Page 7 of A Wallflower Demands Satisfaction

Without waiting to empty his mouth of said biscuit, he taunted her.“You’re fishing for a lord with whom to spend the rest of your life.Why do you care what Will does?”

Olivia sucked in a sharp breath and could not believe she was on the verge of not only tears, but a full-blown sobbing session.She raced out of the kitchen without a further word, leaving two men with their mouths hanging open.

* * *

When Olivia stormedout of the kitchen, Will’s heart retreated so far inside him, he was afraid the cowardly, thumping thing had abandoned him.What had he done?What could he possibly have said that would have sent her racing away?

When his heart finally reappeared, the panic in his gut set the fickle thing to pumping in double time.He’d spent years expecting to see Olivia’s beautiful face again with those sparkling blue sapphire eyes.And now he’d said or done something to make her hate him and run off.

And that wasn’t the worst of it.If she knew what he was keeping from her, she’d despise him at whole new level.

Dickie turned a puzzled gaze on him.“What in blazes did we do?”He licked at the remaining crumbs on his lips and mused, “Women, who knows what goes on inside their heads?”

“Olivia’s not like that,” Will interrupted.

“What do you mean?”Dickie swept an arm encompassing the maids who were beginning to crowd around them at the table.“She’s jealous.She’s probably set her cap at you.”

“She hasnot.Take it back.”

“Cor…for a tall lunk who’s supposed to be a smart Peeler, you’re as dense as a pile of cabbages on a farm cart.”

* * *

Her Grace listened patientlywhile her thick-headed, albeit gorgeous, husband related how concerned he was about the young friends who’d invaded their kitchen to raid Cook’s supply of fresh, warm chocolate biscuits.

“Do you suppose Miss Jones is having a fit of nerves over the ball?Should we change the date to give her more time to prepare?”

She reached over and lovingly used her thumb to remove a smudge of chocolate from his chin.“Too late.All the invitations have been sent and most have replied already.In spite of their haughty disapproval of our, um alliance, the entire ton seems inordinately fascinated with what goes on in this house.”

“I hate to see those young friends at odds, though.They’ve always seemed so loyal to each other.”

“Percy—stop worrying.”She favored him with an indulgent smile.“I suspect this has something to do with Olivia’s single-minded approach to life.She’s spent all of her nineteen years worrying about survival.This is probably the first time she’s had hours to herself to contemplate her life.Perhaps she’s never realized her true feelings for her old friend.”

Percy finished the thought for her.“And now all the attention he’s being showered with by our, um, staff has forced her to see anew how important he is to her.”

She pointed an elegant finger toward the duke and nodded her head in assent.“You’re not as muddle-headed as you seem.And we’re going to have the safest mansion in Mayfair for the near future.”

He gave her a wolfish smile whilst taking her finger into his mouth for a long, leisurely suck.

She gave a small moan of pleasure and pulled him over to a low settee along the wall of her office.

* * *

Olivia pulledon a warm pelisse over her morning dress, settled her stylish, towering, wide-brimmed hat onto her head with a plethora of hatpins and headed out into the park at the center of Berkley Square.She hadn’t ventured more than few steps beyond the gate when Dickie appeared at her side.He was like a wraith.You never knew he was there until he was too close to warn off.But she supposed that was why he was such a good spy.

“Livvy, you know I’m right.”

“About what?”Her tone came out a tad sharper than she’d like.

“You need to find a good husband, a gentleman who’ll make sure you never have to worry again.”

“Since when are you the best judge of what’s right for me?”

“Since the night we found you under that pile of refuse in a Seven Dials alley.Will was with us then.He’s with us now, and he knows I’m right too.”

“So, two out of three of us think you’re right.That still doesn’tmakeit right.”

“What are you saying?Don’t tell me you’ve set your cap at Will?”