The weather kept them inside today and they spent the day in the salon. In the colder months, they chose a few rooms to heat properly, while the rest of the house was freezing cold. It was the only way to get through winter. Not that Octavia normally spent winter at Denham anymore, and after Julius returned, she’d probably retreat to London as well.
“You’re not the only injured creature Octavia has dragged back here,” her father said. “When she was younger, she was constantly bringing in broken-winged sparrows, and half-mauled rabbits to nurse. It never ended well.”
“I do hope I won’t suffer a similar fate,” Fortescue said.
Standing by the window, she ignored the conversation. Her father was trying to rile her up, but she had grown too wise for his attempts quite some years ago. Would Julius please hurry up and get here. Saying that, she wasn’t exactly suffering being away from London this season. It was a nice change of pace. Surprisingly, she hadn’t hated being a guest at Fortescue’s house. Melville made it tolerable, even if she was in threat of strangling their host a time or two.
Over time, she’d gotten used to his presence, and seeing him now, getting on well with her father, it seemed almost as if he was a fixture in her life. Strange how someone could become so familiar in a short period of time. While in many ways, he utterly grated on her nerves, he wasn’t stupid, nor was he busily trying to hide the cracks in the façade he was trying to convince the world with. Quite refreshing how Fortescue seemed to hide nothing about himself. He was open about his intentions and actions. Granted, some of those intentions hadn’t been in the best interest of the family, and maybe she should be worried about Eliza’s empathy for him. Luckily, she wasn’t here, but it might become an issue in London.
Her father laughed behind her. Now he had her father laughing. That was quite some feat. There was no doubting his charm, Octavia thought with an eye-roll. Slowly the man was ingratiating himself with every member of the family. Perhaps it had been a mistake bringing him here, but she couldn’t just leave him to freeze to death in his house.
Chapter 24
FINN SHIFTED UNCOMFORTABLY in his seat. The brace wasn’t comfortable and if he sat for too long, it became intolerable. Beside him, Lord Hennington cleared his pipe and returned to his paper.
“I think I must walk for a while,” Finn said. “I may even brave the veranda.”
“Careful of ice. The frost can stay in patches quite late into the day this time of year.”
“I will endeavor to survive.”
“Why don’t you join him, Octavia? See that he comes to no harm.”
Gritting his teeth, Finn smiled. He hated being so coddled, but he couldn’t fault their generosity. Unfortunately, rising out of the chair wasn’t an elegant procedure. It was awkward and required him to lift himself out by his arms. At this rate, he wondered if his back would fuse entirely from lack of movement. Fusing was the point of the brace, and as long as the broken vertebrae fused, the rest of the spine would have to simply deal with the less than ideal conditions.
The air was blustery when he got outside. The skies gray and the clouds moving swiftly. The rains had stopped for a while, but the stone walkways of the veranda were wet.
“You seem to have more strength,” she said as she joined him and closed the door to the salon.
“I am getting stronger every day.” He could feel his strength returning a little more each day. Naps were still required during the day, but they weren’t out of sheer exhaustion as they had been. More reviving. Granted, exertion of energy exhausted him quickly, but plain sitting was tolerable. A kind of equilibrium had been found in that regard. “I wish to thank you for all you have done. You’ve been very kind.”
Octavia’s cheeks colored slightly and she looked out across the lawn. “There are times when one must simply help.”
Not everyone felt that way. He certainly couldn’t see Lydia Forthill drop everything and come running. In fact, it hadn’t been Lydia Forthill who’d come to his aid, but Octavia. To begin with, she’d insisted it had been at Eliza’s prodding, and perhaps it had been, but she’d taken her task seriously, and still probably saw herself as responsible for him. That was what she did, set herself at tasks to help her family. He’d simply been at the receiving end of her protective machinations.
People didn’t always see that strength and concern, more her forceful manner, which some felt was unladylike. Mostly women. The men weren’t quite so judgmental. The men she turned her attention to were very flattered, but they disappointed her in some way, and she wasn’t forgiving of disappointments. Once she lost her faith in them, they couldn’t gain it back. No doubt they tried to—she was a fine catch for any man. Her dowry would have any man saying yes, but Octavia wasn’t looking for just any man.
There was some degree of jealousy on behalf of the women. Pettiness was directed at her. Perhaps for her behavior and that she directed her own courtships. She didn’t wait for a man to notice her, she flirted with the objects of her interest. They claimed it was unseemly.
“What will you do when your new sister-in-law returns?” he asked. The Forthill women seemed particularly upset by her and sought to put her in her place—something he couldn’t see Octavia tolerating. The world conformed itself to how Octavia wanted it to be.
“I will likely return to Caius’ house,” she said. It suggested Cressida Forthill made her existence intolerable. Unfortunately, it was her position to be dependent on others, a situation she was
