After a Fashion (A Class of Their Own #1)(74)
“I’m hardly satisfied,” Mr. Bambini returned, surprising Oliver when he actually sent him a wink. “I certainly understand that you’re in a difficult position at the moment, given that your fiancée is standing right here, batting those pretty eyes at you, but—”
Oliver held up his hand, cutting Mr. Bambini off. “You’ll leave my fiancée’s pretty eyes out of this, Mr. Bambini, and everything has been settled, at least in my mind. Mrs. Henderson will retain possession of her shop, and you will use the money I gave you to put toward her rent. And, if the woman happens to fall behind on rent next year, you’ll agree to let me know.”
Harriet lifted her chin as the most beautiful smile he’d ever seen spread over her face. “Thank you.”
His “You’re welcome” got lodged in his throat as he found himself lost in the violet pools of her eyes, until Mr. Bambini let out a very large grunt, shook his head at Oliver in obvious disgust, and without a single word, strode out of the room.
“He’s a very unpleasant man,” Harriet said.
“He’s not any more unpleasant than most of the men I deal with on a regular basis, but enough about Mr. Bambini. I think you had a distinct reason for coming here today, and I’m dying of curiosity to learn more about that cat.”
“Curiosity can kill a cat.”
Oliver smiled. “Yes, I’ve heard, but . . . you wouldn’t happen to be trying to distract me now, would you?”
“It would have been much easier to say what I have to say if you’d deliberately evicted Mrs. Henderson and not agreed to pay her rent for a year.”
Taking her arm, Oliver steered her over to a chair in front of the fireplace and helped her into it, before sitting down in the one right next to her. “It troubles me that you would think so poorly of me.”
Harriet leaned forward, surprising him when she placed her hand on his arm, her action causing any thought of troubles to immediately disappear, replaced with something of a more disturbing nature.
“I do apologize, Oliver, and you’re quite right, it was very unkind of me to immediately think the worst about you, but again, it would have made what has to be said so much easier to say.” Her eyes turned suspiciously bright. “My aunt wants me to introduce you to her.”
Oliver frowned. “That’s what’s gotten you so upset? Your aunt? Are you afraid I won’t be receptive to meeting her and that her tender sensibilities will be hurt?”
“Good heavens, no. Jane doesn’t have tender sensibilities, and the last thing in the world I’d want to do is put you into direct contact with her. She’s dangerous.”
“Perhaps you should start from the beginning.”
Twenty minutes later, Harriet finished the sad story of her life with “ . . . and then I told her I’d introduce her to society, but not for a month, since that was the only thing I could come up with spur of the moment.” She bit her lip again. “I know it wasn’t exactly a stellar plan, but in a month’s time, I won’t be traveling in society, so there won’t be anyone for me to introduce her to.”
Pulling his attention away from the bottom lip he still found fascinating, Oliver felt his lips twitch. “You really were in a circus?”
“With everything I’ve just disclosed to you, you’re most interested in the idea I was once in a circus?”
“Well, that explains how you were able to throw yourself from my carriage and not suffer any harm, whereas I almost killed myself in the process.”
Harriet rolled her eyes. “You’re somewhat deranged, but yes, I was in the circus, excelled at tumbling, and would have been magnificent on the wire if my aunt hadn’t pulled me out of bed in the middle of the night to abandon our circus adventure.” She blew out a breath. “She’d gotten a little too greedy sticking her fingers in the owner’s ticket money.”
Oliver smiled. “I imagine you were adorable back then, dressed in a circus outfit and performing for the crowds.”
“I don’t know how adorable I was, given that I was at that somewhat awkward stage. However, I truly adored the circus and loved performing because it gave me a feeling of freedom, but . . . that was a long time ago. As most people discover, real life doesn’t allow much freedom.”
He had the means to live a life of freedom, but he’d never thought about his wealth that way. It was an intriguing idea, though. He could enjoy sailing around in his yacht, showing Harriet different places, and . . .
Shaking himself, he forced aside those disturbing thoughts and tried to concentrate on what Harriet had imparted about her past. Strangely enough, her past didn’t bother him at all, although the thought of her aunt hurting her was enough to set—
“Now that I’ve had time to think about matters, I do believe, in the interest of keeping your reputation safe and my aunt away from you, we’re going to have to part ways and abandon our original plan.”
“That’s a ridiculous idea,” was all he could think to respond.
A spark of temper clouded her eyes. “It’s not ridiculous at all, and it is the only way I can think of to keep you safe from my aunt.”
He suddenly felt as if he’d been walloped over the head with a heavy object. “Are you saying that—although your aunt has threatened to blackmail you, spewed hateful things about your mother, taken to calling you ‘my pet,’ and sent you a necklace you’re fairly certain she was planning to use to frame you—your biggest concern at the moment is my safety?”