Otherwise Engaged Read online

  Us. I craned my neck and spotted Olivia lingering in the doorway, now dressed in a clean, pink gown, with her fair curls framing her shoulders. Her pinched expression remained the same as yesterday, unfortunately.

  “Never mind that,” Mama said graciously. “You are most welcome, and I am glad to make your acquaintance.”

  I stepped forward. I couldn’t very well hide the entire visit. “She has heard a great deal about you, after all.”

  Lieutenant Avery’s gaze swept over me. I was not unused to a man’s attention after two Seasons in London, but I wasn’t prepared for the small jolt in my stomach at his appraisal.

  “Miss Rowley,” he said, inclining his head.

  I forced a curtsy, barely bending my knees. “Lieutenant Avery.”

  He turned back to Mama. “I assume your daughter informed you of our misadventure yesterday?”

  “Indeed, she did.” Mama gave me a pointed look, and I reluctantly moved to her side. “I was glad to learn there were no serious repercussions from what happened. Your sister is well, I hope?” Mama glanced curiously behind the lieutenant, where Olivia was still hiding.

  Lieutenant Avery cleared his throat—a warning—and Olivia inched out from behind him, though she crossed her arms.

  “Yes, she is well.” Lieutenant Avery’s voice held a taut edge. “And she has something she would like to say to Miss Rowley.”

  Oh, lovely. A forced, insincere apology. My favorite kind.

  Olivia said nothing for a long, awkward minute, then she raised her chin. “I am sorry for ruining your hat,” she said, though perhaps hissed was the more accurate word. “And I am sorry for being rude to you.”

  She seemed finished, but Lieutenant Avery did not allow her off so easily. “And . . .” he pressed.

  She sent him a glare before turning back to me. “And thank you for helping me,” she muttered.

  I waited, but she said nothing else. I didn’t expect more, but I did think she ought to be left in suspense for a bit. I watched her closely: the stubborn set of her shoulders, the fierce determination in her eyes. In truth, she reminded me of—well, me. Odd, that thought. But it was true. She also had a protective older brother, and clearly, she had a craving for adventure, even if she went about it all wrong.

  “I do hope you will be more careful next time,” I finally said. “But I would help you again without hesitation. I am glad you are all right.”

  Her mouth opened for a short second before she slammed it closed again. Ha. She hadn’t expected me to say that. Neither had her brother, judging from his furrowed brow.

  “Do sit with us and talk awhile.” Mama gestured to the seats around us. “I should like to know you both better.”

  Lieutenant Avery sat stiffly on the sofa, his back straight. He adjusted his arms several times, as if not quite sure how to place them. Olivia perched on the edge of her cushion, a bird ready to take flight at the slightest disturbance. Surely, there had never been a more uncomfortable gathering.

  “Tell me, lieutenant,” Mama said, folding her hands in her lap. “What brings you to Millbury? Have you any family here?”

  Lieutenant Avery drummed his fingers against his knee. “Not family, no. Although, I did come on the recommendation of my uncle, who lived here as a boy. He thought it might be beneficial for Olivia to be in the country.”

  Mama nodded. “Yes, country air is always good for the young.” She dipped her head to speak to Olivia. “How do you like your new home?”

  “This is not my home,” Olivia said rigidly, a failed attempt at civility.

  Mama smiled at Olivia. Perhaps such patience came with being a mother, though I could not imagine I would ever have such fortitude as Mama displayed. “Of course it does not feel like home yet,” Mama said. “But perhaps soon.”

  Olivia fiddled with the tassel on a pillow, clearly uninterested in continuing the conversation.

  Mama did not give up. “Do you like to read, Olivia?”

  Olivia shrugged noncommittally.

  “I’ve a few books that might interest you,” Mama went on. “Would you like to look?”

  Olivia said nothing, and her posture did not relax. Then she heaved a sigh and nodded unexpectedly. But as the alternative was boring adult conversation, perhaps I shouldn’t have been terribly surprised.

  “Wonderful.” Mama stood and went to the low, stained cabinet near the window. “They are just over here.”

  Olivia followed her, though she kept an expression of careful disinterest on her face. Which, of course, left me sitting alone with Lieutenant Avery, a situation I did not find fortunate in the least. Now I would not even have Mama to smooth over an awkward conversation.

  Mama took a small stack of books from the cabinet, set them on top, then began to sort through them, describing this book and that, with Olivia looking on in silence. Beside me, Lieutenant Avery was as quiet as his sister, and I stole a glance at him. He watched Olivia, hand rubbing his chin. Was he angry? Pleased? Confused?

  “I did not think she would go,” he said quietly.

  As I was the only person near enough to hear, I had to assume he was speaking to me. “Olivia, you mean?”

  He turned his gaze to me. “Yes. She generally doesn’t like people.”

  “Oh?” Shocking. “I wonder who she learned that from.”

  Lieutenant Avery said nothing. I bit my tongue. I’d meant it as a truthful sort of joke, but we were barely on civil terms, let alone friendly, teasing ones.

  Then the corner of his mouth twitched. “I like people,” he said. “Well, most people.”

  Interesting. A sense of humor. Or at least the ability to recognize humor. “You certainly do not act like it.”

  He leaned forward. “That is because no one prepares you for when a pretty young lady saves your exasperating sister from drowning, all while you feel guilty for not keeping a better eye on her.”

  Pretty. It was an offhand compliment, but a compliment all the same.

  “I daresay you are right.” I kept my tone light. “My education lacked that particular lesson as well. Shameful, really.”

  “Indeed.” He still hadn’t fully smiled, but his features softened. I wouldn’t call him handsome, not like Edward, but he had a pleasant sort of face with strong features and a slight bump to his nose, as if he’d gone one too many rounds of fisticuffs.

  He moved to the edge of his seat, clasping his hands as he rested his elbows on his knees. “Truly, Miss Rowley, I hope you will accept my sincerest thanks for what you did yesterday, even if I handled it rather terribly. I—” He shook his head. “Well, I was not thinking very clearly at the time. I am responsible for Olivia, and seeing her like that . . .”

  His voice broke off, and that was all it took to forget my frustrations from yesterday. How would I feel seeing someone I loved nearly lose their life? I would not have been in a good state, that was certain. I swallowed, watching Mama and Olivia sitting beside each other on the settee as they read in silence.

  “You needn’t thank me,” I said. “Especially as I was not particularly polite either.”

  He gave a short chuckle. “I deserved every word. I promise I am not normally so ill-mannered, but I’ve discovered my temper is rather short when it comes to Olivia. She enjoys testing me.”

  “That is what little sisters are supposed to do.” I used my most superior tone. “My brother William can attest to my own expertise.”

  “I am not surprised,” he said. “Any lady who rides bareback is not one who—”

  I grabbed his arm, cutting off his words. The motion startled me almost as much as him, but I ignored my lurching stomach and stared at Mama. She pointed at something in Olivia’s book. She hadn’t heard.

  “Ah,” Lieutenant Avery said softly. “Not something I ought to mention, I see.”

  My hand was still o
n his arm. I took it back, hiding it in the folds of my dress. I matched his low tone. “I’m afraid my family would not approve if they knew.” I did not particularly wish to go into all the details of why. It was a far longer story than I could manage here, not to mention I did not know this man at all. Instead, I settled for a safer excuse. “It is not ladylike.”

  “Not ladylike?” He straightened. “Why should that matter? You are riding your own land. It is a bit eccentric, but it hardly matters if no one is there to see you.”

  “You would be quite alone in that assessment.”

  “It would not be the first time I’ve stood alone,” he said. “I would rather be right than polite.”

  I gave a puff of laughter. “I very much anticipate watching you face Millbury’s society.”

  “Are they terrible, then?”

  “Only if you insist on being, as you said, eccentric.”

  He leaned back in his seat. “I am in no great hurry to impress anyone, I assure you. Perhaps I might enjoy more peace and quiet if everyone thinks I am rude and peculiar. And I cannot even say how long we will be staying.”

  “Oh?” I kept my voice unaffected, hiding my interest. I wanted my meadow back. Even if Lieutenant Avery approved of my riding for some odd reason, I still valued solitude during my rides.

  “I could be given orders at any time,” he said, “though I cannot say I anticipate it. There is no shortage of lieutenants in peacetime.”

  “What would happen to Olivia if you were called away?”

  “I do not know. I hardly know what to do with her now.”

  “Has she always been this—?” I stopped.

  “Difficult?” he supplied.

  “Well, yes.”

  He let out a long breath of air. “I could not say. Truthfully, I have met her only a handful of times in the last few years.”

  “Really?” I tipped my head. “Your own sister?”

  “I never had a strong connection to either my stepmother or Olivia. My father remarried after I joined the navy, and in the last decade, I have spent more time at sea than on land.”

  That I could understand well enough. Papa had died when I was a young girl, but I still remembered my joy at seeing his face after months of absence. William also used to travel a great deal, after he’d taken on Papa’s merchant company. He was gone much less now, with a wife and a child on the way, but there were years in my memory in which I couldn’t recall seeing him at all. But William chose when and where he traveled. Lieutenant Avery did not have such a luxury in the navy.

  He shifted his weight as his gaze went back to Olivia. “She has had a challenging time of it lately.”

  “I heard her mother recently passed?”

  “Yes,” he confirmed. “My father—our father—has been gone nearly three years now, but my stepmother died unexpectedly just six months ago. I was named as guardian, but since I was at sea, Olivia was sent to a cousin’s home.” He frowned. “She was not treated well, and when I arrived home from my last voyage two months ago, I found her and took her away immediately.”

  Not treated well? I followed his eyes to Olivia. She sat without moving, a small book clutched in her hands. I could not tell if she was actually reading or not.

  “I am sorry,” Lieutenant Avery said. “I did not intend to tell you all the unnecessary details of my life. Only to explain our situation somewhat so you would not judge either of us too harshly after yesterday.”

  I had judged them. Quite harshly, in fact.

  “It is forgotten,” I said. “Truly.”

  He nodded. “I am glad you forgive more easily than I do.”

  “I cannot hold a grudge when it is not deserved.”

  He squinted so that lines ran across his tanned face, studying me as if I were something far off in his spyglass. I shifted my weight, uneasy at his attention.

  Mama came to join us, and I was far too grateful for her return.

  “I think Olivia would like to be left alone.” Mama reclaimed her seat beside me.

  “I do not doubt it,” Lieutenant Avery said. “I am sorry if she said anything impolite.”

  She waved him off. “She hardly said a word, but I have a sense about these things.”

  Mama pulled the lieutenant into conversation, asking him about his family, his plans for Linwood Hall. It was all very structured, unlike the curious conversation I’d just had with him. I should not have spoken so comfortably with him, considering our short acquaintance and the unusual way it had begun.

  And Edward, of course. But I could hardly be rude and aloof to every man I met simply because I was secretly engaged.

  Mama and Lieutenant Avery spoke for several minutes. Apparently, they were both fascinated by the barley crop that would be harvested soon, or they were at least very good at pretending they were fascinated. I glanced at the mahogany bracket clock on the mantel. It was nearing three o’clock. I wouldn’t have time to ride if our visitors stayed much longer.

  “I am sorry, but we ought to be going.”

  My head turned at Lieutenant Avery’s words, but he looked away from me in the same instant. “I do not wish to overstay our welcome,” he said evenly.

  Had he seen me watching the clock? I hadn’t meant to hint I was bored or wished him gone.

  “Not at all,” Mama said. “But I daresay Miss Olivia is tired of all our talk.”

  Olivia stood abruptly and set her book on the cabinet. “Yes, thank you.”

  No one could say the girl was not honest. The lieutenant rose, and Mama and I followed suit.

  “It was a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mrs. Rowley.” He sounded sincere, if a bit guarded. “And to meet you under better circumstances, Miss Rowley.”

  “I do not think we could have met under worse circumstances than yesterday.” I forced a smile.

  He gave a short laugh. “No, indeed not.”

  Mama said her farewells, and Lieutenant Avery and Olivia left. The room fell quiet once more as the door shut behind them.

  “That was one of the more . . . unique visits I’ve had at Havenfield,” Mama said, sitting again. “But I think I quite like the lieutenant. I admit I was expecting someone rather severe based on your account of him yesterday.”

  “I was as well.” I tugged absently at my sleeve. “But he was the perfect gentleman, to my surprise.”

  “Perfect, you say?” Mama asked innocently. “You have been out for how many years and only now you have found a perfect gentleman?”

  I raised a finger. “Do not attempt any matchmaking, Mama. You know I am determined to find my own husband.”

  “Yes, well, you never said I could not help.” She took up her sewing and plucked the needle from the fabric. “Perhaps the lieutenant is precisely what you need. He is so very different from all the men you know in London.”

  “You say that as if being different is the pinnacle of desirability.”

  “Perhaps not for everyone,” she said. “But for you? I think that could be just the thing.”

  I did not speak, turning to one of the clear windows that overlooked Havenfield’s wide, green lawns. Mama had no idea how right she was. Except, I had already found the man who was different enough to catch my interest. Edward Bainbridge was everything I wanted in a husband: charming, intelligent, handsome.

  I wanted to say something, to bring Edward into the conversation again and perhaps allow Mama to see why he was right for me, but her reaction to his name last night unnerved me. I needed to change her mind subtly. I needed more time, more information.

  The sun shone weakly outside, the sky covered in a thin layer of clouds, but the trees beckoned to me, waving their full, leafy branches in invitation. A ride. A ride would clear my head.

  “Would you mind terribly, Mama, if I—”

  “Go,” she said with a laugh. “I do
not know how you endured so long without asking. But take a groom, or William will have your head.”

  “I will.” I went to her and kissed her cheek.

  She took my hand. “Do be careful. I know William makes a fuss, but I am on his side in all of this. Better to be safe.”

  I nodded as a lump formed in my throat, aching like when I’d had a cold last winter.

  She patted my hand. “Have a lovely ride.”

  I left the morning room and was making for the stairs, my strides quickening in anticipation of my ride, when I heard footsteps behind me.

  Lieutenant Avery stood framed in the doorway, the afternoon sun silhouetting him.

  “Miss Rowley,” he said shortly.

  “Lieutenant,” I said, trying for the smooth, unaffected voice my mother was so adept at. “Did you forget something?”

  Lieutenant Avery hesitated. A footman stood inside the doors and moved back unobtrusively.

  “No,” Lieutenant Avery said. His hands moved restlessly over the box he held, a round hat box covered in blue floral paper. “I am sorry. I did not plan on seeing you again.”

  “Did not plan on seeing me or did not want to?” I could not help but tease him. He looked so very uncomfortable.

  “I certainly did not want to be caught.” He stepped forward onto the creamy marble floor of the entry. “I planned to leave this for you to open later.”

  “For me?” I scrutinized the hat box in his hands. I had an inkling I knew what was inside.

  “I tried to think how I could make recompense for yesterday. This is my rather pathetic attempt, seeing as I can do nothing for the letter you lost. I did not bring it in earlier, as I was hoping to avoid the appearance of bribery.”

  “Oh, but a gift would have softened me much faster than words,” I said. “Do remember that for the next time you need to buy my pardon.”

  He chuckled. “I shall make a note, Miss Rowley.”

  Then his gaze dropped below my neck, to linger on . . . well, there could be only one thing he was lingering on. I stiffened. My dress was not particularly low-cut, nor did I have many curves to boast of, but the object of his attention was clear. I cleared my throat, glaring at him.