Page 24 of Never Doubt I Love (Calloway #3)

Lenora Bailey was not what Olivia had expected. Instead of a proud and regal woman of bearing, the dowager duchess was a stooped and battle-worn laundress who looked as if she had lived more years than she should. And yet, as she ushered Alexander and Olivia inside, she moved about the little house with a surprising bounce in her step.

“You will have to forgive the small space,” she said, bustling about to start a fire and hang a kettle over the flames. “The house is not much, but Mary and I find we do not need more room than this. I do all the washing out in a shed in the back anyway.”

Alexander looked like a giant in the tiny room, though that was likely because he seemed unable to bring himself to sit. He had embraced his mother for several minutes and still seemed in a state of emotional overwhelm. Olivia could hardly blame him.

She did, however, nudge him onto a chair at the little dining table in the center of the room.

Her Grace continued working her way around the single room, grabbing some bread and cheese as well as a pot and several vegetables and herbs. Olivia was fascinated, too shocked by watching a duchess prepare soup to think about offering to help.

After several minutes filled with only the sounds of Her Grace’s cooking, Alexander finally found his voice, speaking several questions in quick succession. “Mother, what happened? How did you come to launder clothing? Who is Mary? What in the world are you doing?”

Olivia smacked his arm. “Obviously she is making you supper,” she hissed.

The duchess’s eyes slid to Olivia and widened, as if she had only now realized Olivia was even there. “Oh, do forgive me. Alex, who is your... friend?”

Alexander turned his gaze to Olivia and smiled, making her face heat. Though, if she was being honest, she had been overly warm since her foolhardy decision to sit so close to him on the porch. Alexander had met her boldness with his own and kept her close. Even now, his chair was mere inches from hers.

“Mother, this is Oliv...” He paused, a question in his eyes. “... ia. Olivia Calloway.” Then he reached over and pulled the cap from her head, letting her braided hair spill onto her back. “I have her to thank for my arrival here today. Without her, I likely would have perished on the road. I owe her everything.”

Was he teasing her? Or did he truly mean that? Either way, Olivia had to press her palms to her cheeks to try to cool them.

Alexander chuckled, his gaze warm. “Olivia, this is my mother, Lenora Bailey, Dowager Duchess of Tipton.”

Olivia probably should have stood and curtsied, but her legs were growing more and more stiff as the minutes passed. She likely wouldn’t be able to walk tomorrow after that tense ride from London. Still, she did her best to bow from her seat. “Your Grace.”

“Oh, none of that, now.” The duchess gave Olivia a warm smile. “I am Mrs. Bailey now. No use for pretense here.”

Alexander frowned. “Mother, you—”

She swatted Alexander’s arm with a spoon, startling both him and Olivia. “I will hear no arguments from you, Alexander. I have chosen my life.”

“Have you?” He looked around the room, and a weight seemed to settle heavy on his shoulders as he took in the tiny space. Two small beds rested on either end of the room, with the table and fireplace between them. Beyond a large wooden chest and a stove, there was little else in the room.

Mrs. Bailey pursed her lips, saying nothing until she had replaced the kettle with the soup and was busy pouring tea for the three of them. “When Hugh sold the house, Mary took me in. She is a widow like me, you see, and we had become friends. It is actually quite nice to have someone to talk to throughout the day. She is visiting her daughter in Bath for a few weeks, and she will be most disappointed when she discovers she missed a chance to meet you, Alex. I do talk about you a good deal, after all.”

She took hold of his hand and squeezed it before handing him a cup of tea. When she handed a cup to Olivia, her pleasant expression faltered, her eyes watering. “I am afraid I do not have any cream, though there is a little sugar somewhere around here.”

Olivia swallowed a big gulp of her tea, though it burned her throat on the way down. “This is lovely, Mrs. Bailey. Thank you.”

Mrs. Bailey smiled and discreetly brushed a tear from her eye. “Mary does mending for people in the village,” she continued, moving to the fire to stir the soup. “She taught me the laundry, and together we make certain our neighbors are as finely dressed as they will ever be. I am happy.” She fixed her gaze on Alexander. “This life is not what I imagined for myself, but it is my own. I can ask for nothing more than that.”

Alexander seemed on the verge of tears himself, still looking around the room as if he blamed himself for his mother’s situation. “I have been...” He swallowed and reached for Olivia’s hand. Once he had a firm hold of her, he continued. “I have been learning business, Mother. I hope soon to be able to afford a house of my own, though it will take time. I should have found a way to give you a better—”

“Alexander Bailey.” Mrs. Bailey sat across from him and took hold of his other hand, pressing her lips to his fingers. “You do not owe me anything. I am happy here. Truly. My only wish for you is that you will find happiness too.” Her eyes slid over to Olivia, her smile warming. She had the same eyes as Alexander, a subtle blue that was nearly gray. “How is it you came to be my boy’s savior, Miss Calloway?”

Glancing at Alexander, Olivia was unsure of how to answer that question. She assumed she was safe here with his mother, but how much could she really speak out loud?

Alexander spoke before she could. “Olivia’s brother has been teaching me his trade, so to speak,” he said. He was speaking to his mother, but his eyes were on Olivia. “He invited me into his home to protect me from Hugh’s influence.”

Mrs. Bailey clicked her tongue. “Has that boy been getting himself into trouble again?”

That boy was a strange way to describe the Duke of Tipton, and Olivia bit the insides of her lips to keep from giggling.

Alexander, on the other hand, frowned down at the table. “He told me today that he paid the man who compromised Juliet.”

Olivia gasped.

“He thought her unsuitable, and when I refused to listen to his advice and cut ties with her, he cut them for me. And I learned he is broke. Completely penniless, which was how I discovered he had sold your house along with other Tipton properties. He...” His eyes shifted to his arm, which lay across the table between him and his mother. “We fought.”

“Hugh is the one who hurt you?” Olivia asked in alarm. “Alex!”

He shook his head. “The wound will heal. I fear my relationship with my brothers will not.”

“Hugh always was jealous of you, Alexander.” Mrs. Bailey returned to the fire and the bubbling soup. “No matter how much or how little, you were always content with what you had been given, and Hugh envied your happiness. It sounds as if that has not changed. Sometimes, I thought perhaps you ought to tell Hugh that you wanted his title. Maybe then he might have left you alone.”

“I have never wanted his title,” Alexander argued, though he seemed to be deep in thought after hearing his mother’s assessment of the duke. “And now Hugh has gone and left the duchy in shambles, and he blames me for all of it because I interfered with his attempts at fixing it.”

As she brought the pot of soup to the table, Mrs. Bailey seemed to be both amused and concerned at the same time. “I would assume Hugh has been trying to find himself a wealthy wife,” she said thoughtfully. Then her gaze returned to Olivia. “Would that be you, dear?”

Alexander’s hold tightened on her hand, though Olivia was only just now beginning to connect everything Alexander had said. She looked down at his arm even though she couldn’t see the cut there. “Alex,” she whispered, “did you fight a duel over me?”

His weary smile shifted into a smirk that warmed her to the core. “Being your friend would be a good deal easier if you were as poor as a church mouse,” he murmured. “But I cannot will your wealth away, no matter how much I would like to.”

What in the world did he mean by that? Was it simply because he had grown tired of all of the men who sought her dowry? He spoke of being her friend, but his eyes seemed to say something else, and Olivia couldn’t help but hope she saw deeper affection in his eyes than friendship. Perhaps he was not fond of her wealth, but if anyone could use her money, he could. Especially because there was a good chance Simon would turn him away as soon as they returned from their improper excursion.

Alexander’s thumb ran the length of hers as he gazed at her, and she could feel his eyes searching hers for something. For what, she could only guess. Hope. Pray.

He swallowed. “I would that you had nothing so everyone could see the woman I see. That you could find a man who would spend his days working hard to provide you the life you deserve.” It was as if he had read her mind. Unlike Mr. Harris, Alexander was the sort of man who would do whatever he could to provide for someone on his own merits. Could that someone be Olivia?

“Well.” Mrs. Bailey spoke louder than she had before, pulling their attention her way. She grinned, eyes darting between them, before grabbing a few bowls and ladling out her simple soup. “It seems as if you two have had quite the day. You must be exhausted.”

Yes, Olivia was more tired than she had ever been, but as they settled in for a peaceful supper in the light of the fire, she found herself smiling wider than she ever had.

* * *

How was a girl supposed to sleep when Alexander Bailey was in his shirtsleeves just a few feet away?

As he sat on a blanket in front of the fireplace, he looked so different from the man she had met those weeks ago. Even when relaxed, Alexander had always hid his heart behind a shield no matter the circumstances. Now, as he smiled at the low flames in front of him, he truly looked happy for the first time. Whatever had happened today, it seemed he had been freed from the chains that had bound him his entire life.

Though she knew she needed to sleep, Olivia could not close her eyes. It was almost as if she feared she would lose this version of Alex as soon as she fell asleep, and that would be a tragedy. This man had worked his way into her heart, and she could only hope that he might feel the same for her.

Would Simon even allow it after this clandestine adventure they had taken?

For now, Olivia simply wanted to soak in this beautiful man who had come into her life so unexpectedly and given her a reason to truly believe someone could love her for all her quirks and oddities.

Alexander’s eyes flicked up to meet hers, as if he had felt her gaze, and his smile grew. “I thought you were asleep.”

“How could I sleep after a day such as today? Far too much has happened.”

Glancing behind him toward his mother’s bed—Olivia had taken Mary’s—he curled one leg up and hugged it. After a dinner full of stories of Alexander’s childhood and plenty of laughter, Mrs. Bailey had fallen asleep soon after lying down, leaving the house in a quiet stillness. Alexander seemed to relish in the peacefulness of it, as if he had never experienced a calm like this. “I know why my day was eventful, but why was yours?”

Olivia did not know how, but he seemed to know that she was not referring to their frantic ride to this quaint little village. “Several things, I suppose.”

“How was your visit to Mr. Harris?”

“Oh.” Olivia swallowed, pulling her blankets up to her chin. How did he know where she had gone? “Well.”

Alexander ducked his head. “He proposed to you.” It was not a question, and disappointment laced his words.

That disappointment gave Olivia even more hope. “He did,” she admitted. “I told him I would have to consider his offer.”

“What reason do you have to refuse? The man loves you.”

He is not you. But even Olivia couldn’t say such a bold thing, no matter how deeply she felt it. Her fear outweighed her hope. What if Alexander did not love her? He was so good at hiding his feelings that she could never claim to know his heart.

She spoke a different truth instead of her own affection. “He admitted his interest in me began because of my dowry.”

Alexander looked up, his expression full of sympathy. “Perhaps it began that way, but I know with certainty that Harris cares for you.”

Logically, she knew he was right—Harris had said the same thing—but that did not lessen the sting. “If only all men could be like you, Alex. You showed me no interest at all.”

“I wouldn’t say that.”

Olivia lifted her head. “What? Are you in earnest, Alex Bailey?”

He winced. “You should get some rest. The sooner I return you to your brother, the more likely I will survive tomorrow.”

“The sooner you return me to Simon, the sooner my prison sentence begins. He will lock me in my room for the rest of my life.”

“Not if I take the blame.”

Olivia scoffed, sitting up now. “You cannot expect Simon to believe I came against my will. Wilson, yes. Me, no. You can try to take the blame, but we are in this mess together.”

Alexander chuckled, shaking his head. “You, my darling, are ridiculous and stubborn and altogether a handful.”

“I am well aware.” Just as she was far too aware that he had just called her darling . She pressed her hands to her hot cheeks. “Perhaps Simon will lock us up together and deal with us both in one blow.”

Though the dying fire did not offer much light, it was enough for Olivia to see the change in Alexander’s expression. She had never seen such a look before, and the only word she could think of to describe it was desire . “If I could be so lucky,” he murmured.

Oh goodness, how was Olivia to respond to such a comment? “Alexander Bailey, are you flirting with me?”

“I am playing with fire.”

He certainly was. Olivia could feel it coursing through her veins. If he expected her to fall asleep with the way he was looking at her, he was sorely mistaken.

With a heavy exhale, she settled herself back onto her pillow, knowing if she did not she might be tempted to sit beside Alexander on the floor and spend the whole night talking. “I do wonder what will happen now. My brother must be so angry with me.”

“Your brother trusts you.”

“Ha! He trusts me to cause problems and little else.”

“Olivia.” Alexander pierced her with an intense look, as if he thought he might convince her merely with the seriousness in his eyes. “Your brother loves you dearly, and he would do anything to see you happy.” Then, almost too quietly to hear, he added, “As would I.”

Olivia let out a sigh of contentment, though she was tempted to squeal with happiness. Though not in so many words, Alexander had just admitted that he loved her. At the very least, he wanted to see her happy, and based on her experiences today, that was the same thing. “No matter what happens upon our return tomorrow, I am glad I came with you today, Alex.”

He smiled, ducking his head again. “As am I. I meant it when I said I never would have succeeded without your strength. You are the most incredible woman I have ever known, Olivia Calloway.”

“That is because you do not know many women.”

“No.” He looked up, his expression so warm that she thought she might truly catch fire now. “No, it is because you are kind and selfless and brave. Beautiful, soft, outspoken. Terrifying and intoxicating.”

Olivia bit her lip, hugging her blankets close because it would keep her from hugging Alexander. “What have I told you about compliments going straight to my head?” she whispered, silently begging him not to stop.

He chuckled and stretched himself out on the floor, using his arm as a pillow. “I suppose I cannot help myself when you make it so easy. Good night, Olivia.”

Those three words settled over her like a magic spell to make her sleepy, and she closed her eyes, quickly slipping off to dreams full of Alexander Bailey and a happy ending for them both.