Page 49 of Legacy of Glass
“Lord Cade?” she asked as they came face to face.
He met her eyes, his own going wide. “Lady Olivia!” He forced a smile and executed a hasty bow. “How lovely to run into you. I’m just stretching my legs and—” He cut himself off as his gaze swept their surroundings, and he recognized the foolishness of his words given they were standing inside Lord Emerson’s courtyard.
“Well,” he said awkwardly. “That is to say, I…” But apparently he couldn’t think of an explanation because his words trailed off.
Something snapped into place in Olivia’s mind, and she seized his arm again, attempting to give him a knowing look. He blinked back at her.
“We need to talk,” she said. “But I don’t think this is the place.”
“Talk?” Cade’s eyes shifted toward the manor behind her. “I actually need to?—”
“There’s no point going in there,” Olivia said firmly. “They probably won’t even open the door when you knock, since they’ll suspect it’s me again.”
One of Cade’s eyebrows rose. “Again?”
Olivia shook her head. “Come on. I know a better place to talk.”
She tugged him out of Lord Emerson’s courtyard and into her uncle’s. To her relief, no one saw their arrival, and she was able to lead him straight through the gardens to the back of the manor. Cade didn’t protest, following under his own steam as she led him to the back wall and out onto the hill.
“This is a nice spot.” He looked across the grassy incline and then back at the row of manors. His eyes lingered on the Emersons’.
Olivia nodded and pointed at the building directly behind them. “That’s my aunt and uncle’s manor. Until a few days ago, it was my home too. And it’s up here, on this hill, that I first met Marigold.”
Cade’s eyes snapped to her face, his involuntary response only confirming her suspicions.
“I heard she played a…trick on you,” he said carefully. “Julius told me about what happened.”
“She did fool me,” Olivia said, “and I intend to have stern words with her about it. But I still consider her a friend.”
Cade’s tense posture relaxed slightly.
Olivia fixed her eyes on him. “What I really want to know is whether Julius is aware that you’re the one Marigold is in love with.”
Cade flinched backward, the guilty look on his face providing the final confirmation. After meeting him outside Marigold’s house, clearly worried and distracted, Olivia had been nearly certain. But his response made it feel shockingly real.
“You and Marigold are secretly in love?” Her voice rose higher than she’d intended. “And you haven’t even told Julius? She didn’t even tell me!” Olivia shook her head. “But why keep it a secret?”
Cade collapsed into himself. “I’ve known Marigold most of my life—like I know all the others our age at court. But our families don’t get along. They’re rivals in every area that matters. Marigold insisted we stay quiet about our feelings because her father would never approve. She said that if he found out, he would keep us apart. I wanted to face his wrath and prove the strength of our love—to argue for the benefits that could come from uniting our families—but Marigold…”
“She’s hard to resist,” Olivia said sympathetically. “And I’m guessing she loved playing the role of star-crossed lover in a secret romance. She probably arranged clandestine rendezvous and stolen kisses in all sorts of silly locations.”
Cade flushed, and Olivia feared she had overstepped. She had forgotten for a moment that while she knew Marigold well, she hardly knew Cade at all.
But instead of showing offense, Cade straightened his shoulders and drew a deep breath as if choosing bravery in the face of something fearsome.
“I suppose that’s all it was on her side, and that’s why she’s abandoned me now. She did delight in the situation, just like you described.” He looked away. “I’ve even wondered at times if she loved the role more than she loved me specifically.”
Olivia’s heart squeezed at the pain in his eyes, and she bit her lip, unsure how to answer. The mirror had shown sincerity beneath Marigold’s dramatic manner, but Olivia couldn’t be sure how well Marigold knew her own heart. She had no idea how to judge if her friend’s feelings had been lasting and deep. Olivia didn’t even know how to judge such a thing for herself. Marigold wouldn’t be the first girl more in love with love than she was with the man.
But if Cade’s conclusion was drawn solely from Marigold’s disappearance, she could at least offer another possible explanation for that. Even if the explanation wasn’t likely to find favor with him. She just hoped he didn’t reject it outright as Marigold’s mother had done.
“I can’t see into Marigold’s heart,” she said. “But I do believe she was always sincere toward me. I can’t accept the idea that she tricked me and then abandoned me to deal with the consequences alone. And neither do I think she would have declared her love for you and then run off without a word. If she found her love had disappeared, the Marigold I know would have told you to your face.”
Cade winced and then laughed. “That’s the Marigold I know as well. She’s no coward.” His brows contracted. “But what are you saying? Do you think she’s being held captive by these unknown relations? They would have to turn their home into a prison to successfully prevent Marigold from escaping if she desired to do so.”
“She isn’t with relatives at all,” Olivia said, relieved he was taking her concerns seriously. “I’ve confirmed that with both Kasper and Lady Emerson.”
“What?” Cade’s jaw clenched, his muscles tensing. “What do you mean she’s not with relatives?”
