He tasted bile in his throat. “I should never have cleared the garden.”
Rosemary put her arms around Lilac’s shoulders and dragged her toward the house. “I’ll trust you to take care of this,” she said to Oliver. “If the magistrate needs my word as a witness, I shall be happy to give it in your defense, Sir Oliver.”
“Thank you,” he said stiffly.
She stared down at the apron. “Of course.”
Chapter 27
James led her through the hall and up a side staircase that Ivy hadn’t known existed. A row of footmen bowed to her and James as they passed, and it was dreadful of her, but she wanted to break into giggles. She and the other servants had been playing cards for pennies not three days ago. And now she had to act as if she were their better.
“I’m embarrassed,” she whispered, balking at the landing built beneath a domed skylight. The clouds drifted by, a discontented shade of blue.
“Whatever for?” he asked over his shoulder.
“I was one of them and now I’m one of you.”
He laughed. “In that case, there’ll be more embarrassment in the months to come.”
“I don’t think so,” she said, looking down from the skylight with a prim face. “I intend to set a good example.”
“It’s too late for that,” he said, and pulled on her hand.
She caught the mahogany handrail, resisting. “I dislike the tone of that. I came to this house with the best intentions.”
“You couldn’t follow any of the rules.”
“Not that again.”
He pulled her off the railing and into his arms. “Ivy, you and your sisters are the most original young ladies I’ve ever known. You can’t fault me for what happened during the five years I wasn’t in England to keep you on the straight and narrow.”
She laughed. “And that’s why you are leading me to the Duchess Suite, is it? To redeem me from all those years of disgrace and originality?”
He shrugged, a typical man with only conquest on his mind. “I did mention that your sitting room adjoins your own personal library?”
Ivy felt herself falling under the spell of his guileless smile. Typical female, she thought wistfully, encouraging the conquest with her willingness to be led on. “There is a library downstairs, James,” she said.
“Not one quite as intimate as this.” He smiled into her eyes.
“That’s what I suspected.” She let him tug her up another three steps. “What do you mean by suggesting we were on a crooked path? I take exception to that.”
“Forgive me. I should have known better than to insult the females of Fenwick.”
He glanced at her again over his shoulder. To judge by his vitality today, Ivy would almost have believed him to be immortal. She had realized last night that he was not. “What did I or my sisters do to justify that comment?”
His deep laugh pleased her senses. “For one thing Rue threatened me behind the door with a sword like Joan of Arc. For another, Rosemary greeted me with a dueling pistol in hand. In the midst of this hostile welcome Lilac acted as if I had arrived for tea. And, you, my wicked heart, kissed an absolute stranger at a masquerade party. I suppose it is a blessing, considering convents are no longer an option, that the walls of Fenwick sheltered the four of you from the world for as long as they have.”
“Ah,” she said softly, “then you must see why the fault lies at your door.”
“I chased you to your door. That was a poor impulse on my part. I’ve admitted and apologized for it.”
“You’re to blame for everything,” she said, drawing free from his grasp.
He arched his brow. “You look sad. What have I done?”
She shook her head. “Nothing. I was just thinking how different everything might have turned out if you had proposed to me at the masquerade and sought my father out before he got into that fight.”
“I’ve wished, too, it had happened that way.” He leaned with her against the railing. “Would you have waited that long for me? And been faithful?”
“How could you doubt it? Of course my father might well have fought another duel. It was his nature.”
He laid his hand over hers. “But I would have been able to help. I’ll take care of all of you now.”
She felt a shadow fall upon her contentment. His chivalry enchanted—and humbled—her. She didn’t care if he teased her about what she and her sisters had done to survive. She’d do it all over again if she had to. She’d long ago accepted her past. She had nothing to hide anymore, except for Oliver’s visit last night, which she hadn’t had a moment to explain to James. Should she tell him now? Should she ruin his high spirits? Would a few hours more really matter?