Prescott stopped chewing.
“I’ve come to the conclusion that you have a right to know a secret. However, like the rest of the details regarding this adventure, it must be guarded very carefully.”
His son nodded solemnly. “Miss Sloane would be in great trouble if it became known that she helped us, wouldn’t she?”
“Yes. But that isn’t the only secret you must keep. You asked me to meet Lady Loose Screw,” continued John. “And I have.”
Olivia went very still.
“It is Miss Sloane who wrote those letters. She is your unknown correspondent.”
Silence. And then his son’s mouth quirked up at the corners. “Oh, I’ve known that for ages, Father.”
“But…” John straightened in surprise. “How?”
“Miss Caro—Miss Sloane’s sister—told me,” answered Prescott. “She explained that I must keep it a Very Private Secret, and be patient because there are always many daunting obstacles in the way of True Love.” A pause. “So I didn’t even tell Lucy.”
“I think that I shall lock away my sister’s books of romantic poetry,” murmured Olivia. “And throw away the key.”
“An excellent idea,” said John. “There is a very deep lake at Wrexham Manor. With lots of thick, slimy mud at its bottom.”
Prescott did not appear discouraged by the exchange. “Indeed, Miss Caro said her sister Anna, who is very knowledgeable about all things concerning romance, felt that the two of you were well suited and it was only a matter of time before you both came to realize it.”
“Forget the key. Is your lake big enough for two bodies?” inquired Olivia under her breath.
“So.” Prescott fixed them with a curious stare. “Have you found a path around the obstacles?”
John cleared his throat.
“It’s not that simple,” said Olivia very carefully.
“That’s what Lucy said when I first wrote the advertisement,” intoned his son. “She said marriage is very complicated for ladies and gentlemen of the aristocracy. They must marry for practical reasons and not for love.” He made a face. “I’m not sure I want to be an earl when I grow up if it means I have to live with a lady who wears a steel corset.”
“As I said, Lucy is a very wise little girl,” Olivia. “It is hard to explain but, well, things are not quite so black and white as she paints—”
Another cough, this one louder, cut her off.
“You need not worry about living within the strictures of a steel corset, Scottie,” said John. “After long deliberation, I have come to the conclusion that it would be wrong of me to make an offer to Lady Serena. Lucy is only partly right. Ladies and gentlemen of the ton do indeed have an number of practical reasons to consider when thinking of marriage.”
He looked at Olivia, trying to discern what spark of emotion might be hiding beneath the scrim of her lashes. “But that does not mean that the heart has no say in the matter. I do not love Lady Serena, and I don’t believe that she loves me. Mutual respect may be enough for many couples, however I have decided that I want to feel more than a lukewarm feeling for the lady I ask to be my bride.”
Prescott expelled an audible whoosh of relief.
Olivia’s reaction was impossible to gauge.
That, John decided, was an obstacle to hurdle at a later time. For now, it was probably best to simply deal with the immediate ruts in the road.
“Speaking of Wrexham Manor,” he said, after taking a long moment to pour himself another cup of coffee. “Unless the two of you are too exhausted to travel, I should like to leave for Shropshire within the hour.”
The announcement drew an enthusiastic endorsement from his son. “That’s a thumping good idea, Father! I want Lucy to see my eye before it fades to boring black.”
“Yes, an excellent suggestion,” agreed Olivia. “But won’t logistics present a problem now that there are three of us?”
“I’ve arranged a way around that,” answered John. “Lord Lumley will not be needing a wheeled vehicle for the next journey he will be taking.” He quickly explained the reasoning behind his decision, feeling it important that his son understand why justice had to take a roundabout route.
“So we will make use of the viscount’s coach to return to the Manor,” he finished. “The innkeeper has agreed to lend us a stablehand to drive us, and I will send Wilkins back with him to retrieve the cabriolet.”
“Ah.” Olivia traced a pattern of small squares on the waxed wood tabletop. “It seems you are already thinking three moves ahead of me.”