water-colours, and all of them showing remarkable talent.

Agnes agreed with Olivia, for she at once told Mr Lennox that however little he thought of his own work, she certainly thought very highly of it.

"Admit it, sir," she said after having cast a look at some of the pictures. "You were fishing for compliments, weren't you? Telling us you were not very talented, when everyone can see that you are!"

"Fishing for compliments is bad manners, and not quite the sort of conduct I was brought up to exhibit, Lady Gordon," Mr Lennox said earnestly. "Believe me; I have seen much better drawings than mine. Compared to them, this is nothing."

"Compare your sketches to something more suitable, then," Agnes laughed. "My drawings should do."

They spent the next three quarters of an hour listening to Mr Lennox and his various descriptions of the places he had been to. Olivia saw pictures of Venice, Verona, Florence, Leghorn and, finally, Naples and Pompeii.

One of them showed a gentleman kneeling next to what looked like an open fireplace, digging up something that looked suspiciously like human remains.

"Is this a skeleton, Mr Lennox?" Olivia asked. Mr Lennox nodded. "A human skeleton?"

Mr Lennox nodded again. "Are you afraid, Miss Paige," he asked.

"No, although I admit that I might be if I were to see a real one. Did you see many of these?"

"I have had my fair share, yes," Mr Lennox said. "The disaster killed a great deal of people, Miss Paige."

"Does anyone know how many?" Olivia asked.

"It is hard to estimate," Mr Lennox said. "My opinion is there may have been a couple of thousand victims."

"A couple of thousand?" Olivia stared at him in dismay. "This is awful, and you make it sound as if…as if it did not matter!"

"I agree with you, Miss Paige, it is awful," Mr Lennox said earnestly. "But it all happened long ago, and it is not as if I could change anything about it."

"Of course," Olivia said, ashamed of herself. "It was only…I guess you do not understand what I meant to say."

"I think I do." Mr Lennox smiled. "You thought I did not sound properly afflicted by the tragedy."

"Something like that, yes," Olivia said. "It is foolish, is it not?"

"Not at all foolish. It shows some very proper feeling, Miss Paige."

The door opened, and Sir Felix came into the room, greeting his cousin with a broad grin.

"I see you have already found the best place in this house," he said to Mr Lennox, who was sitting between Olivia and Agnes.

"Did you doubt I would?" Mr Lennox replied, grinning.

"Not at all. – Agnes, my dear, I will not dine here tonight. My cousin Burnhope has invited me to dine with him at White's. - He said you would be there, too, Adrian."

"So I will. As will Bernie. A family gathering at White's." Mr Lennox laughed, and rose. "I hope you enjoyed my sketches, Lady Gordon – Miss Paige. Do you want me to leave them here for further inspection, or shall I take them with me?"

"I would very much like to have another look at them, if you do not mind," Olivia said.

"Feel free to do so," Mr Lennox said. "I will come to pick them up tomorrow, then. I am afraid I must be going now, I have bothered you for quite long enough."

Agnes exclaimed that his visit had by no means been bothersome, and hoped she had not given him any other impression.

"Not at all, Lady Gordon, you have made me feel perfectly welcome, as you always do," Mr Lennox assured her, bowed and left them.

~~~o~~~

Since Sir Felix was not with them that evening, Olivia took the opportunity to ask for Agnes's advice concerning Sir Edwin Arncott's continuous attempts to make her marry him.

"I believed him at first when he said he would not speak about the matter any more," Olivia said, "but what do you think, Agnes? You have seen him today – what does he really have on his mind?"

"I think he still is in love with you, Olivia, and you cannot blame him for that," Agnes said calmly. "Apart from that, I must say he behaved like the perfect gentleman."

"You did not feel that he had come here to…pay his addresses to me?" Olivia asked anxiously. "I really do not want to hurt him, Agnes, not any more than I may already have done. What can I do?"

"Do not worry too much," Agnes said. "I think we can trust Sir Edwin to behave with the strictest propriety. If you do not encourage him to think otherwise, he will, at one point, accept the fact that you do not love him. Just behave as you have always done."

"But that made him think I would accept his offer," Olivia exclaimed.

"And he knows now that you will not. Unless you give him a very different signal now, he will come to accept this." Agnes said firmly.

"But what made him persevere?" Olivia asked.

"I think my father may have something to do with it," Agnes said. "You know that he and Mama have always wanted one of us to remain near them. I have married a man from the North, so you must be the one to stay in the neighbourhood." She smiled. "But they, too, will come to accept it once they find that you love someone else, and not Sir Edwin."

"It is not that!" Olivia protested. "I do not love someone else!"

"Not yet," Agnes said calmly, and, at that point, changed the topic of their conversation.

~~~o~~~

Olivia soon found out that the news of her arrival had found its way around Polite Society in London. Wherever she went, she found looks directed at her, and heard the whispers accompanying them. She was the new Heiress ("you know, one of the girls who inherited the Granby fortune"), and was paid more attention than she cared for.

In a way, she was thankful for Sir Edwin's friendship, for he, at least, was not remotely interested in her wealth, but loved her for what she was.

As to the Lennoxes, Olivia became very close with Susannah Lennox, and hardly a day passed without their seeing each other. Very often, Jane Hervey was one of the party, and she, too, became a good friend. Olivia was soon very comfortable with Lord Burnhope, who did not show too much interest in her, but always treated her with perfect politeness whenever they met. She came to like him very much, he was a man of sense, and Olivia respected him for that.

His younger brothers were a different matter. Olivia felt perfectly comfortable with them, too, but it was much harder for her to determine what they were up to. Each of them was, in his way, good-looking and charming, and each of them, being a younger son, was probably in need of a fortune. Captain Lennox had expressed himself quite freely on the subject by telling her that he meant to go to India to make his fortune there, but Olivia felt that, if he could but find the right woman to provide him with one, he might well be inclined to stay in England after all. It would not do any harm to keep that in mind, Olivia thought whenever he flirted with her.

Mr Lennox never talked about money, but his behaviour indicated that he was living on a grand scale. He had lodgings of his own in a very elegant part of Town; he kept his own servants, horses and carriages. How a ruined man could do so without landing, at one point, in Debtor's Prison, was beyond Olivia's understanding. Perhaps his brother had something to do with it – paying his more pressing debts, in the hope that someone might, at one point, relieve him of his expensive brother. At least, Olivia thought, Mr Lennox did not frequent any gaming hells – or she never heard of it, at any rate. So perhaps he had given up the one habit that had led to his ruin. Apart from that, Olivia thought Mr Lennox to be perfectly agreeable. He soon became a frequent guest in Half Moon Street, one who was always eagerly welcomed, too. He was friendly, and intelligent, and had a wry sense of humour Olivia liked very much. If it had not been for his financial situation, which made her suspect that he was hanging out for a rich wife, Olivia might even have been in danger of falling in love with him, and she was well aware of it.

"Now, Olivia, what excuse have you got today?" Susannah said when she arrived in Half Moon Street one morning.

"I beg your pardon?" Olivia asked innocently, although she knew what Susannah was talking about.

"Are you going to ride with us in the Park today?" Susannah asked.

"My riding habit is not yet finished, or so Madame has told me," Olivia said laughingly. "So, I am afraid you will have to wait for another couple of days."

"You probably told her she could take her time," Susannah accused her.

"Quite so," Olivia said. "I told you I am not comfortable with horses."

"You do not even try," Susannah said, pouting. Then her countenance brightened. "You may not want to ride today," she said, "but what if I can persuade Adrian to take you out in his phaeton?"

Her brother, who had been sitting and talking to Agnes, looked up.

"Do I actually have a say in the matter?" he asked, smilingly.

"No," Susannah said curtly.

"Why do I ask?" Mr Lennox said in mock desperation. "Miss Paige, would you like me to take you to the Park? Please note that no persuasion on my sister's part was needed."

Olivia laughed. "You are very kind, sir."

"Was that a yes or a no?" Mr Lennox asked.

"Neither, Mr Lennox," Olivia said. "I cannot allow you to be imposed upon."

"Now that was a No," Mr Lennox said with a grin. "Albeit a very polite one."

"Oh, do come!" Susannah exclaimed. "No one ever imposes on Adrian – it will be a completely new experience for him, and he will be all the better for it."

Everyone laughed at this.

"My loving sister wishes to improve me all the time," Mr Lennox said, still laughing. "But honestly, Miss Paige, what do you say? It sounds like an excellent idea to me, and I am indeed sorry it did not occur to me earlier."

"Not today, Mr Lennox," Olivia said. "It would be too much trouble for you to have the carriage brought round."

"Tomorrow, then?" Mr Lennox asked. "Unless, of course, your riding habit will be delivered by then, and you will be able to join my sister on horseback?"

"I prefer the phaeton, I admit," Olivia said smilingly.

"You prefer Adrian," Susannah said accusingly. Olivia blushed furiously.

"Susannah!" Mr Lennox's look was unmistakable. It was the kind of look Mrs Paige had often given her daughters when they had misbehaved – the "just-you-wait-until-we-are-alone" look.

"I am sorry," Susannah said meekly. "I did not mean to be rude. Can you forgive me, Olivia?"

Olivia nodded.

"Then this is settled," Mr Lennox said. "We will all go to the Park tomorrow – you, Miss Hervey and Bernie on horseback, and Miss Paige and me in the phaeton." He laughed. "What a procession that will be," he said.

"The circus has come to town," Olivia said, laughingly. "We could ask Captain Lennox to bring an elephant."

"He has not been to India yet, Miss Paige," Mr Lennox said with a grin. "But you are right about one thing – if there is one man in all England able to procure an elephant until tomorrow, my brother Bernie is the one."

Mr Lennox then took his leave, and as his sister declined his offer to escort her to Burnhope House, he left, not without telling Susannah to behave herself.

"Oh dear, now he is angry," Susannah sighed when he had left. "I am certain he will tell Mama how disgracefully I have behaved today, and I am in for a sermon when I come home. If ever he has children they will live in mortal dread of him, I am sure. – I am really sorry, Olivia, I hope you know that. I did not mean to imply that you had a tendre for Adrian. Though it would be a splendid thing if you had." She smiled mischievously. "He likes you, you know."

"I am quite certain Mr Lennox likes a great deal of people, Susannah," Olivia said coldly. "Now, I hope you do not mind if we talk of something else."

Susannah did her the favour of changing the topic, and they spent the next half hour talking about the theatre-performance they had seen the night before. Olivia tried hard to appear calm – Susannah's thoughtless remark had disturbed her more than she cared to admit. She wondered whether she really showed a preference for Mr Lennox's company and, if so, whether he had noticed it. It would not do. It would simply not do. Olivia began to regret that she had allowed Mr Lennox to take her to the Park tomorrow, but nothing could be done about that now. She would have to go.

What really worried Olivia was that she was looking forward to doing so.

~~VII~~

The next day, Mr Lennox arrived at the appointed time to pick up Olivia for their outing.

Olivia thought he looked quite dashing in his elegant greatcoat.

"Do you want to join the party, too?" he asked Sir Felix with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "We only need you and Lady Gordon to make it a perfect family party – and my mother, of course, but she is far too busy to think of going riding in the Park."

"You mean all of you are going?" Sir Felix asked and laughed. "Lord, what a picture this will be!"

"All of us are going," Mr Lennox agreed. "Even William decided that fresh air and exercise might do him good. Can I tempt you, Felix?"

"No, I had rather enjoy the picture from afar instead of being part of it," Sir Felix joked.

 "Very well, then it will only be us Lennoxes," Mr Lennox said with a grin. "And you, Miss Paige. Are you ready?"

Olivia smiled and assured him that she was. Mr Lennox's phaeton, she found out, was a smart vehicle, and again she wondered how he could possibly afford his lifestyle. He assisted her into the carriage, and off they went into the direction of the park. Susannah, Jane and the rest, he assured her, would wait for them there.

"I thought it would be quite a spectacle if we all turned up in Half Moon Street to pick you up," Mr Lennox said with a smile. "Susannah wanted to come, but I told her it was not at all necessary. I think I can be trusted to convey a young lady to the park safely."

"I hope so," Olivia said with a laugh.

At the entrance of the park, Lord Burnhope, Captain Lennox, Susannah and Jane were indeed waiting for them, and Susannah greeted Olivia enthusiastically.

"At last you are to join us!" she exclaimed, and vowed she would not stray from the carriage even once – "for someone will have to entertain you". When her brother inquired whether he was not entertaining enough, Susannah simply laughed.

She soon forgot her intention, however, when they met two young officers, friends of Captain Lennox's, and they fell behind while Lord Burnhope and Jane rode ahead of them. Olivia found herself quite alone with Mr Lennox – not exactly an unpleasant feeling, she had to admit.

"Aren't you tempted to go riding when you see how much fun they are having?" Mr Lennox asked her.

"Not really," Olivia answered. "I keep remembering my riding accident, and its painful aftermath."

"Were you seriously hurt, Miss Paige?" he asked, his face expressing real concern.

"My injuries were not dangerous," Olivia said. "A couple of bruises, and I broke my collarbone. This was very painful, indeed, and so awkward and inconvenient! One can hardly move, and not much can be done about this injury."

"I know. A broken collarbone is inconvenient, as I can tell from an experience of my own," Mr Lennox said with a smile. "No wonder you do not wish to repeat the incident."

"You broke yours, too?" Olivia exclaimed. "Then you know how painful it can be! I did not care to go on horseback after that. How did your accident happen?"

Mr Lennox laughed. "I had better not tell you," he said teasingly.

"Oh, this is infamous!" Olivia exclaimed. "After I have practically told you my life story! Do tell me!"

"I dare not," Mr Lennox said, still laughing. Olivia turned away from him, pouting. For a moment, they did not talk, although Olivia could feel Mr Lennox's eyes on her. When she turned towards him again, she saw that she had not deceived herself. Mr Lennox looked at her, with an amused twinkle in his eyes.

That moment Captain Lennox rode alongside the carriage.

"You two look as if you were having fun," he said mockingly. "What are you talking about?"

Mr Lennox laughed. "We were comparing our wounds. A highly gratifying subject – I am sure you, as a soldier, will agree."

Captain Lennox laughed. "No, really, in earnest," he said. "What are you talking about? I wish to join the conversation, if you do not mind."

"Mr Lennox was in earnest," Olivia said. "It transpired that we both had a broken collarbone once. But Mr Lennox will not tell me how it happened." She shot a challenging glance at Mr Lennox, but he only smiled.

"I daresay he won't," Captain Lennox laughed. "But it is not fair, Adrian. I will have to tell Miss Paige what danger she is in."

"But I feel perfectly safe, sir," Olivia said.

"Of course you do," Captain Lennox said with a grin. "Because you do not know that Adrian broke his collarbone when he overset my father's curricle."

"Is this true, Mr Lennox?" Olivia asked.

"You just had to throw a bad light on me, didn't you?" Mr Lennox asked his brother.

"Why, I did not tell Miss Paige how you came to drive Father's curricle in the first place," Captain Lennox said, obviously enjoying himself.

Mr Lennox grinned. "How much do I have to pay you to make you stop exposing my youthful folly, Bernie?" he asked.

"I don't think you could afford it," Captain Lennox said. "It is too much fun."

"Then I will spoil your fun by exposing myself," Mr Lennox said, laughingly. "Miss Paige, the thing is that I was expressly forbidden to drive the curricle in question. I was twelve years old, and although my father had, on several occasions, taken me with him and had even let me handle the reins now and then, I felt that what I really wanted was to have a go without him. I felt that I was, by then, enough of an expert to go by myself. Of course, I could not ask the grooms to put the horses to without my father's permission, and when I did ask him, he told me in no uncertain terms that if ever he caught me trying such a thing he would flay me."

"He would not do so!" Olivia said, aghast.

"You did not know my father," Mr Lennox said. "I was quite certain that he would, which put, for the time being, an end to my plans – anyone who has ever witnessed my father in a fit of temper will know why. Then, one day, I was in luck. My father had to go and see one of his tenants, and he allowed me to go with him. We arrived at the cottage in question, and as my father went in, he told me to hold the horses and, should he not return within ten minutes, to lead them up and down in front of the cottage. I, however, had a better idea."

"You stole the curricle?" Olivia asked.

"No, I borrowed it," Mr Lennox said with a laugh. "The moment my father was safely in the house, I mounted the curricle and drove off. I thought I'd go up the hill, where the lane merged with the turnpike road to Durham, would turn around there and come back before my father had noticed anything. As if."

Captain Lennox laughed. "And they told me I was the black sheep," he said, grinning.

"What happened next?" Olivia asked eagerly.

"I came towards the turnpike road at full speed, and saw a mail-coach approaching the crossroads – so I tried to rein in the horses, to let the mail-coach pass. However, the horses were not inclined to do what I wanted them to do. They were a fiery set – excellent animals; my father was an expert in horseflesh – and at twelve years I was simply not strong enough to restrain them."

"Good Lord!" Olivia exclaimed.

"The next thing I knew was that I was lying in the ditch, the curricle was smashed to pieces and the horses had bolted, but had calmed down and were now grazing further down the road. This was how my father found me."

"Let me guess," Captain Lennox said. "He did thrash you then and there."

"No, he actually did not," Mr Lennox said with a smile. "He asked me whether I was hurt first. I told him I was not sure. That was when he boxed my ears." He grinned. "After that, he found that I was hurt, and that was when he became really anxious and caring. He had me taken back home, collected the horses – they, I am glad to say, were not injured – and followed me home, to listen to my mother's reprimands."

"I heard those," Captain Lennox said. "She said the whole incident had been his fault from the beginning – one does not leave a boy in charge of the horses and out of sight, she said, it is tempting him beyond what is bearable – and she had some very decided opinions on his having boxed your ears."

Mr Lennox laughed. "This does sound like her, I admit. But I think I would have reacted the same way as my father did, so I have no hard feelings towards him. I daresay he was glad to see me alive after that escapade, and that box on the ear was his way of expressing his relief. – Miss Paige, now you know how I broke my collarbone. Do you still feel safe, or shall I set you down somewhere?"

"I feel perfectly safe," Olivia said with a smile. "I suppose you have learned one or two things ever since you were twelve."

"Oh yes, I think I am quite capable of handling a team of horses now," he said.

"He is a breakneck driver," Captain Lennox said with a laugh."Beware, Miss Paige."

"This means revenge, Bernie," Mr Lennox said. "Which of your escapades would you like to have exposed?"

"Do you mean I may choose? What sort of revenge is that?" Captain Lennox asked, laughingly. "How much time do I have to make up my mind?"

"I shall give you ten minutes." Mr Lennox said with a grin. "After that, I shall choose myself. There is plenty to choose from, as you know."

"In that case, I shall withdraw," Captain Lennox laughed. "I will need to make a careful choice." He fell behind, while Susannah caught up with the phaeton.

"Is this not a delightful day?" she asked. "How can you sit in a carriage – even if it is my brother's phaeton, Olivia – and not be bored? Just imagine how much fun we'd have if you were on horseback, too!"

"I do not think you will have to wait much longer, Susannah," Olivia replied. "Besides, your brother does his best to entertain me, and I confess I am not at all bored."

"Thank you, Miss Paige," Mr Lennox said with a smile.

"Oh, Adrian can be quite entertaining if he chooses," Susannah said. "But what do you say to Jane? She has been riding ahead of us all this time, and in William's company, too!"

Olivia realised that this was true – Jane had been ahead of them ever since their outing had started, and she seemed to get along perfectly with Lord Burnhope. Apparently, they were talking a great deal – a rare occurrence in Jane's case, especially when she was in a gentleman's company.

"I think it is wonderful to see her so much at ease," Olivia said.

"Would it not be splendid if the two of them made a match of it?" Susannah asked eagerly. "If only William might overcome his shyness!" She giggled. "Imagine their courtship," she said. "Two shy people falling in love with each other – neither of them will ever want to make the first move!"

"Susannah," Mr Lennox admonished his sister sharply. "When will you learn to think before you talk, I wonder?"

Susannah reddened, and without another word she spurred her horse and galloped ahead to join Jane and her brother. Mr Lennox sighed.

"I am sure Susannah means no harm, but she is tactless sometimes," he said. "She ought to control herself some more. Her unguarded behaviour might do some damage some day, and I do not want that to happen to her."

"I think it is part of Susannah's charm, though," Olivia said. "She is a very outspoken person."

"Yes, but too outspoken," Mr Lennox said. "She has not yet learned when it would be better for her to curb her tongue."

By that time, they had arrived at the entrance to the park again, and as the traffic in the streets demanded Mr Lennox's attention, they did not talk any more until he handed Olivia down from the carriage and bade her a good day.

~~~o~~~

There was another dinner at Mrs Somerville's, which Olivia only endured because, in the course of the event, her godmother invited her and Agnes to Almack's. To Sir Felix's great dismay, Agnes accepted the invitation and asked him to escort them.

"Do I have to come?" he asked plaintively, and Agnes insisted that he should – at least on their first evening there.

"But surely Mrs Somerville already has a gentleman to escort her," Sir Felix protested.

"I do not care about Mrs Somerville's escort," Agnes said. "I want you to be with me, to relive the days of our courtship." She smiled. "Now do not say this is not tempting."

Sir Felix laughed. "Very tempting, indeed," he said. "Although I do hope you do not wish to revive those days when I was desperately trying to catch your eye, while you seemed to take no notice."

"I did take notice," Agnes said smilingly, "but Mama thought it was not proper for a young lady to show that she did, and I was quite bent on doing what was proper."

"Unfortunately," Sir Felix said teasingly, and sighed. "Very well, I will come to Almack's with you."

When Olivia arrived at Almack's the next evening, Mrs Somerville lost no time in introducing her to the patronesses – in order to procure a voucher for her. After that, Lord Swafford (who had "kindly consented to escort his old aunt") asked her to dance with him, although there was no real enthusiasm in his voice when he did so. Feeling that this was what Mrs Somerville expected of her, Olivia consented to dance the first two dances with Lord Swafford, and while she was waiting for the music to start, she went in search of Susannah and Lady Burnhope, who had assured her that they would be there also.

With Lady Burnhope, Olivia also found Lady Hervey and her daughters. Miss Hervey was enjoying a chat with a young woman whom Olivia did not know, whereas Jane was sitting next to Susannah. Olivia joined them.

"Ah, here you are, my dear," Susannah exclaimed. "I have to tell you how sorry I am for not taking a proper leave of you yesterday, but I did not want to get near Adrian for a while. He can be so stuffy at times! Just like Papa used to be – although I should not say that, of course, Papa was not stuffy in that sense of the word, but he used to be very strict…where was I? Ah, yes, I wanted to apologise. Did you enjoy your ride in Adrian's phaeton? – I know you enjoyed your outing to the park, Jane, it was quite obvious." Jane blushed and said she did not know what Susannah was talking about.

"I only said that you must have enjoyed your outing to the park," Susannah said innocently, but her eyes sparkled roguishly. "By the way, I have to tell you the oddest thing – William means to come here tonight. My brother William, of all people, who absolutely detests squeezes like this. I wonder what inducement there is?" She gave Jane a sidelong glance to watch her reaction. Jane blushed, but did not say anything. Her hands, however, showed her distress – they trembled slightly. To stop Susannah from teasing Jane, Olivia told her that her riding-habit had been delivered that day.

"Indeed? Oh, famous!" Susannah exclaimed, clapping her hands excitedly. "We will go riding tomorrow, won't we? I will ask Bernie to come with us, he will be only too happy to oblige – he'd better!" Olivia could not help laughing at the droll remark.

At that point, Lord Swafford arrived to claim her hand for the first two dances, and Olivia followed him to the set. The dances were quite as boring as she had thought they would be – Lord Swafford spent the entire half hour to talk about the other people present, their homes, their titles, their fortunes, and, most of all, their attire. His own was of the most fashionable cut, but Olivia thought he looked rather ridiculous – it did not suit him.

Just as Lord Swafford was leading Olivia back to Agnes and Mrs Somerville, he commented on some new arrivals.

"Oh, and Burnhope and his brothers have arrived, too," he added casually, and let her have his opinion of the cut of Lord Burnhope's coat. Olivia compared Lord Swafford's appearance to Mr Lennox's. Mr Lennox's attire was simpler than Lord Swafford's, but she found it more elegant because of this. Mr Lennox's calm, unassuming air did much to let him appear to advantage in contrast to Swafford, Olivia thought. Of the two men, she infinitely preferred him – his looks as well as his manners.

Soon after Olivia had taken a seat next to Mrs Somerville, Captain and Mr Lennox came to them. Captain Lennox approached Olivia at once and asked her to dance the next two dances with him – something that seemed to annoy his brother, as Olivia noticed, and she could not help wondering why.

As Captain Lennox led Olivia to join the dance, he told her that Susannah had informed him of her impending riding lesson.

"I am glad to finally get a chance to teach you," he said, smilingly. "Although I have to warn you, Miss Paige, I am a strict teacher."

"I have to warn you, Captain Lennox," Olivia retorted. "Do not put me off riding, for my inclination towards it is not so very powerful to start with."

"Indeed?" Captain Lennox smiled. "I should be offended, Miss Paige."

"It has nothing to do with you, sir, but I confess that the thought of mounting a horse tomorrow fills me with apprehension."

"You will see that everything will be fine," Captain Lennox said. "I have already decided to let you have the most docile mare available in my brother's stables."

"A comforting thought, Captain Lennox. If she throws me off, I will at least know that she was the most docile animal you could find."

As Captain Lennox took Olivia back to Agnes, she caught a glance of Mr Lennox, who had apparently danced with Felicity Culverthorpe. They were laughing, and Olivia wondered what Felicity Culverthorpe could possibly have said to make Mr Lennox laugh. She did not like the thought.

Olivia's next partner was Mr Lennox. He seemed to be in excellent spirits that evening, Olivia noticed, and was glad of it. He instantly complimented her on her dress, and teased her by saying that he was attracting furious glances from several of her admirers by having been successful with the pretty Miss Paige.

"No, indeed, sir, I do not call myself pretty," Olivia said, blushing. "There are much prettier girls in this room, I suppose. The Culverthorpe twins, for example."

"I admit the Culverthorpe girls are pretty," Mr Lennox agreed.

"Of course they are," Olivia exclaimed.

"You did not let me finish, Miss Paige," Mr Lennox laughed. "They are pretty, but not beautiful."

"What is the difference, Mr Lennox, and why this harsh opinion?" Olivia wanted to know. It pleased her to hear that the Culverthorpe sisters were not beautiful.

"Beauty consists of more than just looks, Miss Paige," Mr Lennox said earnestly. "It took me some time to learn that, but I did. To be beautiful, a woman needs… I cannot describe it, but it is something that the Culverthorpes lack, as well as many of the women present."

"Are there any beautiful women around tonight," Olivia asked teasingly. Mr Lennox did not answer at once, but looked in her eyes. There was something in these grey eyes that Olivia could not quite make out – it made her uneasy.

"There are some," he said, finally, and although his voice sounded cheerful, his eyes were grave. On their way to Agnes, they nearly bumped into Lady Wesley.

"Adrian Lennox!" Lady Wesley exclaimed, with a tittering laugh. "I heard you were back in town, and yet I can hardly believe my eyes! You look fine!"

"Good evening, Lady Wesley," Mr Lennox said stiffly and, Olivia thought, rather coldly.

"Why so formal, Mr Lennox?" Lady Wesley asked, and Olivia could distinguish a hint of pique in her voice.

"I am paying Lady Wesley the respect that is her due," Mr Lennox merely said, bowed and excused himself. He took Olivia's arm and nearly dragged her away from Lady Wesley. Olivia felt suspicious – Mr Lennox's cold manner had reminded her of how Sir Felix had reacted on seeing her. What was it that made both men dislike Lady Wesley, she asked herself. She certainly was a very pretty and even amiable woman.

"I think Lady Wesley looks particularly beautiful tonight," Olivia said, as they moved through the crowd. "Do you not think she is a beautiful woman, Mr Lennox?"

Mr Lennox stopped short and looked in her face. His eyes were searching, and for a moment Olivia feared that she had made him angry.

"I thought so once," he finally said, and as he conveyed Olivia to an empty seat, he offered to procure a drink for her. Olivia had the impression that he was quite glad to leave her.

~~~o~~~

Olivia danced the last two dances with Sir Edwin Arncott. Somehow he had found her, and Olivia felt that she could not refuse to dance with him – him being a friend of her family.

"I am glad you can spare some time to dance with an old friend," Sir Edwin said, sounding piqued.

"I am not quite as popular as you think, Sir Edwin," Olivia said calmly.

"My impression was quite different, Miss Paige," he said. "Say, do you care for all this flattery?"

"No one is immune to flattery, I suppose," Olivia said, careful not to betray the anger that was building up in her. Had Sir Edwin just asked her to dance to throw insults at her? "But I do think I know the difference between flattery and sincere compliments, sir."

"I hope you do know it," Sir Edwin simply said. "I should be very sorry if all this attention went to your head."

"You need not worry," Olivia burst out angrily. Sir Edwin gave her a hurt look.

"Now you are angry," he said. "I apologise if I have offended you, Miss Paige, nothing is further from me. I simply thought you might value an old friend's advice." His dejected look made Olivia feel sorry for him.

"I know you meant it kindly," she said.

Sir Edwin thanked her. "I hope you do not think I have selfish motives for speaking to you in such a way. I still care for you, Miss Paige – very much so – and I cannot bear to see you taken in by a set of fortune hunters."

"You need not worry," Olivia said once again. "No one is trying to take me in, I am sure."

There was a pause, while they were dancing. Finally, Sir Edwin said in an undertone Olivia did not quite like, "It was certainly very clever of Sir Felix Gordon to introduce you to his cousins."

The anger Olivia felt was now so intense that she was hardly able to restrain herself. What had Sir Felix done to deserve such a thing?

"Sir Edwin," Olivia said, aware of the fury in her voice, "if you really want to make me furious, please continue speaking ill of Sir Felix Gordon."

Sir Edwin apologised, but Olivia did not react to his attempts to make amends. Seeing that there was no point in trying to speak to Olivia any more, Sir Edwin took her back to Agnes after the dance was finished, and took his leave. Olivia was glad to see him go, and bade him good night icily. The offended look he gave her said more than words, but Olivia was determined not to give in. No one had the right to speak ill of Sir Felix in her presence without being punished for it. Even his long-standing friendship with Olivia's father could not protect Sir Edwin from her censure. Sir Felix, assisting fortune hunters in their attempts to secure the hand of an heiress? Ridiculous. Simply ridiculous. Or wasn't it? Angrily, Olivia waved the thought aside. There was nothing at all wrong with Sir Felix, and the only reason why Sir Edwin had spoken ill of him had been jealousy. He had admitted that he still cared for her, and of course he had noticed that both Captain and Mr Lennox had spent a great deal of time with her that evening. But whatever ends they had in view, Olivia was certain that Sir Felix did not assist them in any way.

~~VIII~~

When Olivia thought of Sir Edwin Arncott the next morning, her anger was still fresh. What had possessed him to act in the way he had done? He could not believe in earnest that she would allow him such interference – or even relish it. So what was his purpose in trying to discredit Sir Felix?

As she was sitting at the breakfast table with Agnes and Sir Felix, a servant came in and handed Olivia a beautiful bouquet of roses.

"Are these for me?" she asked, as she took the roses, and looked at the card attached to them. A surge of anger made her redden – which made Sir Felix misinterpret her reaction.

"Am I to ward off desperate suitors already, Olivia?" he teased, with a mischievous sparkle in his eyes.

Olivia, her eyes still fixed on the card, replied as calmly as she could, "No, Sir Felix, you need not. They are only from Sir Edwin."

Sir Felix laughed. "Only Sir Edwin? I am beginning to feel sorry for the fellow!" Olivia, thinking of what Sir Edwin had said the previous evening, told Sir Felix that she saw no reason why he should feel sorry for him.

"What does he say on his card?" Agnes enquired. Olivia handed the card to Agnes, and Agnes read it aloud.

"Dear Miss Paige, I hope you will accept both these roses and my apologies. I took liberties I thought I was entitled to as an old friend, the liberty to advise and warn you. I was wrong, and fully deserve your censure. I promise I will not do so again. Sir Edwin Arncott." Frowning, Agnes asked, "What liberties did he take, Olivia?"

"He acted as if he were my big brother," Olivia said. "He warned me not to be taken in by people's attempts to make themselves agreeable, and hinted that even in my own family there might be people more interested in their own benefit than in mine. I will not have him speak ill of people I like."

Sir Felix laughed. "This is indeed not the way to recommend oneself to a lady," he said.

"I told him so," Olivia said.

"I thought something was wrong yesterday evening," Agnes said pensively.

"I never thought anyone could be so….so patronising," Olivia said, contemptuously. "What am I to do with those flowers?"

"Put them in your room," Agnes said.

"Oh no, I won't," Olivia exclaimed. "I will have nothing of Sir Edwin's in my room."

This exclamation sent Sir Felix into a fit of laughter, but he recovered himself when he saw Olivia's offended glare.

"I am sorry," he said, still grinning. "This is not remotely funny, I know."

Agnes intervened calmly. "Leave the flowers with me then," she said. "It would be such a pity to throw them away!"

Olivia handed the bouquet to Agnes, and rose. "I have to go and put on my riding habit," she said with what dignity she could muster. "Susannah will call any moment." In going outside she passed the fireplace and threw Sir Edwin's card into the fire. She was not yet ready to forgive him.

~~~o~~~

Olivia had hardly finished dressing when there was a knock at the door and the butler came to tell her that Miss Lennox and her brothers were waiting for her outside.

"Miss Lennox and her brothers, you say?" Olivia asked. She had not been aware that anyone but Captain Lennox and his sister had been included in the scheme. But as she stepped out of the front door, she found Susannah, Captain and Mr Lennox waiting for her there, and they were all clad in riding dress.

Susannah was mounted on her horse, and greeted her with a radiant smile. Mr Lennox was holding the reins of both his own and Captain Lennox's animal, while Captain Lennox was waiting for her, holding the reins of a grey mare. After having greeted Olivia politely, he introduced the animal to her.

"This is Mabel," he said with a smile. "She belongs to my mother, but since my mother is not too keen on riding, she has very kindly let me borrow her for your purpose."

Mabel was eyeing Olivia suspiciously, as if she meant to ask what trick they were up to. Olivia was glad to have taken some pieces of sugar with her, one of which she gave Mabel as a token of friendship.

While Mabel was quite content munching her sugar, Captain Lennox assisted Olivia in getting into the saddle. There she sat, rigidly, holding onto the reins as if her life depended on it.

"Scared?" Captain Lennox asked kindly. "You need not be, you know – Mabel is a docile horse, and besides both my brother Adrian and I will be at your disposal, should anything unexpected happen." Olivia nodded, but could not help feeling anxious. She watched Captain Lennox and his brother mount their horses, hoping fervently that Mabel would stand still while they did so. Olivia was quite sure that, if Mabel should make a single move, she would die of fright. Luckily, Susannah came towards her, and said a few soothing words to her. Olivia gave her an appreciative smile.

"I hope you know what an effort I am making for you," she said.

Susannah smiled. "Seeing you look so desperate on this horse does give me a clue," she said. "I would not have asked it of you, had I known how afraid you really were."

"It cannot be helped now," Olivia said. "I will see it through."

"That's the spirit," Susannah said. "I have something very entertaining to tell you to cheer you up, by the way."

"But not now, Susannah," Captain Lennox said, taking his position next to Olivia. "Wait until Miss Paige is a bit more comfortable on horseback. It would be a grave mistake to distract her attention now."

"Admit it, you only want her attention to yourself," Susannah said laughingly, but then fell behind, joining her brother Adrian.

Olivia was glad when they reached the Park. It was not yet the fashionable hour for people to go horse riding, and therefore they had the park nearly to themselves. Gradually, Olivia began to feel more confident, and was surprised to find that she even enjoyed herself.

Susannah joined her again. "You are doing very well," she said approvingly. "Now, are you ready for my news?"

"Of course," Olivia said. "I am always ready for delightful news. What is it?"

"Mama has finally set the date for our ball," Susannah said. "It will be in mid-November. She has already begun to make the preparations. You cannot imagine how excited I am! What am I going to wear?"

"I was wondering when you would say that," Captain Lennox said with a grin. "Why is it that females always end up asking themselves that question?"

"Perhaps because they want appear to the best advantage?" Olivia asked. "It is easier for gentlemen – they need never worry. Tolerable looks and good breeding will always make them acceptable. But ladies will always be judged by their beauty, and especially by what they wear. – What do you have in mind, Susannah?"

Susannah then described, in detail, a gown she had seen in one of London's most fashionable shops. Then they met some friends of Captain Lennox's, and so the Captain and his sister fell behind again, while Olivia rode on, under Mr Lennox's supervision. Olivia did not know why, but she felt safer in Mr Lennox's care than in his brother's.

Mr Lennox's horse was magnificent, Olivia thought, although of course she was no judge of horseflesh. Yet she suspected the horse must have cost a great deal, and likely much more than Mr Lennox could have afforded.

"Is anything wrong?" Mr Lennox interrupted her musings.

Taken aback, Olivia asked, "No, why?"

"You look upset, Miss Paige."

"I am not," Olivia said.

Mr Lennox gave her one of his searching looks. "Good," he finally said. "I thought you were anxious, perhaps. Are you quite comfortable?"

"I am," Olivia said and smiled. "Surprising, isn't it?"

Mr Lennox laughed. "I am glad to hear it, though," he said. "Do you care for a gallop?"

"I had rather not, thank you," Olivia said. "It is a bit too early still, do you not think so?"

"I was only afraid you might be bored, Miss Paige," Mr Lennox said with a smile.

"How can anyone in constant fear of being thrown off one's horse be bored?" Olivia retorted.

"I thought you were comfortable?" Mr Lennox said.

"I am, but I do not want to gallop, sir," Olivia said.

Captain Lennox joined them again, telling Olivia how pleased he was with her progress, and expressing his hope that Miss Paige would soon outdo them all.

"As if," Olivia laughed. "Do you think I have not noticed what a breakneck rider you are, Captain Lennox?"

"He ought to be," Mr Lennox said dryly. "Being a cavalry officer."

"But even I had to learn riding once," Captain Lennox said. "You are a talented pupil, Miss Paige, and I wager you will be a breakneck rider, too, before long."

Olivia blushed. "I do not think I shall ever be," she said demurely.

Mr Lennox looked at her and smiled. "I have every confidence in your abilities, Miss Paige," he said.

~~~o~~~

Agnes's first contribution to London's social life was a dinner and card party in her home in Half Moon Street. She had invited her entire acquaintance – the Lennoxes, the Herveys, the Culverthorpes (though the Wesleys had been excluded), Sir Edwin Arncott, Mrs Somerville and Lord Swafford. Mr Farnham and some more of Sir Felix's friends were also included in the invitation.

All the guests arrived in time, and since no one had declined the invitation Agnes was greatly satisfied with her first appearance as a hostess.

At the dinner table, Olivia was seated next to Mr Lennox, a fact that pleased her very much. Her position at the table gave her a good view of Jane Hervey, who was sitting to the left of Lord Burnhope, and who seemed to enjoy herself very much.

"It is amazing how Jane blooms in Lord Burnhope's company," Olivia said approvingly. "Especially if one knows how shy she normally is!"

"Amazing, indeed," Mr Lennox said, casting a glance across the table. "Though why should she not? William is an amiable fellow, and not ill-looking either." He laughed. "Usually he is the shy one. He may relish the change. Depend on it, Miss Paige, if Jane Hervey were a saucy miss, he'd stay away from her. He cannot abide overconfident females."

Olivia noticed that Sir Edwin was staring at her across the table. Mr Lennox looked up and followed her gaze.

"Sir Edwin Arncott seems to have a problem," he said with a slight frown.

"He thinks it is his place to protect me," Olivia said lightly.

"From what, Miss Paige?"

"From evil people who prey on me," Olivia said with a laugh. "He thinks you are one of them."

Mr Lennox laughed.

"His strategy has its faults, however," Olivia continued. "Instead of feeling grateful, as he wished I might, I feel nothing but exasperation. He sets up my bristles by behaving as if her were my father, or an elder brother. I can take care of myself."

"I have no doubt you can," Mr Lennox said. "But, if I am not mistaken, Sir Edwin seems to admire you, Miss Paige."

"Which makes his tactical error even worse," Olivia said. "He acts as if he were my father or my brother – and one marries neither."

Mr Lennox burst out laughing.

"Do not laugh, sir," Olivia said strictly. "I am quite serious."

"So it seems," Mr Lennox said smilingly, boldly meeting Sir Edwin's disapproving glare. "Let us punish him, shall we?"

"Punish him?"

"For the effrontery he shows in supposing that you need him to take care of you," Mr Lennox said.

"What do you suggest?" Olivia asked, her eyes sparkling mischievously.

"Give him something to really worry about," Mr Lennox said.

"By flirting with you, Mr Lennox?" Olivia asked.

"I leave the choice with whom to flirt to you, Miss Paige," Mr Lennox said, smiling. "But let me assure you that I am most ready to be of assistance, should you wish it."

"As long as you are not serious about it," Olivia said.

Mr Lennox grinned. "Flirtation is never serious, as my brother Bernie would assure you, were he not sitting over there," he said. "You can trust me not to step across the limits of what is proper."

Olivia laughed.

"Well, what do you say, Miss Paige?" he asked.

"I think," Olivia said, giving Sir Edwin a challenging look across the table, "that Sir Edwin deserves some punishment."

~~~o~~~

After dinner, while the ladies were in the drawing room by themselves, Olivia took the chance to talk to Jane and Susannah. For once, Susannah seemed to refrain from teasing Jane about Lord Burnhope. Still, Olivia felt, Jane was not really attending to what anyone said, but seemed to be living in a world of her own. Her eyes were radiant, and there was a constant happy smile on her face. Olivia's heart went out to her. She suspected that Jane had tender feelings for Lord Burnhope, and hoped she would not be disappointed. Not that she believed even for one moment that Lord Burnhope was playing with her affection. No, it was more likely that he, being the modest man that he was, was not aware of them – and being as shy as he was, he would certainly need a great deal of encouragement, even if he returned Jane's feelings. It was a tricky situation, Olivia thought, and she felt that, if there were any way she could help, she would gladly do so.

When the gentlemen finally came into the drawing room, everyone took their place at the card tables. While the older generation preferred Whist, the younger set decided on a game of Speculation.

Olivia found herself at the card table, seated between Mr Lennox and Captain Lennox. Susannah, Jane, Lord Burnhope and Mr Farnham were keen to take part in the game, too. Lord Swafford seemed to be unsure which table he should honour with his presence.

"Lord Swafford," Susannah exclaimed. "Come, do take a seat next to me and play speculation with us! Such fun this will be!"

"I beg a thousand pardons, Miss Lennox," Lord Swafford replied, bowing. "But I am not fond of these round games – there is a great deal of noise, and yet they are a trifle…flat…and childish, I daresay."

"Indeed?" Susannah asked, undaunted. "If this is how you think, sir, you are well advised to play Whist with your aunt and the Ladies Culverthorpe and Hervey. I can vouch for their being as far from childish as one can be." She turned to her brother, saying with a dangerous glint in her eyes, "I am afraid Lord Swafford is too grown-up to play with us little ones."

"Oh, do not mark him," Mr Lennox said bitingly. "Lord Swafford considers card-games beneath him. Except for Faro, or so I have heard."

"Says the man who used to spend entire nights in various gaming hells," said Lord Swafford defiantly.

"True," Mr Lennox admitted with a bland smile. "But I, unlike others, always knew when to quit."

Lord Swafford stared at him for a moment, then turned on his heels and left.

Mr Lennox's comment had left Olivia speechless. Had he really always known when to stop playing? Could he really say so when he had fled the country because of some gaming debts he had been nearly unable to pay? Even now, she felt, he was living beyond his means. And yet there had been something like censure in his voice when he had talked to Lord Swafford. How could he condemn a man who did the same things as he had done? True, Swafford had insulted Susannah, and had deserved a rebuff. But did this give Mr Lennox the right to act like a paragon of virtue all of a sudden?

"Shall we start?" Mr Lennox asked Olivia, giving her a smile.

"Why, yes," Olivia said. "Unless there are some more players to join our table."

"It does not look like it," Lord Burnhope said. "Miss Hervey, may I offer my assistance? Knowing you and your kind heart, I am afraid you will not be able to stand up to my brothers' and sister's impetuosity."

Jane blushingly accepted his offer, and Olivia decided to keep an eye on the two of them for the rest of the evening – this might give her a clue as to what Lord Burnhope felt for Jane. Her emotions, Olivia thought, were most evident.

 Mr Farnham was the first one to deal, and as everyone turned their first card, it transpired that Olivia was in possession of the highest trump so far – the Queen of Hearts. Mr Lennox at once offered to buy it from her. Olivia laughed, and refused to sell it.

Mr Lennox made another offer – this time he had raised the price considerably. Olivia laughed again.

"Why are you so determined to have it?" she asked.

"The Queen of Hearts is said to be a lucky card," Mr Lennox said, with a smile.

"This makes you willing to pay any price for it?"

"Almost, Miss Paige."

"Even though you know that hearts cannot be bought?" Olivia asked, smiling brilliantly.

"The risk is mine, Miss Paige. Now, will you part with this card?"

"No, Mr Lennox."

He gave her a pleading, puppy-like look. "Not even for my sake, Miss Paige?"

"For your sake, Mr Lennox, I'll keep my hearts to myself," Olivia laughed.

"I seem to have lost my powers of persuasion," Mr Lennox remarked to his sister.

"Friendship means nothing at the card table, Adrian," Susannah said. "Olivia, I am sure you are as hardened a gambler as my brother."

"What has the world come to," Mr Lennox asked, with a sigh.

As the second card was turned, Captain Lennox found he had the King.

"Be glad Miss Paige did not sell her Queen," he said, with a grin. "You would have wasted your money, Adrian."

"Oh, I do not think being in possession of the Queen of Hearts would be a disadvantage," Mr Lennox said lightly, flashing a smile at Olivia. "No matter what the price may have been."

Not certain whether he was still talking about cards, Olivia blushed, and was unable to say anything.

Then Susannah burst into laughter.

"What is so funny, Susannah," Mr Lennox asked his sister.

"I am sure Sir Edwin Arncott is going to eat us," Susannah replied, still smiling. "Indeed, the look he gives us says more than words will ever tell."

"How strange. I wonder what we did to make him angry." Mr Lennox said, winking at Olivia. Olivia felt relieved. Mr Lennox's previous remark had been, if anything, a part of their scheme to punish Sir Edwin. Flirtation, nothing more – and flirtation, Olivia remembered, was "never serious". Somehow, this reassured her. She felt that, if Mr Lennox ever seriously tried to win her heart, he would consider the task easier than he had imagined. If only she could be certain that he was not a fortune hunter, instead of being sure that he was one, Olivia thought. If only he had a fortune of his own, or if, at least, she could be certain he cared for her and not her inheritance…

Nonsense, Olivia thought and turned her attention back to her cards. He is not seriously interested in me, and I should be glad about it. But, deep in her heart, Olivia knew that she was not.

~~IX~~

As Olivia was looking out of the window the next morning, the weather was so brilliant that she regretted not having an appointment to ride out with Susannah. She cursed herself even more for not having a prior engagement when Sir Edwin Arncott was announced – he was the very last person she wished to spend some time with. After having exchanged the usual pleasantries, Sir Edwin stated the reason for his visit – he wanted to take Olivia out in his curricle, if Lady Gordon had no objection. Agnes ignored Olivia's pleading look – whether on purpose or not, Olivia was unable to fathom – and was delighted with the idea.

"You were already complaining that none of your friends was available for a walk this morning, Olivia, and that you had no appointment," she said. "You said yourself what a pity it was to be sitting in the house in such weather as this, and what a waste of a lovely morning it was!"

Fine, Olivia thought bitterly. There goes another excuse I might have had. Thank you, Agnes. Just wait till I get home again.

Agnes left her no choice but to thank Sir Edwin for his kind offer, and to go and get dressed for going out with him, even though she did not want to.

While changing into her carriage dress, Olivia decided that she would try everything to discourage Sir Edwin's advances. What made him persevere was a mystery to her – she had never encouraged him, or had she? With a sigh, she put on her hat and went downstairs to meet Sir Edwin.

While driving to Hyde Park, Sir Edwin did not say much. The traffic demanded his undivided attention. When they entered the park, however, he turned to Olivia and said, "I had to meet you and speak to you alone, Miss Paige."

"I see no reason why you should, sir," Olivia replied coldly. "Whatever you may want to say to me can be said in company just as well, I am certain."

"Miss Paige!" By the look in Sir Edwin's eyes, Olivia could tell that she had managed to hurt him.

"I suppose you are still angry with me," he said with a sad smile. "If you but knew how often I have regretted to have spoken to you the way I had – and you seem to have ignored all my attempts to make amends. I admit I deserved what I got – it was wrong of me to speak ill of your host."

Beneath his outwardly calm demeanour, Olivia felt that he was greatly agitated. Soothingly, she said, "It was very wrong indeed, Sir Edwin, but speak no more of it. Let bygones be bygones."

"But I must speak of it," Sir Edwin replied, for one moment dropping his pretence of superior calmness. "I cannot…." He paused, and then continued more calmly. "I cannot bear you thinking ill of me, Miss Paige."

"I wish you will not dwell on it," Olivia said curtly.

For a while, none of them spoke. Each of them, it seemed, was lost in their own thoughts. Finally, Sir Edwin broke the silence by saying, "I wish you would heed my warnings, Miss Paige. It is quite clear to me that you do not, however – it pained me to witness Mr Lennox's marked attentions yesterday evening, especially since you seemed to encourage them."

Olivia laughed. "Sir Edwin, if you take Mr Lennox's flirtation seriously, I am afraid you are beyond help. Let me tell you that I do not. He amuses me, and I suppose I amuse him, and that is all there is to it."

Sir Edwin gave her a sidelong glance. "Are you certain?" he asked. "Mr Lennox may have plans of his own."

"Which do not include me, I am sure," Olivia said.

"Your innocence is charming, Miss Paige," Sir Edwin said and added, with a sigh, "It makes me wish I were in a position to protect you."

"Do I look as if I needed a protector?" Olivia laughed. "Believe me that Sir Felix Gordon is very well up to the task of shielding me from undesirable company – and so is my sister. Now before we are at odds again, Sir Edwin, I must beg you to either change the subject or take me home."

Sir Edwin obliged her by changing the topic – he had had a letter from Bradenham the previous day and was only too happy to share the news about their neighbourhood. In the end, Olivia reflected, the outing had not been so very bad, and she was glad that there had been some kind of reconciliation between them.

~~~o~~~

When she returned to Half Moon Street, however, Olivia felt cross when she found out that Mr Lennox had called while she had been away with Sir Edwin.

"Now do not look so angry that you missed him," Agnes laughed when she saw Olivia's expression. "He only dropped in to bid me a good morning, and then disappeared in the study with Felix."

"Still, he was here," Olivia said sullenly.

"I daresay it will not be the last time for him to call, so do not worry," Agnes said, with an amused smile.

Olivia blushed, wondering whether her feelings for Mr Lennox were so evident. Actually, she was not quite certain what her feelings for him were, but she had to admit that she was not indifferent to him. It was a dangerous situation, in a way. Mr Lennox was in need of money, and however decent he seemed to be, it was unlikely that he would not try to fix his interest with her, if he came to realise her tendre for him. Olivia had no objection to that - if only she could be sure that he was as fond of her as she was fond of him. The problem was that one could not be certain.

Olivia's musings were interrupted when Sir Felix entered the drawing room. Upon Agnes's enquiry whether his cousin had left already, he said, "Oh yes, he has. He only wanted my advice in a matter of business. I told him I did not feel quite up to advising him in business matters – and so he left. By the way, he invited us to join him at the theatre in a couple of days. There is the premiere of this play everyone is talking about – I have forgotten the title, but I am sure you know which one I mean – and Adrian has been so kind as to secure a box for us."

"You accepted the invitation?" Olivia asked.

"Of course I did. Should I not have done so?" Sir Felix asked. "I thought you might like it. But if you do not want to go, I shall tell Adrian, of course."

"We certainly do want to go," Agnes said. "To be seen at the premiere of a fashionable play can only do us good, after all. It will undoubtedly add to our consequence."

"Will it?" Sir Felix asked, with a laugh. "What a fool I was to think that you might enjoy going to the theatre!"

While Sir Felix continued teasing his wife, Olivia thought of what this invitation might cost Mr Lennox. The thought filled her with dismay. Why did he do this? Generosity was an amiable quality in a man, of course, but only in a man who could afford to be generous. In Mr Lennox, it was a fault. If he went on living beyond his means in such a way, he was travelling on the road to ruin – and he was travelling fast. Was there no means of stopping him?

~~~o~~~

During the following days, Sir Edwin took Olivia out two more times, and those outings were more pleasant than the first one. He avoided any statement which might give Olivia the impression that he was trying to patronise her, and only talked of things that he knew would interest her. He seemed determined to regain Olivia's friendship.

When Olivia was not out in Sir Edwin's curricle, she continued her riding lessons with Jane, Susannah and Captain Lennox – but unfortunately Mr Lennox was not with them. According to his brother, he was very busy, although Captain Lennox could not tell Olivia what kept him away from them. Olivia did not see Mr Lennox until he greeted his guests at the theatre.

She realised that, apart from Sir Felix, Agnes and herself, there were no more visitors in Mr Lennox's box.

"Aren't there any more guests, Mr Lennox?" Olivia asked her host, and he shook his head, smilingly.

"You see, I like to spend a comfortable evening with some select friends," he said. "I do not like squeezes, however."

Olivia laughed. "I ought to feel honoured, then, to be allowed into your select circle of friends."

"You may feel whatever you like, Miss Paige," Mr Lennox said.

"What about your sister? Is Susannah not fond of the theatre?" Olivia asked.

"She is, but she prefers comedies," Mr Lennox said. "Inviting her would have been quite pointless." He handed her a glass of wine. "I hope you will be able to enjoy the evening nevertheless," he said. "Even without Susannah."

"I think I am going to enjoy myself immensely," Olivia laughed. "I am very fond of the theatre, but I have never been to the theatre in London before." She had a look round. Elegant people were taking their places in the boxes – ladies in fashionable toilettes and gentlemen with an air of great importance.

"Can you tell me who else is here tonight?" she asked Mr Lennox. "I know some of these people, but certainly not all of them."

Mr Lennox took a seat next to her, and spent the following ten minutes pointing out various prominent members of London society to her. With a sigh, he stated that "all the world and his wife" seemed to be crowding in the theatre that evening.

"It is amazing," Olivia agreed. "Look at all these people! Such elegance, too!"

"Some of them are elegant," Mr Lennox said. "Others only want to be."

Olivia laughed. "You are malicious, Mr Lennox," she said.

"I admit I am, at times," he said.

"But why?"

"It is part of my nature, Miss Paige," Mr Lennox said. "But you may rest assured – I reserve my malice for people who have treated me ill." He smiled. "There is no need for you to fear me."

"I do not," Olivia said determinedly and decided to change the topic. "Your brother told me you were very busy last week."

Mr Lennox laughed. "But so were you," he said teasingly. "You were out with Sir Edwin Arncott very often, weren't you?"

"Not so very often," Olivia said defensively.

Mr Lennox laughed. "No, not so very often. Only three times last week. This is how rumours start."

"Sir Edwin Arncott is a good friend of my father's," Olivia said resolutely. "I am not doing anything improper in letting him take me out in his curricle."

"No, indeed you are not," Mr Lennox said, grinning. "Going out with Arncott is perfectly safe. He is not even in danger of overturning his carriage. Too sedate. Tell me, Miss Paige – does he bore you very much?"

"Mr Lennox! What an abominable question!"

"I am sorry," Mr Lennox said, unrepentant. "So you are bored."

Olivia chuckled. "I am at times, I confess," she said.

"That can be remedied, you know," Mr Lennox said. "Next time Sir Edwin comes to pick you up, tell him you have a prior engagement."

"How can I when I haven't?" Olivia exclaimed.

Mr Lennox smiled. "That can be remedied, too," he said. "Susannah has told me that your riding lessons are going very well."

"Oh yes," Olivia said. "I even tried to gallop once."

"Congratulations, Miss Paige. You will end up as an excellent horsewoman, just wait and see. Would you feel up to a longer ride already?"

"It depends on how far one would wish to go," Olivia said.

"How about Richmond?" Mr Lennox asked. "A friend of mine owns a house there. We could ride there, go for a walk in the park, have some refreshment at his place and go back home. What do you say? Shall we make use of this fine weather while it lasts?"

Olivia sighed. "It sounds like a wonderful scheme," she said. "Yet I do not feel up to it." The regret was evident in her voice and her countenance.

"I could take you there in my phaeton, if you like," Mr Lennox said.

"That sounds better," Olivia said, her eyes glowing. "Will Susannah and Jane come with us, too?"

"Certainly, if you wish them to," Mr Lennox said. "I will also ask my brother William, Felix and Lady Gordon. Your sister is a horsewoman, is she not?"

"Oh yes, and quite a keen one," Olivia said. "She will be delighted, I am sure. Will Captain Lennox join us, too?"

Mr Lennox laughed. "I do not think so. Bernie has never been fond of Daltrey – my friend in Richmond – so he may stay out of his way."

Olivia would have wanted to ask some more questions, but at that moment the curtain rose, and she had to defer her enquiries for the time being.

The play was well worth seeing, she thought. The actors' performance was brilliant, and the play itself was exciting. Olivia watched the proceedings on the stage, fascinated.

At times she noticed that Mr Lennox was not really concentrating on what happened on the stage, but was looking at her instead. When he realised that she returned his gaze, he gave her an unabashed smile, one of the sort that one had to return.

During the intermission, Mr Lennox suggested his Richmond scheme to Sir Felix and Agnes. Just as Olivia had foreseen, they were delighted with it, and the day after the next was fixed for the excursion.

The door to their box was opened, and Mrs Somerville and Lord Swafford were admitted. Their conversation was not half as entertaining as Mr Lennox's, Olivia thought. She answered their platitudes automatically, and hoped they would leave soon. Before they did, however, Olivia had the pleasure of meeting some of Lord Swafford's friends, who were as boring a set as she had expected them to be. Finally, the Swafford party left the box, and the play went on. The rest of the evening was very pleasant, Olivia thought. Apart from the play, which had been most entertaining, the prospect of going to Richmond in Mr Lennox's phaeton was appealing and did much to make her feel cheerful. Olivia could not deny that she was very much looking forward to it. Hopefully the weather would not prevent their outing.

~~~o~~~

The next morning, it did indeed look as if their trip to Richmond would have to be postponed. It was raining, and Olivia looked out of the window, vainly searching for a blue speck in the sky. Agnes watched her with the same amused smile that Olivia had seen rather often recently.

"Do you think it will stop raining soon?" Olivia asked her sister.

"I do not know," Agnes replied. "It does not look like it at the moment, does it?"

"But it must stop," Olivia exclaimed. "I want to go to Richmond tomorrow!"

Agnes laughed. "In that case, I am certain the weather will improve," she said teasingly.

The butler opened the door and announced Mrs Somerville.

"I wonder what she wants," Agnes said while they got up from their seats to receive their visitor.

"Knowing Mrs Somerville, I suppose she will want to share some gossip," Olivia said, resolving herself to her fate.

"I shall order some refreshment," Agnes said. "One should not share gossip with Mrs Somerville without having some sustenance. Besides, having our mouths full will excuse us from having to answer."

This nearly made Olivia laugh, and she struggled hard to keep her countenance when Mrs Somerville entered the room.

They spent the first quarter of an hour talking about yesterday's play, and then Mrs Somerville turned to the real purpose of her visit. Apparently, she had heard rumours concerning Olivia and Sir Edwin Arncott.

"Lady Hervey asked me whether it is a case between the two of you, my dear," she said. "I told her I did not know – and even if I did, what makes that woman presume I would tell her?"

The fact that you would not hesitate telling your whole acquaintance, I suppose, Olivia thought.

"Well, but I thought, being your godmother, I might ask you whether there is any truth in those rumours," Mrs Somerville said. "I am in your mother's place, in a way, and you might want my advice."

"There is no truth whatsoever in these rumours, Mrs Somerville," Olivia said. "Except that Sir Edwin took me out in his curricle a couple of times last week."

"Oh dear," Mrs Somerville said. "My dear, you must be careful, I entreat you! People talk, you know! I am sure it was a perfectly harmless affair, but you know those gossipmongers!"

"Indeed I do," Olivia said. "But I did not believe even the worst gossipmongers would find any fault with Sir Edwin Arncott, who is a model of respectability."

"So he is," Mrs Somerville agreed, "and I do not doubt it would be an excellent match if you were to marry, yet I think you could do better. Do not waste your time by bestowing too much attention on inconsequential country squires and younger sons, my dear!"

"Such as?" Olivia asked, outwardly calm but seething with anger.

"The Lennoxes, of course. They are excellent and charming men, each of them, there is no denying it. Good family, too, but I would hate to see you end up following Captain Lennox to India or wherever he means to go, when you could be of first consequence here in London, my dear! Such a waste it would be!"

"Thank you for your well-meant advice, Mrs Somerville," Olivia said icily. "I shall keep it in mind."

Apparently pleased, Mrs Somerville then invited them to a rout party at her house, and promised Olivia that she would meet people of consequence there. Olivia did not trust herself to speak to her godmother in a polite way, and left the conversation to Agnes. Both sisters were glad to see Mrs Somerville go.

"My godmother's intentions are quite obvious," Olivia said, standing at the window and watching Mrs Somerville walk towards Piccadilly. "She wants me to marry Lord Swafford. I wonder how desperately in need of money he is?" she added acidly.

"Is he in need of money?" Agnes asked. "I would not know."

"Mr Lennox hinted at it. He said Lord Swafford was fond of Faro and did not know when to stop playing."

"Then I daresay he is right," Agnes said.

"You like Mr Lennox, don't you?" Olivia asked.

"Who would not?" Agnes asked. "Felix is very fond of him, and besides he saved your life. He does not need any more to recommend him, in my opinion."

Olivia wondered whether Sir Felix had ever told Agnes the whole truth about his cousin. If he had, would Agnes still like him as much as she evidently did? If not, what was Sir Felix's purpose in concealing the truth from his wife? Olivia banished this train of thought. Instead, she turned her attention to the weather again, which looked more promising now than it had done half an hour earlier. Perhaps they would be able to go to Richmond the next day after all.

~~X~~

Someone seemed to have paid attention to Olivia's prayers – even though there was a cool mist in the morning, it cleared up as the time for their outing to Richmond approached, and Olivia was happy that their trip would take place after all. The sun was shining, and it promised to be a fine day, perhaps the last one that year.

They were all to meet in Half Moon Street, to have breakfast before leaving. Mr Lennox, Susannah, Jane and Lord Burnhope were a merry addition to their party. Even Jane appeared to be a bit more outgoing than usual, and responded to Susannah's teasing with some kind of repartee. Lord Burnhope, it seemed, had a beneficial influence on her. Susannah tried to convince Olivia that she would be much better off if she joined the riders.

"It is so much more fun, you know," she said. "Do change your mind and ride to Richmond, Olivia! I am sure Adrian would not mind."

"I cannot change my mind now that Mr Lennox has already prepared everything," Olivia said. "Make him send his horses and phaeton back? It would be intolerably rude, after putting him to all that trouble. No, Susannah, I am afraid you will have to do without me."

"You tell her, Miss Paige," Mr Lennox said. He had listened to Susannah's pleading attentively, but had not taken part in their discussion so far. "It will not do to deprive me of such pleasant company, Susannah. It is an un-gentlemanlike thing to do."

Susannah laughed. "There is one fault in your reasoning, Adrian," she said teasingly. "I am not a gentleman. There is a different code of honour for us ladies."

"You have got a point," Mr Lennox said with a hint of laughter in his voice. "I forgot that ladies get away with everything."

"Not with everything, Mr Lennox," Olivia said, laughingly. "Do not scold your sister too much, sir. I am sure she means well."

"No, she does not," Mr Lennox said dryly. "She is just selfish. But so am I, and when our selfishness collides, I am bound to win."

"And here I thought you were trying to please me," Olivia said with a laugh. "What a foolish assumption!"

Smilingly, Mr Lennox replied, "We do want to please you, Miss Paige – even more so since it pleases us."

When they had finished breakfast, the party set out towards Richmond – Lord Burnhope and Sir Felix on horseback with Agnes, Susannah and Jane, and Mr Lennox in his phaeton with Olivia. Before he started, he took great care that Olivia was safely wrapped up in some warm blankets, and that she was comfortable.

"Tell me more about your friend, Mr Lennox," Olivia said as they drove through the streets of London.

"Which one, Miss Paige?" Mr Lennox asked. "I have many friends."

"The one we are going to visit today," Olivia said. "Mr Daltrey."

"Colonel Daltrey," Mr Lennox said.

"Oh! He is an army gentleman, then?" Olivia asked.

"He used to be," Mr Lennox said. "But he is no longer in active service. Daltrey was severely wounded in Waterloo, and has been an invalid ever since."

"The poor man!" Olivia exclaimed. "I do hope our visit will not disturb him!"

"No, it will not," Mr Lennox said. "On the contrary, I am certain it will do him good. Daltrey does not go into company very often, Miss Paige – he says no one wants to be confronted with a cripple when they want to enjoy themselves."

"Such nonsense," Olivia said.

"I told him exactly the same thing," Mr Lennox said with a sad smile. "Besides, his state of health is not so bad. He walks lamely, and needs a stick to support him when he wants to take a longer walk. But he was lucky – he is in possession of all his limbs, good-looking and good-humoured. There is no need for him to hide. I know men who are worse off than him."

"Is Colonel Daltrey a married man?" Olivia asked.

"No, he is not. He lives in Richmond with his mother and Mrs Fielding, his sister. They are both widowed – Fielding was a soldier, too. Killed in action."

"Waterloo?" Olivia guessed.

"Ligny, to be exact," Mr Lennox said. "Daltrey has always felt it very keenly that he should survive while his brother-in-law did not."

"Does Mrs Fielding have any children?"

"No, she does not, unfortunately. Her children could be a comfort to her, in a way. As it is, she has grown extremely melancholy, and her depression adds to her brother's."

"Some families seem to be prone to misfortune," Olivia said quietly. "No wonder Colonel Daltrey is out of spirits."

"He simply needs to be cheered up," Mr Lennox said determinedly. "I am trying my best to do so. To visit him with a merry party is just one means of doing so."

Olivia smiled. It did Mr Lennox credit that he tried to help his friend.

"Do you see Colonel Daltrey often?" she asked.

"As often as I can," Mr Lennox said. "He is one of my best friends – one of the few who have proved to be friends in difficult times as well."

"I am looking forward to meeting him," Olivia said. "He seems to be an interesting gentleman."

"You will like him, I am sure," Mr Lennox said.

They drove on, and for a while there was silence. Olivia paid more attention to her surroundings than her companion, and he seemed to be deep in thought as well. Then, Mr Lennox remarked on the fine weather, and expressed his hope that there would be more days like this one to be had before winter came.

"Have you got used to the English climate by now?" Olivia asked him. "It is quite different to Italy, I presume."