Ruth looked thoughtful. “I thought words would be more appropriate.”
“Well said.” Fredrick pointed his fork at Octavia. “You could learn a lot from Lady William and her discretion.”
“Then who would I learn from?” Ruth asked.
Octavia lifted her brow. “Out of curiosity, would you say that I am delightful? I only ask because that is the general consensus as of late.”
“I would say that you are most definitely delightful,” Ruth agreed.
With a smug smile at her brother, Octavia said, “Yet another person that has called me delightful.”
Fredrick let out a dramatic sigh as he met Ruth’s gaze. “I had such high hopes for you.”
Octavia found that her heart felt lighter. She loved nothing more than bantering with her brother and it felt good to laugh.
Chapter Fifteen
The curricle came to a stop in front of Lady Octavia’s townhouse and Harred climbed out and stepped onto the pavement, not bothering to wait for the footman to come around.
He had been counting down the moments until he could see Octavia. He shouldn’t find her so intriguing, but he did. He loved spending time with her, and she was quickly filling the voids in his heart, making him wonder how he had ever been able to live without her in his life.
But did she feel any affection towards him? He suspected that she cared for him, or was he just being hopeful?
As he approached the main door, it opened and Fredrick stepped out. “Good afternoon,” his friend greeted. “I understand that you are escorting Octavia to Vauxhall Gardens.”
“I am,” Harred replied.
“Good, then I shall join you,” Fredrick said. “After all, it wouldn’t be prudent if you didn’t have a chaperone.”
Harred mustered up a smile. “Wonderful,” he muttered. He no more wanted Fredrick there than he wanted a thorn in his boot. How was he going to woo Octavia with her brother standing watch?
Fredrick descended the stairs and approached his curricle. “You may send your curricle home. One of my coaches is being brought around the front and we will ride in it to Vauxhall Gardens.”
“May I ask why?” Harred asked.
“It is better to be safe than sorry,” Fredrick responded, stepping back. “Shall we wait for Octavia in the drawing room?”
Harred tipped his head, not bothering to fight his friend on this. It was so inconsequential. “I think that sounds like a better idea than waiting on the pavement and drawing unwanted attention.”
Fredrick brushed past him and disappeared inside the townhouse. Harred wished, and not for the first time, that he could spend time alone with Octavia. How were they going to have a frank conversation with Fredrick loitering about?
As Harred arrived in the drawing room, he saw Octavia was speaking to Fredrick. She was wearing a pale yellow gown and she had a straw hat slightly askew on her head. It seemed as if she only grew more beautiful the more he got to know her. For her beauty wasn’t just skin deep. No, it was heart deep. Soul deep. Her type of beauty couldn’t be bought or made but it was enhanced through being herself. Her true self. Not the person that Society wanted her to be.
Octavia shifted her gaze towards him and smiled, making his heart pound in his chest. Good gads, why did he have such a reaction to such a simple gesture? But he knew. He wanted to be the one that made her smile.
“Good afternoon, Harred,” Octavia greeted.
He bowed as he tried to regain his composure. “Good afternoon, Octavia,” he said.
Freddy let out a grunt as he walked past the window with his feathers on full display, drawing everyone’s attention.
Octavia shook her head. “One day, I will reclaim the gardens as my own.”
“That won’t be anytime soon,” Fredrick teased. “Freddy is the keeper of the gardens and he will only allow certain people in.”
“What if I tried to bribe him?” Octavia asked. “Surely peacocks have some weakness that I can exploit.”
Fredrick chuckled. “I am sure your plan will be diabolical, but shouldn’t we depart for Vauxhall Gardens?”
