Page 68 of The Rules of Courtship
But he craved her. He craved the feelings she ignited in his chest. The comfort she provided.
Oliver knew better than to want her, but he could not help himself. If he was being honest, it was the reason he had broken convention and come tonight. To see Ruth.
“Oliver,” Ryland said, crossing the room and clapping him on the shoulder. His deep brown eyes were filled with concern. “We did not expect you.”
“Have I ruined the numbers?”
“You know we care little for that nonsense. If you would like to be here, we are glad to have you.”
Aurelia joined them, sliding her hand over her husband’s arm. Her eyes dropped to the mourning band tied around Oliver’s sleeve before looking warmly at him. “I, for one, am very glad you are here. The boys have worked hard on their surprise, and I think you will find it entertaining.” Her smile was compassionate, and Oliver was glad to be reminded that not everyone was as selfish or greedy as his family. He was surrounded by good people in this room.
Samuel appeared at his shoulder, closing their circle. “Were my parentsawarethat they’d pushed you out of your own house tonight, or did you slip away quietly?”
“I took the coward’s way,” Oliver said, his lips quirking into a smile.
“It is what I would have—no, what Ihavedone many times. They can be overbearing. I hope the solicitor plans to come soon so the matter can be settled. Then they will no longer have an excuse to stay at Boone Park.”
“They are sleeping there?” Ryland asked, surprised.
“I cannot be trusted to be left alone in my grief,” Oliver said flatly.
“It is far more likely that my parents believe once they vacate Boone, they may never be invited to return, which would make it dashed more difficult to try and take a piece of Captain Rose’s fortune for themselves.”
Oliver looked at his cousin sharply. None of this was a secret, but he had not yet heard Samuel speak so plainly about his parents before in company. The edge of bitterness lining his words was not as worrisome as his lack of tact.
“What of Eliza’s parents?” Aurelia asked, smoothing back a lock of blonde hair.
“Her father, our Uncle Charles, likely only remains at Boone Park to soften the effect of my parents,” Samuel said. It was a fair assessment. “He is not such a leech as they are. Aunt Rose has not bothered to visit.”
“Dinner is ready. We ought to move through to the dining room before it cools.” Ryland turned to Oliver. “We already announced this, but there is no particular seating tonight.”
Oliver nodded, glancing over the room again. Ruth was still where she had been before, standing with Lady Helena and Eliza. Jacob—Oliver’shalf-brother—was still speaking to Wycliffe near the fireplace, his arms crossed and nodding along. It was not the time or place to hold that conversation, but he felt thepull to speak to him, to watch him closely for possible similarities. Did they look alike? Share any features?
Oliver found Ruth again in the room, her smile like an anchor for his soul.
The lads were nowhere to be seen—likely enjoying a dinner of their own—and would join the group again later. There had been a perfect number of couples before Oliver joined them, which meant the servants must have scrambled to add a place setting for him. He did his best to swallow his embarrassment. No one had said anything to indicate he shouldn’t be there, and he hoped he had not caused any offense by his lack of respect in breaking mourning this way. But his heart had needed this room of people. He followed Samuel into the dining room and took a chair at the end of the table, finding himself between Samuel and Eliza. Ruth had ended up so far away from him, he could not look her way without being obvious.
They were engaged, for heaven’s sake. It would not be absurd for him to have wanted to sit beside her, but he feared if he spoke to her, he would steadily unwind. Like a carefully coiled ball of twine, he was only one wrong move away from coming completely undone.
Putting his focus on his plate of food, he ate, listening to the conversation move smoothly around him, and counted down the minutes until he could speak to Ruth at the end of the meal.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Rule #25: If a man you love says he wants to kiss you, oblige him
The naked longing in Oliver’s expression had cut straight through Ruth. He had pushed through the doors into Ryland’s drawing room, his broad shoulders and strong arms clad in all black down to the tips of his fingers, and had utterly stolen her breath. When his eyes fell on hers, they lookedhungry. Cold chills swept over her skin again at the memory as she stabbed at a carrot and it shot from her plate, rolling down the table.
Papa reached for it, popping it on his own plate.
“Thank you,” she said, putting down her fork and knife.
“You are not yourself,” he said quietly, his gaze darting toward the end of the table where Oliver sat.
“My appetite has fled,” she admitted.
Papa looked at his nearly empty plate, then her full one. “It is interesting. A man cannot find the time to approach the fatherof the woman he has asked to marry him, but he can attend a birthday dinner for a friend.”
“You know as well as I that he did not plan on being here tonight,” she whispered. It had been the first thing she’d asked Aurelia when she arrived. “He is grieving, Papa.”
