Page 51 of Legacy of Glass
“Thank you.”
His thoughts spun as he hurried toward the stables. Olivia had left the palace without him—without even leaving him word of her departure. If she was impatient and thought he was taking too long, she could have sent for him, or at the very least left a note. Then he wouldn’t have spent so long searching for her and worrying.
When he called for the stable master, the grizzled older man appeared promptly, bowing before the prince and grinning from beneath bushy eyebrows. But when Julius asked whether Olivia had requested a horse or a carriage, he frowned.
“She hasn’t been here this morning, Master Julius,” he said, using an informality that was permitted him as the man who had taught a young and eager princeling how to ride. “We’re ready when she does come, though. I’ve picked out the perfect mare for her. I got a good look at her seat when you brought her to the palace, and I think this mount will be a perfect fit.”
“That’s very good of you,” Julius said, trying to hide his dismay.
Had she walked into the city?
He extricated himself as quickly as possible, hurrying from the palace grounds using the same route he had taken on the day of his first meeting with Olivia. Had she also taken the back way, or had she walked through the city streets? She was used to being an anonymous face in the capital, but that had all changed now. She might be accosted by a crowd and?—
His steps quickened.
His path took him to the hill behind Manor Row, but he was too agitated to care whether he arrived at the front or back of Olivia’s old home. He just wanted to be free to move quickly—he was almost as likely to draw attention on the streets as Olivia given all the current excitement about their recent betrothal.
But as he hurried along the grassy hill, his eyes found two people instead of the manor he sought. They were engaged in an intense conversation, and even from a distance, he easily recognized them—Olivia and Cade.
Neither of them had noticed his approach, and as he watched, Olivia leaned toward Cade, placing a familiar hand on his arm. A knot formed in Julius’s gut, and he strode faster.
Olivia’s words reached his ears. “Surely together we can convince Julius to?—”
“To what?” he asked, his voice sounding harsh in his own ears. “I’m here, so you can ask me directly.”
He wasn’t sure he actually wanted her to answer, though. Everything about the scene made him deeply uncomfortable, and he had no desire to help with whatever plan they were hatching. He knew his mother intended to find a man of the court for Olivia to marry instead of him, but Julius found the whole concept increasingly distasteful, and the idea of that man being Cade was unthinkable. Even if Cade knew the truth of Julius’s engagement to Olivia, it would still be a betrayal of friendship and loyalty for him to court her while she was Julius’s betrothed. If Cade thought he could win Julius’s blessing, he was sorely mistaken.
Olivia turned startled eyes on him, but her face showed no guilt. She did, however, throw a quick look at Cade. Something significant and unspoken passed between them, and Julius’s stomach clenched again.
“I suppose this is why you didn’t wait for me,” he said, stopping in front of the two of them but looking only at Olivia. “You already had an escort.”
Olivia tipped her head to the side, looking confused. “What do you mean? Did you want me to wait for you? I didn’t know you were coming this way.”
“You didn’t know I was…” Words failed him, and he ran a hand through his hair, needing some outlet for the frustration boiling inside him.
Olivia exchanged another look with Cade, this time one of obvious bewilderment.
“I always stand ready to escort Lady Olivia anywhere she needs to go.” Cade gave Olivia a warm smile that seemed to carry a wealth of meaning. “But on this occasion, we met by chance, here on Manor Row.”
Julius frowned, his understanding of the situation only growing more tangled.
“If you didn’t have an alternative escort,” he asked Olivia, “then why did you leave without me?”
Olivia shook her head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Were you expecting me to go somewhere with you this morning? I’d made plans to visit my aunt’s house, remember?” She gestured at a small bag by her feet.
“Of course I remember. That’s why I’m here.” He ran his hand through his hair again, wondering if they were speaking a different language. “I especially asked my mother to give us both the morning off so that I could take you to your aunt and uncle’s.”
Olivia’s eyes widened. “You asked for the morning off as well? You were planning to accompany me?”
“Of course! That’s what we discussed.”
Olivia shook her head, a stubborn light coming into her eyes. “You never said anything like that. I’m sure I would have remembered.”
Julius’s brows drew together. “But I said…” His words trailed off as he tried to remember exactly what he’d said. Now that she was asking, he couldn’t remember actually saying the words.
Cade cleared his throat with what sounded suspiciously like a suppressed chuckle. “You’ll have to excuse him, Lady Olivia.” He leaned closer, talking in an exaggerated whisper that easily reached Julius’s ears. “You have a way of disabling his usual eloquence.”
Julius’s brows snapped together, but he couldn’t deny it. Would he never stop misstepping when it came to Olivia? How could he ever succeed as future king if he was so easily thrown off balance?
