Page 13 of Never Doubt I Love (Calloway #3)

“Mother! You are finally here!” Olivia practically flew down the stairs and threw her arms around Mother’s shoulders. She hadn’t even made it past the entryway yet. “Oh, how I’ve missed you.”

Mother’s embrace was just as strong as ever as she matched Olivia’s enthusiasm. “I wish I could have been here sooner, my darling.” Once freed, she looked around the entryway as the staff hurried to gather her belongings and bring them upstairs to her room. “Where is your brother? Working, I suppose?”

Olivia grinned. “Actually, I believe Lucy convinced him to go to White’s today. At the very least, he left the house with Nick a few hours ago, and you know Nick would never permit him to work while he is around.”

Mother’s smile was such a sight for sore eyes, though she did look weary. “Nicholas is such a good friend to our Simon. I am happy he finally found himself a wife.” Then she winced, giving Olivia an apologetic look.

Olivia laughed. “I am perfectly happy for Nick,” she assured her. “I have come to realize that we were never more than brother and sister all along.”

“I am so glad to hear that.”

There was so much Olivia wanted to tell her mother, so many things she had learned over the last six weeks in London, but she held herself back. Mother had only just arrived and would likely want to rest. “I will let you change and relax,” Olivia said, though it killed her to do it. “You must be so exhausted!”

But there was a twinkle in Mother’s eyes as she took Olivia’s hand. “And wait to hear all about your first Season? Come, Olivia, I need to hear all the details!”

Olivia breathed a sigh of relief; she would not have been very good at being patient. “Are you in earnest?”

“Of course. My only daughter is finally out; I can sleep when I am dead.”

“Which will not happen for years to come,” Olivia replied, narrowing her eyes.

Mother laughed. “How fragile do you think I am?”

“Well,” Olivia said, pasting on a bright smile, “if you are certain you would not like to rest first, I will call for some tea and tell you everything that has happened.”

Once they were settled and each had a cup of tea, Olivia told Mother all about the many friends she had made over the last month and a half and how they were all the most wonderful women. “I cannot comprehend how any of them are still single!”

Mother smiled sadly. “It is the way of the world, I am afraid. My father was a baronet, and I counted myself incredibly fortunate that I not only married above my station but also married a man I loved more than anything.” She sniffled, dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief.

Olivia reached over and squeezed her arm. “I miss him too. Father was an incredible man in every way, and we all knew how much he loved you. It is why I want nothing less for myself.”

“Speaking of love,” Mother said, her countenance brightening. “What of your prospects? Do you have every bachelor in London hoping for your hand?”

Laughing, Olivia took a sip of tea before she responded. Though she had not been out to socialize since yesterday’s storm, she had received a lovely bouquet of roses from Mr. Harris earlier that morning. She had put it with all the others that had been delivered over the last several days from various gentlemen, uncertain how to feel about his continued attention. His visit had been amusing, but more so because of his darling sister, Harriet. Olivia still did not know what to make of the man.

“I am receiving far more attention than I ought,” she admitted. “But I will not settle for anything less than the deepest of love.”

“I pray you will be fortunate, just as your brothers have been.” Mother leaned closer, her expression mischievous. “Are there any gentlemen who have caught your eye?”

Beyond Alexander Bailey? Olivia shook her head, though she could not stop a smile from spreading across her face. “There are many handsome gentlemen in Town,” she admitted. “Fewer who are not interested in my dowry.”

Mother tsk ed. “Olivia, if a man does not take at least a moderate interest in your dowry, then he is a fool. You have thirty thousand pounds.”

“I know that, but—”

“Consider this. Should you meet an untitled gentleman who falls madly in love with you but does not have the means to provide a good life,” Mother said, lifting a delicate eyebrow, “but an income from your dowry could support your marriage, the only possible way he could think of courting you would be because your wealth would allow it.”

Olivia deflated, slumping in her seat. “I had not thought about that.”

“I understand your desire for love, my dear Liv, but you must remember to be practical as well. Be gracious of a man’s circumstance when it does not measure up to yours.”

Sighing, Olivia placed her teacup on the table beside her and curled up into her mother’s embrace, just as she had done when she was a child. Her hold was more familiar than anything she had faced thus far in London, and Olivia was overjoyed to have her mother here after so many weeks away from her. “I wish you could have been here when I made my entrance,” she said mournfully. “I hope I have not bungled this whole thing without you.”

Mother chuckled and patted her head. “I do hope Simon has been helpful to you.”

“Simon is overprotective. And Lucy is as lost as I am. Money is all anyone ever talks about, so I thought perhaps avoiding the subject altogether would be of most use to me.”

They were both quiet for a moment, though Mother continued to stroke Olivia’s hair in a comforting motion. When she spoke, she kept her words light. “You never really answered my question about anyone turning your head.”

Olivia snorted a laugh. “Because there hasn’t been anyone. Not enough to tell you about, anyway. Perhaps I will not even find my match this Season. I am far too young to be married, after all.”

“I agree entirely,” Simon said, appearing in the doorway. “Mother, I am overjoyed to see you have arrived safely.” When he reached the sofa where they sat, he bent and brushed a kiss against her forehead. “Prepare yourself; Forester is just behind me.”

“Lady Calloway!” Nick swept into the room with the exuberance of a child, but it was the man behind him who caught Olivia’s attention.

She had hoped to see Alexander sooner rather than later, but she had not expected it would be here in her home. Not after the way things had been left yesterday. As Nick pulled Mother to her feet to offer a sweeping bow and then embrace her, Alexander remained in the corridor outside the sitting room, seemingly unsure of his place in the moment. Olivia thought perhaps she should approach him, but Simon spoke before she could stand.

“Mother, may I present to you Lord Alexander Bailey, brother to the Duke of Tipton? Lord Alexander, my mother, the Dowager Lady Calloway.”

Though his eyes lingered on Olivia for a moment, Alexander eventually stepped into the room and bowed low. He wore an emotional mask today, keeping his expression blank and unreadable, but the tension in his shoulders said plenty. Why was he here when he clearly did not want to be?

“My lady,” he said, still on the edge of the room. “It is truly an honor to meet the mother of such wonderful children.”

“Yes, we owe everything we are to her,” Nick said, tucking Mother’s arm through his own.

Mother scoffed. “Nicholas, you know I am happy to consider you my son, but you mustn’t flatter me so.”

“I haven’t my own mother, so I will flatter you until my dying breath,” Nick argued. “But for now, I should return home to my wife before she wonders if I have run away. Calloway, be nice.”

Olivia frowned as Nick kissed Mother’s cheek and rushed from the room, leaving them in an awkward silence. “What was that supposed to mean?” she asked Simon, glancing between him and Alexander. It could only have something to do with Alexander’s presence.

Simon sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, like he always did when he was overthinking something. “Lord Alexander is to be a guest in our home for the rest of the Season,” he said and flinched.

Olivia gasped, turning to Alexander with wide eyes. “You are?”

He bowed his head. “I am grateful to Lord Calloway for extending the invitation.”

“ You asked him?”

Simon frowned. “I did.”

“Why?”

“Olivia,” Mother scolded. “I am certain we will welcome Lord Alexander with open arms.”

“Yes, of course; I only meant...” Olivia wasn’t sure what she’d meant. After Simon’s warning yesterday, she could not fathom a reason for him to bring Alexander closer to her. She had meant it when she’d told her brother she would do her best to ensure nothing untoward happened between her and Alexander, but she could hardly avoid the man if he was living in the same house.

Alexander gave her a soft smile. “Lord Calloway thought it would be a good idea to put some space between me and my brothers,” he explained quietly, and his mask slipped just enough to reveal the discomfort that matched his rigid shoulders. “Staying here would limit my contact with them.”

Olivia turned a glare at Simon. “You are imprisoning him?”

Simon groaned at the same time Mother hushed Olivia. “Liv, that is not what I am doing,” Simon said.

“It certainly seems as if that is your goal.”

“Olivia,” Mother said, “perhaps we should—”

“Lord Alexander,” Olivia said, taking a step toward him, “is this something you want?”

He clenched his jaw. “I am honored that your brother would extend—”

“Do you want to be here?”

Alexander dropped his gaze, his hands in fists at his sides. “I do,” he said, almost inaudibly. “I have much to learn from Lord Calloway, and...” He glanced at Simon. “I hope to make his better acquaintance. And... and yours.” He spoke that last part so quietly that Olivia was certain Simon and Mother did not hear it.

Heat flooded her cheeks at the thought that she was not the only one who hoped for their friendship to grow. “Well then, we are happy to have you, Lord Alexander.”

“Yes,” Simon agreed, though the word was as much a growl as it was an agreement.

Olivia was certain that regardless of Alexander’s opinion of the invitation, Simon had brought Alexander here only to keep an eye on him. Still, if it kept Alexander away from his brothers and their influence over him, Olivia could be nothing but thrilled. In fact, she could not stop smiling as she waited for him to look up again.

“I need to inform Lucy,” Simon said, though he seemed reluctant to leave the room. If he hoped to always be nearby whenever Alexander and Olivia were together, he was never going to get any work done. “Mother, do you wish to retire before dinner?”

Mother waved him away. “I would like to see how Lucy is doing. Do tell me if she is open to receiving a visitor this afternoon.”

Simon’s whole countenance warmed as he smiled. “Of course she would love to see you, Mother. You know that. You are welcome to join me.” He frowned at Alexander and Olivia.

Olivia took a deep breath. “I could show Lord Alexander to his room, if you would like.”

Simon’s smile dropped entirely, and he was shaking his head before she had even finished speaking. “Absolutely not.”

“I assume we will put him up in the guest wing?” Olivia continued, undeterred. The best way to combat Simon’s stubbornness was to wear him down. “The blue room is my favorite, but perhaps you want him in the east corner?” She blinked, trying to appear as innocent as possible.

“The east corner?” Mother said with a frown. “But that is the farthest room in the house.”

Exactly why Simon would want to put him there, Olivia guessed, but she could see in Simon’s scowl that her tactic had worked. He would never put Alexander in that room now that Mother had expressed her distaste for such an insult.

“The blue room will do splendidly,” Simon said with clear reluctance. “Lord Alexander, I will have one of the maids take you—”

“Nonsense!” Olivia said, slipping her arm into Lord Alexander’s even though he tensed more as soon as she did. Perhaps she was being overeager, but it was the best way to keep Simon from arguing, particularly with Mother as a witness. “I am here now, and I know the way as well as any of the staff. I am happy to show him his new quarters so he will feel every bit of our welcome.”

“That is very thoughtful of you, Olivia,” Mother said with a smile.

Simon looked as if he was holding back another groan. “Very well. But I will be sending someone ahead to ready the room so you will not be alone.”

Olivia resisted the urge to scoff. She had hoped to find a moment alone with Alexander to make certain he truly wanted to stay with them. She could not imagine him desiring more time with his brothers, but family ties could run deep.

“Come along, Simon,” Mother said, tucking her arm through his and tugging him forward. “I need to see how my daughter-in-law fares.”

The instant they were alone, Alexander pulled his arm free from Olivia’s and stepped away to put some distance between them. Though Olivia felt the sting of rejection, she tried not to dwell on it. “I appreciate your concern,” he said quietly, “but I believe your brother has made a good choice in inviting me to stay.”

“And you are not against it?”

“I was, at first.” He tugged on his sleeves, his gaze fixed on the floor. “Your brother thinks I have less-than-reputable intentions when it comes to you.”

Olivia snorted a laugh. “And here I was thinking I was the only one he does not trust.”

He looked up with his eyes full of surprise. “He doesn’t trust you?”

“Well, he did walk in on me holding your hand yesterday, and we were entirely alone.”

“Not by choice.”

“You do not wish to be alone with me?”

Color spotted his cheeks, and his shoulders relaxed somewhat. He was still far more tense than Olivia would like, but she hoped that with time he would return to the lighthearted man she had played chess against. “I enjoy any time with you that I am allowed,” he said, again to the floor. “But under the circumstances, it is best if we avoid being alone.”

“What circumstances are those?” When he said nothing, Olivia stepped close enough that her shoulder bumped into his arm. “We are friends, are we not?”

Meeting her gaze, he nodded slowly. “Yes. Of course. But there are some things about my life that I simply cannot share. Even with you.”

Olivia knew she needed to respect the man’s privacy, but goodness if she did not want to know everything there was to know about Alexander Bailey. He was no less a mystery than he had been the night she’d met him. Hopefully, now that he was to be a guest, she would get far more chances to learn more about him, and he would not feel such a need to keep his burdens to himself.

“Well,” she said, slipping her arm through his again. This time he did not tense up at her touch, nor did he look away, which gave her a wonderful chance to study his fascinating blue-gray eyes. “I should show you to your room before Simon sends the cavalry into the sitting room. He is under the strange impression that you and I are likely to cause a scandal.”

“I want nothing more than to avoid that,” Alexander assured her with a small smile. “I would hate to ruin your chances of finding love as you hope to.”

As they began the journey to the upper level where the guest wing sat, Olivia did her best not to laugh. “Given my experiences so far,” she said, “I am as likely to find a love match this Season as my brother is to take a holiday. Simon is not known for resting, and he works far too hard for someone who is soon to be a father. That is why I am so glad you have come to him. Perhaps, as you learn more, you will be able to take on some of his burdens and give him a chance to relax every now and then.”

“I hope I will be as helpful to him as he will undoubtedly be for me.”

“Why do you want to learn business, Alex?”

He stumbled at the top of the staircase and clenched his jaw as he steadied himself. “Forgive me, Miss... Olivia. I lost my footing.”

“You mean I asked you a question that surprised you?”

He chuckled. “You surprise me almost constantly, Olivia. I... Well, I thought perhaps you already knew my reasons for learning from your brother. You did not seem surprised when he took me on as a pupil.”

“I was not surprised that he accepted you, but that does not mean I know why the son of a duke would want to learn business.”

“The second son of a duke,” he clarified. “Everything under the Tipton title belongs to Hugh, which means I must secure my fortune on my own.”

Olivia considered that. William had never had to find work, as he’d inherited an estate from Mother’s brother, and Olivia had her dowry to ensure her future would be well taken care of. She had never really given thought to how it might be for a younger son who was not fortunate enough to inherit anything from his father.

“Could you not marry into money?” she asked, though she thought she already knew the answer.

Alexander smiled. “I could, but I would never wish for a lady to think my affections were placed only on her fortune. Besides, I have no intentions of marrying.”

It was Olivia’s turn to stumble, though she hardly went anywhere because Alexander held her upright. They were only halfway to his room, but she stopped in the middle of the corridor and turned to him. “You do not plan to marry?” She had guessed he wasn’t interested in her , but she had not realized that disinterest encompassed all of London Society.

Turning a deep shade of red, Alexander looked around as if hoping for a place to hide from her question. “No,” he admitted. “It is better for everyone if I do not.”

“I disagree with that.”

His smile grew as he looked at her. “I already told you I am not worth knowing.”

“And you have already proven that you are wrong. Do you not wish for someone to share your life with you?” Olivia had known Alexander for only a little over a week, and she could not imagine not knowing him. If their friendship could be so worthwhile in such a short span of time, a woman who earned his love and affection would be blessed indeed.

Alexander shook his head. “I know you are prone to see the good in people, Olivia, and I truly thank you for thinking so highly of me, but the world is better off if I remain as I am.”

“I cannot believe that.”

“You don’t have to believe it, but that does not make it less true.”

“Alex,” she said forcefully, tightening her hold on his arm. “As your dearest friend”—he chuckled—“I am determined to change your mind. You have already agreed to assist with my endeavors to persuade men to consider the ladies around me regardless of their fortunes, and I shall return the favor.”

He narrowed his eyes. “How?”

“By finding you a lady so terribly perfect for you that you will be the envy of all of London.”

He let out a shaky laugh and shook his head, as if he had never heard anything more ridiculous. “Olivia, that is not—”

“No, as I said, I am determined. And my mind is not easily changed.”

“I already know that about you.”

Olivia grinned. “And would you call it a fault or a virtue?”

To her delight, he matched her smile and finally let his shoulders sink, fully relaxed as they stood there in the corridor. “When it comes to you, Olivia Calloway, I am of the impression that you have no faults.”

“Flirt with me all you want, Alex, but your flattery will change nothing. Before this Season is over, you will be madly in love.”

Though he was silent as they made the rest of their way to the room that would be his during his stay, once he stepped inside and took in the space, he muttered something under his breath that sounded a good deal like, “I fear you are right.”