The Fortune Hunter

Part XVI

Mr. Lennox called in Half Moon Street very often in the days to follow. Sometimes he was accompanied by his sister and Colonel Daltrey, but more often he was on his own. Olivia loved his visits, loved the way he sat and talked with her about every conceivable topic, and it was evident that he enjoyed those visits too.

One day, he noticed Olivia had been reading Belzoni's description of his travels in Egypt and Nubia, and asked her whether she knew that there was, at the moment, an exhibition of some of Belzoni's finds in the Egyptian Hall.

"Is there?" Olivia beamed. "I did not know, or I would have plagued Agnes and Sir Felix to take me there! They would have done so, I suppose, but would they have enjoyed it?"

Mr. Lennox laughed. "I could take you there, if you really wish to see it," he suggested. The glitter in his eyes told Olivia that he would enjoy doing so.

"I thought you did not care for Egypt," Olivia said, teasingly.

"I never said so," Mr. Lennox said, frowning.

"You did -- do you remember when we were at Somerset House? You said then you would not wish to go there. The climate was not to your taste, if I remember correctly."

He laughed. "I cannot use the climate as an excuse if I only have to walk down Piccadilly to see some Egyptian artefacts, Miss Paige," he said, still grinning. "I certainly never said I was not interested in ancient Egypt, for I am. - If you want to, I shall ask my sister and Daltrey to join us."

"That would be nice," Olivia said. "I'd enjoy this very much!"

The next day, Olivia found herself in front of the Egyptian Hall with Mr. Lennox, Susannah and Colonel Daltrey. The building was built in the style of an ancient Egyptian temple -- or what the architect had thought an Egyptian temple looked like. It was impressive - two large columns lined the entrance, and two monumental statues flanked a window on the first floor. Olivia had often passed the museum, but she had not been inside the building yet -- Sir Felix had told her that "nothing interesting was to be seen there".

On entering the museum, Olivia found out that obviously her opinion differed vastly from Sir Felix's -- she found the exhibits very interesting, and since she wanted to have a close look at everything, Colonel Daltrey and Susannah were soon far ahead of her and Mr. Lennox. Mr. Lennox did not seem to regret this fact, however, on the contrary -- he patiently listened to Olivia's exclamations of delight, answered her questions, and smiled at her enthusiasm.

Finally they came to the part of the exhibition dedicated to the tomb of Pharaoh Seti I. Olivia had read about it in Signor Belzoni's book, but to see with her own eyes what had been found there -- copies of the murals, the statues, and other artefacts -- was overwhelming.

"Isn't it beautiful?" she breathed, looking around her.

Mr. Lennox agreed with her. "There is something fascinating about these paintings," he said.

"You are right," Olivia said quietly. "They are fascinating -- and even frightening. Look at these ... what are they? Gods? Demons?" She pointed at one creature, with a human body and the head of a jackal.

"I am not much into Egyptian mythology," Mr. Lennox said, smilingly, "and we do not know much about it, either, but he looks like some kind of guide -- a protector. No need to be frightened of him, if this is true."

"Hm," Olivia said. "Do you think we will ever know what he was?"

"We might," Mr. Lennox said. "Once we are able to decipher what the Egyptians wrote down, that is."

"Do you think that will be possible?" Olivia asked incredulously.

"There is one key," Mr. Lennox said. "The Rosetta Stone. I have read somewhere that a gentleman in France is trying to decipher the hieroglyphics based on the texts on that stone."

"There is one problem, though," Olivia said. "How are we to understand a language that no one has spoken for centuries? Does that gentleman understand ancient Egyptian? Or do you think the Egyptians were so obliging as to write their texts in French?"

Mr. Lennox gave a shout of laughter that earned him a reprimanding look from an elderly lady standing near them.

"That is no problem of mine, thank God," he said, still smiling. "You see why I prefer digging in Pompeii? I have no difficulty in deciphering Roman texts --I understand the language they are written in."

"And there is a volcano nearby, which might erupt any moment," Olivia said earnestly, "That may add to the excitement."

"Now that you have mentioned it, yes, that is another point worth considering," Mr. Lennox said with a smile.

"What is behind that screen over there," Olivia asked. "Do you know?"

"Mummies," Mr. Lennox said. "We will not look at them, if you are frightened."

"Why should I be frightened?" Olivia asked indignantly. "I want to see them -- unless it is you who is afraid. I will spare your nerves, sir."

"Very well," Mr. Lennox said with a grin. "But do not say you have not been warned. If you faint, you shall be the one responsible."

"I never faint," Olivia said determinedly, and stepped towards the screen that separated the mummies from the rest of the exhibition.

Seeing the mummies did make Olivia feel slightly sick, but her pride forbade her to admit it to her companion. Somehow Mr. Lennox seemed to guess, however, because he did not linger in that part of the exhibition for long but took her outside soon. They met Susannah and Colonel Daltrey at the exit, and the Colonel remarked on Olivia's paleness.

"Your face looks quite green, Miss Paige," he said. "Are you unwell?"

"It must have been the heat in the museum," Olivia said. "For a moment, I was feeling quite faint, but I am feeling better now."

"Oh yes, the heat was quite unbearable," Mr. Lennox said, with a wink at her.

"So you felt it, too!" Olivia said, her gaze daring him to contradict her.

"That was why I took you outside, Miss Paige," he simply replied, calmly.

The entire group went back to Half Moon Street then, where they went in to call on Agnes and Sir Felix. There they decided to meet again in the evening at Almack's (to Sir Felix's great dismay), and finally left Olivia to recover from Mr. Lennox's teasing ways.

Olivia realised that many eyes were on her when she entered the assembly rooms at Almack's that evening. Even though she was not prone to praising herself too highly, this time she felt that she was in particularly good looks, and decided that this had to be the reason why so many glances were directed at her. Near the entrance she saw Lord Swafford, who ignored her pointedly, but Olivia did not care. If Lord Swafford chose to act in such a childish manner, it only confirmed her opinion of him -- and to worry about him would have given his odious behaviour more importance than he deserved.

Mr. Lennox arrived with Lady Burnhope and his sister soon afterwards, and asked Olivia to dance the first two dances with him. Olivia happily complied -- she had been looking forward to dancing with him all day.

"Have you fully recovered, Miss Paige," he asked her as he took Olivia to join the set.

"Recovered?" Olivia asked, pretending not to know what he was talking about.

"The heat in the Egyptian Museum," Mr. Lennox said with a mischievous sparkle in his eyes.

"Oh yes," Olivia said, smiling. "Is it not strange that it should affect me so? After all it was you who said he did not like the Egyptian climate?"

Mr. Lennox laughed. "I hope you enjoyed yourself nevertheless," he said.

"Very much so -- it was extremely interesting," Olivia said.

"You are one of the few ladies I know who are not bored when they go to a museum," Mr. Lennox said with a smile.

"Surely there are many," Olivia said.

"Strangely enough, no," Mr. Lennox answered.

"But we saw many ladies today," Olivia pointed out.

"They do attend museums," Mr. Lennox said, "because it is a fashionable thing to do. But just ask them what they have seen afterwards -- they will not be able to answer that question in a satisfactory way."

"I am afraid your opinion of the ladies is not very favourable," Olivia said.

"I have a very good opinion of some ladies, however," Mr. Lennox said, looking into her eyes. Olivia blushed. Was this his way of telling her that she meant more to him than other ladies? She decided against it -- he had talked of some ladies, not one lady.

Olivia's next partner was Captain Lennox. She had not seen him ever since Lady Burnhope's ball. It was still embarrassing to think of that fateful evening, but Captain Lennox's remark that they had not seen for a while forced her to do so.

"You were not in town, Captain," Olivia said simply.

"And when I returned, you were very busy," Captain Lennox said with a smile. "Or so my brother tells me."

Olivia was not quite sure what he meant with that. "Why did you follow your brother to Gloucestershire?" she suddenly asked.

He did not answer her question immediately, but gave her a curious look.

"I am sorry," Olivia stammered. "It was rude of me -- it is certainly none of my business."

"I do not see why I should keep it a secret, though," Captain Lennox said. "I had something important to tell him. Besides, I owe him something."

For a while, none of them said anything. Then Olivia asked, hesitantly, "Did... did it have something to do with me and... my notion of Mr. Lennox?"

"Among other things, Miss Paige," Captain Lennox said. "But a great deal had to be cleared between my brother and me. We never had the chance to talk everything over, until now."

"And now?" Olivia asked.

"Everything that needed to be said has been said," Captain Lennox said earnestly. "We are still far from a happy ending, but we are working on it. We talked about things -- that was a start."

"I never suspected there was anything wrong between Mr. Lennox and you," Olivia said.

"You have known my brother for long enough now," Captain Lennox said earnestly, "to realise that he is a very cautious man. He is not one to show his feelings -- not until he feels safe about doing so. Knowing him the way I do, I could see that something was wrong with him -- while you, not being well acquainted with him, could not."

"I am glad to hear that you are no longer at odds with each other," Olivia said with a smile.

"So am I. I wanted to clear this matter before I leave for India."

"You are serious about going there, then?" Olivia asked.

"More serious than ever," Captain Lennox said. "I am going to leave soon -- in February, to be precise."

"Your family will be very unhappy when you leave," Olivia said.

"They will not miss me too much," Captain Lennox said with a laugh. "There will be enough to keep them occupied without my getting into trouble every two weeks. Did you not realise I am the black sheep of my family?"

"No," Olivia said. "I never thought of you as a black sheep, sir."

Captain Lennox gave her a grateful smile, and took her back to her sister, who was sitting with Lady Burnhope, talking about the Christmas festivities at Wetherham Priory. Olivia listened to their discussion eagerly, trying to find out what Lady Burnhope planned for their visit, but was soon addressed by Sir Edwin Arncott, who asked her to dance with him. Reluctantly, Olivia allowed him to take her to the dance floor.

In an accusatory tone, Sir Edwin said, "You have been avoiding me lately, Miss Paige."

"I do not think I have, Sir Edwin," Olivia said quietly. "Not deliberately."

"Then you have simply found more amusing company than me," Sir Edwin insisted.

Angrily, Olivia retorted, "Sir Edwin, I am in no way obliged to retire from society. If my friends call on me, I receive them."

"You did not receive me yesterday, Miss Paige. Am I no longer a friend?"

"I am beginning to think so," Olivia said bitingly. "Your petty jealousies are beginning to repulse me."

"I am repulsive?" Sir Edwin exclaimed, with a furious look in his eyes.

"Your behaviour is, at times," Olivia said, suddenly feeling sorry for him. "It exasperates me, and I abhor being exasperated."

They danced for a while without saying anything -- Olivia was glad she was not obliged to say anything, and Sir Edwin was clearly fuming.

Towards the end of the dance, however, he seemed to have calmed down sufficiently to speak to her in an appropriate manner.

"I am very sorry for having exasperated you, Miss Paige," he said, showing a meekness Olivia was not accustomed to. "I will try to mend my ways. I know there is no chance for me ... what I mean is, forgive me for still trying to be more to you than just a friend. Will you do me the honour of letting me drive you to the park tomorrow?"

"Sir Edwin, I am not sure this will be any good," Olivia said. "Lately, whenever we met our encounters turned out to be hurtful for both of us. It would be more prudent to avoid meetings, instead of seeking them."

"One more time, Miss Paige," Sir Edwin said quietly, with a pleading look. "For old times' sake."

Olivia sighed. She did not feel comfortable about this. Why did Sir Edwin insist on another meeting, even if it clearly hurt him so much to see her? She did not wish to upset him, however, and so she gave in. She would let him take her to the park one last time -- and try to make him see reason. The less they saw of each other in the future, the better it would be for both of them.

Part XVII

Sir Edwin, you must see this is useless. I am exceedingly sorry to hurt you like this, but you must see reason. I do not love you, and never will. -- No, this is no good. Try something else.

Olivia was lying in bed, trying to prepare a speech to make Sir Edwin understand why she did not want to see him any more.

Sir Edwin, the fact that you are a friend of my father's makes me extremely reluctant to hurt you, but you must understand... - No. No good either.

Olivia sighed. Was there no way to make Sir Edwin see reason?

Your devotion to me is flattering, Sir Edwin, but it is not welcome. I am in love with someone else.

That, Olivia thought, might have some effect -- but whether it would be the desired effect was uncertain. Sir Edwin, she felt, was fully conscious of her preference for Mr. Lennox. He was not stupid -- he had noticed that something stronger than friendship was between them. At Almack's, he had been barely able to hide his jealousy. A confirmation of his conjectures, Olivia suspected, would be to no avail.

I should not have consented to another meeting, she thought. I have a feeling of danger -- though I don't know why I should. Sir Edwin has never behaved in an inappropriate manner. He is respectable. Even Papa trusts him! Surely I am wrong!

Still, those fears haunted her for a while. Something had been wrong with Sir Edwin and his behaviour that evening, but Olivia could not quite put her finger on what it was. Finally, she attributed her doubts to the fact that she wanted something to be wrong with him, so that her rejection of his suit could be justified. With this, she managed to soothe herself sufficiently to go to sleep.

There was nothing in Sir Edwin's manner to cause the slightest alarm when he called in Half Moon Street the next morning. He was courteous as always, treated Agnes with the greatest respect, and promised her that he would guard her sister with his life.

"Are you afraid anything might happen to her?" Agnes asked, with a smile.

"Not while she is with me, I promise," Sir Edwin simply said. "There is no thing on earth as precious to me as Miss Paige."

Olivia blushed. She wished he had not said that -- it made matters so much more complicated.

"Do not forget we have to pay a call on Mrs. Somerville later," Agnes said to Olivia. "Try to be back in time."

Olivia then took leave of her sister, and Sir Edwin took her to his curricle that was waiting outside. Everything was as it should be, Olivia noticed with a certain amount of relief. There was nothing to be afraid of. Sir Edwin was most solicitous -- he made sure she was comfortable, wrapped her up in furs and blankets, and was just as he ought to be. As they entered the Park at the main gates, Olivia began to relax and leant back in her seat, intending to enjoy this outing as much as possible. Nothing seemed suspicious to her now -- until Sir Edwin suddenly went for another gate and the carriage left the park at full speed.

"Sir Edwin," Olivia said, tentatively, "where are we going?"

"We are going to visit a friend of mine," Sir Edwin said. Even though there was nothing in his tone that might suggest any danger, Olivia realised that she was in peril. Sir Edwin had a plan, obviously.

"Where is this friend of yours, Sir Edwin?" Olivia asked.

"You'll see," Sir Edwin simply answered.

"Is he ... does he live in London?"

"No, he does not. He is in the country," Sir Edwin said. A chill ran down Olivia's spine. This could not be true -- Sir Edwin could not be in earnest. He could not be trying to abduct her -- this was madness!

"Sir Edwin," she said as calmly as she could manage, "I want you to set me down at once. This is not funny."

"It is not meant to be funny," Sir Edwin said coolly. "I am afraid you will be obliged to accompany me."

"Accompany you? Into the country? For what purpose?" Olivia asked, although she felt she already knew the answer.

"To be married," Sir Edwin answered.

"I do not remember ever having consented to a marriage," Olivia said coldly.

"Your wishes, Miss Paige, are a matter of great indifference to me," Sir Edwin simply said. "I would have preferred to go about this in the conventional way, of course, but you left me no choice. Because marry me you will."

"I shan't," Olivia hissed.

"Sooner or later you will," Sir Edwin said coldly. "You can find out about it the hard way, if you choose -- however, things would be much easier for you if you cooperated. Make your choice, Miss Paige."

Somehow, Olivia thought, she had to make Sir Edwin change his mind. He was clearly deranged, and her instinct had not betrayed her -- she should have paid more attention to her forebodings.

"Sir Edwin," she said, "you cannot believe that my father would consent to this match."

"He already has consented to it," Sir Edwin said. "It is true, he may have had a marriage under different circumstances in mind -- so did I -- but I am afraid I cannot wait until that Lennox fellow snatches you away from me. You'll marry me today -- or tomorrow, at the latest. I am not going to leave you another choice."

Olivia hoped that he did not mean what he had said. She would never have thought that he would force his... attentions on a lady. On the other hand, he wanted to force her to marry him, so perhaps he was quite as capable of doing that. Olivia shivered. The mere thought that Sir Edwin would touch her was repulsive.

Sir Edwin gave her a sideways glance, taking in her reaction. "You are perfectly safe with me," he said, and added, as an afterthought, "as long as you do what I tell you."

They had, by now, reached a part of town Olivia was completely unacquainted with. She kept scanning the streets for a familiar face, someone she could call out to for assistance, but she saw no one. Even if, by some chance, Sir Edwin were obliged to stop, even if she managed to escape -- how could she ever get back to Half Moon Street? The few coins she had in her reticule would not take her anywhere, and in these streets, it was highly unlikely that she would keep her purse with her for long.

Suddenly, a young man caught her eye. He looked familiar -- and as the carriage passed him, she recognised him. It was Luca, Mr. Lennox's valet. How he had got here, she did not know, but she had never before been so grateful to see a servant.

She turned around, and called out his name.

"Luca! Luca, help me! Help!"

She saw the young man turn towards her, and saw the puzzled look on his face, when Sir Edwin slapped her across her mouth.

"Scream as much as you want, make an exhibition of yourself, do," he said with a sneer. "But it won't help, will it? Even if that fellow remembers who you are, and goes to tell Gordon that he has seen you with me -- no one will know where we have gone. Just face it -- resistance is useless."

"I never thought you would strike a lady," Olivia said contemptuously.

"You are wrong. If you deserve it, I shall strike you," Sir Edwin said. "One piece of advice I can give you -- do not vex me. I am sure I can make you an amiable husband, as long as you do as you are told."

"And if I do not?"

"You shall find out what happens then," Sir Edwin simply said.

Meanwhile, they had left the town. Olivia had no idea where they were -- the terrain was completely unknown to her. She supposed they were going east -- had Sir Edwin turned in any other direction, she might have known the villages surrounding London. Since there was no way of escape at the moment, Olivia decided to pretend giving in to her fate. Maybe this would serve to distract Sir Edwin's attention, and she would be able to escape later on. The horses would need some rest soon, and even though Sir Edwin did not seem to care what became of her, he did seem to care about his horses.

"Will we be married today?" she asked Sir Edwin, trying to distract him.

"If all goes well, we will," Sir Edwin replied. "So you have seen that any resistance on your part is useless?"

"You have made it very plain to me," Olivia said. "Where are we going to be married?"

"A friend of mine holds a living in Essex," Sir Edwin said. "He is going to marry us."

So they were going east, Olivia thought.

"I trust you have obtained a special licence," she said. "Otherwise, your friend will not be able to marry us."

"I have everything that is needed, Miss Paige, do not fear," Sir Edwin said.

"I have nothing to wear," Olivia said, after a while.

Sir Edwin cast a contemptuous glance at her.

"It may sound strange to you, sir, but I have always thought I should have a dress made especially for my wedding. Instead I shall be married in a travel-stained carriage dress. A lowering thought, sir, you will have to admit."

Sir Edwin smiled. "I have taken precaution as to that," he said. "You will get the chance to put on something more suitable for the occasion."

"It seems you have given this adventure some thought, sir," Olivia said coldly.

"Most certainly. Such matters as this need to be planned thoroughly."

"May I ask you something, Sir Edwin?" Olivia asked.

"That depends on the question, Miss Paige," he said.

"Why are you doing this? You cannot love me -- you would not hurt me if you did."

"You are right, I do not love you," Sir Edwin said. "I never have. But you possess something I desperately need."

"My fortune." Olivia said dryly. So her father had been mistaken. At least one thing we can be sure of -- Sir Edwin is not a fortune hunter, he had said when she had rejected Sir Edwin's proposal.
"How have you been able to keep your desperate financial situation from my father, sir? You know he would never approve of our marriage if he knew."

"I do know, and this is what makes it so imperative for me to marry you at once. Your father has found out at last, and has made it plain to me that my suit is no longer welcome."

"But my father has not dropped a single word," Olivia said, wonderingly.

"That was only a question of time," Sir Edwin said. "I hurried to London to be there before his letter. I guess your sister received it today."

Agnes. Olivia thought of what her sister would be going through at the moment, and tears welled up in her eyes. Poor Agnes! How she would suffer! Olivia could imagine Agnes's self-reproach, her misery, the feeling that she had not protected her younger sister enough. Perhaps there would still be a chance to get away...

An hour later, Olivia found herself in an inn in a tiny village in Essex. The landlady had taken her upstairs to a room, where a trunk of clothes was waiting for her, and assisted her in putting on another dress. It did not matter to Olivia what she wore -- she did not want to be married, and had no wish to look beautiful for a bridegroom she detested, a man who had abducted and mistreated her. Before he had let her go upstairs to wash and change her dress, he had reminded her of her situation, had told her that this village was far from the main road, that she knew no one around there, and that she would be found very soon if she made any effort to escape. He had told her that any such attempt would seriously displease him -- and that she would not want to see him in a fit of temper. Olivia was quite certain of that.
Her only way of protesting against the treatment he afforded her was to take her time to get ready. By the time she had finished dressing, he had already knocked at the door three times demanding to know what she was about.

"Quite impatient, your sweetheart is," the landlady had said with a knowing smile. "He can't wait to be married, eh?"

"How do you know he wants to be married?" Olivia asked, surprised.

"He sent one of my lads for the parson," the landlady said, "and besides my husband is to witness the marriage."

Of course. There would have to be witnesses, Olivia thought. Sir Edwin had obviously thought of everything.

"How far is it to the main road?" Olivia asked. She would not marry Sir Edwin without trying to escape. If he killed her, so much the better -- she would not have to marry him then.

"Couple of miles to the east, Miss," the landlady said.

A couple of miles... that was too far, Olivia thought. Unless she could get hold of a horse. Never would she have thought that she'd be grateful for those riding lessons with the Lennoxes.

"I will go downstairs now," she said quietly, "before Sir Edwin becomes impatient. Thank you for your help, Madam."

"Don't mention it, Miss," the landlady said. "I wish you very happy!"
Olivia tried to sneak down the stairs and reach the back door of the inn, but she did not succeed. Anticipating that Olivia would try to run away, Sir Edwin had placed his groom at the back door of the building, and he barred her way out of the house when she opened it.

"Don't you even think of it, Miss," he simply said, and pushed her back into the house. Having heard them, Sir Edwin stepped out of the private parlour.

"Here you are," he said, with a self-satisfied smile. "You must be hungry. Come and join me -- we have still got half an hour until Philips gets to the church."

He took Olivia's arm and nearly pulled her into the parlour, where some bread, cheese, cold meat and ale were waiting for them.

"I am not hungry, sir," Olivia said, sitting down at the table.

"Eat!" Sir Edwin said harshly. "I do not want you to faint in church."

"I am not hungry," Olivia insisted.

Sir Edwin shrugged. "I am not going to force it down your throat," he said. "Do as you wish -- but this may be the last decent meal you get today."

"Are we not going to spend the night here?" Olivia asked.

"No. I want to travel on immediately after our wedding."

"In the curricle?" Olivia asked.

Sir Edwin laughed. "Of course not," he said. "The curricle shall only take us to Epping. From there, a travelling chaise will take us to our destination."

"Which is?"

"Scarborough. We are going to spend our honeymoon there."

"Yorkshire in winter," Olivia said scathingly. "What a delightful idea!"

"I do not think we will venture outside much," Sir Edwin said, grinning. Olivia found the suggestion disgusting, and told him so.

"You will get used to it," Sir Edwin said with a laugh. "I am not a bad lover -- at least no one has ever complained."

"I do not want to know anything about it," Olivia snapped.

"Very proper," Sir Edwin said. "Young unmarried ladies are not supposed to know much about it. -- Now come. It is time to go to church."

So this is it, Olivia thought grimly as she stood at the altar in the church, facing the Reverend Mr. Philips. His words she did not hear -- or at least she did not take them in. Opposition was useless. Sir Edwin had told her so. The best thing for her to do now was to go along with what Sir Edwin wanted, and to hope that marriage to him would not be so bad after all. She could not hope for assistance from anyone present. No one was there who would stand up for her. Her own family did not know where she was. None of them could come to her rescue. If she refused to marry Sir Edwin, he would take measures -- before the night was out, she would probably be happy to marry him, just to keep her good name.

The parson proceeded to elaborate on the meaning of marriage. Olivia tried hard not to laugh derisively as she heard what the Reverend said. If only he knew ... Mutual society. Help. Comfort. Oh yes, indeed. I wish you very happy, Olivia Paige.

"Therefore if any man can show any just cause, why they may not lawfully be joined together, let him now speak, or else hereafter for ever hold his peace." Mr. Philips paused.

No one spoke. Of course, Olivia thought. Why should they?

Suddenly, just as the parson was going to continue, the church door opened and a man's voice said, "Stop the service at once."

With a cry of fury, Sir Edwin turned around to see who had disturbed his wedding. Olivia did not need to look. She had recognised the voice. It was Mr. Lennox.

"Have you something to say, sir?" the parson asked.

"I have," Mr. Lennox said calmly. "This marriage shall not take place. It is against the law. The lady has been taken here under duress."

"Is this true?" The Reverend Mr. Philips turned to Olivia. Sir Edwin turned to her also, and it was easy to read the threat in his eyes. She hesitated.

"You've lost, Lennox," Sir Edwin said sneeringly. "That is why you try to ruin our marriage now. You cannot bear that someone else shall have her."

Mr. Lennox ignored Sir Edwin. "Miss Paige, if you really wish to be married to Sir Edwin Arncott, one word will suffice and I will leave," he said. Olivia recognised the pleading note in his voice.

"Sir Edwin has forced me to come here," she said quietly.

Sir Edwin suddenly grabbed her arm and twisted it behind her back. "You'll be sorry for this," he screamed, and started to pull Olivia towards the vestry door. Mr. Philips stood there, staring, unable to help Olivia. Someone, however, managed to stop Sir Edwin by getting hold of him and holding a knife to his throat.

"Let go of the lady or I'll cut your throat," a voice with a distinct foreign accent said.

"You would not murder a man in a church," Sir Edwin said.

"Wouldn't I?" The man laughed. "But I'm Catholic, signor. This is not a church for me."

"If you know what is good for you, do as Luca tells you," Mr. Lennox said calmly. "You can trust a man who has grown up in the back streets of Naples to know how to use a weapon."

Sir Edwin let go of Olivia, and she hurried towards Mr. Lennox. Mr. Lennox nodded, and Luca released Sir Edwin -- his knife, however, was still at the ready.

"I shall give you ten minutes to leave this place," Mr. Lennox merely said. "And let me tell you one more thing -- if you ever get near Miss Paige again, I shall make sure you'll regret it for the rest of your life."

Without another word, Sir Edwin fled from the church, and the landlord of the inn and his lady quickly followed him. Mr. Lennox led Olivia to one of the pews.

"Sit down, Miss Paige," he said softly. "You have been through an ordeal, I know, but everything will be fine now."

Everything will be fine now, Olivia thought, sitting down as she had been told. Adrian is here.

Part XVIII

Seeing that Olivia was safely seated in the pew, Adrian gave her an encouraging smile and went off to talk to the parson, who was still standing at the altar, looking thunderstruck. The Reverend Mr. Philips, it seemed, had not been informed of the real state of affairs between his friend Sir Edwin Arncott and Olivia, and listened to Adrian's explanation with evident disgust. Olivia felt sorry for him -- it had to be hard for a man to hear that one of his friends was totally unworthy of his regard.

Hearing the sound of swift movement behind her, Olivia turned around and was relieved to see that Luca, Adrian's valet, was standing there, as if he were guarding her. She gave him a grateful smile.

"How am I ever to thank you, Mr..." she began and stopped short, realising that she could not remember his last name.

"Bonifacio," Luca said. "But no one ever calls me so, Miss. Luca will be just fine -- I'm Luca to everyone."

"Without you, I'd be married to that blackguard now," Olivia said quietly. "How is such a debt ever to be repaid?"

"Oh, it was not all my doing, Miss," Luca said with a smile. "My part in the affair was unimportant, on the whole -- but Signor Adriano will tell you so soon."

"Signor Adriano?" Olivia smiled.

"He was known by that name in Naples," Luca said, grinning, "and I stick to it. So far, he hasn't objected."

"I am not likely to object." Adrian, having finished his discussion with the parson, had heard Luca's latest remark as he approached Olivia. "Miss Paige, it is time I take you somewhere warm. Let us go back to the inn."

Olivia shuddered, remembering what had happened at the inn before. Adrian noticed her uneasiness, and said soothingly, "You need not worry, Miss Paige. Arncott is gone, I am sure, and we will not stay at the inn for long. Between us, Luca and I will succeed in taking good care of you. You will be safe. But it will take some time until Felix arrives with his carriage, and I do not want you to spend any more time in here."

The suggestion sounded reasonable, Olivia thought, and she suddenly realised how cold it was in the church. Besides, she was hungry -- she had not eaten anything since breakfast, and now she felt as if she could eat a horse.

"My brother-in-law is on his way here?" Olivia asked. "How does he know where I am?"

"I shall explain this when you are more comfortable," Adrian simply said. "There will be plenty of time, I assure you."

He offered her his arm, and led her out of the church. The parson followed them, and at the church door he took leave of Olivia and apologised for having taken part in Sir Edwin's scheme.
"Had I known what was really on his mind, Madam, I would not have done what I did," he said. "Sir Edwin has lied to me -- he told me that you were of age, Miss, that it was your wish to be married to him but that your father did not approve the match."

"Not everything he said was a lie then," Olivia said quietly. "I am of age, and my father does not approve the match. Neither do I."

"I am very sorry that this happened to you," Mr. Philips said. "You may rest assured, Madam, that no one shall ever know you were here with Sir Edwin Arncott. There will be no damage to your reputation."

"Thank you, sir. You are very kind," Olivia said. This was the first time she thought of what harm this episode could do to her name. If anyone ever found out, it would be disastrous. Olivia imagined what people would say, especially those people who had no reason to be kind to her. The Culverthorpe sisters, for example, or Miss Hervey, or Lord Swafford. If any of them ever got wind of what had happened, she would be ruined. Perhaps it would be better to retire to Bradenham and stay there for the rest of her life, Olivia thought miserably. Under different circumstances, she would have loved to go back to her parents' place -- but this meant she would be near Sir Edwin's home, and at the moment Olivia wanted to be as far from Sir Edwin as was possible.

The landlady was quick to oblige Adrian's wishes and showed them into the private parlour -- the same room where Sir Edwin had waited for Olivia to get dressed. Olivia realised she was still wearing the dress he had bought for her, and wanted nothing more but to get rid of it at once. Her own carriage dress had to be around somewhere, she thought, and asked the landlady whether her things were still in the upstairs room.

"Yes, Miss, everything's still there," the landlady said. "The gentleman was in a mighty hurry to be off. Said he'd send someone to pick up his luggage."

"The dress I wore when I came here -- is it still there?"

"Yes -- I took it to the kitchen to be ironed, but it should be ready by now," the landlady answered. "Thought you might need it after the ceremony. Gentleman said he'd travel on immediately."

Olivia turned to Adrian. "I would like to change into my own clothes again," she said quietly. "I feel extremely uncomfortable - this dress is not mine. It belongs to Sir Edwin even though he may have bought it for me, and I do not want to return to London wearing it."

"Will you wait until Felix arrives? He said he would take your maid with him," Adrian said.

"I do not need any assistance," Olivia said. "The sooner I get rid of these garments the better it is." How was Olivia to explain to him that, as long as she wore this dress, she would feel as if Sir Edwin still had her in his clutches? She did not need to explain -- Adrian looked as if he had understood.

"As you wish," he said calmly and turned to the landlady. "Will you be so kind as to assist my cousin?" he asked.

The landlady nodded, and took Olivia upstairs to the room where she had changed her clothes before. Without a word, she helped her put on her carriage dress again. The worst stains had been removed, and it had been ironed, so Olivia thought she looked quite presentable -- and, what was more important to her, she felt more comfortable in clothes that were her own, and not purchased by Sir Edwin for his future wife.

As she joined Adrian in the private parlour, Luca was at work arranging plates and glasses on the table, while Adrian was seated at the table, obviously deep in thought. He rose and greeted Olivia in a calm, friendly manner, but still Olivia felt miserable. True, Adrian was acting very kindly, she thought, but she did not dare imagine what he might think of her. Respectable girls did not get themselves into such scrapes, did they?

"I thought you must be hungry," Adrian said, and led Olivia to a seat at the table.

"Very," she said gratefully. "I have not had anything since breakfast."

"That villain did not even give you anything to eat then?" Adrian asked. He still looked calm, but something in his voice betrayed that there was some emotion. Anger. And pity. Olivia did not want to be pitied. Especially not by Adrian.

"He was not quite as unkind as that," she said. "He did offer me something to eat, but I did not want to -- I could not. I was feeling nauseous."

"Sir Edwin treated you well, then?" Adrian gave her a searching look. He had not believed her, it seemed.

"As well as could be expected," Olivia said. Please, whatever you think, do not feel sorry for me, Adrian. I could not bear it.

"He didn't." It was Luca who had said that. He stood there, filling Adrian's glass with burgundy, and looked at Olivia. "He struck her, sir. I saw him do it."

For a moment, Adrian's eyes darkened -- he looked furious. Olivia was not sure whether to be afraid of him or not - there was a dangerous glint in his eyes. If Sir Edwin had been there, she would not have been able to vouch for his safety.

"There is nothing in the world as despicable as a man who maltreats a woman," Adrian said, making an effort to control his temper. "He shall pay for this in full, Miss Paige."

"Please, sir, do not do anything," Olivia pleaded. She did not want Adrian to come to any harm because of her own indiscretion. "It was nothing, really. The less there is done about it, the better it is. I want to forget about it ... as soon as possible."

"If it makes you feel better, Miss Paige, strive to forget this incident," Adrian said quietly. "But I will not."

Olivia tried to concentrate on the food before her, but failed miserably. In her mind, there were pictures of Adrian calling Sir Edwin out -- worse, pictures of Adrian seriously hurt or even killed in a duel with Sir Edwin, and she could not hold back her tears any more. She excused herself, got up from her seat and went to the window, pretending to look out, while the tears trickled down her cheeks. A sob escaped her -- and then she found herself in Adrian's arms, crying on his shoulder while he whispered soothing words to her. Luca, it seemed, had left the room.

They remained there for a couple of minutes, Adrian holding her tight, comforting her, stroking her hair -- in his arms, Olivia felt wonderfully safe. Then she became aware of the impropriety of the situation. What he would think of her forwardness, Olivia hardly dared to imagine. The moment she stirred, however, Adrian let go of her.

"Are you feeling better now?" he asked, with a tender note in his voice.

"A bit." Olivia gave him a tearful smile. He gave her a handkerchief to dry her tears. "I must apologise, Mr. Lennox -- it seems I have quite forgotten my manners. You will no doubt think me very -- fast."

Adrian looked at her earnestly. "I do not think you are fast, Miss Paige. What I do think is that you have been hurt very badly today -- and if there is anything I can do to make you feel comfortable, I will do it. You can be sure that I will not take advantage of the situation, though."

"I never thought you would," Olivia said quietly. "It seems you only came back to England to save me from the scrapes I got myself into," she added, attempting a smile.

He smiled, too. "A man needs a purpose in life," he simply said. "I only wish I could have been there earlier. It is, no doubt, quite gratifying to save a lady from a dangerous situation, but it would be even better to keep her out of danger in the first place."

Olivia went back to the table and sat down. "How did you know where I was?" she asked quietly. "You did not exactly follow Sir Edwin, or did you? I noticed no one behind us."

"No, we did not pursue you at once." Adrian sat down next to her. "Luca saw you in Sir Edwin's carriage, in a part of town where no lady of quality is ever seen, and when you called for his help, he realised something was wrong. He hired a carriage, and went in search of me, to tell me what had happened. Together we set out to Half Moon Street -- only to find out that your sister was exceedingly anxious. She had received a letter from your father, warning her against Sir Edwin. You were late for an appointment -- and Lady Gordon felt that something of a serious nature had happened to you. Felix did his best to calm her, but when his efforts were fruitless, he decided to go and look for you. Together we went to Sir Edwin's lodgings."

"Sir Edwin's servants told you where he was to be found?"

Mr. Lennox laughed quietly. "A man plotting evil ought to make sure that his servants are loyal," he said. "Sir Edwin Arncott's are not -- a valet who has not been paid for months is quite susceptible to persuasive arguments, if these arguments are measured in pounds and shillings. He told us that he had been ordered to send a trunk of ladies' attire to this inn, and that he was to meet Sir Edwin in Epping in the evening. That was all. Luca and I set out on horseback at once, hoping to overtake you somewhere on the way, while Felix returned to Half Moon Street to get your maid and his carriage to take you home."

"I did not hear any horses when I was in the church," Olivia said.

"Of course not. We left them here at the inn," Adrian said. "The ostler told us that the lady and gentleman from London were in the church. So we hurried there. Luca entered through the vestry, while I took the front entrance. You know what happened then."

"You were there just in time," Olivia said quietly. "I will always be in your debt. -- You said I was your cousin."

"In a way you are," Adrian said with a smile. "Your sister is my cousin by marriage. Besides, I thought it would be better to claim a family relation between us. Your entering this place in company with one gentleman you are not related with is bad enough. What would this worthy lady think if you left the place with another gentleman you are not related to?"

"I'd rather not think about it," Olivia said with a sad smile. "But you said Sir Felix followed you."

"Yes, he should be here soon," Adrian said. "And I am quite glad he does not get to see Sir Edwin. Felix can be rash at times -- I'd rather not think what he would have done to Arncott. Though I could not quite vouch for myself either. I almost wished Luca would make an end of him."

"I never had the impression you were so bloodthirsty," Olivia said.

"I am not bloodthirsty as a rule," he said. "In the case of Sir Edwin Arncott, I may make an exception, though. He deserves some punishment for doing this to you."

"Please do not get yourself in trouble because of me," Olivia begged. "Promise me you will not, Mr. Lennox!"

"I will not," he promised. "I will try to restrain my temper, should I ever come across him again. Not for his sake, but for yours."

The sound of an approaching carriage made Olivia dart to the window and look out again. A light travelling coach stopped in the yard, and a lady and a gentleman alighted from it. The rays of the setting sun blinded Olivia, so she could not see who the newcomers were. They entered the house, and shortly afterwards the door to the private parlour was thrown open.

"Did you find..." Sir Felix began and, perceiving Olivia standing by the window, simply said, "Thank God!"

Behind him, Crewe appeared in the doorway, and at once made her way to her mistress, gently scolding her for showing herself in company in such disarray. Olivia smiled faintly -- she was glad someone scolded her for once, and treated her as she was used to, without this peculiar kindness that sprang from pity and nothing else.

"Just look at your hair, Miss Olivia," Crewe said, and would have started to rearrange Olivia's coiffure there and then, had not Sir Felix stopped her.

"Miss Paige's hair, Miss Crewe, is of no importance at the moment," he said sharply. "We will set out to London at once, and on our way we will determine what there is to do for each of us. This episode must not come to anybody's ears, as you will, without doubt, agree. Which means -- we need a plan." He turned to Adrian. "Any ideas, cousin?"

Adrian smiled. "I am afraid I did not have the time to think of anything just yet," he said. "But we will have plenty of time to share our ideas on our way back to London."

Olivia was glad to leave the village in Essex behind her. That entire day had been a disaster, and it was Olivia's dearest wish to banish it from her memory. She was seated in Sir Felix's carriage, with Crewe next to her, and Sir Felix and Adrian sitting opposite. Luca was travelling on the box.

She was glad she did not have to answer any questions. As far as the events in Essex were concerned, Adrian had told Sir Felix what had happened, and Sir Felix refrained from asking Olivia for details.

"When we arrive in Half Moon Street," he said when Adrian had finished his account, "Olivia will use the back stairs to go to her room. Crewe will take care that no one sees you, Olivia. This is important -- Agnes has made everyone believe that you are keeping to your room because you are feeling out of sorts."

Olivia nodded. "But what next?" she asked. "What if anyone finds out the truth? Some people saw me in the park with Sir Edwin, after all."

"You returned from your outing with Sir Edwin complaining about a sore throat," Adrian said quietly. "Whereupon Lady Gordon, anxious about your health, sent you to your room. You remained there all day, refusing to see anyone but your maid and your sister. How does that sound?"

"Highly suspicious," Olivia said gloomily.

"This is because you know the truth," Sir Felix said. "Believe me, no one else will wonder."

"But what if Sir Edwin spreads the tale?" Olivia asked.

"He won't," Adrian said firmly.

"Mr. Lennox, after what happened today, I think him quite capable of anything. If it becomes known that I was alone with him all day, travelling in the country, I may still be obliged to marry him -- he may achieve his own ends yet."

"No," Adrian said heatedly. "You won't marry him, Miss Paige."

With a sidelong glance at his cousin, Sir Felix said, "I do not think Sir Edwin will want to make his failure known to the public, Olivia. His plan to force you into marriage has failed -- he will have to set his sights on another goal. Another heiress, to be precise. His reputation is as important to him as yours is to you -- in fact, it is the only thing he has got to recommend him. Believe me, Sir Edwin Arncott will hold his tongue."

"But the servants -- they know I was not in my room," Olivia said. "There will be gossip."

"None of my servants will gossip," Sir Felix said fiercely. "They know what will happen to them if they do."

"I have taken the liberty to tell them that Miss Paige might be suffering from scarlet fever," Crewe suddenly said. "So no one is likely to go near her room -- they are afraid they might catch the fever."

"Clever girl!" Sir Felix exclaimed.

"But they will notice you were not in the house, Crewe," Olivia objected. "What are you going to say to explain that?"

"Lady Gordon, anxious about your well-being, sent me to fetch the doctor," Crewe said. "The doctor was out, visiting some patients, and I had to wait. Lady Gordon looked after you in the meantime. She sent me, and not the footman, because she did not wish anyone to panic."

The story sounded plausible, Olivia thought. It might work. There was, however, one more problem.

"What if I leave my room tomorrow and there is nothing wrong with me at all?" she asked.

"Then I was mistaken," Crewe said calmly. "I'm not a doctor, am I?"

Olivia became slightly worried about her maid's resourcefulness when it came to inventing plausible excuses.

"You might remain in your room for a day or two, pretending to be ill," Adrian said. "Then you will make your appearance again, and we will tell everyone that, luckily, you had only caught a slight cold."

Olivia nodded. "Fine," she said. "I will do as you tell me. To think of all the trouble you had to go through because of me! Just because I..."

"Miss Paige, you are suffering from a misapprehension, I think," Adrian interrupted her, taking her hand. "You think what happened today was your fault. It wasn't. So get rid of that idea as soon as you can. There was nothing you could have done to prevent this."

Sir Felix nodded. "Adrian is right," he said. "It was not your fault, Olivia. You had no reason to mistrust Sir Edwin Arncott. He has betrayed us all. He has done wrong, not you. No one blames you, Olivia."

"Well, I do," Olivia said quietly.

Adrian gently squeezed her hand before releasing it. "Don't," he simply said.

Back in London, Crewe and Sir Felix went into the house to prepare everything for Olivia's arrival. Adrian, meanwhile, stayed in the carriage with Olivia.

"I still have not thanked you properly, Mr. Lennox," Olivia said quietly. Adrian smiled at her.

"You need not thank me," he said. "There is nothing I would not do for you, Miss Paige."

It was dark, so Olivia could be mistaken, but she thought there was a peculiar expression in his eyes when he said so. She wanted to say something in answer to that, but before she could think of a suitable answer, Crewe came back, telling her that the coast was clear, and asked her to follow her.

"Good night, Mr. Lennox," Olivia said. "And thank you for everything. I wish there was more I could say."

Mr. Lennox took her hand and kissed it. "Good night, Miss Paige," he said. "I will call on you when you are feeling better."

Olivia fled from the carriage and ran up the stairs to her room, where Agnes was already waiting for her.

While Crewe was undressing her, Olivia told her sister what had happened. It took her some time -- Agnes was greatly distressed and cried repeatedly. She blamed herself for what had happened, for it had been she who had allowed Olivia to go out in Sir Edwin's carriage. Without her permission, Agnes reasoned, Sir Edwin would not have been able to abduct Olivia. She had made it possible for him to nearly ruin her sister.

Olivia repeated to Agnes what Sir Felix and Adrian had said to her -- that they had had no reason to distrust Sir Edwin, and that everything had been his fault. Slightly comforted, Agnes left Olivia to herself, and Olivia, exhausted from the day's events, soon fell asleep.

Part XIX

Olivia did not need to pretend to be ill the next morning. When Crewe entered her bedchamber at the usual time to bring her a cup of tea, Olivia awoke with a splitting headache and a sick stomach. The previous day had been too much of a strain on her nerves, and her body reacted violently to the ordeal she had been through.

Agnes, worried about her sister, sent for the doctor when Crewe informed her of her sister's state of health, and if there had been some gossip in the servants' quarters regarding Olivia's whereabouts on the day before, it died down the moment that worthy gentleman entered the house in Half Moon Street.

Olivia had not succumbed to scarlet fever, of course. She was merely suffering from a serious attack of the migraine which, the doctor feared, had been brought on by fatigue.

"This often happens to young ladies during their first season," he said calmly. "A day or two spent in her room in peace and quiet will restore her to her customary good health. You need not worry, Lady Gordon."

Olivia felt that the doctor did not take her suffering seriously enough. The combination of headache and nausea was surely the worst thing that had ever afflicted her -- death, she thought, would be a welcome relief. She had never had the migraine before, but had actually mocked the ladies who suffered from it, thinking that they merely used it as a convenient excuse to avoid whatever they wished to avoid. Now she changed her mind. The migraine, she felt, was God's punishment -- for whatever had been wrong in her conduct in those past weeks.

The headache did not go away soon. It continued in the days to follow, and when it had not ceased on the third day, Agnes sent for the doctor again. He gave Olivia some laudanum to send her to sleep, and told Agnes to be patient.

The laudanum, in combination with sound, undisturbed sleep, did the trick. On the fourth day, Olivia awoke refreshed and, for the first time for days, without that throbbing pain in her head that had grown familiar to her. Her stomach felt better too -- although there was still a slight queasiness when she got up from her bed. But, she decided, she had stayed in her room for long enough. It was time to face the world and the consequences of her adventure.

Sir Felix gave her a bright smile as she joined him and Agnes at the breakfast table. He inquired whether she felt better, and whether she needed anything.

Olivia thanked him quietly. "I think the only thing I need at the moment is something to eat and some fresh air afterwards. Agnes, can you accompany me on a walk?"

Agnes, happy to see that her sister was feeling better, complied at once and promised to go shopping with her.

"We need to find some Christmas presents," she said. "I do not want to show up at Wetherham Priory without some gifts for our host and hostess."

Christmas at Wetherham Priory! Due to her adventure, Olivia had almost forgotten about Adrian's invitation. Now that she remembered it, she realised that she could not go there -- not after all that had happened. She could not look into Adrian's eyes any more and feel comfortable, Olivia thought. True, he had been so very kind, so thoughtful and caring during their encounter in Essex and their carriage-ride back to London, that it had given her the impression he was not going to lose another word on the subject. But she was convinced that, despite the things he had said, he did condemn her. No woman got abducted without giving the kidnapper a chance to do so. Olivia had got into Sir Edwin's carriage willingly -- therefore, she reasoned, her abduction had been as much her fault as Sir Edwin's. Seeing that, she did not believe that Adrian Lennox would think otherwise, and she was reluctant to meet him again under these circumstances.

The irony of it all, she thought. I thought Adrian was a fortune hunter, a gamester and a wastrel, yet I fell in love with him. And now that I know he is none of these things, I have sunk below reproach and become unsuitable to be his wife, for he will have to marry a respectable girl, someone without any shadows in her past.

She did not want to see him again. To meet him, and talk to him knowing that their lives were destined to take a separate course, was too much to bear. There was no way of avoiding him, however -- she was in the drawing room, already dressed for going out and waiting for Agnes when the butler announced Mr. and Miss Lennox. Olivia thought she would never forget the expression in Adrian's eyes when he beheld her sitting on the sofa. It was an expression of infinite relief and happiness, and for a moment Olivia was reassured. He did love her -- and would not mind what had happened.

Susannah expressed what her brother, without doubt, felt. "You are finally feeling better, dearest! I am so happy!" she exclaimed, taking both her hands. "I came to see you every day, but your sister told me you were very poorly. Poor thing! You missed Lady Hervey's dress party!"

"I am very sorry to have done so," Olivia said with a faint smile, "but it was impossible for me to go."

It was obvious that Susannah was not aware of the truth. Olivia shuddered to think how Susannah would react if she knew...

"You must have suffered a great deal - you still look pale and haggard," Susannah said.

"Thank you," Olivia replied dryly. Susannah laughed. "I see no point in complimenting you on your brilliant looks when you know for certain that you look anything but brilliant," she said resolutely.

"Indeed, there is no point in doing so," Olivia said quietly, trying to avoid Adrian's inquisitive gaze. Was he trying to convey some message to her? If he had wanted to talk to her, though, why had he taken his sister with him?

"You did not miss much, though," Susannah added as an afterthought. "No one interesting was at the Herveys'. Even my own brother Adrian was remarkably dull that evening, and rather gloomy-looking. I bet there was something on his mind, though he will not tell me what it was." She shot a challenging glance at her brother.

"I told you there was nothing particular on my mind, Susannah," Adrian said calmly, refusing to take Susannah up on her challenge. "Stop pestering me."

"Perhaps if you asked him, Olivia, he'd confide in you." Susannah laughed.

"I -- I do not think so," Olivia stammered. Where was Agnes? Whatever took her so long to get ready?

"Enough, Susannah." Adrian's look was unmistakable, and Susannah realised his meaning at once. It was moving, Olivia thought, how he tried to protect her.

"I thought some teasing might cheer her up," Susannah merely said stubbornly and turned to Olivia. "I am sorry," she said. "I should not have said these things."

Olivia's gaze met Adrian's. His look was tender, reassuring, and quite took Olivia's breath away.

"Was Colonel Daltrey at Lady Hervey's party?" Olivia asked, looking away from Adrian and changing the topic. She was pretty certain what had been on Adrian's mind at Lady Hervey's party. That he liked her very much was evident -- for a moment she remembered how he had held her in his arms and soothed her. That he could not declare himself -- not after what had happened -- was equally evident, however. His family would not countenance it. No wonder the poor man had been gloomy of late. She had to spare him the pain of having to receive her at Wetherham Priory. But how was she going to break the news to him?

"Colonel Daltrey was not there," Susannah said. "Which was most unfortunate. Apparently, his mother has had one of her seizures, so he had to cry off at the last moment."

"How disappointing it must have been for you," Olivia said.

"But he has promised to come to Wetherham," Susannah said confidently. "Not for Christmas, for he will spend the holidays with his mother and sister, but he will join our party on New Year's Eve. That will be fun!"

"Undoubtedly," Olivia said. Susannah had just offered her a perfect opportunity to tell Adrian that she would not come to Wetherham after all. While she was still thinking about the exact wording of her announcement, Agnes entered the room and her opportunity was gone. Perhaps it was just as well, Olivia thought. She had to think some more about this -- she needed a good explanation for her not wishing to go to Gloucestershire. An explanation that did not hurt Adrian's feelings. For he would be hurt if she cried off without a good reason, and she did not want to insult him.

Adrian and Susannah took their leave after a couple of minutes, not without delivering a message Lady Burnhope had sent with them -- an invitation to dine at Burnhope House, provided that Olivia's state of health permitted her to do so. Agnes gladly accepted it, although Olivia did not feel quite up to attending the dinner party yet. She knew, though, that Agnes would stay at home if she said just one word against the scheme, and keeping in mind that Agnes had been tied to her home for a couple of days for her sake, Olivia said nothing. She would get over the evening somehow. Agnes needed to go into company again.

The dinner at Burnhope House was what Sir Felix called a "family affair". There were no guests that were not, in some way or other, related to the Lennox family, and Olivia was glad about that. There were no curious looks, no whispers behind her back, nothing that indicated that she had turned into a persona non grata - on the contrary. Everyone treated her with an affability that she felt she did not deserve, and that filled her with dismay. She tried to hide her feelings, and thought she was doing well -- she listened to Captain Lennox's good-natured chatter, laughed at his witticisms, discussed Jane's wedding-gown with Susannah, who had had the privilege to help her choose it, and played whist with Agnes, Lady Burnhope and Jane. All in all it was a pleasant evening, and she felt she had done a good job in keeping away from Adrian. When they were about to take leave, he came up carrying her coat, and Olivia realised that there was no way to avoid talking to him now.

"Thank you," she said shyly as he wrapped her coat around her shoulders.

"You're welcome." He smiled, but there was this searching look in his eyes that told her he had realised that something was wrong. "It is a pity we did not get to talk with each other this evening," he said quietly.

"Quite right," Olivia replied.

"I got the impression you did not want to," he said. Olivia reddened, feeling caught.

"What an unkind thing to say, Mr. Lennox," she remonstrated.

"Unkind, but accurate, right?" He gave her another penetrating look and then said, softly, "How are you?" Olivia had felt capable of facing his reproach, but she was not prepared for this.

"Fine, thank you. I am feeling very much better. I was ill, you know," she answered quickly.

"I know, but you have not answered my question yet."

"I told you I was fine," Olivia snapped and felt sorry for it the next moment. He was trying to be kind, so why did she subject him to such treatment?

"You aren't." His voice was plain, matter-of-fact, and in view of his precise understanding of her condition Olivia could no longer pretend that everything was as it should be.

"No, I am not," she said with a sigh. "I guess it will take me some time to digest....what happened."

"That was to be expected," Adrian said. "Take all the time you need, Miss Paige." There was a trace of sadness in his smile. "I only hope that this incident has not given you an aversion to my company."

"No," Olivia said. "This would be the height of ingratitude after all have you done for me!"

He sighed, but since Lady Burnhope approached them to say goodbye to Olivia he did not say anything apart from wishing her a good night.

Back at Half Moon Street, Olivia decided to talk to Sir Felix. Perhaps he, being such a good friend of Adrian's, could deliver her refusal to go to Wetherham without offending him, and she resolved to ask Sir Felix without delay.

"Can I have a word with you before you turn in for the night, Sir Felix?" she asked anxiously.

"Certainly," Sir Felix said and held the library door open for her. Olivia went in, while Sir Felix said goodnight to his wife. "What can I do for you?" he asked, closing the door and sitting down opposite Olivia.

"I wanted to thank you for your hospitality, your kindness -- in short, everything," Olivia said earnestly.

Sir Felix raised an eyebrow. "Why so solemn?" he asked. "You sound as if you were going to leave us soon."

"In fact, this is what I am thinking of doing," Olivia said. "I have been thinking of returning to Bradenham when you are going to Gloucestershire for Christmas."

"Let me get this right," Sir Felix said. "You do not want to go to Wetherham with us? I thought that was your original plan?"

"So it was," Olivia said quietly. "I ... I was looking forward to it ... very much."

"Then what made you change your mind? Has anything happened?" Sir Felix asked with interest.

"You know something has happened, Sir Felix," Olivia said.

"No, I don't."

"I am talking about Sir Edwin," Olivia said.

"I see," Sir Felix said. "I fail to perceive, though, what he has to do with the matter."

"Things have changed because of him," Olivia said.

"Have they?"

"You must be aware that it is so," Olivia said.

"I admit I am baffled, Olivia. Enlighten me." Sir Felix looked at her expectantly. Olivia had not supposed it to be so difficult, but haltingly, she began to explain why she did not want to go to Wetherham. She did not, of course, tell Sir Felix about her suspicion concerning Adrian's feelings for her and the necessity of keeping away from him, but she told him that her adventure and the subsequent concealment of what had happened still weighed heavily on her conscience, which made her long for the comfort of her own home and her parents.

"I cannot help but believe that it was my fault, after all," she concluded. "And I feel immensely guilty."

"This is utter nonsense, and you know it," Sir Felix said. "Forgive my plain speaking, but so it is."

"I had a strange feeling that something was wrong," Olivia explained. "I knew Sir Edwin was up to something or other, only I dismissed the thought as highly unlikely. If only I had heeded it!"

"Life is full of if-onlys that do not help us much," Sir Felix said wisely. "Do not think too much about it, Olivia -- no harm has been done, and no one knows anything about it anyway. Do not let this stupid affair ruin your life, for God's sake. Forget all about it -- the sooner the better!"

Olivia sighed. "This is more easily said than done."

"I know. It will take some time, of course, but, Olivia, do not let the past stand in your way. That is the advice I give you. -- But now about Christmas. Are you really serious about spending Christmas with your parents instead of coming to Gloucestershire with us?"

Olivia nodded.

"I must say I am very sorry to hear it," he said. "You know that we all have grown very fond of you -- you will be missed. Agnes will miss you very much, I am afraid, she was looking forward to celebrating Christmas with at least one familiar face around." He smiled. "It will be quite a blow for her. -- Not that I complain, for that will make her look to me for comfort."

This remark failed to make Olivia laugh, which it would have done under normal circumstances.

"I will explain it to her," she merely said quietly. "She will understand."

"No doubt she will. We must think of an explanation for the others, of course. Those who do not know. Your decision will come as a bit of a surprise for them, you know. - Susannah will be disappointed. She was looking forward to showing you the Gloucestershire countryside, I have heard. Tonight I heard her argue which of Adrian's horses will suit you best."

"I am sorry, but I really cannot..." Olivia started weakly but stopped short. It would have been such a treat to go riding in the country for a change... but then, her father had horses, too. No doubt it would be possible for her to tour her father's grounds on horseback as often as she chose.

"Just one last thing," Sir Felix said. "Did you take into account that Sir Edwin Arncott's home is within easy distance of yours?"

In her eagerness to seek shelter at her parents' house, Olivia had forgotten about that. She went pale.

"You didn't, did you," Sir Felix said gently. "It is your decision, of course, Olivia, but if I were you I'd think twice about going to a place where he is likely to pounce at you from behind every bush."

"He would not dare," Olivia said, but she was not so sure about it herself. After all, he had dared once. He had failed, true, but one did learn from one's mistakes...

"Do not look so frightened, Olivia," Sir Felix said soothingly. "Your father will no doubt be able to take excellent care of you -- he has done so quite successfully for years, and I am sure you will be safe in his house. What I meant to say is, if Sir Edwin is at his home -- and he is very likely to be there -- you will meet him sooner or later. Whereas it is quite improbable that you shall see him in Gloucestershire." He smiled. "Think about that before you make your decision."

Olivia nodded, unable to say anything.

"And now," Sir Felix said, rising from his chair, "I think you need some rest. It has been a long day."

Agreeing wholeheartedly, Olivia went to her room and tried to go to sleep. Something told her that it would also be a long night.

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