Led Astray by a Rake by Sara Bennett Read Free Book Online Page B

frustration, only to feel guilty and ungrateful moments later. On the occasions when she did speak sharply, her mother didn’t reprimand her or appear hurt—she simply gave Olivia what Olivia secretly thought of as “the look.” It always had the effect of making Olivia feel lower than low for what she had said or done, or what she hadn’t said or done.
    “There,” Mrs. Monteith said, tucking the rug about her daughter, and rearranging the pillows, “that’s much better. Now you can look out of the window and be safe inside.”
    “Thank you, Mama.”
    “Mr. Garsed has called every day,” Mrs. Monteith reminded her for the umpteenth time. “Such steadfastness shows a man of dependable character, Olivia.”
    “Or a man with very little else to do,” said Olivia.
    Her mother gave her “the look,” and instantly Olivia felt selfish and ungrateful.
    “Lord Lacey sent a lovely bunch of flowers,” Estelle piped up, as she refreshed Olivia’s lemonade.
    “Did he?” Olivia said, surprised and pleased, turning to the maid.
    “And he sent a note,” Estelle added, with a sideways glance at Mrs. Monteith.
    “Can I see it? Mama?”
    Her mother looked chagrined, but rallied. “It was very kind of Lord Lacey to think of you, dear. I must say I didn’t expect such consideration; he’s not exactly the sort of man who pays attention to the social niceties. Why, he’s hardly ever at home! One wonders how he knew you were ill.”
    “Mama, where is the note? Surely it would be impolite of me not to read it?”
    “You’re right, of course, my dear.” Her mother gave up puzzling over Lord Lacey’s motives and left the room. Estelle shot Olivia a conspiratorial smile.
    “Wicked Nic sent you flowers, miss! I think that’s a first for him. Well, where proper young ladies are concerned, anyhow. Do you know what Abbot says? He says that Lord Lacey takes great care to keep his real thoughts to himself, and that no one really knows him.”
    “He was very forthcoming with me the other day,” Olivia said wryly. “I gather that he’s easily bored and needs to be constantly finding new, eh, companions.”
    Estelle tucked a loose strand of hair under her mobcap. “Or rather than bored, it could be because he doesn’t like them to get too close to him. Lord Lacey is a very solitary man, miss.”
    Olivia hadn’t thought of that, but now she couldsee it might be so. What better way for Nic to prevent any woman from getting close to him than by changing them like rides on a merry-go-round. And why didn’t he want anyone to know him? To love him?
    Just then her mother returned with the note, her eyes triumphant. “Olivia, Mr. Garsed is here to see you,” she said, giving her daughter a hasty inspection, smoothing down the white lace collar on her dress and fussing with her hair.
    “I must get up, Mama,” Olivia declared, attempting to rise on wobbly legs. “I can’t receive Mr. Garsed like this.”
    “Nonsense, you have been ill. Besides”—and a knowing smile hovered at the corners of her mother’s mouth—“gentlemen seem to find convalescing women very interesting. I’ve never understood why.”
    “I don’t know where you get these ideas from, Mama,” Olivia grumbled, as her pillows were rearranged yet again and the rug straightened about her legs. But at least she had the note now—she’d taken it from her mother’s hand while she was distracted, and she slipped it into her sleeve as a treat for later. Not a moment too soon, as the door opened and Mr. Garsed entered.
     
    Nic Lacey rode his horse through the village, past the little church with its blunt tower, and the neighboring ramshackle rectory, and the two alms cottages, inhabited by the deserving poor. The village of Bassingthorpe had beensettled around the castle, when his Norman ancestors arrived to claim the land for which they’d fought and died. In those days they’d lived crowded together with their men-at-arms in a wooden tower upon a