Lady In Disguise (The Langley Sisters) (33 page)

“I do not like the Bruntlys!” Mrs Popplehinge blurted out to the surprise of all present.

“I don’t think you are alone in those feelings, Mrs Popplehinge,” Livvy added.

“He—he abuses Mr Popplehinge every Sunday when we see him at church and his wife told me that I was a busybody with very little to offer anyone!”

She hadn’t expected that, Livvy thought.
 

“Well you are not the soul recipient of her vicious tongue, Mrs Popplehinge,” Phoebe said, fishing out her handkerchief and handing it to the woman as she sniffed.
 

“The major and his wife abused Livvy at the Assembly, they said nasty horrid things, but luckily Lord Ryder was there to stand up for her.”
 

“Thank you, Phoebe,” Will said.

“But how can we help you?” Livvy prompted Mrs Popplehinge.

“You must win the Derby or at the least beat that man’s horse, Olivia, you simply must!”

Once again she had reduced the room to silence. Livvy wanted to laugh, was she serious? Twoaks’s most proficient gossip was championing her.
 

“I will, of course, do my best, Miss Popplehinge, however I must point out that Major Bruntly does have a fine horse.”

The woman clutched the handkerchief and surprisingly Phoebe’s hand.

“Can I do anything to help you?”

“You just have, Mrs Popplehinge, by believing in me.”

“Oh, I—I oh thank you, Olivia, and I do believe in you, dear,” Mrs Popplehinge said, sniffing louder.

“Well I will expect you to stand with my sisters and cheer loudly then, because there are not many who seem overly happy to see me there.”

“You have more supporters than you realize, dear, it is just that most of us have no wish to upset the major.”

“I had not realized the major was such a bully.” All eyes turned to Lord Ryder who had been, until that point, sitting quietly and listening.

Mrs Popplehinge nodded furiously. “I wish someone would put him in his place.”

“Lord Ryder will find a way.”

“Will I?” Livvy could see Will was surprised by her words.
 

“Yes, you are clever and rich, and that man is neither… well maybe a little of the second,” she added.

“I have actually already begun to look into the major and his affairs, Mrs Popplehinge.”

“Have you?” Surprised, Livvy looked at Will.

“After the way he spoke to you at the Assembly I wanted to know everything about him.”

Livvy flushed with warmth at his words. He had cared enough about her even then. She wanted to kiss him again and have him hold her, which was foolish because she would be leaving him any day now.

“I would be most grateful if you could do something about him, my lord.” Mrs Popplehinge looked hopeful.

“How can I refuse a woman who dresses with such style and elegance?”

Olivia watched Mrs Popplehinge’s hands flutter around her as Will complimented her.

“And if you and Mr Popplehinge are not otherwise engaged, the Duke and Duchess would like to extend an invitation to you both, and of course the Langley family, to share the burning of the Yuletide Log with us at Rossetter House on Christmas Eve.”

“Oh, yes, we would love that above all things, my lord!” Mrs Popplehinge cried, leaping to her feet. “But before I leave to tell Mr Popplehinge the news, I would like to give Olivia this,” she said, producing a parcel from the depths of her coat.

Livvy took the parcel and placed it on her lap. She could feel all eyes on her as she opened it slowly. Lifting the purple satin sash she held it up for everyone to see.
 

“It’s… it’s remarkable,” she said when she could find her voice.
 

The sash was two hands width wide and had the name Langley stitched in bright yellow letters down the front.

“I noticed last year that you rode in a coat and breeches, I just thought this would give you a more feminine touch,” Mrs Popplehinge said, looking anxiously at Livvy.

“It certainly will, and it’s beautiful and very thoughtful of you, Mrs Popplehinge, I shall wear it with pride.”

“Really!” Mrs Popplehinge clapped her hands together in delight. “If this weather will just stay fine then we shall have a race and I feel certain that with my sash and your skill we shall beat that horrid major.”

“How can we not,” Phoebe said, rising to her feet to escort Mrs Popplehinge to the door.
 

“We are grateful for the invite of course, Lord Ryder.” Livvy carefully folded the sash back into the wrapping as Bella closed the door behind Phoebe.

“And accept,” Bella added before Livvy could refuse.
 

“Excellent.”
 

Before Livvy could protest he had gained his feet. “Then I will also bid you good day, ladies, and of course will see you all at the Derby,” he added, bowing before he left the room.

“Thank you.”

He had reached the front door before Livvy’s voice stopped him

“For what?”

She blew out a loud frustrated breath.

“Just about everything.”

“You’re welcome, although I cannot take credit for Mrs Popplhinge’s sash, that creation was hers alone.”

She walked to where she stood and let him pull her into his arms. The kiss was one of the sweetest they had shared.

“We… this,” Livvy said, pointing to him and then back to her. “Cannot go on.”

“Why can this not go on?”

“There are things I can’t explain that will not allow this…” Livvy said, casting about for the words that needed to be said and coming up short.

“This will happen, my love, never doubt that,” he added, brushing a curl off her cheek. “But now, Olivia, I want you listen very carefully to what I am about to say to you and I expect you to obey every word.”

“I have no wish to obey your words.”

“You don’t know what they are yet.” He touched her cheek. “Do not leave this house again at night because I shall know,” he added, clasping her chin.
 

“I do not answer to you.” Livvy pulled free of his touch.

“In this you do, my love.”

Livvy watched him open the door and in seconds he was gone.
 

***

Livvy woke early on the morning of the Derby, she was both nervous and anxious for the race to start so it would finish and she could collect her money and get back to Willow Hall to decide what to do with her family’s future. The Langley sisters had talked long and hard about what they would do tomorrow, as this was the chosen date for their final decision due to their cousin’s arrival the following day. They had left things till the last minute because of the Derby and the much needed prize money, and were hopeful that Lord Langley would not arrive early because Jenny had muttered something about poisoning him if he did.

“You’re awake,” Phoebe said, poking her head around the door and seeing Livvy sitting up in bed.

“Yes, and contemplating our futures.”

“There are still only the two options open to us,” Phoebe said, lifting the blankets and slipping in beside her sister. “Well, three actually if you take into account Jenny’s idea of poisoning him, which sits comfortably with me, however I know you won’t choose that option.”

“No.”

“All right so we either flee or kidnap him.”

“You make the choices sound simple, sister,” Livvy said, resting her head on Phoebe’s shoulder.
 

“Whatever we chose to do, Livvy, we will do it together,” Phoebe said. “We have stored everything we want Jenny to hide in the barn and Jaccob will come and get it tomorrow if we chose to run.”

“All three of us will make the final decision tonight, Phoebe, no matter if I win or lose the Derby. I have counted our coins and there is enough to see us to Scotland if that is our course and between us we shall come up with a plausible story of why we are there.”

“I’ve been thinking about that, Livvy, perhaps we should call on Mr and Mrs Munford, I’m sure they will help us.”

“Perhaps, but how do you discount my non-pregnant state and lack of husband?”

“Yes, that could be a problem,” Phoebe mused. “I think if we said he had beaten you and you had lost the child and we were on the run that they would believe you.”

Livvy snorted. “We shall think about it tonight, sister, but now I must rise and eat something or I shall not be fit to ride Harvey. We shall enjoy today with the people who have been a part of our lives for so long and worry about the future later.”

“All right, Jenny has your clothes cleaned and boots polished, so hurry and dress and I shall see you downstairs,” Phoebe planted a smacking kiss on Livvy’s head before climbing out of bed.

Livvy washed and dressed and then plaited her hair so it rested between her shoulder blades. Pinching her pale cheeks she then forced a smile onto her stiff lips and left the room.

Jenny placed a heaped plate of food in front of her as she sat at the table and Livvy tried to not to think about this being her family’s second to last breakfast in the only house she had ever lived in. There was no time for sentiment now; they all knew what must be done.
 

“Are they comfortable?”

Bella was looking down at the breeches Jenny had altered for her. They had been Jaccob’s.
 

“Yes, very much so, it’s amazing how much freedom they give you compared to skirts.”

“Well,” the housekeeper snorted. “I think that is enough on that subject as it is not likely that women will ever walk freely in breeches as men do. You eat up now please, Miss Olivia,” she added. “You need a substantial breakfast.”
 

Breakfast was porridge and then Jenny forced Livvy to eat a piece of bread and jam because she needed the extra strength. Livvy felt sad that this woman may not be in their lives for much longer, she had come to mean so much to the Langley sisters.

“I shall see you at the Derby,” the housekeeper then said, shooing them from the room once their bowls were emptied to her satisfaction.

The sound of a knock on the door had Bella hurrying to open it to find Mr Blake on the other side.

“I would be honoured if you will allow me to take you all to the Derby.”

“We had thought to walk beside Livvy and Harvey, Mr Blake,” Bella said.

“I shall escort your sister.”

Livvy felt the breath catch in her throat as Will appeared in the doorway.

“Excellent! Bella, get your things we are leaving now,” Phoebe said, doing the same.
 

“And Mrs Bell, would she like a lift also?” Mr Blake said, looking in the direction of the kitchen.

“Yes she would,” Livvy said, turning on her heel to retrieve the housekeeper. Her heart still thudded from just seeing Will standing in her doorway and she needed the space to collect herself. She also liked to think that perhaps Mr Blake would be there for Jenny when they left, and that in time perhaps he could persuade Jenny to return his feelings.
 

“Jenny, collect your things, Lord Ryder has a carriage which he wants to escort you, Bella and Phoebe to the Derby in,” Livvy said, deliberately not telling her that Mr Blake would also be in there.

“Oh now, that’s nice.” Jenny hurried to take off her apron.
 

Livvy watched her pull on her coat and hat and then the gloves she was never without and then followed her up the stairs to the front door.
 

The only indication that Jenny was unsettled with the presence of Mr Blake was the flush of colour into her cheeks, as she sailed passed him out the door.

“We shall see you there, Livvy,” Phoebe said, kissing her sister. Livvy accepted the gesture and returned her sisters’ hugs with perhaps a little more desperation than was required, and all the while she was aware that Will watched on.
 

When the carriage had left, Livvy pulled on Jaccob’s jacket and gloves. Her hair now had a black satin ribbon, courtesy of Bella, tied at the base of the plait and with fingers that were not all together steady, she placed Jaccob’s hat on her head.
 

“Nice touch,” he said pushing of the door as she slipped the sash Mrs Popplehinge had made over her head.

“Thank you,” Livvy said politely as she followed him outside and closed the door behind her.
 

Will saw the tension in every inch of Livvy’s body, her chin was up, neck straight, shoulders rigid as she walked before him around the house towards the stables. She looked small and slender in the men’s clothing. Somehow the fitted breeches and jacket made her appear even more feminine, and every muscle in his body clenched as he fought the urge to grab her and haul her back into the house so he could hold her close and make slow sweet love to her. Will was not happy about the fact that other men would be looking at her long shapely limbs or the sweet curve of her bottom as she rode her horse.
 

“It’s going to be a long day,” he muttered.