Page 65 of Her Heartless Duke

Olivia smiled tightly as she sat back, even as she still felt a bit faint. Perhaps she should not have gone out shopping with Fiona earlier in the morning. That simple activity seemed to have sapped all her strength.

“I would like to apologize for not attending to the matter of your correspondence with Lady Vivian,” she told him formally. “I have been feeling rather ill lately and have been remiss in completing my side of our agreement. I assure you that once I am recovered, I shall attend to it.”

“You… have been ill?” His gaze seemed to scrutinize her from the top of her head down to her hand daintily lifting the cup to her lips, his brows snapping together.

Olivia managed a smile. “Thank you. You are much too kind to remark upon my appearance, Your Grace. You truly are a gentleman.”

In truth, she had once again used some rouge on her cheeks and that glorious lip balm so that she may pass as one who belonged among the living.

For now.

“How ill have you been? Did you collapse again?”

She raised an eyebrow at him. He sounded almostfrantic, if such a thing was to be believed.

But why would he feel such anxiety over her illness? Was it because he feared that if she was seriously ill, she would not be able to help him with Lady Vivian?

“It is nothing much,” she shrugged, choosing to ignore his odd behavior. “Merely a terrible headache. I tend to get them when I get so very little sleep. Nothing a cup of rosemary tea cannot help.” She smiled thinly. “But I am feeling much better now and I assure you that fulfilling my end of our deal is my top priority.”

“I was not referring to that,” he snapped, although he looked visibly relieved. “Oli—Lady Olivia, I am genuinely concerned for your well-being.”

Now, she was feeling a little surprised. Maybe even a tiny bit pleased that he was so concerned on her behalf.

How would he feel if he were to know of my illness?Olivia wondered to herself.

She would never tell him, of course. She and the rest of her family had, after all, chosen to keep the most unfortunate matter of her condition private.

“Why… Thank you, I suppose,” she managed to choke out. “But it is nothing serious.I assure you.”

“Of that, I am glad.” He looked at her so intently that Olivia feared that she might have some blemish upon her face or something to that effect. “In that case, I should like your lessons to resume in earnest as soon as you are able.”

She blinked at him for a moment, unsure of how she was supposed to react. In truth, it was not merely her illness that kept her from showing up for their lessons, but her very real hesitation to face him again after what they shared in the ballroom at Anderleigh Hall.

How exactly is one supposed to get over something as soul-shattering?

But perhaps, he could afford to be so nonchalant about it because she had convinced him that she would not pursue the matter further and neither should he.

“Very well, I suppose I should be able to manage in two days’ time,” she relented.

He frowned. “That is the day before the dance competition, I believe.”

“You know how Daniel is—he would never let me out of the house until he is certain I have recovered,” she reminded him. “And do you have so little faith in your capabilities as my teacher, Your Grace?”

He did not smile at all, and Olivia sighed inwardly. He truly was not a man to be teased so lightly.

“You… have progressed immensely since we first started.”

“Then, that is settled,” she smiled at him. “I am ready for this dance competition; would you not agree?”

A pause. A harsh breath. “Yes. Yes, you are.”

She nodded. “Wonderful. We can make sure that we get everything just right, as well as decide on which dances will showcase our skills better.”

“Very well, if that is what you think is best,” he murmured. “In that case, Lady Olivia, I will be going now.”

They both stood up and he bowed politely to her, both of them maintaining the proper etiquette. To any other onlooker, it would seem as if there was truly nothing inappropriate between them.

But, oh, how she wanted to reach out to him, her skin longing for just a brush against his! There was no one in the room with them, she could just as easily reach out her hand and…