Chapter Fifteen

L ord Flynn, Earl of Larsson

The music floated across the ballroom as I bowed to Olivia on the dance floor at Smythington House in Kent. Nigel and Anne would get married in the morning, and the house was full of well-wishers.

Eleanor was visiting with the dowager duchess, a woman of interminable age. She was deaf and liked to yell, but possessed a good nature. I hadn't seen Eleanor or Rex in a week and every day had been torture. The memories of that night stayed with me, keeping my body in a heightened state.

"Flynn," Olivia said, tapping me on the arm. I turned to look at her, confused, until I realized the rest of our set had begun the dance.

"I am sorry." I twirled her to the movement of the dance, the soft fragrance of her lavender perfume drifting to my nose. With her dark hair styled in a becoming fashion and her brown eyes lit with curiosity, she created a fetching picture. I wished I could love her the way she deserved.

"You seem preoccupied." Olivia swished her full hips, the motion pushing her breasts enticingly over her bodice. The opposite of Eleanor in her coloring and personality, she spoke her mind and held nothing back. Eleanor was more subdued. She hadn't been that night in the study. Pride for her swelled my chest. She deserved some pleasure after a lifetime of suppressing her desires.

"I am excited for the wedding, aren't you?" I replied. Nigel has been champing at the bit to get married. When I was his age, marriage had been far from my mind. Until I met Eleanor. I could hardly wait for my night with Rex and Eleanor, and it was hard to concentrate on anything other than being with them.

"I am thrilled for my son. He is a good, brave man. Some men embrace the inevitable while others are afraid."

The music separated us, her comment sending a panicked beat to my heart. I knew how she felt about me. She made no secret of her desire to make me her next husband. We were both widowed, and I had run out of excuses.

I bowed to her and offered my arm, my feet moving to the lively music of their own accord. I was not about to fall into her trap. "Nigel has turned into a fine man."

The room was stuffy, and I wanted to tug at my necktie to loosen the tight fabric. Once the music ended, I would seek out Rex to discuss the arrangements for our tryst. By the way Olivia watched me with those knowing eyes, perhaps I should pretend to injure myself as a pretext for leaving the dance early. I usually wasn't such a coward. Something about her brought out the vulnerable side I had tucked away.

"I heard from my cousin in Australia today, and she has invited me to come to Sydney." A healthy flush enhanced her face.

"I hear it is a nice place to holiday." I had considered leaving the country for a time, but had responsibilities I couldn't shirk. My daughters being the most important. Once Nigel returned from his wedding trip, I would start handing over some responsibilities to him. One day, it would all be his.

She twisted her torso from side to side, hips swaying to the music. "That is what my cousin says. That's why I am considering accepting her invitation."

"You're seriously considering traveling halfway across the world to a penal colony full of thieves and murderers?" My footsteps faltered at the declaration before I caught myself. Had I heard her right? If so, the full implication of her statement sent a rush of panic through me. The music wound down. I wasn't ready to end the conversation.

"You just said it was a nice place to holiday." With a trill of laughter, she shook her head. "That was over a hundred years ago. I assure you, it is very civilized."

I was aware I was overreacting, but I was in shock. It must have shown on my face because she laid her hand on my sleeve. She and my brother had lived on my estate after their marriage. Since it soon became apparent after three daughters that I wasn't having a son, I began grooming Nigel as my heir. Of course, I could always marry and beget another son. Except I was satisfied with passing on the title to Nigel. I was used to Olivia being around and depended on her assistance with raising three girls.

"Breathe, Flynn," she said with a knowing grin. "I am merely considering it."

I led her off the dance floor, needing more time to absorb her words. The news sent my head spinning, and I wasn't sure why. "I see."

Another gentleman stepped in front of her, a youthful-looking man with a roving eye that seemed to focus on her breasts. It was traditional for the duke and duchess to invite the local gentry to these affairs, thus I didn't recognize the bloke.

"May I have this dance?" he asked. In addition to being a widow, she was also very wealthy.

When I was his age, I had wooed a widow twice my age. My own reason was to get her into bed. I had succeeded in my endeavor. This upstart might be after the same thing. "Lady Olivia isn't—"

"Yes, I would love to dance," Olivia said, cutting me off. She took the other man's arm, lifting her brow in question when I didn't move off the floor.

It occurred to me that she might be receptive to his attention. She had been alone for a while, and I never questioned whether she had taken a lover. Perhaps I was reading the situation entirely wrong. "I will leave you to it." I bowed to Olivia and left the dance floor.

The nearest servant held a tray of champagne, and I snatched two glasses. Fickleness continued to dog me. I drank one down, handed the glass back to him, and went to the card room. Olivia's distinctive laughter followed in my wake, taunting me. If she wanted to bed some young buck, it was her affair.

Cigar smoke drifted out of the room where ten tables were set up for play. I spotted Rex in the far corner playing whist. Per usual, he was dressed impeccably and my heart raced at the sight of his handsome face. What lay beneath those clothes hadn't been fully exposed to me, and I was looking forward to seeing him naked. I moved to the table and stood at his back.

"Good evening," I said, laying a hand on his shoulder. Heat raced up my arm, my awareness of him strong.

He glanced over his shoulder at me, and a grin transformed his countenance. With his hair combed away from his forehead and the muted light, he was very appealing. I had never been so glad to see him. "You are here."

"Indeed, I was dancing with Olivia." I rocked back on my heels, the pronouncement still ringing in my ears. She was leaving. My girls would be devastated because they adored her.

Rex offered me an understanding nod. "That explains it."

"Explains what?" I glanced at the other three members at the table, two men and a woman. I didn't wish for a conversation to be overheard. Gossip ran rampant, and even though I didn't know half of the people in attendance, they knew who I was. Being an earl had its perks, but it also had its downsides.

"The wild look in your eyes." Rich laughter followed his pronouncement.

If we had been alone, I'd kiss his smiling lips. I couldn't do that, even if I wished to. Eleanor had forbidden it. "Is it that obvious?" I wanted it to come out light. The sheer magnitude of what Olivia had disclosed continued to haunt me.

Rex frowned before returning to the table and laying his cards down. "I am out."

He paid with a few coins and stood up. His back still to me, he turned on his heel and met my eye. "I have a few cigars I procured from Havana. Would you like to join me on the terrace?"

"Yes that sounds just the thing." The servant with the champagne came through the gaming room, and I stole another glass. My throat was dry, and the evening had lost its luster. I might not be in love with Olivia, but she had been a part of my life for a long time.

Rex led the way out the doors to a terrace which ran along the front of the house. I followed him into the night until he moved to an alcove, where he paused and pulled out two cigars. I took one, my gaze moving to the garden where some guests were enjoying the warm night. Rex flicked the end of the match with his thumbnail, and the smell of sulfur and a bright light cut through the night. He held it up as I puffed on the end of the cigar. Our faces were close and I need only cup his jaw to bring his mouth to mine.

"We can't," he said.

"I know." Music drifted outside, along with the sound of lifted voices. "I am sorry I had to leave. I heard Harry got into an ant hill."

"The boy is constantly in trouble, rather like I was, I guess," Rex said with a shrug.

"He does remind me a lot of you at that age." Like Harry, Rex had always been brilliant and when he had something in his head, he pursued it with single minded purpose, regardless of everything else going on around him. Over the years, he had grown into the title but he was still uncomfortable in crowds and awkward in social situations. "Your father could be harsh. Harry's is not. You have raised a decent boy with a curious mind."

"I have, and I am proud of all of my children. I am sure your daughters will miss their aunt." He rocked back on his heels, the glow of his cigar tip casting his face in shadows. "Eleanor will also miss her. She and Olivia are great friends."

My good humor fled at the reminder. She'd thrown this at me without warning, and I wasn't sure what to think. Unless she had been pretending that she would be fine when Nigel married, or she was simply trying to cover up her upset. It was hard to tell with her, or maybe I'd failed to pay attention. "I think they will. She's made her choice. How is Eleanor faring? I hope things have improved between you."

"We always sleep in the same bed and our time together, when we have it, is much different." He pressed his lips in a grim line and shook his head. "However, outside of our room, she is still closed off."

A bit alarmed, I shook my head. I leaned against the balcony rail and rested my elbows on the stone. Rex mimicked me, his shoulder bumping mine. Chinese lanterns illuminated several couples milling about in the garden below. "That is very unlike Eleanor."

"I suggested she might be overwhelmed and she told me it wasn't my place to fix her." He rubbed at his forehead, clearly distraught. Rex was used to being in control and making snap decisions. "How does one fix that?"

"You don't. If she said she doesn't want you to fix her, then she doesn't want you to fix her." Olivia walked outside, startling both of us.

I turned my head to meet her direct stare. "It isn't polite to sneak up on private conversations."

"But necessary when two men who have no idea about women are trying to solve their problems." She squeezed her way between us and snatched the cigar from my hand.

My annoyance with her was growing, and I dared not question why. "You go too far, Olivia."

Her bold manners were off-putting, and she was being rude by eavesdropping.

With a shrug, she took a long draw of the tobacco. "I thought you might want to know what is wrong with Eleanor, but if you would rather me keep my mouth shut, I will."

"No, please speak your mind." Rex cut me off before I could protest further. He looked genuinely interested and I nodded my agreement for his sake, even though I didn't have much of a choice. Like with Eleanor, I valued every second spent with Rex. He was pulled in all different directions, and although I logically knew his concern over his marriage took precedence over my own needs, it still stung to always be the sixth chair in the orchestra of his life.