“He is welcome whenever he wishes to come. Ah, here we are.”
“Take care, Olympia,” he said as he helped her out of the carriage. “A woman like Lady Letitia Mallam is a dangerous enemy to have. It appears she may see you as a threat. This attempt to blacken your name is but a minor salvo in her war against you.”
Olympia nodded and headed up the steps to her home. It had hurt a little to be snubbed on the basis of one cold woman’s words, but she found it easy to push the hurt aside. Her friends had stood firm at her side. The only real problem she had concerning what Lady Mallam was doing was that she now had to report that behavior to Brant. She hoped he was past being hurt or shamed by what his mother did.
Chapter 13
The aroma of expensive scented candles struck Olympia first as she entered her bedchamber. She shut the door behind her and looked around but did not see anyone. Taking off her gloves and tossing them onto the desk, she moved toward the candles lined up on the hearth. They were lovely and the scent was just enough and not too flowery. She was just about to go and find out who had put them there when Brant entered the room followed by Pawl carrying a tray that was so loaded with food and drink she was surprised he could carry it. It was then that she noticed someone had set a small table and two chairs to the side of the fireplace.
She said nothing as the two of them set out the food and a grinning Pawl slipped away. She had not eaten many of the dainty treats at Emily’s and the scent of roasted chicken had her stomach rumbling with hunger. Brant held out the chair for her and she smiled at him as she took her seat.
“It is a little early for such a meal,” she said and then frowned and looked around. “Where are Dinner and Lure?”
“In with Enid and Pawl. I tipped him well for the favor, too,” said Brant as he sat down across from her. “I thought such a meal would prove more temptation than they could resist.”
“I confess that I am quite hungry. Emily always has wonderful delights at her teas but I rarely get a chance to eat many of them. Many are a little too sweet for my tastes anyway.”
“And how fares Stone?” he asked as he cut some meat and set it on her plate.
“He uses me as a shield. A very few have already heard that he is a widower and do not seem overly offended at his lack of mourning. But then, he is young, wealthy, and in line for a dukedom. My standing by him does not deter everyone but it helps. He did ask if Henry could come to visit as the boy wants one of Enid’s scones and wants to see the boys staying here.”
“Does he suffer from his ordeal?”
He listened as she repeated what Stone had said about his child and that small jealous part of him relaxed at the tone of her voice as she spoke of the man. Stone was a friend to her, no more. Brant knew it was selfish of him as he could not keep her but he did not want to see her with another man, either.
“I discovered something else,” she began tentatively, reluctant to spoil the enjoyable time they were spending together.
“I am not going to like this, am I?”
“How can you know?”
“Something in the way you are looking at me. What has my mother done now?”
“I fear she has decided that since she cannot attack me physically she will do so by ruining me in the eyes of society. By linking me to you.”
“Why would anyone heed her? No one has seen us together.” Brant realized he was gripping his knife so tightly the handle was impressed upon his palm and he forced himself to control his anger.
“That does not seem to bother anyone. Emily made quite a show of favoring me and I hope it does not cost her too much. And, of course, I did have a marquis at my side. It was still little more than a whisper and the hint of a snub from a very few people.”
“Why does anyone listen to her? Some are already seeing that what she said about me could be all lies and yet they now heed what she says about you?”
“Gossip, especially the dark sort that can ruin people completely, is the life’s blood of the aristocracy. Stone made his disapproval very clear although he rarely had to say a word against anyone who was trying to whisper anything in his ear. It made a great difference. The sense of being almost snubbed began to disappear quickly. I think she might fail at her trick this time.”
“Perhaps if I banish her to her country house.”
“She would soon begin her games there and then you would have to be constantly watching her. I do not think you wish to do that. I did get some information though, from Emily herself.” She told him all she had discovered about some men who had lost their business, investments, or even, in two cases, their inheritance. “These may be the people with some credibility that we could use to bring her to justice.”