Free Lady Olivia's Undoing by Anne Gallagher

Catherine?”
    “Catherine refuses to see me. I have sent
several letters. It is over with Catherine.” Henry’s lips sought
hers and then wound their way along her throat to the base of her
ear.
    Olivia nearly swooned. To be with Henry, just
once… had been her dream for nearly forty years. Would this truly
be her last chance? What about John? She could never make love with
another man. Could she?
    Henry’s lips ravaged hers once more. Olivia
could not control her yearning. Decades of unfulfilled dreams
lingered in the kiss. And then John’s face appeared. She pushed
Henry away. “I cannot. Not tonight.”
    Henry groaned. “Tomorrow then.” He kissed her
once more. “I cannot leave you never knowing.”
    It tore at her heart, but Henry was right.
They had never had their chance at happiness, and they might never
have another after he left for Spain. “All right then,
tomorrow.”
    Henry placed his hand along her throat and
kissed her long and hard. When he broke away, he looked
stricken.
    “Henry, what is it?” Olivia asked.
    “We will need to find another entrance and
have you straightened before we rejoin the others.”
    “Why? What have you done?” She looked down at
her gown. It sat askew on her body, its corseted form twisted to
her left side. Her breasts were nearly exposed from their silken
constraints and one of Olivia’s shoulder straps was torn.
    She glanced at Henry aghast, yet quietly
delighted by what had transpired between them. “Help me.”
    Henry stifled a laugh. He placed his hands
around her waist and tugged on her gown. It slid to the right. He
ran his hand up her arm and wrapped the ripped lace of her gown
over her shoulder, and tucked it into her chemise strap. He smiled.
“Forgive me. I shall pay for the alteration.” He leaned over and
kissed her.
    “You truly make me want to be wicked,” Olivia
whispered. “But we must return to the ballroom.” She pushed at his
chest. “Tell me, how do I look?”
    “As if you have just had a naughty tryst with
a man who is not your husband.”
    Olivia laughed. “Well, they cannot very well
fault me for making love to you , now can they?” Olivia had
waited nearly forty years to feel Henry’s lips on hers again. She
didn’t care what Society thought.
    “I dare say not.” Henry held out his arm.
Olivia placed her hand in the crook of it, and walked with him back
into the ballroom. Again, the room quieted and then just as
quickly, erupted in a cacophony of sound, like surprised starlings
in a meadow.
    Henry and Olivia danced. Henry and Olivia
walked around the room twice and spoke only to each other. Henry
and Olivia dined by themselves. Olivia blushed at Henry’s fawning
like a girl of twenty and didn’t care who saw her. She was reliving
their lost past. It was as if they had never been apart.
    Olivia and Henry were outside on the dining
room terrace sipping lemonade, when Constance arrived, out of
breath.
    “Olivia, I’m glad I found you. May we take
the carriage? Ariana’s leg pains her.”
    “Yes, of course.” She glanced at Henry.
“However, I will go with you.”
    “What?” Constance and Henry both said.
    Olivia turned to Henry. “Darling, tonight has
been simply wonderful. But I must go. It is late and I have several
things to attend early.” She wrapped her hand around his arm,
leaned up, and kissed him on the cheek. “I will look forward to
seeing you tomorrow.”
    Henry called for their carriage, waited for
the women as they gathered their coats, and escorted them out.
Henry obligingly helped Ariana and then Constance into the
coach.
    He took Olivia by the hand, leaned in and
whispered, “Until tomorrow.”
    “Yes.” Olivia accepted his hand as he helped
her into the coach and then shut the door. He gave two raps on the
side, and the carriage lurched as the horses took off.
    Constance sniffed. “Well, you certainly made
a display of yourself tonight.”
    “Mama, please,” Ariana said. “Cousin Olivia
did no