Lady Be Reckless (Duke's Daughters #2)(63)

But it was too late.

He stepped forward, reaching her in a few quick strides, taking her arm and drawing her away from the table, her face frozen, her expression confused.

“I just wanted,” she began, and he took her hand and drew it through his arm, pulling her close to his body. As he did so, he made eye contact with Lady Pearl, who was regarding her twin with a rueful expression. Maybe Lady Pearl had anticipated that one day her sister’s help wouldn’t be wanted?

Lady Ida glanced between the twins, her expression pained, eventually taking Pearl’s hand in hers and stroking it in sympathy.

The sisters walked toward them as he escorted Olivia back the way they’d come, his money still clutched in her hand, her head bowed, her gaze on the ground.





Chapter 21




Everything you thought you knew is wrong.

Lady Olivia’s Particular Guide to Being Reckless



Olivia’s heart felt bruised as she allowed Edward to walk her away from the village. When she had seen the children, the idea had been so clear—help them however she could, with what means she had at her disposal.

The means were in Edward’s wallet, and the help would be to offer the children some food. But the merchants had declined the offer, as though she had no right to make it, and the children had just stared at her when she tried to ask them about it.

And then one of the children’s mothers had glared at her and stepped over to the children, her chin lifted proudly.

And then—and then she had been publicly humiliated. When all she wanted was to help.

“Are you all right?” he asked in a low voice.

She bit her lip and raised her chin. “I am fine,” she said, even though her voice was wobbly.

“You were trying to do the right thing,” Lady Pearl said, coming up to Olivia’s other side. Ida walked behind them.

“I was. They just didn’t want my help.” Olivia spoke wonderingly, as though she found it difficult to believe.

And of course to her it was.

“Not everybody wants help, Olivia.” Edward had hold of her arm, and he felt her jerk away at his words.

She stopped and spun to look at him, a high wash of color on her cheekbones. “But they don’t always know! They might be in need of things, those children could be hungry, and they wouldn’t know! Or they’re too proud,” she said in a bitter tone.

Edward shook his head slowly. “But I know. I do know about them, and this situation. It’s not like the ducks, Olivia. The townspeople are perfectly happy and are doing quite well. But you just assumed, since you are determined to see injustice and inequity everywhere, that those people were suffering. But if you had asked . . .” And he let his words trail off, waiting to see her reaction.

Her expression froze, and then he saw her blink as though processing her thoughts. She bit her lip, and he wondered for a moment if she would cry—but of course she wouldn’t, she was Olivia.

His beautiful, brave, headstrong, foolhardy, proud Olivia.

“I should have asked,” she said at last.

And then he fell even more in love with her.

“Olivia?” Lady Pearl said, tapping her sister on the arm. “We should start walking, it looks as though it might rain.”

Olivia shook her head. “Go ahead, you two. Mr. Wolcott will walk with me.” Then her eyes went wide, and she shook her head. “Though I should have asked, shouldn’t I?”

“You don’t have to ask,” Edward replied, seeing Lady Pearl’s mouth open as she heard his words.

“We’ll just be going along then,” Pearl said, a knowing look in her eye. She took Lady Ida’s arm as the two started walking briskly back, Pearl bending her head close to her sister’s and whispering furiously.

Leaving them alone.

Edward glanced up at the sky. Sure enough, there were some clouds forming.

“I believe your sister is correct. It looks as though it’s going to rain.”

Olivia shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. I can’t control everything. I definitely cannot control the weather.” She sounded deflated, and Edward suppressed the urge to take her in his arms. He would enjoy that—and she might as well—but the most important thing now was to restore her confidence.

Instead, he raised his eyebrow at her. “You can’t? Lady Olivia, you wound me.” He clapped his hand on his heart and staggered back as though struck. And then righted himself and grinned. “It’s fine. You suffered a humiliation just now. It just proves you’re human.”

She snorted. “I have always been human, Edward.” She looked up at him, her eyes vividly bright in the increasing greyness of the sky. “I wanted to be more than just me, Lady Olivia. One of the duke’s daughters, a lady who would do just as she was supposed to.”

“And you have.” He stepped toward her, putting his hands on her arms and tugging her forward to him. “You are remarkable, Olivia. You are brave and strong and I admire you. Even if you can be stubborn and rush into things without heed.”

Her lips curled into a rueful smile. “That is true.” She slid her fingers up his arms and curled her fingers into his hair. “I find that I like rushing into things,” she said.

So of course he had no choice by then but to kiss her.