“We will have a cart of wood sent over to her right away,” Max said.
Mr. Johnson’s eyes widened. “Good, good. It will set my wife’s mind at ease. Are those your daughters, my lord?” he pointed to the girls.
“No, my younger sisters. I’m not married as of yet, much to my mother’s dismay.”
Mr. Johnson chuckled. “It was nice to meet you, Lord Rivenhall. Have fun skating.” He tipped his hat again and strolled away.
“That was very generous.” Olivia turned to Max. His immediate offer had surprised her as well. It was nothing less than what she would have done, but the decisive action spoke volumes about how Max already thought of his position as caretaker of this land and its tenants.
“We can’t let people freeze to death.” He shrugged his shoulders.
She tilted her head up to assess his expression of what looked to be forced nonchalance. “I know you are overwhelmed by the prospect of being Rivenhall, and you have a lot to learn, but you have good instincts. I think you’ll do well in your new role.” She patted his arm. “Come on, let’s skate.”
“No, I think I shall just watch.”
Olivia sat down on the bench, and Kit rushed over with the remaining two pairs of blades. “Don’t be silly,” she said. “You promised me I could watch you make a fool of yourself. Sit down and let Kit strap on your blades.”
Max sighed but sat down and waited for Kit to cinch the leather straps tightly around his boots. They stood and cautiously clomped down to the pond’s edge. A large tree grew there. Above them its thick gnarled branches stretched out over the ice. Olivia stepped onto the ice first. Finding her balance, she gave a push and glided out onto the main part of the pond. Max’s sisters skated over.
“Olivia! This is wonderful. What a nice pond to skate on,” Ginny exclaimed.
Olivia smiled. “I haven’t skated in ages.” She pushed out again and enjoyed the cold air against her cheeks as she gained some speed. She executed a spin, and the world whirled by in a blur of white. Louisa and Ginny clapped. Olivia came to a stop and gave a little curtsy. When she looked up, she saw Max still standing in the snow on the side of the pond. She skated forward. “Come on out. I promise to help you.”
He shook his head. His sisters skated toward him and echoed what she’d said, beckoning him to come onto the ice. Max stepped one foot onto the ice, wobbled almost losing his balance, then managed to get both feet balanced. He grinned.
Olivia held out a hand. “Now, just skate slowly to me.”
He moved one foot forward, lost his balance, and in a desperate attempt to stay upright, grabbed hold of a low tree branch above him. The branch shook as it took his weight and all the snow clinging to it tumbled onto Max’s head and no doubt down the collar of his coat. The expression of shock on his face was priceless. Olivia clapped a gloved hand over her mouth to stifle her chuckle, but Max’s sisters had no such compunction; they howled with laughter.
Max ripped off his hat and shook the snow off. He gave his sisters a dark look as he brushed snow from his shoulders. Olivia took pity and skated up directly in front of him. Once he had his hat back in place, she took hold of his hands and slowly skated backward, pulling him along.
“I don’t know how I let them talk me into this,” he muttered. He gripped her fingers tightly as he shuffled along.
“Because you are a good big brother,” Olivia replied. “You were never an excellent skater, but I do remember you being able to at least stay on your feet.”
“It’s been ten years since I have skated. I’m rusty.” He grimaced as they hit an uneven part, and he tripped a little. “Besides, Henry was as terrible as me, so it never mattered if the two of us tumbled around like drunks on the ice. Half of the time, we pushed each other down on purpose just to embarrass the other in front of you.”
Olivia raised an eyebrow. “Did you now?”
Max grinned again, and she was glad to see his good humor return. “Henry never skated anymore. He said that married men did not ice-skate; that it was only for foolish bachelors looking to impress the ladies. He always stood on the side smoking with the other married men.”
Max’s smile disappeared. He let go of one of her hands, and they turned to move across the ice side by side. Still moving slowly as Max’s movements were stiff and stilted. They had made a whole loop around the pond before Max spoke again. “I am still struggling to come to terms that the two of you were married.”
“Perhaps if you had replied to any of Henry’s letters, you would have come to the wedding and seen for yourself.” Olivia felt the old bitterness rise in her throat. Max’s abandonment had not only hurt her but Henry as well.
“I couldn’t.”
“Couldn’t be bothered, you mean.” She dropped his hand.
Max grabbed it back, holding it in a tight grip. “No. I couldn’t. I couldn’t watch you pledge yourself to him.” His eyes flashed with fire. “I couldn’t bear that your heart could belong to another.”
Olivia froze at his tortured words. She opened her mouth and closed it again. Why would he even have cared after leaving them without a word for two years? He was the one who had severed their friendship, their dreams for a future together.
“Olivia, come skate with me.” Louisa slid up next to them, followed by her sister.
“Yes, Louisa wants you to show her how to spin,” Ginny said. “I’ll stay and babysit Max.”
Louisa reached for her hand. “How do you spin without getting dizzy and falling over?”