AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“How is Oliver faring?” Elise asked. She sat with perfect posture as she ate her soup without slurping. She would make a fine debutante. She was beautiful and accomplished and kind, and her heart was free for the taking, unlike Julia’s had ever been.
HowwasOliver faring? He was less cheerful than he had once been. He was more reserved. That was to be expected given all that he had endured. “He seems to be faring well considering his circumstances.”
“Bringing Rupert to him surely raised his spirits,” Elise said. “Surely seeing you raised his spirits as well.”
Julia hadn’t told a single soul besides her old friend Mary of her love for Oliver. Not even her sisters knew how she had pined for him when he was away. She couldn’t reveal her feelings now after she had become so skilled at hiding them. “It was wonderful to see such a dear friend again.”
“We should invite the Northcotts to our Christmas Eve ball,” Mama said. “And,” she added between bites, “we will ensure Lord Belper is there to dance with you, Julia. I suspect he is very close to a proposal.”
Julia nearly groaned aloud in dismay, but she stopped herself. There were still two more courses to be served; she couldn’t argue with Mama this early on in the meal. “Yes, we must certainly invite the Northcotts.” She chose to ignore the second part about Lord Belper. “They are a very amiable family.”
“Indeed.” Mama drank from her goblet, eyes sparking with delight.
Julia stared at the candles again, grateful when Mama turned the subject of conversation to Elise, and then Jane. Julia hoped her sisters would never experience the pains of unrequited love.
She stopped her thoughts before they could go too far astray. Whether Oliver loved her or not was not her most pressing concern. She needed to find a way to stop Lord Belper from proposing, or she would never have a chance to see if Oliver could come to love her with time. If Lord Belper proposed, Julia would be forced to accept him. Mama would have it no other way.
“Perhaps we should not wait until Christmas Eve to see the Northcotts,” Mama said. “I will invite them to dinner on Thursday along with our other guests. I plan to have our greenery hung a few days early this year rather than waiting until Christmas Eve. We will have more time for people to come admire it.”
Would Oliver even accept the invitation? She wanted to see him again, and she couldn’t risk the disappointment of him not coming to dinner. Perhaps he was ashamed to be seen in public with his injuries, or in too much pain to leave his house.
Julia took a bite of her soup, absentmindedly slurping. Mama shot her a look of dismay, but she ignored it. She was distracted yet again. If she wanted to see Oliver, she would have to take matters into her own hands.
* * *
Julia had only taken ten steps toward Larkhall and she was already tempted to turn back. She missedRupert.Not Oliver. She was visiting Larkhall in order to see her favorite dog in the whole world, not her favorite person in the whole world. That was what she told herself, though she wasn’t certain if she believed it. Three days had passed since she had returned Rupert to him, and she wanted to know how he was adjusting to his previous life at Larkhall.
She watched her feet as they made prints in the snow. The air was clear that day, without a single snowflake falling. The snow underfoot had become thick, causing each footfall to make a crunching noise.Watching her feet rather than her other surroundings was essential. She refused to slip and fall in front of Oliver again.
Another set of crunching footfalls make her pause. She stopped walking, and the crunching continued. So it hadn’t been her own feet.
She looked up from under the wide brim of her bonnet. Down the path, Oliver was walking straight toward her. Even since she had seen him a few days before, his limp seemed to have improved. He held the end of a leash that was secured around Rupert’s neck. The dog seemed to have caught sight of Julia, picking up his pace. His breathing was labored as he tugged against the leash around his neck to reach her.
“Oliver?” Julia said. She walked toward him with slow steps. He wore a smile of disbelief as Rupert continued to tug at the leash with strength that defied his age. Why did she feel so nervous around Oliver? Meeting him here by chance made her more flustered than she cared to admit.
Rather than looking up at his face again, she stooped down to scratch behind Rupert’s ears. “I was just on my way to visit you,” she said, speaking more to the dog than to Oliver. She straightened her posture, daring a look at Oliver’s face.
His smile remained, and it tied her heart in a knot. “I was on my way to visit you as well,” he said.
“Truly?”
“Rupert insisted.” Oliver nodded toward the dog.
She grinned. “Is that so? Have you taught him to speak?”
Oliver gave a serious nod before his expression melted into another smile. Julia had always loved how his smile transformed his face. He was even more handsome with it than without it. His blond hair was combed neatly today, his square jaw clean shaven. The cut on the side of his face had healed a little more since she had seen him three days before, but it still looked painful. Her heart stung for him.
“The only words I have taught him to say are your name and mine,” Oliver said. “He simply wouldn’t stop speaking your name, so I assumed that meant he wished to see you again.”
“Ah, I see.” Julia laughed. “But I’m afraid you are giving yourself too much credit. I was the one who taught him to speak your name long before I brought him back to you. He has been saying it every day for the last two years.”
“Well, it seems he cannot choose his favorite. Perhaps he cannot be without either one of us.” Oliver’s smile softened. Could he have been thinking the same thing Julia was thinking? If they were ever married, then Rupert could be with them both.They really ought to marry one another. Purely for the poor dog’s sake.
“How are matters with Lord Belper?” Oliver asked.
Julia’s stomach twisted. There was nothing in Oliver’s tone to indicate that he resented the man who would soon propose to her. She needed to stop with her dreaming and scheming. “Nothing has changed.” She sighed. “He called upon me yesterday, and I was quite afraid he would propose. Thankfully, he didn’t yet.” She had tried to keep Lord Belper’s visit brief, but he had brought several poems to read to her and it had taken over an hour.
Oliver was silent as he turned back toward Larkhall. Between their two houses, Larkhall was closer. They walked for several seconds before Oliver spoke, kicking the snow in front of him with the tip of his boot. “If he does propose…do you plan to reject him?”
