Page 35

Eventually, he abandoned the bed altogether. He dressed quietly and made his way downstairs, stepping outside into the cool night air. The coaching inn was quiet at this hour, the surrounding countryside dark beneath a sky scattered with stars. James breathed deeply, hoping the cold would clear his thoughts, and walked toward the stables. He had always found that movement helped him think, although lately his thoughts seemed determined to move faster than he did. As he approached the horses, however, he stopped. A familiar figure stood beside one of the stalls.

"Do you ever spend an entire day without plotting an escape?" he asked.

Olivia startled so violently that she nearly dropped the apple she had been feeding to one of the horses. She turned toward him with wide eyes before pressing a hand against her chest.

"Your Grace! Must you creep about in the dark?"

James folded his arms. "I was under the impression that I walked like an ordinary person."

"You do," she replied, narrowing her eyes. "Unfortunately, ordinary people generally announce themselves before appearing behind someone at midnight." James glanced at the horse beside her.

"I might say the same about women who are found lurking in stables in the middle of the night."

Olivia sighed. "I am not lurking. I could not sleep."

"Of course," James said, approaching her. "And the horses happened to be awake, so naturally you thought they might appreciate your company."

Olivia gave him a look. "You are one to talk. You are forever going for a walk because you cannot bear being alone with your own thoughts, just like at your own ball."

James paused. "That is an unfairly accurate observation."

Her smile widened. "And now your inability to remain indoors has brought you here."

"It would appear that my habit has finally become useful."

"Or mine," Olivia replied. "Perhaps we are both equally troublesome."

James smiled despite himself. "I would never accuse you of being troublesome."

She looked delighted. "That is very kind."

"I would use the words escape artist."

Olivia laughed softly, and the sound settled somewhere inside him with surprising ease.

James realized something strange as they continued talking. The restless noise in his mind had stopped. The questions that had been tormenting him upstairs were suddenly distant, almost irrelevant. He was no longer wondering whether Hubert had remembered every detail or whether all would be well. He was simply listening to Olivia tease him about his tendency to walk whenever he was troubled and watching her expression change whenever she smiled.

I like the quiet that comes with her.

It was an unexpected discovery, and perhaps a dangerous one. He had assumed she would complicate his life, yet somehow, she was the first person who had made his mind feel less complicated.

Olivia's expression gradually became more serious. She lowered her hand from the horse's neck and looked at him.

"I wanted to thank you," she said quietly.

James's amusement faded. "For what?"

"For taking Louiza with us." She folded her hands before her. "You did not have to. Our agreement was about me and the baby. You could have left her at Charnley Manor, but you did not." Her voice softened. "I appreciate it more than I can say."

James studied her face. There was such sincerity in her expression that he felt almost uncomfortable beneath it. "It was part of our deal," he replied. "Of course I would do it."

He meant the words. Louiza was important to Olivia, and anything important to Olivia had quickly become important to him by association, although he was not prepared to examine that particular truth too closely. Yet the moment he finished speaking, he saw something change in Olivia's face. Her smile faltered, and her eyes dropped.

James frowned slightly.

Had I answered incorrectly? I had merely stated the obvious.

Their arrangement was practical, carefully negotiated, and based upon mutual benefit. There was no reason for gratitude beyond that. Still, Olivia looked almost disappointed, and James found himself wishing he understood why. Before he could ask, she lifted her head and forced a teasing smile.