Chapter Twenty-Five

L ord Flynn, Earl of Larsson

Silence greeted me as I entered Larsson House. My two days with Eleanor and Rex were still indelibly marked on my mind. As much as I enjoyed the hours leading up to the big row between them, my realization on that first night continued to haunt me.

While they had worked me into their lives, there was no way I could be a part of what they had. Rex had been unduly jealous without taking my own feelings into account. It was me who had to live with the knowledge that the woman I loved married someone else. I would always be the third person, even though I knew they loved me. It was time for me to decide what I wanted. If I let Olivia go, there was a chance she'd find another man to marry.

I handed the butler my hat and coat. He was an old family retainer who served my family well. "Is Lady Olivia in?"

"Yes, my lord. She is in the blue drawing room with the young mistresses." He draped my coat over his arm before handing it to a waiting maid. My staff was very efficient and loyal.

"Very good," I said. The house had been restored the previous decade, and the polished marble floors shone in the sunlight that streamed through the windows. I was the seventh earl, and the house had been part of the earldom since its inception. Thus far, little scandal has plagued the Larsson name. That could change in a moment if my secret life was exposed.

Although my daughters and Olivia were in residence, Nigel wasn't. My shoulders slumped until I reminded myself he'd embarked on his own journey. Soon he'd bring his new wife to live here, and they would have children in time. Regardless, it was an odd sensation, and I tried to shake it off. Although he wasn't my son, Nigel was dear to me. My brother would be very proud of him.

The older I got, the more I realized that people you loved left you in different ways. Mary had left me through death, and my brother had succumbed to an illness way too young. I was the older brother; I should have been the one to go first. Fate had different plans for me.

I tried to shake off the melancholy that seemed to be attached to me lately. If I wasn't here for a purpose, I would turn on my heel and leave. A night spent at the Apollo Coffee House with men who weren't interested in deep conversation might be just the thing.

While in a tawdry relationship, I forgot about my troubles and concentrated on the passion. However, I wasn't sure if I would ever feel the same again after being with Rex and Eleanor. His inhibitions had fallen to the wayside, and the things he had done to me were forever branded on my mind.

Voices sounded from the blue drawing room, the laughter of my girls, as well as Olivia's more exuberant tones. I had a rich life and wanted to focus on what I had rather than what I did not. The maid on duty opened the door, curtsying to me as I walked through. The rain had ceased and now sunlight flooded the room, the light blue décor reflective of the elegance in the rest of the home.

Every time I walked through the hallowed halls, pride swelled my chest. To be an earl with the world at my fingertips made me a fortunate man. And yet something inside me was missing, and I hadn't found it yet.

My three daughters, ages sixteen, fourteen, and ten, were chatting excitedly. They resembled me in looks but with lighter hair ranging from honey blonde to light brown. Fortunately, they didn't get my Roman nose. They were all beautiful, and I held my arms out as they ran to me. It was one of the things that made life full, having the love of my children.

"What are you girls up to today?" I made a point to visit with them every day. My two nights with Rex and Eleanor had cut into our time.

My oldest daughter Karen spoke up, her lovely face lit with excitement. Seeing her smiling again after a year of mourning warmed my heart. The death of their mother had hit us all hard. "Lady Olivia was regaling us with details for her trip to Australia."

Karen was my daring child who wasn't afraid of anything. Camille, the fourteen-year-old, was more cautious, and Beatrix, the youngest, was the most practical of the three.

The reminder of Olivia's leaving lessened my smile. I couldn't show my upset, however. There was something I needed to ask her, and the quicker I did it, the better. If I was successful, she wouldn't be leaving at all.

Olivia looked up at me, a light of greeting in her eyes. The sun hitting her hair brought red highlights out of the dark mass. She had been a fixture in the house since marrying my brother. The thought of her being gone carved a hole in my chest, and I knew the solution. No, she wasn't Eleanor or Rex, but she was family, and I loved her in my own way.

"It sounds very exciting, if not such a long journey." Camille bit her bottom lip, uncertainty in her gaze.

"Think of it as an adventure," Karen replied.

"You can think of it as both," Beatrix said in her no-nonsense tone. Unlike the other two girls, she resembled her mother more than me. "Did Harry get off to school?" She and Harry had a rapport and she was one of the few friends the boy had.

"Yes, he is firmly entrenched at Knutchester." I prayed for his sake and his family's that he adapted to student life. While I carried affection for him, I wasn't na?ve to his challenges. His parents wanted him to have a normal life, and as the son of a duke, he would have an advantage.

"Oh, how I wish I could go there myself." Beatrix and Harry were curious children. "Aunt Olivia informs me there are girls' schools as well. Might I be able to attend one, Papa?"

I narrowed my eyes at Olivia, yet another thing we needed to discuss. She stepped over the bounds of what was in her purview sometimes, however, if I were to make her my wife, she would take over the girls' education. Something inside me balked at that. I enjoyed every moment with my daughters, good or bad, yet raising children was supposed to be part of a woman's realm Ironic considering Olivia thought the lines between men and women should be blurred. I happened to agree with her, and with a nod, I said, "We will look into it for you. If that is your wish."

"Thank you!" Her serious face lit up, and Beatrix threw herself at me. I hugged her closely. Soon, she would be too old for me to pick her up, and her childhood would disappear. For me, it had seemed to flee before I even knew it.

"Olivia, might I have a word alone with you?" It was time to do my duty to my daughters and propose to her. After my year of sowing wild oats had turned to two, it was time to resume my responsibility.

"Why don't you girls go outside and tell me if you find any butterflies." Lady Olivia was an enthusiast for getting the girls to do activities beyond the drawing room. I thought it was healthy for the girls to get exercise as well. We agreed with each other, yet another reason to marry her.

With a flurry of skirts and much chattering, they exited the French doors leading to the garden. Clouds once more obscured the sun, muting the drawing room's light.

I turned to look at Olivia, who was still seated. Inhaling a calming breath, I willed my racing heart to stop beating and knelt before her feet. She frowned at the gesture before her face seemed to transform into recognition. I reached into my pocket and withdrew an emerald ring that had once belonged to my mother. Mary had been buried with her ruby snake ring, a symbol of everlasting life. It had gone to her grave with her as a talisman to protect her.

"I would like to start by apologizing to you. I know I have not been myself lately."

"Well, you've always been a part, even more so of late. And I know why, you've been avoiding me."

"Yes, I have been avoiding you because I've been putting off the inevitable. After Mary died, I needed to give myself time to heal. And now I feel that time is here." I watched her expression, pleased she still regarded me with eager intent. "There is much that binds us together. I didn't realize how much you meant to me until you said you were leaving. Therefore, I would like to ask you to stay in England and marry me."

I expected her to say yes immediately. She pressed her lips together, confusion and determination in her gaze. "Are you saying the only reason you want to marry me is so I stay here?"

I answered honestly, "Part of it, yes. If you go to Australia, you might meet a man and marry him, and then I will have lost the opportunity to ask for the hand of a giving and kind woman, albeit you can be very annoying." I took her hand in mine. "Will you say yes?"

"Perhaps. Meanwhile, despite your backhanded delivery, I will accept your compliment."

A smile bloomed on her lips, and I smiled in return. "How can I persuade you?"

She leaned forward in her seat, her eyelids lowering as her gaze settled on my mouth. "I'm not sure. You have yet to kiss me, and I'm not sure if I would actually like it or not."

Her challenge sparked my competitive side, and I nodded, sliding my hand along her soft jaw to bring her mouth to my own. The second our lips connected, a pleasant sensation rushed through my chest. She was a desirable woman. While the spark I felt when kissing Eleanor was missing, I hadn't expected there to be one. I was pleased the attraction I felt toward Olivia was definitely there.

Olivia slanted her mouth more fully onto mine, and I glided my tongue along the seam of her lips. The kiss flamed from pleasant to lustful in a matter of seconds. She had a lush body with large breasts, and hips a man could grab onto as he planted himself deep inside her pussy. I palmed her neck, bringing her much closer to me.

A scream from outside, followed by a giggle, disrupted our passionate embrace. I rocked back on my heels and nearly fell over, my thigh cramping up. The old rowing injury appeared at the most annoying times.

I met her softened gaze and quirked my eyebrow in question. "Well?"

"I suppose that's all right," she said with a saucy smile. "However, I do want a man who finds me appealing and isn't marrying me simply to stave off impending loneliness."

"Olivia," I said, "I can say with all honesty that I find you very appealing."

She searched my face for a moment before nodding and holding out her fingers, spreading them wide. "You may put the ring on. I will marry you."

"Excellent, we shall plan the wedding for an appropriate time."

"There is no time like the present."

I nodded, part of me balking at the quickness, yet I was committed to marrying her and would do so in the manner she requested. "Then consider it done."