“Why did it matter that you fancied Lord Drakely, weren’t you a young girl?”
Caroline nodded. “Yes, and that’s why it’s so unusual. I was twelve or so when they married. I remember crying into a handkerchief Marcus had given me during their wedding, but I don’t know why that would make her have such a strong aversion to me that she never came to Ridge Water.”
“You weren’t the one who ruined her wedding dress, were you?” Emma asked, a tiny giggle escaping her lips.
Caroline’s blue eyes flared wide. “Was her wedding dress shredded?”
Emma shook her head. “No. Not shredded. If I remember correctly, there were a few sooty handprints too small to be hers or Drake’s on the back of her dress.”
“Olivia,” Caroline groaned.
“Just think,” Emma said brightly. “Maybe she wasn’t avoiding you at all, but Olivia instead.”
Caroline reached forward and adjusted the hat on Kate’s head. “Well, then, do you blame her?”
“No,” Emma agreed. She turned to Juliet. “I’ll explain who Olivia is another time, I wouldn’t wish to ruin our tea and biscuits.”
“She’s doing you a favor,” Caroline added, reaching for the teapot in front of her. “Though I suspect everyone who’s met Olivia has some sort of story to tell about her.”
Juliet repositioned herself on the forest green settee she was sitting on that was across from Caroline and Emma. “Allow me to pour the tea, you’re the guest.”
Caroline made no move to release the teapot.
“Speaking of Olivia,” Emma said, grabbing her reticule. “We received a missive from her just the other day.”
Caroline started at Emma’s words and splashed a few drops of tea outside the teacup she was filling. She placed the cup down and used her handkerchief to wipe up the drops. “You did?”
“Mmmhmmm,” Emma answered. She continued to dig in her bag until she found what she was looking for. “Here it is.” She unfolded it and handed it to Caroline.
Juliet picked up her teacup and took a swallow of the warm liquid, and let her eyes shift back and forth between the two women.
“Still beastly as ever, I see,” Caroline said, scowling. She thrust the letter in Juliet’s direction. “Care to read what you were lucky to escape?”
Curiosity piqued, Juliet plucked the letter from Caroline’s grasp; a hush had fallen over the room.
Juliet’s eyes scanned the note, growing larger in size with each line they passed.
Marcus,
I demand you get your arse here, post haste! I cannot take another day, and I refuse to commit suicide. That only leaves the option of you coming for me.
There is a passenger vessel that leaves every Thursday. I shall expect to see you in no more than a fortnight. Any longer than that, and I shall have to go on a rampage and start killing everything in sight. Starting with that atrocious man who dares to insist on visiting my bed, though I have no idea why he’d feel so inclined when I have another man’s bastard inhabiting my innards.
Truly Marcus, that man is a disgusting pig. You should be ashamed of yourself for making such a match for me. But alas you did. As if being shackled to Arid Alex wouldn’t have been awful enough, you had to find a man who is not only boring, but is physically repulsive, as well.
I look forward to your timely arrival,
Yrs,
Olivia
PS Caroline has yet to return my ear scoop. Would you see to it she gets an ear horn for her terrible hearing so she can stop fruitlessly trying to use my ear scoop to improve her hearing, and return it to its rightful owner?
“Is she locked away somewhere?” Juliet asked innocently.
Caroline’s blue eyes sparkled. “You’d think so, wouldn’t you?”
Juliet nodded, handing the letter back to Emma who tucked it into her reticule.
“Is Marcus going to allow her to come back?” Caroline asked, her tone difficult to distinguish.
Emma snatched a biscuit off the plate. “I don’t know. She still has about two months before the grand event. If he waits much longer, she won’t be able to travel.”
“When does his ship leave, then?”
“You know him well.” Emma dabbed her lips with the edge of her cloth napkin. “But not well enough.”
Caroline’s eyes widened. “Oh?”
“Let’s not speak of it now,” Emma said, waving a hand through the air. The tense look on her face caused a sinking feeling in Juliet’s stomach. Something wasn’t right.
Caroline didn’t look any more inclined to let it drop than Juliet did, but she didn’t press. “Would you like to stay at Watson Estate while he’s gone?” she offered.