Phillip stopped dead as the door to the library was pushed open to reveal none other than the object of his thoughts sitting on the floor in front of the fireplace, a stack of books just in front of her and one book in her hand. Her eyes turned towards them, her mouth forming a perfect circle as she stared back at her uncle.
“Whatever are you doing here, Olivia?” Lord Dayton said crossly, as she scrambled to her feet, almost knocking over the books in front of her. “You ought to be abed by now.”
Lady Olivia’s face went scarlet, and she dropped her head. “I was just reading, Uncle,” she said quietly, bending to pick up one or two books but leaving the rest on the floor. “I could not sleep. Forgive me.”
Lord Dayton sighed, but before he could speak, Phillip cleared his throat. “Might I help you with those, Lady Olivia?” he asked, stepping forward and picking up the other few books from the floor. “Although surely you cannot intend to read all of these tonight!” His attempt at mirth managed to settle the awkward tension that had flung itself over Lady Olivia ever since they had stumbled in on her, and she looked up at him with a grateful smile.
“I would be very glad if you could leave them in the dining room,” she said quietly. “I will have my maid retrieve them from there so that I do not interrupt you again, Uncle.” She said this last sentence to Lord Dayton, who sighed in irritation, rolled his eyes, and then gestured for her to quit the room.
“Do not tarry,” he said, although Phillip could not be sure whether such a statement was for himself or for Lady Olivia. “We will wait for you, Lord Monteforte. I must hope that I can trust you with such important cargo.”
Aware that Lord Dayton spoke not of the books but of Lady Olivia, Phillip nodded but said nothing, hurrying out after her and feeling his heart soar. He had wanted to be in her company for such a long time and now, here she was, walking alongside him again.
“I must apologize,” Lady Olivia whispered, as they scurried along the hallway. “I did not know my uncle intended to–”
“I believe it was Lord Cammish’s suggestion that we retire to the library,” Phillip said softly. “There is nothing for you to apologize for, Lady Olivia. I am sure it was just a mistake and will be treated so.”
Lady Olivia glanced up at him, her face half hidden in shadows, but even then he could still see the uncertainty in her face. She carried a book in one hand and a single candle in the other, lighting their way. “My uncle is a hard man, as I believe I have told you before,” she said quietly. “He treats me cordially, but there is no affection there. I know my place well in this family. I am lesser than my two cousins. I must come last.” She sighed, revealing more to him about her inner struggles than perhaps she had intended. “I should not be ungrateful, but yet I find it a difficult home to live in.”
“I am sorry for that,” he murmured, a little surprised as to how much she had told him. Perhaps the shock and embarrassment of being found in the library at such a late hour had loosened her tongue. “When you marry, then you will be mistress of your own home, and as such, have the freedom that perhaps has been held back from you thus far.”
A slight sound of ridicule came from her, although Phillip saw that she tried her best to hide it.
“Forgive me,” she said, as he pushed the door to the dining room open. “It is only that I do not expect to have any sort of choice in who my husband will be. My cousins may have their choice, guided by their father, but I presume that once they are both wed and settled, I will be viewed as something to be disposed of with the greatest urgency. Therefore, my uncle will pick someone suitable, and I will be told when I am to be at the church.” She shook her head, holding the door open with one hand as he set his books on the table. “I have believed for some time that my uncle would treat me in the same way as he does his daughters when the time com
es for me to wed, but given how things have been these last few days, I have begun to lose hope.” Her eyes downcast, she continued to speak softly, as though she had forgotten he was there. “I will live my life without ever feeling as though it is my own,” she finished sadly. “That is all I can expect.”
“No.”
His voice was loud, resounding, filling the room, and making Lady Olivia’s head lift suddenly.
“No,” Phillip said again, coming close to her and looking down into her eyes. He wanted to reach out and touch her; he wanted to take her hand but knew he could not. “You do have hope, Lady Olivia. I…” Fumbling for words, he let out a long breath. “I have found myself eager to further my acquaintance with you, and whilst I am aware that you will refuse me for the sake of your cousin, I pray that you would reconsider.”
“But you have been very attentive towards my cousin,” Lady Olivia answered, a little breathlessly. “You have called on her a number of occasions and–”
“I have only ever come to see you.” His hand found hers in the gloomy darkness, seeing how the candlelight flickered as she held it carefully in her other hand. “You have remained silent, stepping back into the shadows and believing that you are behaving as you are expected, but it has been nothing but torturous for me. I have longed to speak to you again, to walk with you in the park and to draw our acquaintance closer.” Pressing her fingers, Phillip forced himself to take a step back as the voice of Lord Dayton echoed in his mind. He had to be careful. “Consider what I ask carefully, Lady Olivia, please,” he finished, seeing how her eyes were still wide with astonishment. “If you would be willing to accept me, I would speak to your uncle and beg his permission to court you. I would make it quite clear that I care nothing for Lady Margaret, praying for his forgiveness if such a thing has ever been seen in my behavior. I have never felt such an eagerness in my spirit before, Lady Olivia. Never have I considered such a thing as courtship and matrimony, but now it is almost all I can think of.” A small, wry laugh left his mouth. “My friend, Lord Watt, has only recently married, and I could not quite understand why he had chosen to do so. Now, however, I can see what pulled him towards such a desire because it has also begun to fill my heart.” He spoke the truth to her willingly, knowing that whilst he had been focused on his task as regarded being a part of the League, he had been, of late, thoroughly distracted by Lady Olivia. “Pray tell me that you will consider what I ask, Lady Olivia. Allow me the chance to prove to you that I am not hiding a cruel spirit beneath a thin façade. Give me that flicker of hope.” Looking steadily into her eyes, he saw how her features twisted suddenly, as though she were caught somewhere between sadness and yearning for what he had offered.
“I–I will consider it,” she whispered, making him let out a sigh of relief. “But you must return now, Lord Monteforte. They will be wondering where you are.”
“Of course.” Unable to simply step away from her, Phillip reached for hand again, fumbling for it in the darkness. Once he held her hand in his, he lowered his head and kissed the back of her hand, hearing her swift intake of breath and feeling his own heart surge with happiness. “Until we meet again, Lady Olivia.”
“You spoke of allowing Prinny to do as he wishes.”
Phillip, who had been struggling to remove his thoughts from Lady Olivia ever since he had returned to the library some half an hour ago, tried to focus on what Lord Cammish was saying.
“Why did you suggest such a thing?”
Frowning hard, Phillip tried to think of a reason as to why he might have made that remark. It had not been made in earnest, for he had been merely playing the part of one who might wish to see England badly damaged by the Prince’s foolishness. “I do not want to speak ill of the monarchy,” he said, choosing his words with great care. “But I believe that the Prince has a responsibility for his own behavior and, whilst I am aware that there is a certain shame in how he behaves at present, I confess that I am a little more inclined to permit him to do so.”
“To what end?” Lord Dayton asked, one leg up on his other knee, a glass of brandy swirling in his hand. “Why should we continue to allow the Prince to behave in such a reckless manner without attempting to guide him away from such things?”
Phillip’s mind worked quickly, and he hesitated, looking from Lord Cammish to Lord Dayton and back again.
“You may speak freely, Lord Monteforte,” Lord Cammish said, encouragingly. “There is no one to judge you here.”
“I am grateful for that,” Phillip answered, still appearing quite ill at ease. “As I have said, I do not want to speak ill of the monarchy, but it appears to me that there might very well be someone better suited to the role that the Prince currently holds.” Closing his eyes for a moment, he winced. “That sounds very bad indeed when it is spoken aloud however.”
Lord Dayton and Lord Cammish both chuckled, sharing a glance as Phillip opened his eyes.