Lady Be Reckless (Duke's Daughters #2)(74)

He was legitimately—and he nearly chuckled aloud at the thought—rich with love.

“That is all I wanted to say to you.” Edward turned on his heel and walked to the stable, aware of the ring in his pocket and the lightness in his heart.

He was wealthy in all the things that mattered. And now he knew it and valued himself as well.





Chapter 27




Explain yourself.

Lady Olivia’s Particular Guide to Being Reckless



Olivia, feeling pleasantly sore, smiled to herself as her maid got her dressed.

As Edward had predicted, nobody had seen her leave his room and return to her own, and she’d been able to lie in bed for a while, recalling everything that had happened the night before.

Making her blush, but mostly making her happy.

He loved her.

But there were a few things she had to do before she achieved her unexpected Happily Ever After.

“That will be all,” she said to her maid, who nodded and left the room.

Olivia stood in front of the mirror, noting that she didn’t look any different from the day before. She was properly attired for one of the duke’s daughters—she was wearing a modest gown that likely cost as much as feeding the society’s entire community for a month, and she did not look like a woman who’d boldly gone into a man’s room and told him she loved him.

Appearances could be deceiving.

She smiled and left the room, descending the staircase quickly.

“Pardon me,” she said to one of the footman standing in the hallway, “do you know where Lord Carson is?”

The footman nodded, pointing to the room she’d been in with Ida and Pearl yesterday. Apparently everyone congregated there.

“Thank you,” she replied, moving to the door and knocking on it, waiting for his call to come in.

“Lady Olivia!” He looked wary, as though she were going to propose again. The poor man.

“Hello, Lord Carson. I was hoping we could speak.”

He exhaled sharply, gesturing for her to sit on the sofa in front of the fire.

“What is it?”

He stood to the side of her, his arms folded over his chest. Naturally suspicious she might fling herself at him again.

She looked up at his face and smiled. And waited as his expression eased until he was smiling back at her.

He really was a nice person; he just wasn’t the man for her.

“The last time we spoke in private, I said some things that I should not have. I apologize for my assumptions.”

The thought hit her that she had assumed just as many things about him as she had about those villagers—that he needed her help, that he wanted her, that he loved her.

There was a moment of silence, and then he spoke. “Well, thank you, Olivia. I am glad I’ve gotten to know a woman such as yourself, and I admire your persistence.”

The last was said with a faint tinge of humor.

“My persistence in asking someone to marry me who most definitely did not wish to marry me?” she asked.

He laughed, and she joined him. It felt good to tell someone she was sorry, to truly admit her headstrong foolhardiness.

“What do you feel about Edward?” he asked.

“I love him,” she answered simply. “And he loves me.”

“That is just what I’d hoped would happen,” he replied in a smug tone. “That is why I asked you to help him find a bride. I knew the two of you would be a perfect match, and I knew that neither one of you would realize it unless you were forced to.”

Olivia’s mouth opened wide and she stared at him. “You planned all that?”

He grinned, and then he was kneeling on the rug in front of her, taking her hand in his. “I did. Edward has been my friend forever, and he is so prickly and defensive about what he is. I knew that it would take a strong woman to push through his reserves, and you are the strongest woman I know.” He squeezed her hand, and she felt the tears come again.

She was not a person who cried, and yet here she was, crying again. But this time with happiness.

“Thank you,” she said, only to freeze when the other door was flung open wide, revealing her mother, her father, her sisters, and Mr. Beechcroft.

“Oh wonderful!” the duchess exclaimed as they all poured into the room.

Oh God, Olivia thought, realizing what they all must think right now. Bennett kneeling in front of her, holding her hand, while she cried—it couldn’t have looked more like a proposal than if Bennett had been holding a placard with “Will You Marry Me, Olivia?” written on it.

Her father immediately went to Bennett, shaking his hand vigorously, a rare smile on his face.

“I knew that if we just got the two of you together that everything would work out perfectly.” The duchess paused, and Olivia opened her mouth to tell the truth of the situation, but then her mother started speaking again. “You’ll get married, and we won’t have to worry about finding a bride for Lord Carson, and the rest of the girls will find equally good matches. See, Duke?” she said, whirling to regard her husband. “I told you that we would get one of the girls married to a future viscount.”

“But,” Olivia began, her eyes darting between her mother and Bennett. Why wasn’t he saying anything?

Well, perhaps because Mr. Beechcroft had swept him up into a great bear hug, clapping him on the back and saying “my boy!” several times.