Page 48 of A Relentless Rake

Before Olivia could protest that she didn’t mind returning to the house, Elizabeth darted out from beneath the bower and disappeared into the garden.

Olivia swept her gaze around the bower’s draping canopy of roses. Well, if she had to wait, then she couldn’t imagine a more beautiful place to do it.

She sank onto the stone bench. In the dappled sunlight, the garden was silent and private, so unlike the small service yard behind the school that was barely big enough for the tiny kitchen garden Mrs. Adams had squeezed into it. Here, there was space and fresh air, full blooms tilting toward the sun and tiny flowers carpeting the ground, lush bushes and trees…freedom.

With a soft laugh, she pulled loose the ribbon tied beneath her chin, removed her bonnet, and set it on the bench beside her. What would the girls at the school say if they saw this bower, this cathedral of flowers and vines around her? She could almost hear the squeals of delight that—

“Elizabeth? What did you—”

Startled, she caught her breath.

Then caught it a second time for a completely different reason.

Alec stood in the bower’s entrance, his large body filling the narrow gap. In the sunlight that filtered through the bower and fell softly on his chestnut hair and broad shoulders, he reminded her of one of those paintings of Greek heroes and gods that lined the walls of Somerset House. He should have been out of place here—a tall and muscular man in a lady’s elegant walled garden. Yet inexplicably, he seemed to belong among the vines and bushes. Like a lion in the jungle.

“Not Elizabeth.” His eyes gleamed with surprise as they swept over her, and he murmured in a deep voice, “Olivia.”

“You.” Her irritation hid the flush in her cheeks. Thank God he couldn’t see the way her body tingled. “What kind of game are you playing now?”

“None, but I’m always up for—” He broke off and quirked a half grin, the gentleman in him obviously thinking twice about what wicked suggestion the rake was about to make. “The footman said Beth was in the bower and wanted to see me.”

Ha! Olivia didn’t believe that for a second. “A footman just called Lady Elizabeth away to see the countess.” She crossed her arms. “How convenient for you to find me here. Alone.”

“I didn’t plan this.” When she opened her mouth to retort, he cut her off with a lift of his brow. “If I wanted to be alone with you, Olivia, I wouldn’t have to arrange a surprise meeting at a ladies’ garden party.”

“True,” she admitted in an exasperated grumble. “You’dclimb through my window at midnight.”

A slow grin pulled at his sensuous lips. “Is that an invitation?”

She narrowed her eyes. There was no way in the world she’d answer that! Yet instead of the scolding tone she’d hoped for, her voice emerged as a throaty whisper, “What are you doing here? Therealreason.”

He leaned casually against the post framing the entryway. The frustrating devil was clearly in no hurry to leave. “Apparently, my sister is playing matchmaker.”

“Between us?” Another throaty whisper, one impossibly huskier than the last.Good Lord.She needed to take a vow of silence when she was around this man. “An earl and a schoolmistress? But that’s—that’s—”

“Impossible?”

Exactly.Yet an inexplicable pang of disappointment thumped in her chest. “Surely, she realizes that.”

“Beth has a romantic heart.” His gaze drifted from the bonnet at her side to her hair. Then he stared at her for so long that she self-consciously reached a hand to her chignon to make certain it hadn’t come undone. “She’s in love.” His eyes moved down to capture hers. “So she believes the rest of the world should be, too, no matter how improbable.”

For a moment, she could do nothing but return his stare. And swallow. Hard. She knew now that he was the masked man who’d rescued her in the alley, who’d sneaked into her room and arranged for a ball gown for her. But seeing him here in the sunlight was so very different from those shadow-filled nights. During those encounters, he’d reminded her of a panther. Now…well, he still reminded her of a giant cat stalking its way along, to be honest. Yet the man in front of her was somehow more dangerous than when he’d been behind a mask.

She forced her attention onto the roses around them and lowered her hand to her lap. “You should return to the house, my lord. The guests are surely missing you.”

“Then I should stay right here. After all, you’re also a guest.”

“ButIdo not miss you.”

He laughed, a low and velvety chuckle that filled the bower.

Instead of leaving, he stepped into the vine-dappled shadows with her. He put her bonnet aside and sat uninvited next to her on the bench.Closebeside her.

Her mouth fell open at his audacity. “What are you doing?”

“It’s my duty to make certain that every guest enjoys herself.” He leaned toward her. “Are you enjoying the tea, Olivia? After all, attending today was very brave of you.”

“Brave?” she scoffed, not trusting the compliment.