“Johnny Crocker booked passage on theFair Arianaand is bound for Boston in two days’ time. His companion, as I am given to understand by Mr. Gardner, is Mrs. Christie. They deserve each other, but I fear for the fine people of Boston.”
“Do you owe Mr. Gardner another favor?”
He shook his head. “It was all done more in the way of a wedding gift.”
“I am imagining that you had a hand in it as well.”
“Merely as an educator. In geography, most specifically.” When Olivia frowned at his cryptic reply, he went on. “I pointed out how small our island is compared to the length and breadth of the continent and the Americas. I told them that if they were desirous of living on an island, transport to Van Diemen’s land could be easily arranged. Oddly enough, none of them chose the convict colony.”
“You teach a good lesson. I’ve heard you with Nat.”
“It seemed to speak to them.”
Firelight glanced off Olivia’s ring, setting the emerald center aglow, and capturing her attention. She raised her hand slightly, twisted it back and forth, and watched the diamonds wink at her. “Alastair told me it was fitting that I should have it.”
“So it is.” Griffin could have mentioned that Alastair hardly had any say in the matter, but he was feeling almost warm toward his brother-in-law of late and kept his tongue in his head. Having acquired both Olivia and the ring in one ceremony, well, he could afford to be generous. “I saw Lady Rivendale exclaiming over it.”
“She did. Several times. Your sisters also.” Olivia set her spoon down and pushed her empty bowl aside. “I refrained from telling them that your nature is to be so tightfisted that you presented me with my own family’s heirloom.”
“There is that, though I like to think it speaks more to romantic sentiment than the other.”
Smiling, she rubbed her index finger over the facets of the emerald. “It did bring us together.”
Griffin took up her hand, raised it to his lips. He kissed her knuckles, then turned her hand over and kissed the delicate underside of her wrist. She came to her feet easily when he stood and did not hesitate to step into his embrace. The fit was still there, the sheltering shoulder, the inviting arm, curve to angle, and she wondered why she had thought for even a moment that it might not be.
“It does not seem so long now,” she whispered. “But when we were parted, I thought I comprehended the length of forever.”
Griffin held her tight, stroked her back. He was of the same opinion. Five weeks, three days, had been forever, or just this side of it. The moment she accepted his proposal he knew everything about their arrangement would have to change. She’d argued with him, but in this he was intractable, and she moved back to her brother’s home, stepped reluctantly out into society, and with the Countess of Rivendale’s timely assistance and devilishly inspired planning, set herself directly in his path.
Their courtship supplied the most deliciouson-ditas the London Season began, and when the ton realized a marriage was in the offing, the betting books opened for the date that their firstborn would appear. To the best of his knowledge, Olivia was unaware of the wagers or that certain wags were watching her belly. He did not know what she’d make of it and did not care to find out, at least until they exchanged their vows.
Sir Hadrien’s absence during their brief engagement was the source of some speculation, but as he was known to have little enough use for town, nothing came of it. Alastair filled in nicely for his father, and his mother was sufficiently glad of his safe release that she willingly returned to Coleridge Park with Sir Hadrien.
“I wonder if you know how often I was tempted to visit Jericho Mews in the dead of night,” he said.
“Perhaps as often as I was tempted to return to the hell.”
“You were missed there. Faro revenues are most seriously compromised.”
She pressed her smile against his cheek. “I am willing to return, you know.”
“Perish the thought.” He lifted her so suddenly that she gasped, though she recovered quickly enough to throw her arms about his neck. He carried her to the bed, dropped her inelegantly upon it, and while she was still laughing, he followed her down. “There is no going back, not even as Honey. I sent my mistress packing as I intend to be faithful to my wife.”
She caught his face in her hands. “I am very glad to hear it.”
He dipped his head when she nudged him closer, brushed his lips against hers. “There is another reason, though, that you can’t return.”
“Oh?”
“Someone has approached me about purchasing the hell. I am not going to sell it outright, but I will be acquiring a partner. He will have the running of the establishment day to day.”
Olivia released his face and pushed herself up by her elbows. “What?”
“It’s a good offer. I can collect a percentage of the house’s profits simply by continuing to lend my name to the enterprise. He will have a larger share, but that is only as it should be.”
“Do you trust him?”
“Yes. Yes, I do. And I have you to help me with the accounts and every confidence in your ability to know if something is off.”
