CHAPTER 25 - Where the hell have you been?
THE TRAIN RIDE WASenjoyable, as was their time in Oxford. With Johnny’s help, she hired a hackney cab at the train station to take them around the city and see the sights. They bought meat pastries and lemonade for lunch at a market stall and ate them sitting on a bench in a park.
It was a fantastic day of fun and sightseeing. By the time they arrived back at the hall, it was almost six in the afternoon. As soon as the butler let her in, he informed her that His Grace wanted to see her in his study.
Curious and a little surprised because Dale had not sought her out in days, she followed the footman to the study. As soon as the door opened, he jumped up from his chair with an intense look of equal parts relief and... anger?
There was another man with him. He had also come to his feet and observed her with something like amusement. Who was he?
“Thank you, Andrews,” Dale addressed the man without taking his eyes from her, “As you can see, Miss Mirabal has returned. You can leave us now.”
“Certainly, Your Grace.” The man executed a small bow and left with the crisp stride of a man who had someplace to be.
She could not fathom what this meeting was about. Had Avondale found information about the events that had brought her here? The harsh lines of his face and unreadable glint in his eye gave her no answers.
“Where the hell have you been?” Dale demanded as soon as the door closed behind Andrews.
She swung to look at Dale, whose face had boiled to a red and whose hands had formed fists at his sides. HIs voice had been quiet but hard and sharp, and she couldn't help but flinch.
He had always been such a perfect gentleman, so courteous and proper, that to hear him curse was a shock. She realized with surprise he was angry... at her. Had she done something wrong?
“I... I went to Oxford. I took the train at the village station—”
“Oxford. By train.”
“Yes. That is what I said.” She spoke each word cautiously. The man was volatile. She seemed to have done something wrong, and while she didn’t want to argue with him after all his kindness, she felt a little annoyed at his tone.
“And you didn’t think to inform me of your plans? When we spoke this morning, you said you were only going to the village for a couple of hours, not to damn Oxford for the whole day!” he exploded.
“Please stop cursing at me. I’m sorry. It was a last-minute decision, and I thought the coachman would tell you. I went to the village, but everybody kept staring at me, and the shopkeeper started asking questions. I didn’t know what I should say. It was so uncomfortable. I thought it best to get out of there as soon as possible. I thought...”
“You should have thought to return home then, not continue wandering farther off,” he interrupted again.
Olivia took a deep breath, reigning in a temper threatening to escape her control. He reprimanded her as if she were a naughty child, not a grown woman, and that raised her hackles as few things could. She didn’t need to ask his permission to go out, and she almost told him so, but stopped the retort before she could antagonize him further.
“I was going to return,” she said instead, “but then I heard the train. By the way, I didn’t know trains existed already in this year. Anyway, I went to check it out and found out it was headed to London by way of Oxford. London was too far, of course, and too big for me to venture into alone. But Oxford seemed safe to explore on my own.”
“Well, it is not safe, especially for a lone woman who does not even know how things are done in these times.”
“I had Molly and Johnny with me. I wasn’t alone.”
“Yes, but they are servants. And very young ones at that. Little more than children. They couldn’t have offered any significant help had any problems arisen.”
“But nothing happened. We are all back safe and sound, so please calm down.”
“I have been worried sick for hours. Not knowing where you had gone, if you were going to come back, or if something had happened to you. And now you just come in, cool as a cucumber, and want me to calm down? You can not wander off without telling anyone!”
Ah. Now she understood. He was worried. She should have seen it earlier, but it had been difficult to think with the shock of his rage and her own temper threatening to get out of hand. She wanted to reassure him, but she also had to make clear he could not treat her as a wayward child.
