“Do you think the rain will hold off?” I asked.
Ollie looked up at the sky. “I believe so. There is only a slight breeze, so hopefully the rain will take its time arriving.”
I nodded and continued toward the river in silence. If only we could find a topic of conversation that did not feel so forced. Something that would help us become reacquainted. I tried to think of a subject that would interest him, but I doubted he wished to speak of toy soldiers like he did when he was a boy. But hehadrecentlyexpressed a love for London. Perhaps we could find common ground there.
“So, you have been living in London,” I said. “Do you miss it?”
“Very much. I love the excitement and energy of the city. What about you?”
“I miss Papa,” I said. “But not the city. It is so dirty and loud and . . . pungent.”
“It is that,” he agreed with a huff of amusement. “But it has a certain charm, don’t you think?”
I scrunched my nose. “I much prefer the country.”
“I suppose the country has its appeal too.” He bent to pick a yellow wildflower and handed it to me with a smile.
“Thank you,” I said, and our fingers brushed as I took it from him, but my pulse did not skip as it might have had Damon given it to me. I knew I should not compare the brothers, but it could not be helped. I pushed the thought from my mind, and as we walked on, a question tugged at me. “If I ask you something, will you answer me honestly?”
He glanced at me sideways. “Do you think I would not?”
“I think everyone likes to avoid unpleasant topics of conversation, but we mustn’t if we are to move forward in our friendship.”
“You are worrying me, but I do wish our relationship to progress. I promise to answer you honestly.”
“Thank you,” I said, and as we continued down the footpath, I asked, “Why did you stop writing me when I moved to Bath?”
He bit down on his bottom lip. “It was not a conscious choice so much as it was—I don’t even know—lifegetting in the way, I suppose.”
I twirled the wildflower between my finger and thumb, watching the petals dance in the wind. “I can understand that, but why did you not visit me in London? Did you truly not know I was living there, or did you just choose not to?”
“To my shame,” Ollie exhaled deeply, “I did know you had returned. And Ihadintended to call on you when I received your letter, but I always allowed myself to be diverted.”
It hurt that he’d not made me a priority, but it was not a surprise. I was glad to know the truth, if only so that we might move beyond it. “Thank you for your honesty.”
He nodded, looking more than a little ashamed.
A breeze ruffled through the trees, creating a small symphony, and in the distance was the faint sound of the trickling river.
“I should like to make it up to you,” he started, hesitantly. “When we return to London, if you will allow it, I should like to call on you.”
My shoulders tightened. I’d often dreamed of Ollie coming to call on me, but now, I wasn’t sure I wanted him to. He was such a well-heeled gentleman, from his clothes to the friends he kept, that I couldn’t even imagine him setting foot in Cheapside, let alone Papa’s cramped parlor. What if Ollie turned up his nose?
“I could take you for a ride in my curricle at Hyde Park,” he said, smiling.
“Perhaps,” I said, but truthfully, parading around Town for all thetonto see did not sound enjoyable in the least.
“Or . . . maybe you would prefer to show me what you enjoy doing?”
I highly doubted Ollie would want to sit with me in the parlor and read, but there was one place he might appreciate. “I spend a few mornings a week serving the poor with the church. We could always use another hand during meal times.”
He hesitated, then said, “I daresay I would not have any idea what to do.”
“I would teach you,” I said. “It’s not so difficult.”
“All right.” He nodded slowly. “We can give charity by day and attend the theater by night. Watch your step.” He placed a hand on the small of my back and guided me around a patch of mud. His touch was familiar, but it did not cause me to burn as Damon’s had.
“The path gets slicker the closer we get to the river,” he cautioned.
