Page 58 of The Butterfly
Olivia offered a smile, finding that the motion came easier than it had in some time. Perhaps the unburdening of her darkest secrets had lifted some of the weight from her own shoulders. With Daphne here to offer assistance, to bear some of that weight, perhaps everything would be all right, after all.
“I am sure. If you and Niall can gather them all together, bring me into their midst, and let me do the rest. I cannot stand back and let you all go off to fight without doing my part.”
Returning her smile, Daphne gave her hands a squeeze. “Very well. I am certain hearing your story will make them all the more determined to help bring him down.”
“What’s this, then?” Niall’s voice intruded.
Olivia released Daphne and turned to find him descending upon them, having just come from the house still wearing his greatcoat. He and Serena must have just finished their walk.
“Hello, Niall,” she said, coming forward to meet him.
He grasped her shoulders, gazing down into her eyes, then to Daphne with a withering glare. “She’s been cryin’. What did ye do to her?”
Before Daphne could reply, Olivia wrapped her arms around him, leaning in so they were pressed together. “It was none of her doing. But, there is something we must discuss.”
“I’ll leave the two of you alone,” Daphne said, edging past them with a little smile in Olivia’s direction.
She nodded to the other woman—a new friend, she supposed she must think of her now, an ally. Once she had disappeared from the garden, Olivia turned back to Niall, gazing up into his face to find concern and curiosity marring his brow.
“What’s goin’ on,mo gradh?”
“Daphne told me about your plans—”
“Goddamn it, I told her I didnae want ye involved!”
Standing on tiptoe, she pressed a finger to his lips. “She did the right thing, Niall. I know you only want to protect me, but I am tired of being coddled. I am not as fragile as I once was, and the time has come for me to have a hand in my own protection, and my daughter’s, as well. I know that it can only expose Serena if I testify, when all the world is not even aware of her existence. It is for that reason I cannot testify—I will not subject her to public scrutiny and scorn.”
He relaxed against her. “That’s a wise choice, Livvie.”
“Yes,” she agreed. “However, Ihavedecided to help the two of you recruit his other victims and convince them to come forward. Daphne and I think that if they knew what the Fairchild family did to me, they would see they are not alone … they would perhaps understand how important it is that we stand up to him in some way. If I can be instrumental in that, then I will do what I must.”
Niall wrapped his arms around her and lifted her until her feet left the ground and she rested against his chest, her eyes level with his. “I dinnae like this, but—”
“Please do not try to stop me, Niall. This is what I feel I must do.”
He kissed the tip of her nose and smirked. “Hear me out,mo gradh. I dinnae like this. I worry that it’ll hurt ye to speak of it, that someone will go flappin’ their jaw, tellin’ yer secrets. I dinnae want ye anywhere near any of it.But… we’ve made so many decisions for ye over the years, thinkin’ ye weren’t well enough to make them for yerself. I know now that was a mistake. Me and Adam didnae know better, but I see how strong ye are, and how hard ye fought to get back to us. So, if ye tell me ye’re sure, and this is what ye want to do, then I willnae stop ye. I’ll do everything I can to help ye.”
Olivia did not think she’d ever loved him more, and she showed him so without words. Clinging to his neck, she captured his mouth in a long, lingering kiss, pouring every bit of affection she felt for him into it. He tightened his hold upon her, sparking heat between their bodies, bringing parts of her to life that she’d worried for years had been destroyed by Bertram. The surface of her skin tingled, her breasts tightening, belly quivering as she thought of coercing him into laying her down and joining their bodies right here in the garden.
“You are the greatest gift God could have given me,” she murmured. “I am grateful for you, Niall, and I love you so much. Thank you … for everything you’ve ever done for me.”
He shook his head, the furrows in his brow becoming deeper and more defined. “Ye dinnae have to pretend as if I’ve always been good to ye. We both know I’m the one who sent you rushin’ off to London. If I’d been brave enough to follow our plan instead of lettin’ yer da scare me into endin’ things, ye never would’ve been hurt.”
It broke her heart that he still felt he shouldered blame for what had happened. He had finally come clean years ago during one of her more lucid moments, telling her all of what had occurred between him and her stepfather … how he’d only pushed her away in order to protect her. He still did not understand that she did not hate him for it—she only loved him all the more.
“I have never blamed you for any of it,” she assured him. “And you should not blame yourself. What’s done is done, Niall. We can only look forward, and once Bertram has been dealt with, we will be free to do just that.”
His face finally smoothed over, the smile she so adored coming forth and reminding her of the boy she’d fallen in love with. “Ye’re the love of my life,mo cridhe.Ye know that?”
Threading her fingers in his hair, she moved in for another kiss. “And you are mine, my love … forever and always.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
iall and Daphne made good on their plan by noon the following day. Olivia had just sat down to tea with Serena when they came to tell her the news. There would be a gathering of women at the home of Miss Winifred Bellingham this evening—six of Bertram’s accusers had agreed to hear them out. According to Daphne, Miss Bellingham had not been harmed by Bertram, but had been engaged to him for a short time … before Adam had told her of his misdeeds as part of his plan to ruin him. It had worked, as she’d called off the engagement months ago, not long before word had begun to spread that the Fairchilds were now destitute. Apparently, she and Daphne had become friends, and she was keen to help them in any way she could.
“Even if only half of them agree to testify, it will be enough,” Daphne told her, eyes wide and bright as she sat to join them for tea. “But, it is my hope that once they all hear what you have to say, and are made to understand how important this is, every last one of them will be willing to join us.”
“They will be,” Niall remarked, lifting Serena out of her seat, taking it for himself, then setting her upon his knee. “But once they agree, we’ll need to move fast. This morning, Adam told me he means to meet with Bertram tomorrow night. He’s pretended to cave in to the demand for sixty-thousand pounds, but when they come face to face, Hart’ll put a bullet in his skull.”
