his offer, as long as you may accompany me. I’m certain he will say yes, since I will make it clear you won’t be any interference to our… connection .”
“Excellent,” Olivia said, rising with a clap of her hands. “Then I will have my maid begin packing me right away. And so it begins!”
Olivia squeezed her shoulder before she left. Once she was gone, Violet sank deeper beneath the water and stared up at the ceiling. So it began, indeed.
She only wished there wasn’t anxiety…and utter excitement…gripping her heart at that prospect. She could afford neither.
By the time two days had passed, the arrangements had all been made and Violet had arrived at the estate in Liam’s carriage, her things being moved in another, she had convinced herself that she felt nothing about the entire arrangement. This charade was something she had agreed to do—it was a duty, a job. If it brought Liam back to his family, it would not hurt him. Certainly it would go no deeper than that, on either side.
And once it was over? Well, she would walk away from Bath, from Liam, and forget it, free to finally live the future she had always dreamed of.
It was with those firm, clear thoughts that she stepped from the carriage onto Liam’s drive. Olivia followed her down and stared up at the estate with a low whistle.
“Lor’,” she murmured, reverting back to a Cockney drawl she had worked years to overcome. It only came out when she was excited, or in this case, impressed.
“Yes,” Violet whispered with a laugh. “And Liam behaves as if this is a snug little cottage.”
Olivia rolled her eyes. “Men with money are so often utterly ridiculous.”
Of course, Liam wasn’t ridiculous. Violet might have said as much, but before she could answer, a tall, broad-shouldered man came around the house from the direction of the stables. Violet recognized him from the afternoon in the bathhouse. He was Liam’s right-hand man, Malcolm Graham.
There was no doubt why Olivia was attracted to him. He was a head taller than the average man, with close-cropped dark hair and eyes that were almost black. He was thickly muscled from head to toe and walked with the air of a man who knew how to get things done. He wasn’t titled, but he had just as much confidence as someone who had been born to rule an empire. Probably more, in some cases.
He was just Olivia’s type, when she actually got to choose a man for looks and not assets. But Violet scarcely looked at him except to acknowledge his presence. She rather preferred Liam’s lean strength.
Besides, she found herself a little intimidated by Malcolm. He hadn’t even noticed her thanks to Olivia’s flirtation at the bathhouse, but now he stared at her. She saw his questions and hesitations about her seduction in the bathhouse and her further intrusion in Liam’s life since.
Malcolm could be a problem if Olivia couldn’t rein him in with her talents. Violet would definitely be relying on her best friend more than ever, it seemed.
“Miss Milford,” he said, extending a hand as he reached the carriage. “I apologize, I would have been here to greet you the moment you arrived, but I was called to deal with an estate issue.”
Violet smiled. He had a very firm handshake, and his appraising glance hadn’t changed even with welcoming words. He was judging her.
But she’d been judged before. It was the nature of her profession. She refused to be unnerved by it…or at least she tried not to be. Sometimes it was impossible not to feel the sting.
“You were here not a moment after our arrival,” she said with a wave of dismissal for his apology. “You must be Mr. Graham.”
“I am.” He nodded and released her hand. “Your items follow behind, do they? You had no trouble with the move?”
“No trouble at all,” she reassured him. “Thank you for arranging for the multiple vehicles to ferry both us and our items.”
His lips thinned ever so slightly. “I was
“Excellent,” Olivia said, rising with a clap of her hands. “Then I will have my maid begin packing me right away. And so it begins!”
Olivia squeezed her shoulder before she left. Once she was gone, Violet sank deeper beneath the water and stared up at the ceiling. So it began, indeed.
She only wished there wasn’t anxiety…and utter excitement…gripping her heart at that prospect. She could afford neither.
By the time two days had passed, the arrangements had all been made and Violet had arrived at the estate in Liam’s carriage, her things being moved in another, she had convinced herself that she felt nothing about the entire arrangement. This charade was something she had agreed to do—it was a duty, a job. If it brought Liam back to his family, it would not hurt him. Certainly it would go no deeper than that, on either side.
And once it was over? Well, she would walk away from Bath, from Liam, and forget it, free to finally live the future she had always dreamed of.
It was with those firm, clear thoughts that she stepped from the carriage onto Liam’s drive. Olivia followed her down and stared up at the estate with a low whistle.
“Lor’,” she murmured, reverting back to a Cockney drawl she had worked years to overcome. It only came out when she was excited, or in this case, impressed.
“Yes,” Violet whispered with a laugh. “And Liam behaves as if this is a snug little cottage.”
Olivia rolled her eyes. “Men with money are so often utterly ridiculous.”
Of course, Liam wasn’t ridiculous. Violet might have said as much, but before she could answer, a tall, broad-shouldered man came around the house from the direction of the stables. Violet recognized him from the afternoon in the bathhouse. He was Liam’s right-hand man, Malcolm Graham.
There was no doubt why Olivia was attracted to him. He was a head taller than the average man, with close-cropped dark hair and eyes that were almost black. He was thickly muscled from head to toe and walked with the air of a man who knew how to get things done. He wasn’t titled, but he had just as much confidence as someone who had been born to rule an empire. Probably more, in some cases.
He was just Olivia’s type, when she actually got to choose a man for looks and not assets. But Violet scarcely looked at him except to acknowledge his presence. She rather preferred Liam’s lean strength.
Besides, she found herself a little intimidated by Malcolm. He hadn’t even noticed her thanks to Olivia’s flirtation at the bathhouse, but now he stared at her. She saw his questions and hesitations about her seduction in the bathhouse and her further intrusion in Liam’s life since.
Malcolm could be a problem if Olivia couldn’t rein him in with her talents. Violet would definitely be relying on her best friend more than ever, it seemed.
“Miss Milford,” he said, extending a hand as he reached the carriage. “I apologize, I would have been here to greet you the moment you arrived, but I was called to deal with an estate issue.”
Violet smiled. He had a very firm handshake, and his appraising glance hadn’t changed even with welcoming words. He was judging her.
But she’d been judged before. It was the nature of her profession. She refused to be unnerved by it…or at least she tried not to be. Sometimes it was impossible not to feel the sting.
“You were here not a moment after our arrival,” she said with a wave of dismissal for his apology. “You must be Mr. Graham.”
“I am.” He nodded and released her hand. “Your items follow behind, do they? You had no trouble with the move?”
“No trouble at all,” she reassured him. “Thank you for arranging for the multiple vehicles to ferry both us and our items.”
His lips thinned ever so slightly. “I was
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