Olivia demonstrated none of the cautious deliberation that marked Mason’s entry just twelve minutes earlier. She stepped up to his desk, planting herself opposite Breckenridge, and came directly to the point.
“I cannot accept the wardrobe,” she said. “You cannot insist that I should.”
“What a patently wrong-headed thing to say. I can, and I do.” He looked her up and down. She was wearing a heavy, blood red velvet robe that he recognized as one of the garments that had been delivered only this morning. The color did not flatter her complexion, but the sleeves and hem had already been let out to accommodate her long-limbed figure. He observed that she’d rather ruthlessly closed the robe all the way to her throat and tightly belted the braided cord at her waist, though whether this was in preservation of her modesty or an act of self-abuse he was not prepared to say.
“That robe was among the things that were sent to your room, was it not?”
“Yes.”
“And it seems you have accepted it, so how can you say otherwise?”
“I haven’t accepted it. It’s been forced upon me. All my clothes were removed.”
“I believe it was the consensus of Truss and Mason that they were hopelessly damaged by the smoke.”
“It doesn’t matter. They weremyclothes. You had no right.” Willing herself not to cry, Olivia shook her head and bit hard into her lower lip. The pain did not keep her chin from quivering. “We will never be able to repay the debt if you mean to increase it at every turn.”
“Increase it? How? I wasn’t aware that I had.”
“Not aware?” He could not be so obtuse? “First it was the new outer garments so that I might take my daily walk. Mr. Mason refused to return my pelisse, bonnet, and gloves.”
“Did he?”
“You know he did. He would not do so unless instructed by you.”
Unperturbed, Griffin allowed, “You could be right.”
“There is also the matter of my meals.”
“Are they not satisfactory?”
“I am referring to their cost. And the books. I shouldn’t wonder that you mean to exact a lending fee.”
“I shouldn’t wonder.”
“And I must account for damage to my room. The fire was not my fault, but neither was it yours. I know repairs are already under way.”
“They certainly are.” He had good reason to know that the carpenters hammered while he tried to sleep. The hours for the craftsmen were not at all compatible with the hours he kept.
“The cost must be considerable,” she said.
Griffin pressed his steepled fingers under his chin. He knew himself to be both curious and amused, though was careful to let neither show. Carefully neutral, he said, “Let us say it is not inconsiderable.”
Olivia’s mouth flattened. He made a distinction so subtle as to be unimportant. She pressed on, determined to make him see reason. “And now you present me with a wardrobe that I did not ask for and do not want and include the services of a seamstress to made certain every garment fits.”
“There would be no point, don’t you agree, to present you with clothes that you cannot possibly wear.”
“The point is I cannot wear them at all.”
“Why? Was Mrs. McCutcheon unable to make the alterations? My sisters are not generally wrong about matters of fashion. They have all spoken favorably of her skills. Kate and Juliet in particular frequent her shop.”
“You know she is perfectly satisfactory.”
“Then did you fail to cooperate with her?”
“No, of course not. She was merely acting on your directive, and as you were not disposed to see me earlier to put a stop to the nonsense, I allowed myself to be pinned and poked and prodded.”
Griffin detected his valet’s fine hand in managing to bring the thing about. Mason had most certainly steered Olivia away from confronting him at the outset, giving Mrs. McCutcheon ample time to apply her talents to tailoring the wardrobe.
