by Wendy Vella
She looked at him then. Raising her chin several inches, she attempted to glare at him which was spoiled by the fact that she was shaking.
“And where is Bella? Don’t tell me you dragged her out in these conditions, too?” Will looked around but could see no sign of the youngest Langley.
“Bella is at home, safe and warm,” Phoebe said quickly. She obviously thought this would reassure him. She was wrong.
“And who is to accompany you both to London if your sister is at home, presumably with your servants? Surely you had not intended to journey there unchaperoned?” Will knew that was exactly what Olivia had intended, but he wanted to hear the words from her.
Her fists clenched and he wondered if she intended to hit him or if it was to stop her fingers from trembling.
“I do not need a chaperone at my age, Lord Ryder, nor are our travel plans any of your business.”
“Olivia,” Phoebe cautioned, but her sister was past listening.
“D—do you have a full itinerary of all the traveling plans of your acquaintances, my lord? Perhaps I should just send a note every morning as to my daily activities!”
“That’s enough, Olivia,” Will warned.
“Yes, I believe it is enough,” she said, looking over his shoulder now. “Because here c—comes our stage, so please step aside at once so we can board.”
Will didn’t turn as the jangle of harnesses and thunder of hooves reached his ears. “You can travel with Mr. Blake and I. We are also journeying to London.”
“Thank you, but that will not be necessary,” she said in a curt tone. “We have booked seats. Therefore, you need not trouble yourself any further on our behalf.”
“It is no trouble,” he said, picking up both hers and Phoebe’s bags before they could stop him and walking back towards his carriage without waiting to see if they were following.
“Freddy, you and Luke load these bags. Olivia and Phoebe will be accompanying us to London.”
“At once, my lord,” they said in unison, no doubt after one look at the savage expression on his face.
“Give us our bags back!”
Handing one to Luke, he passed the other to Freddy and then turned to face the furious woman who now stood before him.
Pointing to the carriage, he said, “In you get,” with remarkable calm, considering his insides were boiling.
“I certainly will not. Now give me my bag,” Olivia said through clenched teeth. It seemed she was no longer anxious; now she was furious. “My sister and I cannot travel alone with two men.”
“Yet you can travel alone with several men whom you do not know and lodge at some dirty carriage house for the night?” Will said, although this time his voice was louder.
“Give us our bags, Lord Ryder. I have no wish to miss the stage!”
“You can either walk into my carriage or I will throw you in there,” Will stated. “It is going to rain shortly and I, for one, have no wish to be standing here when it does.”
Her mouth opened and a screeching sound came out so she snapped it shut again. She then sucked in a large breath through her nose and tried again.
“We cannot travel with you to London. We have paid for our fares and lodgings for one night and we are traveling that way. Now, I must insist you give us our bags,” she said, her voice several octaves louder this time.
“No,” he said. “Get in the carriage, Phoebe,” he added, knowing she would see reason even if her sister didn’t.
“Come, Miss Phoebe, I shall help you,” Freddy said, taking her arm and urging her forward.
“Why are you doing this?” Olivia hissed at him. “I am an adult and, as such, I can take care of both my sister and myself.”
“You are a young woman who has never even left her village, Olivia. Now, I don’t know why you’re doing this but am aware that if I return you to Willow Hall you will simply take another stage; therefore, I shall escort you to London to ensure your safety.”
“You didn’t care about me five years ago, so why now?”
Will wasn’t about to answer that question, and seeing the desperation in Olivia’s eyes knew that she was past reasoning with so he took the choice away from her and simply picked her up and walked into the carriage, setting her down on the seat. Freddy quickly closed the door behind him.
“Go, Luke!” he then roared and the carriage was soon traveling out of Damply.
The journey to where they would stop for the night was probably the longest of Will’s life. Freddy and Phoebe talked of everything and nothing to break the strained silence and, beside him, Olivia looked out the window, her back stiff and her gloved hands clenched tightly in her lap. Every inch of her was rigid and he could only imagine the furious thoughts that were tumbling around and around inside her head.
“Will… will we stop soon, my lord?”
“Yes, Phoebe, not long now,” he said, knowing that the strain was getting to her as well. She kept looking at Olivia and then back to him and her eyes were clouded with worry.
“It will be all right,” he mouthed. She nodded once but said nothing further.
Finally, as the sky began to darken and the snow fell, they pulled into the inn they were scheduled to stop at.
“Freddy, take Phoebe inside and organize rooms for her and her sister. Olivia and I will be along shortly,” Will said as the carriage stopped.
“Yes, my lord.”
Squeezing Phoebe’s hand as she reached for her sister, he signaled for her to leave. She gave him a long look and then followed Freddy from the carriage.
“I’m sorry that you’re angry with me, Olivia, but I’m not sorry that you are not, at present, on an uncomfortable stage with people you do not know, staying at an inn with no one to protect you.”
She didn’t move, just looked out the window as she had for the entire journey. He could see her face now as it was dark outside, saw the strain and fatigue etched in every line.
“When I saw you and Phoebe standing there in Damply, alone with your bags at your feet, I thought of Thea,” he lied, because his sister would never be in that position. He and Joe would make sure of it. “I knew that if she was ever in that situation, I would hope someone came to her rescue.”
“It was a stage, Lord Ryder. Hundreds of people travel on them every year.”
It was a start that, at least she was talking to him.
“And hundreds of people get robbed and abused. Do you want your sister to be one of those people, Olivia?”
“You had no right to do what you did. Perhaps if you had reasoned with me or at the very least asked us to join you, but you didn’t, you—”
“I asked but you refused,” Will interrupted her. “Furthermore, the stage was arriving and if I had not taken decisive action you would have gotten in it somehow.”
“It was my decision, not yours. You had no reason to interfere. My sister and I are nothing to you.”
“That is not true. You have always meant a great deal to me, Olivia,” Will said softly. “Will you tell me why you were catching the stage from Damply to London?”
“That is none of your concern and you should not have intervened.”
“I will not apologize for protecting you and your sister.”
“Why do you care? If we choose to walk all the way to London it should be of no matter to you, Lord Ryder.”
She still faced the window, and for that Will was glad, because he did care but had no intentions of telling her that yet.
“Any person would care if they saw a friend waiting for a stage when they could journey to London in the comfort and security of a carriage.”
Her shoulders slumped and then slowly she turned to face him.
“I would never put my sister in danger, Lord Ryder, and I do not like being manipulated and handled by you.”
“Me or anyone?”
She stifled a yawn behind one hand.
“Come, you are tired and in need of a good meal and sleep. Tomorrow you will be invig
orated and ready to launch another attack on me, but for now we shall call a truce.”
Her hand touched his arm as he turned to step from the carriage.
“I still do not believe what you did was right, but there is little I can do now but accept your assistance in getting to London. I shall insist on paying my share of tonight’s lodgings.”
She gave him a fierce look that was spoiled by another yawn.
“Come.” He wasn’t going to let her pay, of course, but tomorrow was soon enough for her to learn that. “I’m hungry and cold and have yet to adjust to this bloody English climate.”
Inside they were quickly led to a small room that had a roaring fire where Phoebe and Freddy were warming themselves.
“Livvy?”
“It’s all right, Phoebe. I can do nothing but yield so you will ride to London in comfort tomorrow,” she said hugging her sister.
“Excellent, then come and join us before the fire. A maid will shortly bring us tea,” Mr. Blake declared.
“Tea.” Will shuddered as he removed his outer clothing while Livvy did the same.
“I read somewhere that drinking tea is a sign of intelligence,” Livvy said as she walked to the chair before the fire. Will swallowed his smile. She may be tired but her sharp tongue was still working.
The dark paneled room was not overly big. Blue rugs appeared swept and clean at their feet and the couch and chairs had plumped pillows at their backs.
“Have you stayed here before, my lord?” Phoebe questioned.
“No, my brother recommended it to me. Of course, he’s a Duke, so we shall see if the service matches his expectations.”
The tea and, thankfully, ale arrived and was quickly dispensed, and the thick slices of orange cake were eaten with relish.
Will watched Livvy hand her cup to Phoebe and then rest her head on the back of the chair. In minutes she was asleep. Moving closer, he warmed his backside and looked down at her. Her hands were folded one on top of the other in her lap, knees pressed together. Even in slumber she was contained, making sure to keep up appearances. He wanted to lean closer and kiss one satin smooth cheek and whisper in her ear to let go and that he would keep her safe, make her a million promises just to see the pain and worry leave her eyes.
It had to be longing that he felt looking at her, but he wasn’t sure he felt comfortable with the emotion given he had little experience with it. Will had been a loner for years, but returning home he suddenly had a family who stirred up his feelings, and now this fierce little hellion, who was determined to keep him as far away as possible, which only made him want her more.
“Pardon me, Lord Ryder, but a gentleman and his wife are seeking shelter from the snow. Would it be acceptable to you if they shared this parlor while their room is being arranged?”
Will looked at Freddy and Phoebe, who nodded, and then down at Olivia, who had woken as the man entered. He saw the confusion in her eyes as she looked up at him.
“What?” he questioned as the proprietor went to get the guests.
“How will you explain this… us?” she added, pointing to Phoebe and then herself.
“Don’t worry, Olivia, I shall make the introductions. Just follow my lead.”
Why didn’t she trust that smile? Livvy wondered. She felt rumpled and dirty and thoroughly out of sorts, having woken from a short and unfulfilling nap, yet she was too tired to question him further. Let him win this round. Tomorrow would be another day and she would tell him exactly how she felt about his high-handed methods again. Smothering another yawn, she tucked a loose curl into the bun at her nape and smoothed down her skirts.
Livvy tried to regain her feet as the parlor door opened but Will simply moved to the back of her chair and placed a hand on her shoulder, holding her in place.
“Don’t get up, Olivia, you’re exhausted.”
“Let me go,” she whispered furiously.
She felt both his hands brace her shoulders and then suddenly his face was beside hers as he bent over the back of the chair.
“Be a good girl for once and do as I say.”
I’ll show him good girl, Livvy fumed. How dare he speak to her as if she were a badly behaved child?
“My name is Mr. Munford, Lord Ryder,” the man said, walking forward to take Will’s hand, which was thankfully no longer resting on her shoulder. “Please let me thank you for allowing us to share the parlor. As you can imagine, my wife is quite set down by the long journey and now that the snow has begun in earnest, we thought it best to stop for the night and seek shelter and nourishment.”
Mrs. Munford may need recuperation but by the size of both her and her husband’s girths, they did not need nourishment. Seated as she was, Livvy was able to study the couple undetected as they greeted Lord Ryder. Small and round, both spoke in a thick Scottish brogue.
“Allow me to introduce my wife to you.”
Livvy blinked. Had she just misheard Will? Surely he had not said the word wife?
“Please excuse her from rising. She is exhausted after our journey and in her condition, I think we will forgive her if she does not.”
Livvy didn’t look at Phoebe as she coughed loudly; she was too busy glaring at Will.
“Your first?” Mrs. Munford said, rushing forward to take Livvy’s hand. “I was quite fatigued when I carried my wee little Fraser.”
Livvy wasn’t sure, but she thought she smiled at Mrs. Munford and said ‘thank you.’ Climbing to her feet, she then sank into a curtsy.
“How do you do, Mr. Munford, Mrs. Munford.”
“You really should stay seated, darling.”
Livvy wondered if the proprietor could lay his hands on boiling oil as only that would satisfy her thirst for revenge at this point. Will had moved to her side and was rubbing circles in the small of her back. She tried to ease herself away yet his large, warm hand just followed.
“This is my wife’s sister, Miss Phoebe Langley, and the gentleman is Mr. Frederick Blake.”
Perhaps she could simply shoot him; it was not as if she wasn’t an accurate shot and she could slip into his room while he slept. No one need know until morning.
“Your rooms are ready, Lord Ryder,” the proprietor appeared once more at the door.
“Excellent, my wife and her sister are ready for a rest. Mr. Munford, Mrs. Munford, if you will excuse me I will escort them upstairs,” he said, bowing before he guided Olivia and Phoebe from the room.
Livvy didn’t speak as he urged her up the stairs before him. In fact, had anyone addressed her she would probably just have snarled a response. She remained silent as a maid opened the door to the room she would share with Phoebe. In fact, only when Will had followed the maid to his room did she exhale… loudly.
“Well, that was entertaining,” Phoebe said, throwing their belongings onto the only chair in the small room. She then took off her shoes and fell onto the bed. When Livvy didn’t immediately speak, she lifted her head and looked at her.
“Speak, sister. I know you want to vent your spleen.”
Livvy walked to the basin of water left for them on the dressing table. Lowering her face she plunged it straight into the icy water.
“Livvy!” Phoebe giggled as she raised her head, water running in rivulets down the front of her dress. Reaching for the cloth she briskly rubbed it up and down her face and then she made a decision.
“Excuse me, Phoebe. I shall return shortly.”
Leaving the room, Livvy didn’t take the time to change her damp dress. She just closed the door with a decisive click and then walked to the first door she came to and knocked.
“Are you in there, Lord Ryder?” No one answered so she moved on to the next and did the same. Livvy didn’t stop to think how it would look if a strange man opened the door and found her outside. She was too angry to care. She wanted to find him and tell him exactly what she thought of him having fun at her expense.
“Did you want something, Olivia?”
His handsome h
ead appeared further down the hallway after she had knocked on a further two doors with no success. Taking the few paces it took to reach him, she slapped her hand on the wood beside his head and pushed the door wider, making him stumble back several paces. Entering, she then slammed it shut with her heel and advanced on him.
“How dare you!”
Will kept his features expressionless as Olivia approached. She was fuming; her eyes were narrowed, her feathered brows almost meeting in the middle as she scowled at him. For some reason the front of her dress appeared damp, and on closer inspection the hair that framed her face also looked wet.
“Is there a problem, Olivia? Something I can help you with?”
He shouldn’t antagonize her further but couldn’t seem to help himself. In fact, he wanted her to lose that tight rein she had on herself. He wanted to unleash the girl he once knew that flirted and giggled and punched him in the nose when he deserved it.
“You—you… of course there is a bloody problem!”
To his credit he didn’t wince as she screeched, nor did he mention that fact that she had just cursed.”
“Then tell me and I shall do my best to fix it for you.” He tried to sound reasonable. Olivia didn’t seem to think so and made a growling sound. Christ, it was hard to hold his laughter in the face of her wonderful fury. She couldn’t speak, only make small animal noises as her mouth opened and closed several times. Flashing eyes, flushed cheeks, she breathed deeply and finally got herself under control.
“You are my problem!”
Placing a hand on his chest, Will said, “I? How is that possible when I have done everything I can to help you?”
“Help me! How is telling Mr. and Mrs. Munford that I am your wife and expecting our first child helping me? You…you cad.”
She was quivering with emotion and Will had never wanted a woman in his arms more than Olivia, right here, right now. However, he was also aware that if he did so in her current state he would probably lose an eye or sustain some form of injury to his manhood.
“Livvy, be reasonable, I was trying to protect your reputation and saying you were my wife was the only thing I could think of on short notice.”
