Chapter 6

"Our mothers were friends from finishing school. When my family… passed, Virginia offered me a place to stay out of kindness and generosity. It was never an obligation, nor was it out of pity."

"So, you"re saying that my mother did all of this because of some old friendship from finishing school?"

"Yes, Your Grace," she nodded.

William"s brow furrowed as he processed this information, a hint of uncertainty creeping into his thoughts. His mother certainly was kind enough for that to be plausible, that was not in doubt, but it was all too perfect, too convenient.

"And you consider my mother a friend?" He asked.

"Yes, Your Grace," she replied, smiling faintly, "I admire and respect your mother a great deal. She has been very kind to me, and I can only hope that I might one day return the favor."

"A friend, perhaps," he remarked, "Or maybe a convenience, someone willing to so openly give all she can to someone in need."

"I assure you, Your Grace, my friendship with your mother is anything but transactional," she replied, her voice suddenly cold, "I value her friendship and support more than you could ever know, and she values mine."

"And what support could you possibly offer her? She has everything she could want and more."

"Everything except her two sons."

"I beg your pardon?"

"I believe you heard me perfectly well."

Olivia"s words cut through the air like a knife, her accusations striking a nerve deep within William"s heart. He recoiled at the implication that he had abandoned his mother, his jaw tensing with a mixture of hurt and indignation.

"You know nothing of our lives," he sneered, "You might think you do, but you do not."

"And you know nothing of the pain your mother endured in your absence," Olivia countered, her voice trembling.

William noticed, however, that her voice did not tremble from fear, but from anger.

"And what do you know of her pain?"

"She buried her husband alone. She should have had two sons there for her to lean on, to help her deal with the biggest loss that she had ever faced, but instead the two of you ran. You know nothing of duty and loyalty, so don't you dare drag me here to lecture me on it."

William"s jaw tightened at the accusation, no matter how true he knew it to be.

"I have my duties," he shot back, "And it is because of those duties that I could not be there for her. She understands."

"Does she?" She taunted him, "I'm sure she has never told you as much, as she is far too kind to make you feel any guilt over it, but if you looked at her for more than ten seconds you would see that what you did tore her up inside."

"How dare you," he retorted, "You have no right to speak of things you know nothing about."

"No right? And what about you, Your Grace? What right do you have to judge me, to condemn me for offering your mother the companionship and support she so desperately needed?"

"I am her son," he replied, "It is my duty to care for her, to ensure her well-being."

"And what a brilliant son you are. Everyone knows that the best sons would condemn their mother to a life of loneliness once more, simply because they can."

"I"m not trying to make my mother lonely," he thundered, "You will not accuse me of that."

"Then what do you plan for her to do when you leave?" She asked, her voice quiet, "Because we both know that you will be leaving soon enough. You have arrived, you are making it so your mother's only companion is forced to leave, then you shall leave her behind once more. Tell me which part of that is not utterly cruel."

William faltered at that. He opened his mouth to respond, but found himself at a loss for words, his mind racing as he struggled to formulate a coherent answer.

But as the silence continued, Olivia seemed to know that she would have the last word. She nodded, and without another word, she turned on her heel and made her way to the door, the sound of her footsteps echoing.

He hated that, once again, she had won. Once again, he had been bested by some girl that had no respect for him, and he had no choice but to allow her to walk away.

However, he was certain that she was lying, and he knew just how to prove it.

"Mother," he said, entering the drawing room, "I wanted to speak with you about Olivia. Where is she?"

Virginia regarded her son with a knowing look.

"I believe she is in the garden. She spends a lot of time there."

"Yes, she is an angel and wonderful and all things good in the world. Now, I need you to tell me about her."

"What would you like to know?"

"I would like to know how she came to stay here. She has already told me in her own words, but I am quite sure that she is missing a lot of important information."

"Olivia"s story is complicated, to say the least," she began, her voice gentle, "It all began the year she debuted."

"Debuted?" He echoed, "You mean that she is-"

"Of noble birth, yes," she said with a nod, "Not that it is something she is particularly proud of."

"That much is clear," he sighed, "Please continue."

"She was seen as the best debutante of her season, the incomparable, but then there was a most unfortunate situation involving a stable boy, and then just like that it all ended."

"A scandal?" He echoed, his tone incredulous, "I can hardly say I am surprised, given her nature."

"You will not speak of her in such a manner. It was not in the slightest bit improper on her part, rather an unfortunate misunderstanding," she explained, "Regardless, Olivia found herself in a compromising situation with the stable boy, but I truly believe it was just that - a misunderstanding."

"And what happened next?" He asked, his voice barely above a whisper, "She told me that she came to stay with you, and that you were friends with her late mother."

Virginia"s expression darkened slightly at the mention of her parents.

"Her parents were not as understanding as I was," she replied, "They were quick to believe the worst and cast her out without a second thought. I hated to see her that way, and I knew that she was being unfairly treated, and so I took her in myself. The ordeal had made her unwilling to marry, and so she never did."

"Did her parents find out that she came to you?"

"Yes, eventually, and I cannot say that they were pleased about it. They told me she would be trouble, and that I would inevitably regret giving her such an easy way out of the situation she had created. They truly couldn"t understand why I would want to take her in."

"I cannot believe that someone would so willingly say such things about their own child."

"Nor can I. And yet, since she came here, she"s been nothing of the sort," Virginia continued, "She"s been a blessing for a lonely old widow like me."

The words struck William. He had convinced himself that he was doing his duty as a son, but he hadn't convinced Olivia and he quickly realized that he had not convinced himself either, and there was a reason for that.

"In which case, she is at least earning her keep."

"What do you mean, William?"

"Well, Mother, she"s been here quite a while, hasn"t she? I would hate for you to be paying her so much money unnecessarily."

Virginia"s eyes widened in surprise, her lips parting slightly as she processed his words.

"Oh, no, William," she replied, "You seem to be misunderstanding the situation. Olivia isn"t an employee here. She"s a guest."

"What? But she has been working for you. Surely you have been giving her something."

"I suppose that I have. I have given her a mother figure in the same way that she has been a friend to me."

William thought back to how Olivia had told him herself that she did not use his mother for money, and how he had refused to believe her. He still couldn't quite believe it, given how much work it appeared that she had done for all those living there.

"Why wouldn't she accept payment?" He asked, mostly talking to himself.

"I suppose she didn"t want to make a fuss," she explained, her voice tinged with sympathy, "She"s always been the sort to seek friendship rather than success. It is a wonderful trait for one to have, do you not think?"

"Yes, quite."

He hated how this girl made him feel. Her being so perfect made him look terrible in comparison. She had succeeded in every way that he hadn't, and had seemingly done so with ease. She made him look useless, and he hated it, especially after all of the work he had done to protect his family.

As the realization dawned on William that Olivia"s presence might be a complication rather than a benefit, a plan began to form in his mind. He couldn"t deny the discomfort her being in the household stirred within him, and he knew that he had to rid himself of her. He knew he was being selfish and cruel, but he was being nice about it, all things considered. He was not going to forcibly remove her from the household, not at all.

He was going to find her a husband.