Chapter 17

William groaned, his head pounding with the remnants of last night"s overindulgence.

Eventually, he had given in and had drunk enough to the point that his guests were bearable. The morning after, however, he cursed himself for succumbing to the temptation.

Dragging himself out of bed with a heavy sigh, William made his way through the dimly lit corridors of the estate. Finally reaching his study, William sank wearily into his chair, his temples throbbing.

Closing his eyes against the harsh light streaming through the window, William leaned back in his chair, willing the pain to subside. At last, as the pulsing in his head began to dull, it was replaced by a sense of determination. He may have faltered the night before, but he refused to let it define him. Today was a new day, and he was determined to make the most of it.

Unfortunately, his mother wasn't going to allow that.

"Come along, William," Virginia urged, "No matter how angry with me you are, you can"t hide away in your study all day. It"s such a beautiful morning, and our guests would love to spend some time with you."

"I'm quite sure that they would, but they were insufferable last night and I do not wish to see them. How long are they going to be here for?"

"That depends how long it takes for Olivia and Scott to fall for each other. Perhaps you might wish to aid in such an endeavor, so that you can see Olivia gone."

"That is not what I want."

"Yes it is. I am not a fool, dear."

It was, once upon a time, he had to admit. Either way, it wasn't his reason for it anymore. Now he just wanted her to be happy.

"How did she take the news?"

"Very well. She seems quite withdrawn, but she said she understands. It would have been a lot to receive."

"Then take that as a lesson to not hide things anymore."

"And you are not hiding anything from me?" She asked gently.

"Mother, I"m not feeling quite myself this morning. Perhaps I should-"

"Nonsense, dear," Virginia interjected firmly, "A little fresh air and sunshine will do wonders for you. Besides, our guests are eager to spend time with you. It wouldn"t do to keep them waiting."

"If I say yes, and I go with you all, will that be the end of my obligations? I truly do have other things to be doing."

"Very well, yes."

A part of him knew this would not be the case, and that this outing would turn into another and another, but he took his mother at her word.

He allowed himself to be led towards the lake by his determined mother and his seemingly as motivated guests. As they settled onto the soft grass, Virginia"s smile only grew and grew.

"See, William? Isn"t this lovely?" Virginia exclaimed, "It is far better than another day locked in your study, wouldn't you agree?"

William offered a tight-lipped smile in response. It was a lovely place to be, indeed far better than sitting in his study and being miserable over his affliction, but he did not wish to speak, as that would only invite the others to believe they had the same right.

"William?" She repeated, "It is lovely here, is it not?"

"Yes, Mother," he replied, "It is indeed."

And for a fleeting moment, William allowed himself to forget his troubles and simply enjoy the moment. Beside them, the guests chattered animatedly, and when not one of them attempted to include William, he felt rather ignored in spite of himself.

But despite their joviality, William couldn"t shake off the lingering weight of his headache and the oppressive sense of fatigue that seemed to weigh heavily upon him. He was being childish, he knew that. He had wanted to be left alone, but now that he was, he was upset about it. Regardless, it wasn't something he was used to, and when his mother that had so desperately wanted him to join them turned to Miss Staunton as if he wasn't there at all, he gave in.

"I think I"ll take a stroll," William announced abruptly, rising to his feet with a strained smile, "The air might do me some good."

"Of course, William," his mother replied, "Take all the time you need."

Amidst the laughter and chatter of their companions, William had also found himself stealing glances at Olivia, who sat a short distance away, her gaze drifting to the lake even whilst speaking with Virginia. It was not like her, especially given the intenseness of her gaze whenever they spoke. Something was not right.

Perhaps his mother had made good on her word and told her after all?

As he watched her, William couldn"t shake off the nagging sense of unease that had settled in the pit of his stomach. He knew all too well the precarious position Olivia found herself in. He couldn't change her situation; not even a duke could completely change the effects of a scandal, but perhaps he could be a sort of distraction?

It was better than nothing at least.

"On second thought," he said quickly, approaching her, "Miss Staunton, might you be able to accompany me?"

"Me?" She asked, as if she hadn't fully heard him.

"I believe that you are the only Miss Staunton here," he smirked, "If you do not want to, that is perfectly fine."

"Oh, no, of course I do," she replied before adding, "It is not the done thing to refuse a duke, after all."

But he liked the way her immediate response was so enthusiastic.

She fell into step beside him, and they walked together in silence. It was pleasant to only hear the sounds of birds and the rustling of grass beneath their feet. He couldn't help but notice, however, that Miss Staunton was watching the gentlemen there.

"Are you getting cold feet?" He asked.

He was only trying to lighten her mood, but she seemed almost upset that he'd noticed.

"Why do you ask?"

"You are looking at all of the gentlemen. Are you sizing them up, perchance?"

"Well, not particularly," she sighed, "But your brother is clearly utterly uninterested in me, and so I might as well try my hand at seeking out someone else."

"Have you even spoken to him?"

"I tried to last night, but beyond a few polite smiles he did not seem all too happy to see me. He was more preoccupied with that lady that he brought with him."

He didn't dare tell her why that was.

"In which case, I will speak with my mother later. In the meantime, there is no harm in looking at your options."

"I"ve certainly tried, but I"m afraid none of those options seem particularly appealing to me."

"Ah, yes, I can see how that might be the case," he remarked, "But perhaps I can help you? I am not very knowledgeable of the people here, but I can help you nonetheless."

"Very well. That may actually be rather fun."

"Let"s start with him," William suggested, pointing to a man wearing a rather ridiculous hat, "He"s quite… the dashing fellow, wouldn"t you say?"

Olivia rolled her eyes in mock exasperation, a playful smirk tugging at the corners of her lips.

"You cannot be serious," she retorted with a laugh, "Lord Harrington may have charm, but one cannot overlook his sense of style. I am quite aware that I"m not the height of fashion, but even I know that there are limits to it."

"You might be right, but at least if you were sitting beside him at an opera you would not be sitting behind him."

"Why would that be preferable?"

"Have you seen how tall his hat is? You wouldn't see a thing!"

"Oh, you're right," she gasped, "Well, in that case, I shall march over there and demand an engagement right now!"

"On second thought, I have heard of him," William said suddenly, "I believe he has three children."

"That cannot be true. He is not married."

"You are right, which is precisely why having three children is not a good sign."

He watched as Miss Staunton realized what he meant.

"Certainly not, then," she nodded, "I shall suffer through my obstructed views, should the moment arrive."

"A wise choice indeed."

"Why thank you, Your Grace," she smiled.

"In which case, what about Lord Sinclair?" William proposed, "That gentleman just there. He is the son of an old friend of my father. He seems to have caught your eye, if I"m not mistaken."

"Well, yes, though I couldn't tell you why," she admitted with a thoughtful nod, "He is so utterly and entirely dull. Dark hair, dark eyes, dark clothes. There isn't even a hint of personality about him."

"Looks can be deceiving. You know that better than most."

"To be sure, but he is hardly an imposing figure, is he? If I am to have a husband, he should be the sort of gentleman that others notice. I would at least like to feel special."

"You have never mentioned that."

"It is something that I have decided quite recently. Actually, it was when you rescued me from that carriage."

"What do you mean?"

"I realized that, if I were with a different sort of gentleman, someone quieter, more peaceful, he may not have been so swift in aiding me. Her certainly would not have defended me, in any case."

"So, you would prefer someone unkind?"

"You are not unkind," she said firmly, but her voice was hardly above a whisper.

They remained still for a moment, gazing at each other. She was pretty when she looked at him, her eyes big and round and her cheeks lightly flushed.

She was dangerous.

"What about Lord Fitzwilliam?" William continued, changing the subject.

"Who?"

"That man there."

"Your Grace, that is Lord Smythe. He is married."

"Are you quite sure?"

"I am utterly positive. His wife was at our tea."

"Ah, but if he were not?"

"But he is."

"And if he were not?"

"He certainly seems to have a kind heart, and his intellect is quite impressive. But I can"t shake the feeling that there"s something strange about him. Besides that, he does have a wife, and she has many opinions of him."

"It is not a happy union, then."

"No, it is one that was arranged. A deal between fathers. She is utterly miserable."

"I see. It likely does not help your predicament to know such things."

"Not at all, but it is alright. It is not your brother's fault that I lack trust in gentlemen."

"Do you think you could ever grow to trust a man?" William asked, his voice soft with genuine curiosity, "I wouldn't want you to go your entire life never completely trusting those around you."

She paused, and they looked everywhere but each other. He wanted her to laugh, rake her fingers through her hair and say, ‘I trust you, Your Grace, is that not enough?' or some other such thing. He wanted that undeniable proof that she saw him as someone that was above others she had known.

"I"m not sure, Your Grace," she said instead.

Of course she did.

"Trust is a fragile thing," she explained, "Once broken, it"s difficult to mend. I fear that I may have lost the capacity to trust completely."

"What about me?" He asked, immediately chastising himself for doing so.

It was too personal, too forward. It was not something that one could say to a respectable lady, and he knew that, and he was the first person to speak of proprieties, particularly hers.

"You… Well, you are different. Pardon my lack of formality, but you are William to me. The son of Virginia and the Duke of Bolton."

"Is that all?"

No, he willed, Please say no.

"You are also that gentleman that tried to chase me out of the only home I have known in a long time," she laughed softly, "And the man that likely cannot wait to see me go, but you are also a friend."

A friend. That was fine enough.

As William and Olivia rejoined the group by the lake, Scott"s companions cast curious glances in their direction. They eyed them carefully, almost accusatory, but nobody said a word to either of them. Nobody dared.

It was exactly how William wanted them to be.