Storm on the Horizon (Fated For Love) (18 page)

He shrugged.
“I’m not ready to go home. I don’t need pitying glances and tender reassurances. I just want to be alone.”

“
You don’t want to see mama and papa?” Olivia scoffed.

“
Isn’t that what I just said?”

“
Fine,” Olivia snapped at him. “I’ll return home and tell them you’re alive, but unable to be seen because you’re an insufferable ass.”

He actually smiled at her.
“Well done, Livie.” He turned and hobbled back into the hall to his cabin, his feet shuffling, and one hand on the wall for support.

Olivia shook her head as she turned back to the crowd. Colton came down the stairs from the
quarterdeck and paused beside her. “Were you arguing with someone a moment ago?”

“
I’ll give you one guess,” she said in irritation.

Colton only raised his brows and changed the subject.
“Are you ready to go home?”

“
No.”

Colton sighed.
“Is the Brennton family known for their tempers?”

Olivia turned to him and narrowed her eyes. He put his hands up and backed away.

“Ah... I see the carriage is here. Time to gather your things, and we can be off.

As they departed the dock in an enclosed carriage, Colton was not
surprised to learn that Devon refused to go home. He directed his coachmen to his cottage, and within the hour, they would be pulling up the drive.

Olivia fiddled with her skirts impatiently as she wait
ed to see the home she would soon call her own. She was not prepared for what she saw as the carriage rounded a bend and across a lush green field, partially hidden behind ancient oaks, stood a house far grander than a cottage.

Devon snorted.
“This is your cottage?”

“
Well, it’s charming like a cottage.” Colton beamed.

Olivia couldn’t tear her eyes from the window. It was certainly charming... and large.
The windows sparkled like gems in the bright sun. The red brick was aged with character and rose into the sky imperiously confident against time and weather. Ivy had long ago conquered the front portico and was now groomed to be a living part of the exterior.

“
Ah, Ivy. Now it’s a true cottage,” Devon said sarcastically.

“
Be quiet, Devon,” Olivia said defensively. She was in love with the house already, whatever it shall be called, and would be proud to call it her home.

Colton just smiled at her.

The carriage rolled to a stop and a footman appeared to open the door. Colton assisted Olivia down first, and then he and the footman assisted Devon inside the house and up to a room. Olivia hung back, following slowly while her eyes took in every corner and detail. By the time she made it to the landing of the first floor, Colton was returning to her.

“
Is everything all right?”

“
Oh, yes... I was just looking around.”

He smiled
. He looked rather pleased with himself. “I take it you like the house?”

Olivia smiled warmly in return and nodded. She couldn’t believe she was so close to having her dream, the man that she loved. Being here in his house made it all feel so real.

“We should be going. Word will spread that we’re back.”

He turned her towards the stairs and the left the house. Olivia looked back as they drove away
, and she promised herself she would be back as soon as possible. It was a half hours drive parallel to the coast when Olivia set eyes on the familiar landscape of her family home. Her heart beat heavily as they pulled into the drive, and she wondered what her mother and father would say when they set eyes on her. As the carriage pulled to a stop, familiar faces emerged, but none were her parents.

Colton stepped out first and handed Olivia down.

“Why, Lady Olivia, we thought you disappeared into thin air.” The housekeeper put her hands on her hips and shook her head.

Olivia smiled. Mrs. Belle had known her since the moment she was born and mothered her like a hen with a chick.

“
Afraid not, Mrs. Belle. I’ve just returned with my brother. He is recuperating at Captain Colton’s home.”

Mrs. Belle gasped.
“Is he... is he injured?”

“
He suffers from excessive indulgence while traveling,” Olivia rolled her eyes.

Mrs. Belle sighed in relief.
“We’re happy you both are home, my dear, your parents will be ecstatic once they return.”

“
They are not here?” Olivia said with dismay.

“
They should be back any day now. Your father had business in London.”

Olivia looked back at Colton
, and he smiled reassuringly. “Let’s go inside. I know I could use some of your biscuits and jam, Mrs. Belle.”

Mrs. Belle beamed.
“Anything that pleases you, Captain Colton. I am indebted to you for bringing home my two little chicks.”

Colton chuckled and Olivia sighed in exasperation.

They turned in surpri
se when the pounding of hooves hit the drive. It was Colton’s father, riding like the wind. He reined his horse in before reaching them and dismounted while still trying to catch his breath.

“
Father?” Colton said in alarm.

“
I came as soon as I heard you were back,” his father breathed heavily. “Is ought amiss? I told George I would keep an eye out for you; he should be back anytime, but—” He paused to draw a breath and noticed Olivia standing there. “Dear me, you’re looking lovelier than ever, Olivia. Are you feeling much improved?”

Olivia and Colton shared a glance.
“Very much so. And you?”

“
Superb, but I must ask, do you bring news of Devon?”

“
Indeed, Father, and I will tell you all about it on the way home.” He ushered his father towards his carriage. It seemed Olivia’s absence was covered by an illness. That wasn’t going to hold up for very long.

He turned back to Olivia.
“I’ll send word tonight.”

She nodded. She was supremely confused, but she didn’t know what to say or do. What she did know was that she wasn’t prepared for such an abrupt goodbye. Colton waved as the carriage rolled away with Mr. Darlings horse tied to the back. Olivia turned to enter the house and Mrs. Belle was waiting patiently for her.

“I suppose I’ve been ill?” she asked Mrs. Belle.

“
Oh yes, terrible, terrible cold. But you’ve mended well.”

Olivia
humphed.

“
Do you need anything, dear?” Mr. Belle followed her up the stairs.

Olivia didn’t even need to look where she was going. With her eyes on the floor, she knew the way to her room by the pattern on the carpet.

“Dear?” Mrs. Belle called to her again.

“
Oh um... a bath would be divine.” Olivia snapped out of her doldrums. It was ridiculous to think that she could remain with Colton once they returned home. In time, she would never live apart from him again. She mollified herself with that thought.

“
I’ll see to it right away, dear. Would you like a tray sent up, as well.”

“
Yes, please.” The thought of food prepared by Beauregard cheered her immensely. Olivia turned to Mrs. Belle as they arrived at her door. “It’s wonderful to be home.” She smiled.

Mrs. Belle patted her cheek fondly as she had so many times when Olivia was a little girl.
“I hope you had a grand adventure, little Livie, but safe at home is where you belong.”

Mrs. Belle left her at her door to order the bath. Olivia entered her room and sighed in contentment. She would never forget all that had occurred on Colton’s ship, but her room had never looked so inviting. She opened her wardrobe and admired all the fresh clean gowns. He never appreciated them more than she did right then. She pulled open a dresser drawer and took out a
nightgown. It was soft and clean. She sighed in bliss.

Her maid knocked and entered, beaming at her with friendly welcome.
“Are you glad to be back home?”

“
Yes and no.” Olivia replied honestly. Anita had been a trusted confidant for years. She confided many of her secrets to her including her love for Colton.

Anita scanned her garb and
frowned. “I noticed you only took three of your dresses.”

She shivered repulsively.

“
Aye— I mean, yes. Space was limited.” Olivia giggled.

“
I’m dying to hear what you have to say for yourself, you know,” Anita chided.

“
There is a lot to tell, but first I need to undress. I’ve worn this dress for three days now.”

“
Ick!” Anita hurried to untie the back and help Olivia into her dressing gown. She picked up the dress by two fingers and was tempted to throw it in the fire. “I’ll just put this over here for now.

The tub arrived
followed by a train of footmen with pails of hot water. It wasn’t long before Olivia was soaking in sudsy water, and Anita was trying to brush out the tangles in her hair.

“
I’ve been waiting very patiently, you know,” Anita reminded her.

Olivia smiled.
“Well, I don’t know where to begin.”

“
At very beginning, if you please.”

“
Ok... I hid in Devon’s trunk to get on Colton’s ship, and he was not happy when he found me.”

Anita dropped the brush.

Olivia was lying on her bed enjoying the creamy pea soup that Beauregard knew was her favorite. She was paging through a novel looking for where she had left off before embarking on her foolish plan. She smiled. That foolish plan had been entirely worth it. She heard a shout and then running. She jumped off the bed and ran to her door. The running was getting closer and when she opened her
door, she was surprised to see her father running down the hall towards her, her mother not far behind. She froze where she stood having never seen either of her parents move so quickly. Her father stopped before her and put his hands on his knees. He was breathing hard, and his face was rather red.

“
Father, are you all right?”

He held up one hand and took a few more breaths.

“Olivia!” Her mother overtook her in a suffocating hug.

Olivia was speechless. They acted as if she had been resurrected from the dead.

“I left a note,” she said through her mother’s falling hair.

Her father had yet to catch his breath so instead he just glared at her.

“A note!” Her mother pushed back and held her by her shoulders. “You thought a note would suffice? What is going on in that head of yours, Olivia. I nearly fainted when we discovered you were gone.” She pulled Olivia into a tight hug again. “You foolish wretched girl.”

Her father finally stood and pulled Olivia from her mother’s arms.
“Are you all right?” he asked.

“
Yes, I—”

He crushed her against him. He hadn’t hugged her like this since the time she had fallen down the stairs when she was little.

He finally let her go and then nudged her into her room. He pointed at her bed. “Sit.”

Her mother followed them in and closed the door. She dabbed at her eyes and took a chair by the window.

“You may now attempt to explain yourself. Where have you been?” her father said sternly.

Olivia took a deep breath and braced herself. She had gone over this conversation in her head, but it was much more terrifying facing her father in real life.

“I snuck aboard Colton’s ship to help find Devon.”

Her father clenched his jaw and closed his eyes. Olivia recognized it as his technique for remaining calm. She waited until he opened his eyes before continuing. She told them about how upset Colton had been
, and that he would have taken her back if he could have. Her parents shared a glance and Olivia would have given her left arm to know what it meant. Her parents often had discussions through single glances, and it was infuriating.

She left out any mention of what happened between her and Colton
, and ended with her helping retrieve Devon and returning home. There were obvious holes in the story, but she couldn’t help it.

“
You should see to Devon, dear. I’ll stay with Olivia.”

“
Devon is not here,” Olivia said before her father could take a step.

“
What? But you brought him home?”

“
He chose to stay at Colton’s. He prefers not to be disturbed at this time. He expressly asked me to tell you... not to see him just yet.” She winced at the obvious pain in their faces.

“
But he is well?” her father asked.