His Wicked Heart (15 page)

They knew Colman. Olivia knew Colman. He’s
the one who’d sacked her. It was too close, too disturbing. She
looked about the room, desperate for some sort of escape. A young
woman close to Olivia’s age stood near their host. She offered
Olivia a kind smile.

Lady Addicock continued on. “In fact, why
don’t we all see a play at the Haymarket tomorrow evening? It would
be a dashing good time!”

Olivia snapped her attention back to the
conversation around her just as Jasper bumped her elbow, sloshing
sherry down her front. “Pardon me, Miss West. I’m not usually so
graceless.” He regarded her intensely.

She dabbed at her bodice with a handkerchief.
That was no clumsy accident. He’d intervened to stop the
discussion, but why? To protect her? She looked up at him, but his
pale blue eyes revealed nothing.

“Come dear, we’ll find the retiring room,”
Louisa said, taking her elbow.

As they crossed the room, a young woman
greeted them. She was slightly taller than Olivia, with a cheery,
round face framed with curls the color of the rich chocolate Olivia
had enjoyed at Louisa’s that morning—such a luxury. “Good evening,
Lady Merriweather. Grandfather told me you were bringing your new
ward. This must be her.”

“Yes, Audrey, dear, this is Miss Olivia West.
Olivia, this is Mr. Farringdon’s granddaughter, Miss Audrey
Cheswick. I wonder, Audrey, if you wouldn’t mind showing us to the
retiring room. I’m afraid my nephew was a bit clumsy with his
drink.”

“It’s no trouble.” She took Olivia’s arm.
“You’re welcome to stay here, Lady Merriweather, I’ll have Miss
West sorted out in no time.”

“Thank you, but I should probably accompany
Olivia.”

While Olivia was grateful for Louisa’s
concern, she wanted to show Louisa she was capable. Perhaps she
even wanted Louisa to feel proud of her. “Why don’t you stay and
enjoy yourself? This won’t take but a trice.”

“You’re certain?” Louisa gave her a searching
look, underscoring her question. Her awareness and sensitivity to
Olivia’s nerves was touching.

“Absolutely.” She gave Louisa’s hand a
comforting pat and then allowed Miss Cheswick to lead her from the
room.

Miss Cheswick guided her back through the
entry hall to a marble staircase. “Grandfather says you’re new to
Town.”

Olivia ascended with her. “Yes.”

“Is it overwhelming? I’ve lived in London my
whole life, save summers, of course. Well, except this summer. I
stayed with Grandfather instead of retiring to Sussex with my
parents.” Small swathes of pink colored her upper cheeks. “Sorry,
sometimes I ramble. That’s why I’m here and not in Sussex. Mother
thought I could do with a bit more Town polish.”

Olivia’s tension eased at Miss Cheswick’s
familiarity. Perhaps Louisa had been right, and she’d already made
a friend.

At the top of the stairs, Miss Cheswick led
her to the right and then into a chamber. “This is the retiring
room. Actually, it’s the upstairs sitting room. And just through
there,” she gestured to another door, “is a small office my
grandmother used to draft correspondence. She was a great
letter-writer.” Miss Cheswick smiled fondly.

Her casual reminiscences of family reminded
Olivia how fortunate she was to have found Louisa. Instead of
someone else’s happy recollections eliciting a hollow ache, she
felt warm contentment spreading through her.

Miss Cheswick frowned down at Olivia’s dress.
“That’s quite a stain. Saxton spilled his drink on you?”

“Yes, but I’m sure I can get it out.” Olivia
tried to bite back the words, but it was too late. “I mean my maid,
of course.”

Her hazel eyes sparked with interest. “Did
you used to launder your own clothing?”

Olivia wasn’t certain how to answer, but once
again followed Louisa’s advice and offered the truth. “Country life
is very different from here.”
As was unprivileged London
life
.

“Extraordinary. You can get that spot off
your dress?”

“Probably.” Olivia could and would likely
offer her suggestions to Dale. For now, she wanted to get back
downstairs to Louisa. “Miss Cheswick, I don’t suppose you have
something I could use to cover this—a wrap perhaps?”

“Please, call me Audrey.” She nodded. “I’ve
just the thing. A beautiful ivory Norwich shawl. I’ll go and get
it.” She left the way they’d entered, closing the door behind
her.

Olivia turned to survey the room, which
included a smattering of chairs and a settee. There was also a
large mirror hung over a table bearing a ewer of water and several
small cloths. Presumably this had been arranged for this
evening.

She studied her reflection. An amber streak
stained her gown from bodice to waist.

The click of the door opening drew her
attention. She froze upon seeing not Audrey, but Jasper. He closed
the door behind him. “I came to see if you’re all right. I
apologize for spilling that sherry, but I had to find a way to end
that conversation.”

“I figured as much. Thank you for your help.”
She offered a smile, intending to also thank him for helping Mr.
Beatty and his children, but the stern look on his face froze her
speech.

He moved toward her, his brow furrowed. “I
wasn’t helping you. I was helping Louisa. I’m rather perturbed with
myself for forgetting you are with her under false pretenses. She
thinks you some cousin of her beloved husband, but you’re nothing
more than a common actress.”

Olivia understood his protection of Louisa,
admired it even. “I won’t cause her any harm.” Not intentionally
anyway. She had to admit the conversation downstairs had come
dangerously close to exposing her background, not just to Louisa,
but to the cream of London.

“I’m afraid your assurances aren’t good
enough. I tried trusting you once, and it was a crashing failure.”
He stopped an arm’s length from her. “The time has come for you to
tell me what you’re doing with Louisa.”

Olivia’s stomach knotted. She was treading a
fine line between truth and deceit. She considered telling him she
was actually Merry’s daughter, but Louisa had been quite clear
about maintaining absolute secrecy.
With everyone
. “Your
aunt found me. She’s showed you my handkerchiefs and how they match
Merry’s design. You’ve seen the box from which I copied it.”

His eyes glittered in the candlelight from a
sconce next to the mirror. “She also said you came to London
seeking your relatives. You mentioned no such search when we became
acquainted. I find myself wondering why a young woman with these
prospects would try to defraud an earl.” He tipped his head to the
side. “You can see how easy it was for me to deduce this is merely
another of your poorly concocted schemes.”

His proximity heightened her distress and,
confound it, sparked her desire. She took a step back from him.
“It’s not, I swear. I
was
hoping to find my relatives, but I
had no means.” The lie burned her tongue. She planned to speak with
Louisa as soon as possible about revealing the truth to Jasper. She
didn’t know how much longer she could tolerate deceiving him.

“Yet when I offered you my card, your first
thought was to swindle me instead of ask for help searching for
your family.” He shook his head. “Try again.”

“I’ve apologized. I deeply regret my
actions.” She couldn’t keep the pleading tone from her voice and
hated that she had to beg this man for anything. “I truly didn’t
think to ask for your help. You thought me a whore. Men like you
don’t help women like me.”

“‘Men like me’?” His eyes narrowed and he
stepped toward her. How easy it was for him to look dark and
menacing despite his fair hair and fairer eyes. Heat came off him
in waves. “You know very little of me, but what you do know,
especially what you observed the night we met, should have
demonstrated I’m a man who helps people.”

“I know that…now.” The truth crowded her
brain, desperate to be spilled. She couldn’t keep up this ruse with
him. She didn’t even really want to. For whatever reason, his
inability to trust her even a tiny amount burned. She glanced at
the door behind him. “You have to go. Audrey is coming back.”

He didn’t react to her warning. “I don’t
believe you’re Merry’s cousin, and you obviously lied to my aunt
about working at the Haymarket and about our prior acquaintance.
Wouldn’t Louisa be interested to hear how you tried to swindle me?
Furthermore, you took my ten pounds so now I must add theft to your
offenses.”

Oh God, the ten pounds
. How could she
have forgotten to return it? “I’ll send the money back tomorrow. I
meant to. Always. I always meant to pay you back.” She was
rambling. Her knees were shaking; her stomach was in knots. Perhaps
it wasn’t too late to ask Louisa if they could leave.

Louisa
.

Of course, Olivia hadn’t told her about
working at the theatre or that she’d tried to trick Jasper. She
didn’t think Louisa’s kindness would extend to an almost-whore.
Olivia swallowed. “Please don’t tell Louisa.”

He didn’t answer immediately, but let the
silence stretch interminably. “I won’t. At least not now, but only
because it would upset her. I’d prefer to avoid that.” His gaze
moved over her with lingering precision. “I’ve been trying to
determine your motive. Is it just the money? Or are you after
position and respect as well? Look at you now. Only a week ago you
were cooking up ways to defraud gentlemen like me for a mere ten
pounds.”

How long was he going to torture her with
that? “Please stop bringing that up! I’ve admitted my mistake and
will return the money tomorrow. Can that please be the end of
it?”

“Not when you’ve found a way to insinuate
yourself into my aunt’s life. I’m afraid it’s just the
beginning.”

“I promise I won’t hurt her,” she said.

“I’ll make certain you don’t. Just focus on
maintaining your scheme and keeping Louisa above it. What happened
downstairs can’t happen again. If anyone finds out you were an
actress and came from God-knows-isn’t-Devon, she’d be a
laughingstock.”

Olivia cringed at the thought of Louisa being
vilified. Weakly, she said, “I did, in fact, grow up in Devon.”

His lip curled in a thoroughly arrogant
fashion. “Perhaps I’ll just verify that.”

Panic rose in her chest, but Olivia refused
to let him see it. It wasn’t as if
she
was lying about being
Merry’s cousin. That much—the one thing he was so furiously
disputing—was, ironically, his aunt’s invention.

“Go ahead,” she said with all the bravado she
could muster.

“What’s the name of the village?” He didn’t
move, but she felt cornered all the same.

Despite the mad trembling of her legs, she
wouldn’t cower. “Newton Abbott.”

The door opened suddenly, and Jasper’s entire
demeanor altered. He moved quickly, putting a chair between them.
His face smoothed into a serene expression.

“Pardon me, Miss Cheswick,” he said. “I was
just checking after Miss West’s welfare. So clumsy of me to have
ruined her gown. I feel quite terrible about it.”

Audrey stood with the shawl clutched in her
fingertips. Pink rushed to her cheeks and her mouth hung a bit
open. Finally she stammered, “L-l-ord Saxton.”

Jasper gave Olivia a slight bow. “I’ll see
you downstairs. Again, my apologies.”

He strode past Audrey and gave her a
devastating smile. Audrey’s eyes glazed over and her mouth curved
up. Olivia could almost see her bones melting under the brilliance
of Jasper’s attention. Is this how women typically reacted to him?
Had Olivia’s refusal of him only stoked his anger, already so
strong after she’d tricked him?

“No need to mention this to anyone.” He took
Audrey’s hand and stroked her thumb then quit the room.

Astonishing. Olivia could scarcely believe
the same gentleman had just pelted her with accusations and
threats.

Audrey turned and watched the doorway long
after Jasper had gone. Olivia finally approached her and said,
“Thank you for the shawl.”

She pivoted and handed the lace to Olivia.
Still, her eyes were wide and her lips spread in a grin. “He’s
never spoken to me before. And he…
touched my hand
. Here.”
Audrey helped arrange the shawl around Olivia’s shoulders and
adjusted it to cover the stain. “There, that will do for the rest
of the evening.” She turned and looked in the glass. Seemingly
satisfied with what she saw, she turned back to Olivia. “I was
hoping to catch Saxton’s eye tonight. If he hadn’t spilled that
sherry on your gown, we wouldn’t be up here, and he wouldn’t have
come to check on you...” Her face drifted into a dreamlike
expression.

“Is that why your grandfather is having this
party? So you could get to know Saxton?” Olivia asked, grateful for
something besides Jasper’s interrogation to occupy her mind.

She blushed prettily. “Somewhat. He’s rumored
to be considering a bride at long last. With so many marriageables
away from London for the summer, I thought to bolster my chances.”
Her eyes brightened. “You’re his cousin. Perhaps you could help
me?”

Why not? A Jasper occupied with another woman
was a Jasper unoccupied with her. And maybe then she could make it
through the rest of the party. “I’m glad to help.”

But tomorrow would still come, and Jasper
wasn’t going to accept her lies. She should have known this life
was too good to be true.

THE next morning Jasper arrived at Louisa’s
townhouse so that Olivia could take his measurements for the
waistcoat she intended to make. He wasn’t sure he could maintain
his mask of acceptance, not when her lies were completely
transparent.

Furthermore, he wasn’t sure how his body
might react when she touched him.

Despite her deception, he still wanted her.
More than ever, in fact. Last night at Farringdon’s had been a near
thing. Miss Cheswick hadn’t caught them in a compromise, but Jasper
couldn’t be alone with her again. She had become, unfortunately,
another Abigail. A woman he desired but couldn’t acceptably marry.
A woman he could ruin.