“I didn’t know you had a cousin.” She said, and the hurt must have shown in her voice.
“I haven’t seen him in years. He has been abroad. Maybe you should come with me and meet him. I’m sure he will be curious to meet you, too.”
“Do I have to? I feel like the more people I meet, the more complicated the situation becomes and—”
He kissed her objections away. “You are overthinking.”
She sighed. “You are right. I don’t know why I feel so reluctant to meet new people. It is a mix between feeling like an impostor and fear of doing something wrong.”
“If you don’t want to meet him, you don’t have to. But fear not. If you do something wrong, people will attribute it to you being American, and I will stand by you because you are not an impostor. You are my wife in every sense of the word.”
“All right, then. I’ll go meet him with you.”
“Perfect. I’m sure it will go well. He is a pleasant chap.”
The meeting was going better than Livvy could have imagined. Mr. Collins was indeed a delightful gentleman; and if he resented the possibility that she could provide an heir that would replace him as the heir for the dukedom, he didn’t show it. In fact, he seemed genuinely pleased that Dale had found a wife.
“I have to say, cousin, there were rumors you had married, but I did not believe them. I had all but resigned myself to being on the hook for the title. Glad to see that you have taken your responsibilities seriously, and soon I shall be freed of this burden.”
“Don’t be hasty, Alasdair. I did not marry to provide an heir. I already did that once before and failed. Maybe you should try your hand at it this time. When will you marry?”
“When I find a lady as lovely as your wife.”
“She is indeed a rare gem, but I daresay if you applied yourself to the task, you’d have no shortage of lovely ladies to choose from.”
“Maybe I will now. You two certainly make marriage look appealing.”
The conversation continued to flow with an easy familiarity between Dale and Alasdair. Olivia was happy simply to listen and let them speak. They shared a deep and obvious affection. She had not thought of Dale as being the kind who had close friends. When she met him, he was so much a loner that she had gotten used to thinking about him by himself, without family or friends. She was glad to see him rebuilding relationships. She didn’t want to think of him alone again if, or when, she left.
The thought of returning to her own time produced bittersweet emotions now. She didn’t want to stay and never see her family again. But each day made it harder and harder to imagine a life without Dale. In so short a time, he had become such an important part of her. Was it only because of the extraordinary circumstances? No. The answer resonated clearly in her mind. He was extraordinary, regardless of the times or circumstances. She was unlikely ever to meet another man like him, and after having loved him, she could never settle for less.
Love? Was she in love with him, then? She quickly checked with her heart. It beat faster, fluttering in her chest at the notion. Oh yes, there was no doubt. She was utterly, irrevocably in love with Dale.
CHAPTER 48 - Cousin Alasdair comes to visit
OH, WHAT A COMPLICATION. What an unwise thing to do. But it had been inevitable. How could she not fall in love with him, given the kind of man he was? Would it have been better to avoid his company, never have tasted his kisses, or experienced his lovemaking? Maybe that would have delayed the inevitable, but from the moment she awoke in this strange reality and saw him, she had felt an inexorable pull toward him. She could no more have contained her feelings than she could control the tides.
