Why didn’t he invoke the same emotions his older brother had?
The path grew steeper and the impracticality of her heavy gown grew even more apparent. If Louella hadn’t purchased it for her, if she didn’t need to ride back to Sky Manor in formal company, and if she was simply able to do as she pleased, she would have happily torn off the extra material.
She shook her head ruefully. It was doubtful she’d ever shed all of her hoydenish tendencies.
By the time they had climbed the endless spiraling stairs in the somewhat crumbling tower, both she and Nathaniel were out of breath. But the view was worth the effort.
Wanting to feel all the wind and sun on her face after the long winter, Olivia pulled out a few pins and then removed her hat and set it on the floor near her feet. She then placed both hands on the half wall protecting them from falling hundreds of feet to certain death, leaned forward, and peered down.
“Can you imagine living here?” she asked into the wind. The breeze swept up the sides of the stone wall holding them up.
“I cannot, but Gabriel spent the night on an occasion or two. As the youngest, I found myself threatened with a lashing if I decided to emulate him.”
Olivia could easily imagine Gabriel doing just that. He’d utilized a gamekeeper’s cottage all the while he could have lived in the lap of luxury at Ashton Acres, for heaven’s sake.
“When did your father die?” She hadn’t meant to ask, but whereas Gabriel could be so very closed off at times, his brother was surprisingly open.
“A little over nine years now. Hit all of us hard, but Kingsley more so than the rest of us.” He slid a sideways glance her way. “My father doubled down with my oldest brother on his death bed. Drew all sorts of promises out of him. Up until then, believe it or not, Gabriel was something of a hellion.”
Olivia could very well believe that. She counted backward and realized he’d lost his father not long after she’d met him the first time.
“Don’t lean on the wall. There’s no telling how strong it is.”
“Speak of the devil,” Nathaniel said with a taunt.
Olivia glanced over her shoulder to follow her companion’s gaze.
“Making up stories about me again, Nate?” Gabriel stared at Olivia despite the fact that he was speaking to his brother.
Standing with the scalloped stone wall behind him, she could easily imagine Gabriel as a knight, or a lord defending his palace from invading marauders. A shiver, a not unpleasant one, swept through her at the thought.
She could only hold his gaze for the briefest of moments before the others began appearing from the stairwell, one by one; Louella, Lady Priscilla, and Lord Lockley.
Olivia wrapped her arms in front of her, as though chilled from the wind. The sun was warm enough, however. It was the baron’s glance that made her skin crawl.
She was in the company of some of the most elite people in all of England. They’d been educated and raised to adhere to the strictest of Society’s standards. She ought to feel utterly safe. But for some reason… she did not.
Why was it that all her senses went on alert whenever the baron was present? She must be imagining things. She stared off into the distance at a few clouds drifting by. It wouldn’t be the first time she’d imagined something that wasn’t there.
Having enjoyed Gabriel’s brother’s most amicable company for far too much time already, she wanted to enjoy the old abbey alone. She wanted to peek into all the openings they’d passed on the way up and see if any artifacts might have been left behind.
She simply needed to be somewhere where she didn’t feel like everything she did was being watched and judged. Maybe then she could breathe normally. Be herself, if only for a little while.
As unobtrusively as possible, Olivia sidled around the edge of the group, waited until Louella’s back was turned, and slipped back into the stairwell.
Although protected from the wind in the tower, without the sun or her exertions to warm her, she was suddenly glad of the heavy material of her riding habit.
The cool darkness offered a very different protection.
She was enjoying the house party, as much as was possible, what with coming face to face again with Gabriel, and his fiancée, no less.
And liking her.
And everyone had been inordinately kind to her. Although not everyone was comfortable meeting her eyes, most made an effort.
But she needed to be alone. She’d spent so much of her life somewhat isolated that she found it quite exhausting to be around others for most of the day.
At the first landing, she exited the stairwell and investigated what had most likely been bedchambers or prayer rooms. There were very few windows and anything that had left behind was obviously long gone. Some animals’ nests and an old blanket.
