The Fortune Hunter

Part XX

Sitting at her dressing table, Olivia looked at the sketch Adrian had given her when they had been in Richmond.

"This is a nice picture, Miss," Crewe, who was brushing her hair, remarked.

"It is, isn't it," Olivia said quietly. She would always treasure it, she thought, no matter what happened. Even after two days of pondering, she was still no nearer to a decision concerning her trip to Gloucestershire. There were many things to consider.

On one hand, she had been looking forward to seeing Wetherham Priory, a place that meant much to Adrian and, according to Sir Felix, a place worth seeing. She would be with friends, too -- only, would they still be her friends if they found out what had really happened on the first day of her "illness"?

On the other hand, she would be safe at Bradenham Manor, and her mother and father would look after her as they had always done. The question was would she be able to avoid Sir Edwin Arncott? He would not be admitted to her father's house, that was certain. But since no hint of his misdemeanour had become known yet, he would be received everywhere else. Olivia was not certain whether she would be able to face him in company. At the moment, she was safe -- Sir Edwin was not in London. In Gloucestershire she would also be unlikely to run into him. At Bradenham, however, it would be impossible to avoid seeing him without letting the truth come to the surface -- or becoming a recluse. Too severe a punishment, Olivia thought.

Crewe had begun to braid and pin up her hair. It was Wednesday night, and Olivia was supposed to attend the assembly at Almack's with Agnes. Watching Crewe do her hair without much interest, Olivia wondered how the patronesses of this exclusive place would react if they heard what Sir Edwin had done to her. Even though they were not exactly paragons of virtue themselves -- judging by the rumours one heard about them -- they had a very strict notion of propriety of conduct in young ladies.

That her adventure would, sooner or later, become known, Olivia was certain. She did not put it past Sir Edwin Arncott to boast about it -- to talk about their "elopement" to push her into marriage with him, for if her escapade became known, she would have to marry him to retain at least a semblance of respectability. It was only a matter of time until Sir Edwin would come to that conclusion. Sir Edwin Arncott was no fool.

On their way to Almack's, both Sir Felix and Agnes tried to cheer Olivia up. Agnes had guessed her sister's worries, even though Olivia had not confided in her. That was strange enough, for when they had been younger, Olivia had always told her elder sister about the things that were on her mind. Only now Olivia felt that Agnes could not do much to help her, anyway, and refrained from sharing her problems with her for fear of worrying her too much. Agnes was a married woman now, and had enough things to think about without being burdened with her sister's troubles.

As for Sir Felix, they had not talked with each other much since the evening she had announced she would not go to Wetherham after all. If they had had a conversation, it had been about little, insignificant things. Olivia was glad Sir Felix was not trying to insist on a definite decision. He had listened to her, had given her his opinion, and that was it -- he was not going to try and influence her. Not for the first time Olivia thought that her sister had married a jewel. Her respect for Sir Felix grew daily.

Arriving at Almack's, Olivia felt that everyone's eyes were on her -- an unpleasant feeling. Perhaps it was only a figment of her imagination, but Olivia felt as if there was a certain amount of censure in the way everyone looked at her.

Mr. Farnham, however, did not show such signs -- he asked Olivia for the first two dances, and the evening started tolerably well. Olivia liked Mr. Farnham, and since they had some interests in common, they had a delightful conversation while dancing.

Lord Burnhope danced the next two dances with her. He, too, seemed unaware of Olivia's late adventure, or, if he did know, at least he did not refer to it. He was kind, affable, and they talked about his plans for the Christmas holidays, which he was going to spend with his prospective in-laws and his fiancée.

Olivia spent some time talking to Susannah and Jane afterwards, Susannah dwelling on the gaieties that were in store for them, and trying to convince Jane that she would be far better off if she celebrated Christmas at Wetherham with them instead of her father's country seat with her family who "did not appreciate her as they ought."

They were so absorbed in their discussion that it took them some time to notice that Lady Wesley approached them, and when they did notice, it was impossible for them to move away to avoid her.

"Odious woman," Susannah whispered. "I'd like to know what she wants."

Lady Wesley did not make her wishes evident at once. She addressed Jane, congratulated her on her "excellent catch" and assured her that she was greatly envied. Then she turned to Susannah, asking her sweetly whether one might soon expect an "interesting announcement" from her, pointing out that if her brother married, it would only be proper for her to follow suit.

Susannah answered stiffly that, should an announcement be made, Lady Wesley would know her plans soon enough, and then left in a huff.

Lady Wesley laughed. "I do not know why Miss Lennox takes these questions in such bad grace," she said. "It is not as if I were completely unrelated, is it? Our mothers are close friends, so I am nearly one of the family."

"Miss Lennox may disagree," Olivia said dryly.

"She obviously does," Lady Wesley said, turning to Olivia. "I hear another candidate is off your list, Miss Paige."

"I beg your pardon, Lady Wesley?" Olivia said, inwardly losing her nerve but showing a cool front. Jane, who was sitting next to her, gave her a questioning look but did not interfere. It was too much to ask of shy Jane to defend her friend. Olivia would have to get through this on her own.

"Your list of potential husbands," Lady Wesley said with a humorous laugh that did not sound real.

"I did not know there was a list," Olivia said, forcing a smile.

"There no longer is, as it seems," Lady Wesley said maliciously.

"Fine. I could not marry more than one gentleman, anyway," Olivia said calmly.

"I must say I quite object to your treatment of poor Sir Edwin Arncott, though," Lady Wesley said lightly, watching Olivia's every move.

"I did not know you championed Sir Edwin's cause," Olivia said. "I thought your preference lay with Lord Swafford."

"By no means," Lady Wesley said. "Lord Swafford only made me take an interest in your affairs."

"I beg you not to take the trouble, Lady Wesley. My affairs are no concern of yours." Olivia said coldly.

"I was only hoping you might accept a piece of advice from one who is older and ... let me say ... more experienced in the ways of the world. It may not have been right of Sir Edwin to make everyone believe he was rich when he actually did not have a feather to fly with. But to desert him as you did, the moment you found out he was actually poor, was..."

"Abominable, wasn't it?" Olivia had been so busy trying to stand up to Lady Wesley that she had not noticed Adrian had come towards them. His accents were freezing. "And in this case, his poverty was even real," he continued.

"I was only trying to be kind," Lady Wesley said furiously.

"It would be the very first time in your life," Adrian said sarcastically. Lady Wesley said no more, but retreated. Adrian turned to Olivia, smiling.

"I actually came to ask you for a dance," he said.

"Instead, you had to save me," Olivia said, blushing. "You always seem to be just in time to do so."

He smiled. "No wonder, considering how our acquaintance started," he said. "Will you dance the next two with me?"

"Certainly, Mr. Lennox." Olivia rose and followed him to the dance floor. "I did not know you would be here tonight," she remarked as they took their place in the set.

"I had not planned to be here," he said. "But when Felix told me you would spend this evening at Almack's, I decided to come nevertheless and take the chance to take leave."

"Take leave?" Olivia asked, staring at him in amazement. Why was he leaving?

"Early tomorrow morning, I will start my journey to Wetherham," he said lightly. "My mother has given me many things to do; therefore I will go there ahead of everyone else."

"Then we are not going to meet any more?"

"Unless you come to Wetherham," Adrian said calmly.

"Unless....?"

"Felix told me about the conversation you had with him the other evening, Miss Paige."

"He should not have," Olivia said indignantly, feeling Sir Felix had betrayed her confidence.

"I am glad he did," Adrian merely said. "In defence of my cousin I have to say that he meant to prepare me for what he thought would be a severe disappointment. He was right with his assumption, too." There was a hurt look in his eyes.

"I am sorry," Olivia said quietly. "I did not mean to hurt you ... or anyone. Nothing is decided yet, however. I may still come."

"There will be a room ready for you, whether you come or not," Adrian said earnestly.

"You are not trying to persuade me?" Olivia asked, slightly surprised. Somehow she had expected that he would try -- that was why she had not really wanted Sir Felix to tell Adrian about their discussion.

"No," he said determinedly. "Much as I would love you to visit Wetherham Priory, I do not wish you to come if you'd rather be somewhere else."

"Yet you would be hurt," Olivia said quietly.

"This should not weigh with your decision, Miss Paige. Do what is good for you. I have no right to interfere with your choice."

"You know that your opinion will weigh with me," Olivia said bitterly.

"All the more reason for me to keep quiet, then. If you decide to go to Gloucestershire after all, it should be because you wish to, not because I want you to. This is not how things work with me, you know."

Was he giving her a hint? Olivia was not sure, but it seemed that Adrian was trying to indicate that he was not going to force her into anything. Yet he implied that their further acquaintance -- whether it was friendship or more -- would depend on her coming to Wetherham. The decision was up to her, and he was going to accept it.

"Are we not going to meet in London, then?" Olivia asked. "Once you return here after Christmas?"

"I am not likely to return to London soon," he said. "My brother has asked me to look after the Burnhope estate while he is on his wedding tour, and how could I refuse to do so? He was looking after Wetherham for two years! So, when everyone else returns to London in January, I will travel north to meet my brother at Burnhope Hall. He is going to acquaint me with everything regarding the management of the estate, and that will take us some time."

The case was clear, Olivia thought. Either come to Wetherham or say goodbye forever. He had not said so directly, but this was what his statements amounted to. It was not blackmail -- he had told her that he did not want her to do anything she did not want to. He just did not want to make her decisions for her, and he was not going to beg. He had confronted her with the choice she had, and it was up to her to take the next step.

It took Olivia two more days to make up her mind. Adrian's absence had something to do with her final decision -- she missed him so much that she felt she could not endure to be away from him for any longer than she had to. Perhaps, she mused, this had been his intention as he had left London -- to make her realise how she would feel without him.

Sir Felix was very pleased when Olivia announced that she was going to go to Wetherham after all, and did not bother to conceal it.

"You will not regret this," he said, smiling. "Wetherham is one of the most beautiful places in the world -- nearly as beautiful as Gordon Castle."

Olivia laughed. "It must indeed be beautiful if it can match your birthplace, Sir Felix!" She had seen pictures of Gordon Castle and felt it was a magnificent place.

"I am sorry to disappoint you, Olivia, but my birthplace is London," Sir Felix said with a grin. "Gordon Castle is only the home I grew up in."

"The home you grew up in, then," Olivia laughed. Ever since she had made her decision, she felt as if a large weight had been taken off her shoulders. She now managed to laugh without feeling guilty, and she was really looking forward to seeing Wetherham.

They arrived in the village of Wetherham just as the sun was setting. It was still afternoon, but Sir Felix announced that they would have to hurry up if they wanted to reach Priory House before nightfall.

"Priory House?" Olivia asked. "I thought Mr. Lennox's home was called Wetherham Priory?"

"That is what the estate is called," Sir Felix replied. "But the Priory is no longer standing -- it burned down. The family now live at Priory House, which was built after the fire. Didn't Adrian tell you?"

"He did mention it one day," Olivia said.

"I hope you are not disappointed that you will not find any spooky passages or effigies in the house," Sir Felix said.

"I admit I can do without spooky passages and effigies," Olivia said, smiling.

"Good."

"How far is it to the house?" Agnes asked her husband.

Sir Felix looked out into the growing darkness. "Not far," he said. "The gate is about half a mile from here."

After a couple of minutes, the carriage stopped in front of a large, wrought-iron gate. The gatekeeper followed their summons speedily and opened the gate for them. There was an avenue of chestnut trees ahead of the carriage and in the distance Olivia could discern some lights shimmering in the darkness. This had to be the house.

The carriage stopped in front of the main entrance, and servants stepped towards it to carry their luggage into their rooms. A tall lady received them in the hallway as they entered the house. Judging by the lines in her face she had to be quite old, but she moved so swiftly and elegantly that many a young lady looked old in comparison, Olivia thought.

She introduced herself as Mrs. Hargreave, Mr. Lennox's housekeeper.

"Her ladyship awaits you in the Blue Drawing Room," she said and led the way towards a door at the far end of the hallway. A maid took Olivia's pelisse, muff and hat and carried it upstairs. Olivia tried to take in as much of her surroundings as possible. She had seen several houses built in the days of Queen Anne, and this one, she admitted, looked as elegant as any of them.
The Blue Drawing Room was more elaborate than the hall, but still there was a certain elegance about it. The furniture was upholstered with blue fabric, probably silk brocade -- that was probably how the room had acquired its name, for there was nothing else in it that would have justified the expression.

Lady Burnhope, who had been sitting in an easy chair next to the fire, and Susannah who had been seated at the table reading a book, both rose and came towards them.

"You have come," Susannah exclaimed upon seeing Olivia. "Adrian said you might not do so, but I knew he must have been joking!"

Olivia refrained from saying that Adrian had probably not been in the mood for such jokes lately. She knew he had tried to prepare Susannah for bad news, and was grateful for it. He was the most considerate of all men.

"You must be tired," Lady Burnhope remarked after having welcomed her guests.

"Do sit down and have a cup of tea with me. You will need something to warm you, for you must have had a most uncomfortable ride in this cold. Mrs. Hargreave will take you to your rooms later."

"I hope we are not keeping you from your dinner," Agnes said anxiously. "We can very well wait until then, you know -- we had some refreshment at our last stop."

"We never dine before half past seven, so you are not keeping us from anything," Lady Burnhope merely said and rang the bell. A maid entered the drawing room, carrying a tray laden with sandwiches, scones and a bowl of clotted cream. Another followed, carrying a large tea-pot and cups.

"I will not have it said I do not look after my guests," Lady Burnhope said with a smile and urged them to eat whatever took their fancy. Olivia followed her advice gladly -- the food at the inn where they had stopped for luncheon had not been very good, and she had not eaten much.

While Lady Burnhope talked to Sir Felix and Agnes, Susannah kept Olivia busy with her questions about how she had enjoyed the journey, what she thought of Wetherham, and whether she liked the scones, which apparently were one of the cook's specialties.
Olivia was just answering that question when the door opened and Captain Lennox came in, followed by Adrian.

"I hear our guests have arrived," Captain Lennox said and came towards them to shake hands with everyone. Adrian remained at the door, and the look he gave Olivia made her heart beat faster. It was as if he only saw her, as if everyone but her was of no importance at all. It was a look like an embrace.

He had to do the honours as a host, and therefore it took him some time until he got to talk to Olivia. When he did, however, Olivia was convinced that her decision had been right.

He took her hand, kissed it, and said, "Welcome to Wetherham Priory, Miss Paige. I am very glad to have you here."

It was a polite phrase, of course, nothing more, but the way he said it assured Olivia that he meant every single word of it. He was glad she had come to Wetherham.

The next step was up to him, Olivia thought, and wondered what the next step would be.

Part XXI

Olivia's room in Priory House was lovely. Mrs. Hargreave showed her in, and told her that it had once been "Miss Everett's". When Olivia, at first, gave her a blank look, Mrs. Hargreave added, "Miss Everett, who married Lord Burnhope. Mr. Lennox's mother."

It took Olivia another moment to recall that the present Lady Burnhope was not Adrian's mother. Her room was the one that had, at one time, been occupied by Adrian's mother. Olivia wondered whether this had been intentional.

"I see," she said with a smile and looked at the pictures on the walls. They were the work of a very talented painter, though they did not look as if a professional artist had done them.

"Did Miss Everett paint these?" she asked Mrs. Hargreave. Mrs. Hargreave sighed.

"Such pretty pictures they are, aren't they?" she said. "Miss Everett was a very gifted artist, Miss Paige."

"So this is where Mr. Lennox has inherited his talent," Olivia said with a smile.

"Not just his talent, Miss. His character, too -- and his eyes. Did you ever notice Mr. Lennox's eyes, Miss?"

Olivia smiled, but did not say anything. Adrian's eyes had probably been the first thing she had noticed about him -- apart from his pulling her out of the pond at Sutton Court and his threat to let her drown if she did not cooperate with his efforts. Her smile widened. That was certainly a story to tell one's grandchildren one day.

"Her husband was devoted to her," Mrs. Hargreave continued. "Lord Burnhope married rather late in life -- some people had already thought he would never do so. But then he found our Miss Everett, and they fell in love with each other. Mr. Everett did not like it, he didn't like Lord Burnhope overly much, you must know, but he gave in when he saw how his refusal made his daughter suffer. The Burnhopes were the happiest couple I have ever seen. -- I must leave, Miss Paige, there are so many things to be done. I hope you have everything you need? If not, do not hesitate to ring the bell. One of the girls will bring you whatever you want."

Olivia thanked Mrs. Hargreave, and this old and trusted servant left her to herself. Since it was not long until dinner, Olivia decided to make haste in getting ready and explore her room later. Crewe came in from a small dressing room and announced that a bath was already waiting for her -- a welcome announcement, for Olivia had been longing for a hot bath.

"What are you going to wear at dinner, Miss?" Crewe inquired while Olivia leaned back in her bath and closed her eyes for a moment.

"I do not know," Olivia admitted. She had not thought about the matter much, but now that Crewe reminded her of it she realised that it was an issue of some importance. Olivia thought of the collection of evening dresses she possessed, and tried to remember which of them had seemed to make the best impression on Adrian.

"How about the straw-coloured silk?" she finally asked Crewe.

"Very well, Miss," Crewe said and, while Olivia still enjoyed her bath, got her clothes ready for her.

Susannah came towards Olivia the moment she entered the drawing room and asked her how she liked her room.

"It is charming, isn't it?" she said before Olivia could answer. "And it has the best view of all the rooms in the house, I think."

Olivia laughed. "I am afraid I could not see much from my windows," she said.

"It is the same view you get from this room, only from a slightly different angle," Adrian, who had witnessed their exchange, said. "You will see the garden and the ruins at the far end of the park when you look out of your window tomorrow morning."

"This sounds charming, indeed," Olivia said with a smile.

"Adrian gave you the best room in the house," Susannah said. "I quite envy you."

"Susannah, you know very well that it was Mrs. Hargreave who decided who was going to stay in which room, and she gave you the one you always occupied when you came here. How was she to know that it was not to your liking? I cannot remember your ever telling her so." Adrian sounded slightly harrassed.

"It is to my liking, only I would have liked to have Olivia's room for a change."

"One more complaint, Susannah," Adrian said with a smile, "and I will place you in the servants' quarters. For a change."

Susannah laughed, but said no more. Instead, she left her brother and Olivia alone and went to Agnes, no doubt to inquire whether she approved of her lodgings.

"I have to compliment you on your house," Olivia said shyly, looking up at Adrian. "It is so beautiful!"

"That was not my doing," Adrian said lightly. "The place is still very much as I found it. But I feel something is lacking."

"Is there?" Olivia asked.

"Yes, but I hope to mend matters soon," Adrian said with a smile. "I could do with some assistance, too. Will you help me?"

"I do not see how I could," Olivia said.

"I will venture to make a couple of suggestions," Adrian said. The butler announced that dinner was served, and Lady Burnhope invited her guests to follow her to the dining room. "Later, perhaps," Adrian added and gave Olivia another smile.

"I am looking forward to hearing your ideas for the improvement of Priory House," Olivia said, laughing. "Though I do not see much room for improvement, sir. The place is perfect."

"Not just yet," Adrian said.

It had been some time since Olivia had enjoyed herself as much as she did on her first evening in Priory House. Ever since the incident with Sir Edwin, she had felt very awkward whenever she had been in company. Here she was among friends though, and had nothing to fear. When Lady Wesley had approached her at Almack's, Olivia had, for one moment, been afraid that some knowledge of what had happened had got abroad, but that fear had turned out to be without any reason.

It probably was as Sir Felix had said to her when hearing about the encounter -- that Lady Wesley had merely made a wild guess that had not been too far off the mark. There had been rumours concerning her and Sir Edwin before, Sir Felix had said, and of course some people had noticed that Sir Edwin had not been seen in Olivia's company for a while. That was all. No one, he assured her, knew about the real reason why Sir Edwin had left London.

Tonight, Olivia did not think about Sir Edwin at all. That man was history, and no more important to her than Lord Swafford or any other of the town beaux that had tried to make themselves agreeable to her.

After dinner, the ladies went back to the drawing room, and Lady Burnhope regaled them with an account of what she had done ever since she had arrived in Wetherham, and what entertainments she had planned to take place during their stay.

"There will be a party on Christmas Eve," she said. "I have invited a couple of genteel families from the neighbourhood. There are some interesting people living in this county, you must know. -- There may even be some dancing, if you care to dance, Miss Paige."

Olivia smiled and told Lady Burnhope that she would like it very much.

"On New Year's Eve, Colonel Daltrey is to arrive," Lady Burnhope continued. "We are all invited to attend a ball at Lady Stapleton's house that evening, but I do not know whether you will want to go there. Lady Stapleton is an excellent hostess, though, so you would certainly miss something if you did not go. As for the rest of your stay -- I have invited some people to dine with us tomorrow evening, and we might arrange a card party too. For the most part, I thought I would leave it to you to find some entertainment -- nothing is more odious than a hostess who tires her guests with activities they do not want to take part in. The library is well-stocked, and Adrian has told me that everyone is free to borrow any books they might like. There are excellent horses in Adrian's stables as well, and the countryside is charming, so if you feel like going out for a ride, do so. I am sure Adrian will show you around if you ask him to."

"I have asked him to show us around tomorrow afternoon," Susannah said, smiling at Olivia. "In the morning, I thought you might want to have a look at the house, but in the afternoon we could go riding if you do not mind, Olivia."

Olivia assured her friend that she was looking forward to seeing the surrounding countryside and would like to go riding with her -- provided, she said, that the weather was fine enough to venture outside.

"For fond of you as I am, Susannah, not even you could persuade me to go riding in a snowstorm," she said smilingly.

"I have it on good authority that there will not be a snowstorm tomorrow," Susannah said. "Adrian's head groom says he can tell what the weather is going to be like ... and I have yet to see him err. He said there was not going to be any snow tomorrow."

When the gentlemen joined them, Susannah approached them at once, telling them that Olivia had agreed to her scheme. Captain Lennox's reaction showed Olivia that the topic had been discussed before, and that they had apparently left the decision to her.

"You really feel up to going riding tomorrow, Miss Paige?" he asked her. "I thought you might still be tired -- your journey must have been exhausting."

"I am sure that after a good night's sleep I will be able to go for a short ride." Olivia smiled.
"Susannah has set her heart on going, and I would hate to disappoint her."

"It would not do Susannah any harm if she were disappointed once or twice in her life," Adrian said sternly. "Do not let her coax you into doing something you do not want, Miss Paige."

"But I do want to explore Wetherham," Olivia said. "You may rest assured that her suggestion was very much to my liking."

"In that case, let us hope that the weather will not thwart us," Adrian said. "And I had better ask my sister which of my horses, according to her opinion, will suit you best. After all, she seems to have taken charge of the outing."

Olivia laughed. "She means no harm, I am sure," she said soothingly.

His eyes glittered mischievously. "Of course not," he said. "She merely means to be in charge here - if I am not careful, she will usurp my place."

"And you are not going to let her."

"Certainly not."

"So, which measures are you going to take to keep her from doing so?"

"I am not going to tell you," Adrian said with a grin. "You might warn her."

"You think I am in league with your sister?"

"No, I do not think so."

"They why do you not share your ideas with me?"

He laughed. "You are right -- I could share my ideas with you. My strategy is to put some very different thoughts in her head, so she will forget all about the Priory."

"And you think that will answer?" Olivia asked with an amused smile.

"Things look very promising indeed," he merely said.

Susannah came up to them and informed them that she planned to play a game of Speculation.

"All by yourself?" Adrian asked her teasingly.

"Of course not. Bernie, Sir Felix and Lady Gordon are going to join in, and Mama says if you will join us, too, she would not mind playing either. So what do you say?"

Adrian gave Olivia an expectant look. "You decide, Miss Paige," he said.

Olivia blushed slightly. "You seem to leave a great deal to me to decide," she said quietly.

He smiled. "I believe in letting people make their own decisions," he said.

"And you never consider your own inclination, Mr. Lennox?"

"Oh, I do, believe me." He laughed. "My sister tells me I am very good at manipulating people to make decisions in my favour. I think that confronting people with the choice they have has nothing to do with trying to manipulate them. "

"It does," Susannah said. "Now, what do you say, Olivia? I do not want to force you, of course, but you must know that my mother will be only too glad to have an excuse for not playing cards, and since her eyesight is not the best she will expect one of you to read poetry to her. Lord Byron, if my eyes do not deceive me."

"I think I am going to play cards," Olivia said, laughingly.

"Me, too," Adrian said smilingly. "I am afraid Lord Byron will have to wait. Now, let me congratulate you on your excellent piece of work. You are as manipulative as they come, dearest sister."

"I have learnt from the best," Susannah said with a wink at Olivia, and took her arm to lead her to the card table.

After a very pleasant evening, Olivia was finally glad to slip between the sheets and blankets of her bed. Yet, despite being very tired, she could not sleep. Thoughts kept popping up in her head -- Susannah's insinuations about her manipulative brother, for one, and Adrian's hints that could, in her opinion, only mean marriage -- even if he had not declared himself yet. Olivia did not blame him -- there had been no opportunity for him to do so. Perhaps she should give him the opportunity -- getting lost while riding the next day was one possibility. On the other hand, that would give him the impression that she was dreadfully forward. She should leave it to him to choose the right moment.

Since her thoughts kept straying to that topic and it did not seem as if she was going to sleep soon, Olivia decided to find something to read to take her mind off Adrian. Unfortunately, she had already finished the book she had taken with her on her journey. The carriage ride had been a long one, and the book had been one of the few things that had offered her some entertainment. But there was a library in Priory House, and Lady Burnhope had told her that Adrian had given his guests his permission to borrow whatever books they liked. Perhaps, if she found something really boring, something that would send her to sleep?

Olivia slipped into her dressing gown, and lit a candle. Mrs. Hargreave had pointed out the library to them when she had led them to their rooms earlier that evening, so Olivia knew where to go. It was not necessary to dress properly, Olivia thought, for surely no one would be around at this time of night.

She tiptoed down the stairs, hoping that no one would hear her, and went towards what she knew was the door to the library. Careful not to make any noise, she opened the door and went inside. Only then she realised that she was not alone. There was a light at the far end of the room, and seated at the writing table was Adrian -- giving her a look that was, Olivia thought, no less surprised than the one she was quite certainly giving him.

He rose and came towards her.

"I am sorry I disturbed you," Olivia stammered. "I thought everyone was asleep by now!"

"Everyone but the two of us, it seems," he said gently. "I was busy entertaining my guests during the day, so I had to leave my work until now."

"Well, I ... I had better go back to my room then," Olivia said, turning around and walking towards the door. "Good night, Mr. Lennox."

"Wait, Miss Paige," he said. "You came here to find something to read, I suppose. Shall I help you find something suitable? I know this library like the back of my hand, so..."

"You are very kind," Olivia said shyly, remembering the picture she most likely presented -- wearing her nightdress and dressing-gown, her hair braided but some strands escaping Crewe's rigid order, as they always did. She was a mess, Olivia thought, and wished she could sink into the floor and disappear.

He led her to a chair and asked her to take a seat. "So, what exactly are you looking for?"

"I was hoping for something that would send me to sleep," Olivia admitted with a shy smile.

"Something heavy?" he asked with a grin. "I do think I have some volumes here that will do the trick -- just ask your maid to drop one of them on your head, and it will send you to sleep in a trice."

Olivia laughed. "I was thinking of a less ... violent means to send me to sleep, if you do not mind."

"Fine. Sermons, then." He turned towards the bookshelves, then stopped. "Unless you are fond of reading sermons. In that case, I could recommend my grandfather's collection of agricultural magazines."

"Sounds tempting," Olivia said dryly. "I shall go for the sermons -- I am afraid I have already read the agricultural gazettes. My father is an ardent reader of these."

"I shall see what I can find, then," Adrian said with a smile.

Olivia remained where she was and tried to straighten her appearance while Adrian went around the library, looking at the books in the shelves and choosing three volumes. He came back and handed the books to her.

"Here you are," he said. "I hope they will live up to your expectations, Miss Paige."

"Thank you," Olivia said, giving him a shy smile. "Please believe me -- I did not know you were here, and I did not wish to disturb you."

"The disturbance was most welcome, Miss Paige," he said. "Besides, to tell you the truth, I did not get much work done. The real reason why I was here was that I could not sleep either. Something has kept me awake... Miss Paige, some of the things my sister said tonight have made me think. Did you have the feeling I was trying to press you into doing something you might find disagreeable? I am not talking about tonight, but our last meeting."

"I never had that feeling, Mr. Lennox," Olivia said with conviction.

"I am glad," Adrian said. "Because if you had, I would have had some explaining to do. Perhaps I ought to grab the opportunity and explain it to you nevertheless. I did not mean to put pressure on you, or even worse, to blackmail you."

"I know," Olivia said quietly. "You wanted me to make my own choice."

"I wanted to know what your wishes were," he said earnestly. "After Sir Edwin's assault, I had a feeling that you did not trust anyone -- and I wanted to show you that, whatever your decision was, you could trust me to honour it. I felt that my behaviour in Essex was perhaps lacking in propriety, and that this had led you to believe that I was no different to ... others."

"Your behaviour in Essex left nothing to be desired," Olivia said quietly. "Let me assure you of that, sir."

He smiled. "It is good of you to say so, Miss Paige. I feared I had frightened you."

"That day, I was frightened out of my wits," Olivia admitted, " but that was not your fault, Mr. Lennox. I already saw myself as Sir Edwin's wife, and was anticipating what would happen next when you rescued me. I will never forget the horror of these hours."

"I hope you will, one day," Adrian said earnestly. "And I will do what I can to make you forget."

This sounded very much as if he was going to propose to her, Olivia thought, and felt that she was not ready for a proposal yet. She did love Adrian, but she did not want him to make her an offer of marriage out of compassion. She had to get away before the situation got out of hand, before either Adrian or she said anything they might be sorry for later.

Hastily, she said, "Good night, Mr. Lennox," and left the library without looking back. In her room, she lay down on her bed and cried until she fell asleep. The books had been unnecessary after all.

Part XXII

The next morning promised to turn into a very fine day -- the sun was shining, and although there was still some mist in the valley, it was only a question of time until the sky would clear up. Their outing for the afternoon, it seemed, was certain.

First, however, Olivia and Agnes were treated to a tour of the house conducted by Susannah and Lady Burnhope, while the gentlemen decided to talk to the gamekeeper and see what sport was to be had. Olivia looked out of the window and watched Adrian, Sir Felix and Captain Lennox disappear in the forest, closely followed by a couple of eager spaniels. Lady Burnhope's well-meant lecture fell on deaf ears. Olivia was occupied with what had happened the night before. Why had she run away from Adrian? She was certain he had meant to make her an offer of marriage. Now, in the light of day, she felt her behaviour had been ridiculous. Worse, it had been insulting. Adrian might take this as a hint that she did not want to marry him -- he might never make an attempt to ask her again. If she was not careful, she would lose him. Olivia could not stand that thought. She should have let him say what had been on his mind. If she had had a reason to doubt his motives, she could still have questioned him about them. She knew him to be an honest man -- he would not have lied to her, and there had still been a chance to refuse him if his explanations had not satisfied her. Another missed opportunity on her list, Olivia thought, and who knew whether there would be another one.

After an extensive tour of the house, Agnes wanted to talk to the housekeeper -- she was interested in all the particulars of managing a large household such as Wetherham Priory and, she pointed out, though she had some experience in that field herself, she was always happy to hear someone else's point of view and, perhaps, learn something from people like Mrs. Hargreave.

Susannah took Olivia to the garden instead. She wanted to go to the greenhouse to get some material for the flower arrangements she meant to make for the evening party, and Olivia had eagerly promised to assist her. There was a task to take her mind off Adrian for a while.
They wandered along the walkways in the greenhouse, choosing the flowers that Susannah thought worthy of becoming a part of her flower arrangements, and Susannah chattered away in a lively manner. She talked about the people Olivia was about to meet in the evening -- the vicar of Wetherham with his wife and their eldest son and daughter, Lord and Lady Stapleton who had been close friends of the late Lord Burnhope's, and Squire and Mrs. Hutchins.

"And apparently there is a friend of Bernie's coming all the way from Cheltenham," Susannah said. "He is stationed there, you see, and they have not met ever since Bernie went off to Gibraltar -- and they are not likely to meet again soon, with Bernie going off to India as he insists on doing."

"Captain Lennox is really serious about this adventure, then?"

"Absolutely. There is no talking him out of it, although you can be sure that I tried," Susannah said with a sigh. "He is more determined than ever to make a fortune in India. I pointed out that there are easier ways for him to make his fortune. A gentleman of his birth, looks and address cannot fail to make a good impression on ladies with a large dowry." Susannah stopped and reddened. "I am sorry. I should not have said such a thing to you," she said. "Please do not think ill of me now, Olivia -- I never thought of your money when I was with you, and if I wished you to become a member of my family, it was only because I am very fond of you and thought you would make one of my brothers a marvellous wife. It was stupid of me, I know."

"It would be stupid of me to believe that I was a universal favourite because of my good qualities," Olivia said laughingly. "You have told me nothing new, Susannah. I know that there are plenty of young men on the lookout for a rich wife, and that most people I have met are interested in me merely because of my wealth. I sometimes wish I had no money at all."

"But that would not be very agreeable, would it?" Susannah said wisely. "I think you really need to learn to distinguish between those people who like you for what you are and those who like you for what you have."

Olivia gave a bitter laugh. "That is very difficult, I can tell you," she said. "There is someone whom I trusted absolutely, and who turned out to be after my money after all. On the other hand, there is someone whom I suspected of having designs on my fortune and who, it transpired, had no ulterior motives. I seem to get things wrong every time."

"Another Season and you will be proficient in the art of telling the difference," Susannah said.

"Honestly, I do not want to go through another Season," Olivia said.

"But what are you going to do instead?" Susannah asked. "Hide yourself in Bradenham?"

"That was what I was thinking about, yes," Olivia admitted.

"Nonsense," Susannah said determinedly. "A girl like you rotting in the country! I will not hear of it! You must come to town again -- a Season without you, with Jane being married and on her honeymoon -- can you imagine anything as dull as that? Do have a little compassion on your poor friend, I beg you!"

Olivia laughed. "I am sure you will make new friends very quickly," she said. "Besides, who says that you will spend the Season in London? You might be on your honeymoon as well."

"That does not sound very likely, does it?" Susannah said. "I am not going to marry."

"Unless the right man asks you," Olivia said.

"That is a matter of course," Susannah said. "But it does not look as if he will."

"He is coming to Wetherham, though. To what other purpose but to meet you?"

"To meet Adrian, perhaps," Susannah said. "I have not seen much of him ever since Mama's ball. He does not care for me, I am certain, or he would have made a point of seeing me more often."

"Stop deluding yourself, Susannah. Colonel Daltrey does care for you very much."

"Did he say so?" Susannah asked eagerly.

"Not to me," Olivia said. "But I could see it whenever he was with you. You must be blind not to have noticed. Do not worry about it, though -- we all have our blind moments." She sighed. Their discourse had made her think of Adrian again.

As promised, Adrian took them on a ride to look at the countryside surrounding Wetherham Priory in the afternoon. They started at the Priory ruins -- an impressive place, even though not much of the Priory was left. Adrian told them that part of the ruins had been demolished and the stones had been used to build Priory House -- only the former chapel and cloisters had been left untouched.

"Even though my great-grandfather was not a very devout man, he did not want to lay his hands on a sacred building," he said.

"But the entire Priory was a sacred building," Olivia said.

"Not in his day," Adrian said with a smile. "He felt entitled to demolish the former residence, but the chapel had been used as Wetherham's parish church till then, and so my great-grandfather had another church built in another place. The chapel and cloisters were not to be touched. In his will, he obliged each of his descendants to take good care of these ruins instead."

Olivia looked at the ruins. They were still able to give her an impression of how large and beautiful the Priory must have been.

"Are there any pictures of what the Priory looked like before the fire?" she asked Adrian.

"There is an engraving in one of the chronicles in the library," Adrian said. "If you want to, I shall go and look for it when we come back home."

"That would be nice," Olivia said with a shy smile.

They rode on towards the village of Wetherham, and while Adrian offered to take Olivia to see the local church, Susannah informed them that one of the maids that had attended to her during her last visit at the Priory had married the landlord of the George and Dragon Inn and had, two weeks previously, presented her husband with a little daughter.

"What do you say," she asked Captain Lennox. "Shall we call on Maggie while Adrian shows Miss Paige the church?"

"I am afraid," Captain Lennox said with a grin, "that Miss Paige will have seen not only the church but the entire village until you can tear yourself away from the baby."

"It need not bother you, Bernie," Susannah retorted. "I am sure you can still get that home-brew at the George -- the one you are so fond of."

"But we cannot keep Adrian and Miss Paige waiting," Captain Lennox protested.

"May I suggest something?" Adrian asked. "You go and visit Maggie, and we will meet again at the crossroads halfway from here to Cheltenham. You can take the shortcut across the meadows -- you need not worry about that at this time of year, and I know you want to jump some fences, which I would not advise Miss Paige to do. I do not think you will keep us waiting for more than ten minutes, and I hope Miss Paige does not get bored within ten minutes with me. At least I hope it will not be my fault if she does." He gave Olivia a smile that warmed her heart.

Susannah agreed to her brother's plan, and Olivia's heart beat faster when she realised that she would have some time alone with Adrian. Captain Lennox gave in, and together with his sister he walked off towards the George and Dragon, while Adrian showed Olivia into the church. They met the vicar there, and after being presented to Olivia that reverend gentleman entertained her with a report on the problems of his parish.

"We are glad to see Mr. Lennox is back from Italy," he finally said. "There is a great deal to be done, and I have high hopes that he will take his duties in the parish very seriously. Not that I wish to complain about Lord Burnhope, he has been most conscientious, but then he had his own estate to consider and did not spend quite as much time here as Mr. Lennox used to do, not to speak of Mr. Everett."

Adrian bore with the old gentleman's tirade patiently, even though, Olivia thought, he gave him exasperated looks from time to time. At last, they left the church, mounted their horses, and Adrian led the way along a path that took them away from the village. After a couple of minutes, they came to a hedgerow that marked, according to Adrian, the boundary between his estate and Lord Stapleton's. Adrian stopped his horse, and Olivia did likewise.

"Are we there yet?" she asked.

Adrian laughed. "Not yet," he said. "Our meeting point is about half a mile from here -- in this direction. But I thought you might like this place."

"Is there any particular story attached to it?" Olivia asked. She could see nothing extraordinary in the place, even though the view of Wetherham village and the Priory ruins was charming.

"Yes, there is," Adrian said, got down from his horse and helped Olivia to get out of the saddle too. "This is where my parents met for the first time."

Olivia smiled. "How did that happen?"

"It was not quite as spectacular as our first meeting, I am afraid," Adrian said with a grin. "My mother happened to sit in the grass over there, painting a picture of Wetherham village, when my father came along on horseback and asked her the way to Lord Stapleton's. That was all."

"Who told you that?" Olivia asked.

"My father did, when he took me to visit my grandfather one day."

"Our first meeting was certainly far more spectacular than that," Olivia agreed with a smile. She walked along the path, trying to imagine the scene Adrian had described to her. It was difficult -- she had never seen any of his parents, after all, and in her imagination it was she and Adrian that took their places.

"Olivia!"

She turned around and looked at him. This was the first time he had called her by her given name -- and she loved hearing his voice say it. He came towards her, smiling.

"Just in case you want to run away again, our meeting point is over there," he said. "You cannot miss it, for I am sure Susannah and Bernie will be waiting for us."
He was standing close to her now, and took her hands in his. "You may think I am slow in picking up your clues," he said quietly, "but the fact is that I get so many contradictory hints from you that I am quite at my wits' end. You know I was going to propose to you yesterday evening, don't you?"

Olivia nodded. "I thought you were," she said.

"Then why did you leave the library in such a hurry?" He looked at her earnestly.

"I thought you might regret it later," Olivia admitted, blushing.

He sighed. "Why? Did you think I'd take offence at your having misjudged me in the past?"

Olivia stared at him in astonishment. "You knew?" she asked.

"I was well aware of it, yes," he said. "And I asked Felix not to correct your mistake for a while."

"Why?"

"I felt that it would be quite agreeable if someone got to know me for what I was. It was a refreshing change, Olivia -- I believe you can understand why I did that."

Olivia nodded. "So that was why you were angry when your brother told me the truth?"

"No. I did not know then that he had told you the truth about me. I was furious and disappointed because I thought he was making you advances even though he was aware of my feelings for you."

"Your feelings for me," Olivia whispered, looking up at him. He took her in his arms.

"He knew I was desperately in love with you," he said quietly. "So how could I have forgiven him if he had tried to take you away from me?"

"But he never tried that," Olivia said.

"That was what he made clear to me when he followed me to Wetherham," Adrian said with a smile. "By the way, I have just realised something."

Olivia laughed. "What is it that you have just realised?"

"I am holding you in my arms and you are neither hitting me nor trying to escape. So either I am dreaming, or this is a good sign."

Then, without any warning, his hold on her tightened and he kissed her. Olivia was too surprised to offer any resistance -- but when she was able to reflect, she became aware that resistance had been the very last thing that had been on her mind.

"Why should I hit you or try to escape when being in your arms is so agreeable?" she asked, still breathless, when their kiss ended. "I do not think I ever did so when you held me in your arms."

"Yes you did," he said with a smile. "At Sutton Court you tried to drown me."

"Not intentionally," Olivia said. "And in Essex..." She stopped, blushed and turned away.

Adrian sighed. "So this is it, is it? Olivia, how often do I have to tell you that this incident with Sir Edwin Arncott means nothing at all to me? That it has not changed the opinion I have of you? As for what happened in Essex - God knows I wanted to kiss away all your worries then, but it would not have answered -- I would only have succeeded in frightening you all the more. That was why I held myself back, but I thought I had managed to convince you that you were not to blame. Obviously I have not been quite as successful as I thought."

"You are not going to propose to me because you think you ought to do so to save my reputation?"

"No. I am going to propose to you because I am in love with you, Olivia, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. That is all." He took her in his arms again. "Will you marry me, then?"

She put her arms around his neck. "I'd love to," she said. "Because, to be honest, I love you, too." She kissed him, and from then on time seemed to stop. Olivia did not know how much time they had spent there kissing, but they did reach their meeting point rather late.

Susannah did not comment on their tardiness, and neither did Captain Lennox. That they did have some idea as to what had kept them so long was evident -- Olivia noticed the questioning look the Captain directed at his brother and Adrian's reassuring smile; and Susannah's smirk said more than words could have done.

The sun was setting as they reached Priory House, and Olivia went to her room immediately to dress for dinner. Susannah joined her in her room without delay.

"So, are you engaged then?" she demanded, the moment she came in. Olivia noticed the interested look Crewe gave her, and sent her on an errand.

"Come now," Susannah said impatiently. "Are you?"

Smiling, Olivia said, "Your brother asked me to marry him, and I said I would, so I guess I am engaged, yes."

Susannah embraced her, saying, "I knew this would happen sooner or later -- that is, I hoped it would. The two of you will be so happy! And I made it possible -- though, I admit, I really wanted to see Maggie's baby at that time, and I had no idea Adrian was planning to make you an offer. That is, I had an idea that he was planning to make you an offer, but I did not know he was planning to do so this afternoon."

She noticed Olivia's amused smile. "You think I am foolish beyond permission," she said. "Fine. I shall be quiet now. But I am so happy for you!"

Susannah embraced Olivia once again and kissed her cheek. Then she retreated to her own room, while Olivia took off her riding hat and gloves. Crewe came back, and did not comment on what she had heard until Olivia turned to her and said, "Crewe, I am engaged to be married to Mr. Lennox."

"I am very happy for you, Miss," Crewe said. "I'm sure he'll be an excellent husband, Miss."

Olivia sighed happily. "I think he will."

When Olivia came to the drawing room, only Lady Burnhope and Adrian were there. It was a bit awkward, Olivia thought, to pretend that nothing had happened between them. Adrian seemed to think so, too -- his foremost intention was to get her away from company.

"Miss Paige," he said, in a non-committal tone but with a tell-tale look in his eyes, "I have found the volume I promised to find for you -- the one with the picture of the old Priory. Do you wish to see it?"

"Of course," Olivia said, giving him one of her brightest smiles. "Have you got it here with you?"

"I am afraid it was too heavy to be carried here," he said. "Would you mind going to the library to have a look at it?"

"Not at all," Olivia said, and followed Adrian out of the drawing room. The moment the library door had closed behind them, Adrian took her in his arms and kissed her. "You know," he whispered, "it will be difficult to find an acceptable excuse every time I want to be alone with you. I suggest we should get married soon."

"Why?" Olivia asked.

"Because then I will not need an excuse to be alone with you," Adrian said with a mischievous smile.

"If we could make our engagement known, at least," Olivia said. "Although Susannah knows. She cornered me the moment I was in my room."

Adrian laughed. "Bernie knows, too," he said. "Even though he did not corner me. He told me it was quite obvious what we had been up to."

Olivia blushed. "Good God, what will he think of me?"

"He said he was looking forward to having you as his sister-in-law," Adrian said. "So I suppose his opinion of you has not suffered in the least."

"We cannot announce our engagement until my father has given his consent," Olivia said. Even in the best - though unlikely - case of her father expressing his approbation instantly, that would take a couple of days. Olivia had no idea how to hide her happiness for so long.

Adrian looked at her with a warm smile. "I had best talk to him straight away then," he said. "Though I am afraid I will have to wait till after dinner."

"Adrian, this is no joking matter," Olivia said reprovingly.

"I know it is not."

"Then stop talking as if you could ask my father any moment," she said. "I know you cannot."

"Yes, I can. Not now, because I suppose he is busy getting dressed for dinner, but I will surely be able to approach him later in the evening."

Olivia stared at Adrian in disbelief. Did he really take matters as seriously as he ought?

"Your father and mother are here, Olivia. They arrived in the afternoon. I invited them to spend Christmas at Priory House the moment I knew you would come as well -- I thought it would not be fair to deprive them of both their daughters' company at Christmas. And before you praise my generosity, my dear," he continued, embracing Olivia once more, "I have to tell you that my motives were entirely selfish. I knew I would have to convince your father that I am not a fortune hunter, and can you think of a better way than inviting him to my place?"

Olivia laughed. "I think that will serve very well," she said.

"Fine. Now let us have a look at that book, and go back to the drawing-room before my mother sends out a search party," Adrian said. "I am sure you will be happy to see your parents -- and perhaps you should give your sister a hint or two about the state of affairs between us. I know she would be disappointed if she were the last one to find out."

"Does Sir Felix know?" Olivia asked.

"Not yet, unless Bernie has told him, which I hope he hasn't." He grinned. "I want to see his face when I tell him."

The wedding did not take place until May, which was when Lord Burnhope and Jane returned from their honeymoon. They could have married sooner, but Olivia had asked Adrian to take her to Italy on their wedding tour, and Adrian could not leave England before his brother's return, having promised him to take care of the Burnhope estate.

Captain Lennox was not with them at the wedding. He had left England the previous February to take up his post in General Simmons's staff. His family had not been too pleased about his going so far away, but he had assured them that he had done it for the best. Olivia hoped that his stay in India would have the desired effect and that it would not do him any harm. Yet she was sure she would miss him.

Colonel Daltrey had taken the opportunity and proposed to Susannah during his stay in Wetherham, and their wedding was to take place soon after Olivia's. Lady Burnhope rejoiced at the prospect of having nearly all her children married, and prepared her removal to the Dower House at Burnhope. Now that she had nothing more to do than look after herself, she said, she would be perfectly content with staying there and waiting until the young Lady Burnhope asked for her assistance. Luckily, they were on exceptionally friendly terms with each other.

In consequence of his disastrous attempt to force Olivia into marrying him, Sir Edwin Arncott had left England, and was not heard of any more until, some years later, his former friends received the news of his demise in some remote part of France. Apparently, he had adopted a riotous way of life that had eventually led to his ruin.

This was of no concern to Olivia. She was happily married, mistress of Priory House and a mother of three children, a task that was more than enough to absorb her. When Adrian told her the news of Sir Edwin's death, he gave her an anxious look.

"How do you feel?" he asked her, taking her hand.

"It does not make any difference to me at all," Olivia said, giving her husband a kiss. "I only thought how lucky I am to have married a fortune-hunter instead of my respectable neighbour."

Adrian laughed, kissed her cheek and then took his sons off to the fish-pond to catch some trout. Olivia watched them from the drawing-room window with a mixture of pride and delight.

Yes, I am lucky to have met my fortune-hunter, she thought, and stroked her belly absent-mindedly. This time, she hoped, the baby would be a daughter.

The End

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