Page 2 of An Alliance with the Earl (Marrying for Love #5)
CHAPTER TWO
L ady Olivia Westfield entered the breakfast room, casting a glance around to gauge whether she was the first to arrive or perhaps the last. After retiring early before the charades game the previous night, she was unaware of any alterations made to the schedule after her departure. Perhaps the other guests had risen early and already moved on to the first activity of the day. Then again, it was possible the games had continued well into the night, leaving everyone still asleep. As it was only the second day of the house party, it was difficult to judge if Town or country hours would be upheld.
The breakfast room itself had a quiet elegance. Morning sunlight streamed through tall windows, casting warm patches across the polished floors and illuminating the array of food displayed on the sideboard. It was an impressive spread: freshly baked scones, golden and flaking, alongside clotted cream and strawberry preserves, grilled tomatoes, and thick slices of roast beef. A cheerful servant gestured her forward, and Olivia selected her breakfast with care. Her fingers brushed a delicate china plate as she chose scones, kippers, and fresh fruits, all arranged just so.
As she seated herself at a small table near the windows, Lord Cheshire entered the room, his presence commanding, yet relaxed. His dark brown hair was styled to look effortless—which likely meant that it had taken hours to achieve. He moved with ease, his bright blue eyes scanning the room before they landed on her. Olivia felt her spine straighten involuntarily under his gaze.
“Good morning, Lady Olivia,” he greeted, his voice warm, accompanied by a bow and a polite smile.
“Good morning, Lord Cheshire.” She dipped her head, her tone matching his in formality.
Lord Cheshire made his way to the sideboard, where he filled his plate before joining her at the table, seating himself directly across. The morning sun cast a golden glow over his features, accentuating his dark hair and strong jawline.
“I’m pleased to see you’re in good spirits this morning,” he said, observing her with mild, genuine curiosity.
She met his gaze, feigning a look of mild surprise. “Why should I not be well, my lord?”
A flicker of amusement crossed his features. “Only that you seemed to retire somewhat abruptly last evening. I feared the evening may have proven … overwhelming.”
Drat. She had not realized that anyone would notice. She’d made her excuses to Lady Lansdowne almost before the women had been fully settled into the drawing room. What had she claimed? Had it been the travel? “Oh, yes. I fear the travel had worn me out.”
Lord Cheshire’s fork paused in front of him. “I thought it was a headache.”
That was it. A headache. “You are quite right. A headache—from all the traveling. But now I am feeling much better.”
Lord Cheshire’s lips twisted into a smile. “A most timely affliction,” he replied, a twinkle of amusement brightening his blue eyes. “And I commend you on its sudden recovery. Fortunate indeed.”
His tone was teasing, but not unkind, and she couldn’t help but relax, relieved by his understanding. Here, at least, was someone who seemed to sympathize with her quiet rebellion against the house party’s social rituals.
“How did charades fare in my absence?” she inquired, adopting a look of mock seriousness as she poured herself a cup of tea.
He smiled. “I believe the consensus was that everyone enjoyed themselves. It was a lively group. I believe the games here will prove to be most amusing, if last night was any indication.”
“It is always nice to enjoy a game. What was your most brilliant charade?” Olivia asked, leaning toward him.
He raised an eyebrow. “I can tell you of dozens of brilliant charades my brother and I have done over the years if you would like.”
“But none from last evening? Perhaps you are not so skilled at charades?” She teased him.
He leaned back slightly, a faint smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. “I would regale you with tales of my triumphant performances, Lady Olivia, were there any to recount. Alas, I turned to the silent company of a chessboard. A reliable victory, if lacking in the thrill of true conquest.”
“Ah, yes,” she murmured, hiding her smile behind her teacup. “The noble pursuit of self-competition. Though I must say, such victories come at a price. After all, both victor and vanquished must bear the same losses. To think you chose chess over charades.”
He chuckled, clearly amused. “Touché, Lady Olivia. I daresay you’ve captured the essence of my lonely triumph.”
She lowered her teacup, unable to suppress a small laugh. The Earl was certainly not what she’d expected. There was a lightness to his manner, an effortless charm that made her feel at ease despite the formality of the setting. “Was that because not everyone had a turn or simply because you were not brilliant last night?”
He raised his eyebrows. “I won the game I played, and I was content to do so.”
“Content?” Lady Catherine spoke up from the sideboard.
Olivia blinked, not realizing that three others had entered the room, while she’d been engaged in conversation with Lord Cheshire.
Lord Cheshire smiled lazily. “Of course content,” he said, his voice louder to include the others in the room. “I quite enjoyed my ensured victory.”
“What nonsense is this?” Lady Catherine asked. “Your reputation precedes you, Lord Cheshire. You win at anything you play. And I have it under very good authority that your charades are always the most entertaining.”
“That is high praise indeed,” Lord Cheshire said.
“Do say that you will join us next time. I should fight against a headache to be your partner,” Lady Catherine said, giving a pointed look to Olivia.
Lord Cheshire was all smiles. “I am sure that I shall join in the next time.”
Understanding dawned as Olivia pieced together the implications of Lord Cheshire’s words and Lady Catherine’s remark. It was she who would have been paired with Lord Cheshire had she not feigned a headache. Olivia cringed inwardly, even as she worked to keep her face composed.
She had left the drawing room early, assuming her absence wouldn’t matter in the slightest—and yet here stood Lord Cheshire, gentlemanly and pleasant as ever, while she had practically mocked him for not playing. A hot flush crept over her cheeks as she glanced at him, feeling the weight of her mistake settle uncomfortably on her conscience.
To his credit, Lord Cheshire seemed entirely unperturbed. He met her gaze, his blue eyes twinkling with a mixture of amusement and understanding, as if he were perfectly aware of her thoughts. His expression held neither reproach nor resentment, merely an easygoing acceptance that both comforted and disarmed her.
Olivia managed a small, apologetic smile, which he returned with a slight shrug and a warm, reassuring look, as if to say it was of no consequence. His kindness and grace only heightened her guilt. How could he be so amiable when she had treated him with such negligence?
Olivia vowed inwardly that she would apologize the very first chance she had to speak with him alone. It was the least she could do after her thoughtless behavior. She knew she could hardly leave things as they were; he deserved the truth, and her conscience demanded it. But during breakfast when the room was becoming increasingly more crowded was not the time to bring it up.
Guilt over being so thoughtless ate at Olivia as she walked outside onto the lawns. Some of the house party had already gathered. Lord Cheshire had left from breakfast with Lord Remington, and she hadn’t seen him since. She spotted him leaning against a pillar.
Mustering her resolve, Olivia walked over to him. As she approached, he turned to her and smiled a disarming smile. She was taken aback for a moment. She cleared her throat and glanced over at Lord Remington, before she said, “Lord Cheshire, might I have a private word with you.”
He raised his brows in surprise but nodded. “If you will excuse us, Lord Remington.”
“Very well,” Lord Remington said, before joining another group of houseguests.
“How may I be of service, Lady Olivia?” His gaze was direct, but warm.
Her confession pounded inside of her, but the words felt stuck in her throat. No matter, she had to say something. “My lord, I feel that I must apologize for the slight I gave you.”
Lord Cheshire blinked. “You owe me no apologies.”
Olivia couldn’t take the gentlemanly sentiment without explaining her own. She needed to explain and to fully apologize. “Ah, but I do. It is my fault that you did not get to participate in charades last night. I hope you will not take yourself out of games so easily in the future, but I must apologize for how my actions affected you.”
Lord Cheshire’s eyes sparkled with amusement, his lips curving around his teeth in a most pleasing way. “Lady Olivia, you have nothing to apologize for. You had a headache. How can I hold you in contempt for taking care of yourself? You did not offend me over such a thing. In fact, I must say that you saved me from participation, and perhaps I should thank you for such a thing.”
Olivia was stunned by his words. “Why, you cannot be serious, my lord. You are teasing me. And it is making me feel worse about the situation with each passing moment.”
Lord Cheshire took her hand in his and brought it to his lips. He placed a swift kiss on the back of her gloved hand. “Indeed I am in earnest. I am most content to sit on the perimeter any time that it is needed. It gives me the best vantage point.”
“I do not believe you at all,” she said. “You are only trying to make me feel better. My conscience requires that I make a full confession.” She looked around and bit her lip. No one was in earshot, but still she lowered her voice. “I should confess that I did not, in fact, have a headache.”
He nodded. “You do not have to confess such things to me.”
“But my actions affected you.”
“Only in a positive way. You may not have had a headache, but no doubt you were weary from the travel. I am content.”
She shook her head. “It was merely an excuse. And you must accept my most sincerest apology for leaving you without a partner.”
Lord Cheshire studied her for a moment. “You do not need to apologize. In fact, you did a service for me.” He winked at her.
“Do be serious, Lord Cheshire. You are teasing me, but I cannot see the purpose in that. I feel awful as it is.” This confession was not going at all the way she had rehearsed it in her mind.
He shook his head. “I didn’t mind at all. After all it was one more day of having an excuse not to socialize with others here.”
Her defenses rose at his very pointed words. Who was the earl to call her out so bluntly, especially after she’d apologized so sincerely to him? “I do not plan on getting out of every social event.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Lady Olivia, I make no accusations about you , only an explanation of why your own actions were so helpful to me .”
Olivia blinked. “I do not have the pleasure of understanding your meaning, my lord. Do you mean to tell me that you do not wish to socialize while you are here at the house party?”
He put a finger to his lips, a smile emerging behind. “Lady Olivia, I wonder if I can trust you with the deepest of confidences.”
Her breath caught at the idea of him sharing a secret. It left a strange, melting feeling in her center. “Of course you can. You have my word that I will not share.”
He smiled widely, keeping his voice low. “Well, then I must confess to you, in all honesty, that I truly did not mind playing a game of chess by myself.”
She took a moment to process what he had just revealed. “You do not wish to be here?” Did his sentiments mirror her own?
“Not precisely.”
“Then please explain so I do not misunderstand.”
He looked around them. “Perhaps you would care to take a turn around this part of the lawn with me while we wait for the tour? I shouldn’t want to draw unnecessary attention with our conversation.” He held out his arm to her, and she looped her arm through his. The two of them walked along the borders of the closer garden. “This is much better for conversation, wouldn’t you agree?”
She smiled. “I suppose I do.” She took in the flowers and the trees. Everything was in full bloom. She knew that Lord Lansdowne was very particular about his gardens, and that he tended to much of the plants himself. “As you were saying, Lord Cheshire?”
“Yes, as I was saying, I adore Lady Lansdowne. She is a dear friend of my family, and I should never wish to displease her. But, it is my brother’s fault that I am here. My brother, William, was also supposed to be here with me. Alas, he did not show up, and yet I am still here.” He sighed dramatically.
“That is quite the predicament,” she said.
“I will not disappoint Lady Lansdowne, and I will stay as I have promised, but I have no intention of letting Lady Lansdowne play matchmaker with me during this stay.”
Olivia laughed. “I believe you will have a hard time keeping her from playing matchmaker with any of us.”
Lord Cheshire laughed. It was a deep, rich, jovial sound. When he stopped laughing, Olivia felt it was too soon. She could have listened to him laugh for much longer.
Lord Cheshire said, “Had I thought my brother was not going to show up, I should have pretended to be him the entire time as a way to receive some recompense.”
What an odd thing to say. Olivia wasn’t quite sure how to respond. If Lady Lansdowne was such a good friend of his family, there wasn’t a possibility that Lord Cheshire would be able to get away with pretending to be his own brother for a full fortnight. It made no sense to Olivia. But, it didn’t need to make sense. It was clear that Lord Cheshire wasn’t being serious.
“You are most amusing, Lord Cheshire,” she said.
“Now you may fully understand why it did not bother me to play chess against myself. Though I am not sure how many other times I will be able to get away with that. Lady Lansdowne may force me onto another team in the future.”
Olivia laughed. “I promise that I will find out who I am paired with before I leave the room again, and if I am paired with you, I promise not to leave you to your own chess game.”
“Thank you for the kind offer. I am sure that will also keep Lady Lansdowne happy.”
“Shall I tell you my own secret—in the deepest of confidences, of course?”
“Your secret is safe with me,” he said, putting a hand ceremoniously to his heart.
“Well, as I said before, I truly did not have a headache that should have excused me from the games.” She cringed as she said the words. “But believe me, I was not aware of who my partner would be. I did not mean to cause offense.”
“None was taken. But it does beg the question, why?”
“Believe it or not, we have something in common in this regard.”
“Which thing precisely? An enjoyment in solitary games?”
She laughed. “I do not believe that you enjoy solitary games as much as you enjoy games with more people.”
He smiled at her—the kind of smile that might have affected her a few years ago, but she brushed that thought away.
He said, “You are right. I believe that is the case. But Lady Olivia, you have me waiting with bated breath. What is your secret?”
“I also do not wish to be matched up at this house party.”
Lord Cheshire raised both of his eyebrows, his eyes sparkling with mirth. “You do not? This perhaps explains why you did not come and play charades last night, but I have a feeling there is more to this sentiment.”
Olivia took a deep breath. She couldn’t explain the full reason to him, but now that she had delved into this conversation, she couldn’t leave the question unanswered. She settled on the easy answer—the safe answer. “How can someone be expected to meet someone and fall in love with them in merely a fortnight? Such an expectation is absurd.”
“I do not think it is absurd,” he said, his eyes filled with laughter. “After all, it happens all the time in London during the Season. And sometimes much sooner than a fortnight.”
Olivia snorted, then covered her mouth. “That sort of thing rarely lasts.”
He studied her for a moment, but he didn’t respond to it. Instead he asked, “Why are you attending the house party then if you have no intention of making a match? Lady Lansdowne is quite particular about her guest list. She thrives off of helping others make brilliant matches, which is why she is selective about the people whom she invites to her House Parties.”
She raised an eyebrow, a challenge in her look. “We’ve already established that at least one person in this conversation is not here for a match.”
He put a finger to his lips. “Yes, but you’ve promised secrecy on that point.”
“And so you shall have it. But my reason for being here is the same as yours.”
“The very same?” He laughed. “How can that be? You were also tricked by your older brother?”
She laughed. “Something exactly like that.”
He put his hand over hers, as they circled back through the small hedges and back toward the house where the rest of the guests now all seemed to be gathered. “It appears we now have another thing in common, Lady Olivia.”
“Yes, our brothers are the reasons why we are here at Ivy Manor’s House Party.”
“That is quite a coincidence. And did your brother also decide not to come at the last minute without informing you prior to coming to Ivy Manor?” Lord Cheshire asked.
She laughed. “No, my brother was never going to attend.”
“But he is the reason why you are here?”
“He gave me an ultimatum,” she confessed.
“I’m intrigued. What does that mean? Pray, please explain yourself.”
She sighed. “I want to travel the Continent, and my brother has agreed to take me with him at the end of the month, as long as I came to this house party first.”
“Traveling to the Continent? That sounds very exciting.”
“It is as long as he keeps his end of the bargain. There are a few stipulations I must abide by.” She sighed, remembering the list of rules he had set before coming here.
“What kind of stipulations?”
She’d already told him so much. What would it matter if she told him a few of the rules? Taking a deep breath, she said, “I must show that I am trying to find a husband.”
“That seems very vague. How would he be able to judge that if he is not here?”
“My chaperone is under strict instructions to give my brother a detailed report when he comes to pick me up. If I have shown that I have tried, I will be able to leave with my brother to the Continent. If not, I will remain here in England.”
“That doesn’t seem too difficult, unless of course, you do find someone here in a fortnight. That could impact your plans.”
She shook her head. “Except that I have no desire to marry.” She bit the inside of her cheek, wondering why she’d admitted that fact to Lord Cheshire so freely. “But the end will justify the means, and I shall bear this house party as best I can. At the end of the two weeks of suffering, I shall be free to travel. My brother will take me to France and Italy.And while I’m traveling, I will be completely unhindered, and not have to worry about marriage for a long time while I’m abroad.”
“It appears you have thought through everything,” Lord Cheshire said, a look of amusement in his eyes.
She nodded. “I should hope so. I don’t take this situation lightly.”
“I can see that,” Lord Cheshire said. “Perhaps you would be so kind as to accompany me when our host and hostess give us a tour of their gardens and estate.” He squeezed his hand on top of hers. “Perhaps we could suffer through the experience together.”
Olivia smiled. Lord Cheshire was safe to be around. He was not designing, and he had already admitted very openly to her that he was not in search of a bride. Surely there could be no harm in accepting such an invitation. “I shall look forward to it,” she said, surprised when she realized that she did, in fact, look forward to speaking with him throughout the tour.