“What do you suppose he is going to say to Papa when he arrives?” Cecelia could hardly contain her excitement as she stood beside the window watching for the arrival of the coach carrying Magnus Forsythe.
Because, much to Olivia’s dismay, Magnus had sent a note to the Fitzgeralds’ home in time to be read over breakfast. It was not addressed to Olivia, as she had thought it should be, but to her Uncle Cormac, requesting a meeting with the older gentleman at eleven o’clock this morning.
Olivia had a terrible premonition of what Magnus might wish to discuss with her uncle. The thought of him revealing how shameful her behavior had been with him, aboard his ship and then again yesterday evening, filled her with dread and caused her eyes to sting with humiliated unshed tears.
But Olivia could think of no other reason for Magnus’s visit when he had been so cold and silent after Cecelia had interrupted them in the conservatory the night before.
Olivia could not stop remembering how he had looked at her with those emotionless blue eyes.
How he had barely seemed to be able to do even that, let alone touch her again.
Because he believed Olivia was no better than her aunt, and had tried to trick or compromise him?
Olivia thought that might be the case. Which meant Magnus was coming here to discuss her behavior with her uncle and no doubt offer advice as to what was to be done about curbing such behavior in future with other gentlemen.
Well, whatever Magnus and her uncle discussed regarding Olivia or her behavior was of no consequence. She did not believe she had done anything wrong, nor did she regret her actions in the slightest.
Admittedly, she and Magnus had shared intimacies together, more so than Olivia would ever wish to admit to her aunt and uncle or Cecelia. But Magnus had instigated those intimacies by asking her to dance a waltz in the gallery and then inviting her into the privacy of the conservatory.
Yes, he had done so with her agreement, but she still did not believe she was the only one to merit being reprimanded. Besides, no matter how intimate they had been together, her virginity remained intact.
It was, perhaps, the only saving grace in this situation.
However Magnus might now feel about that situation, Olivia did not believe she merited being brought to task over it, either by him or her uncle.
Especially so when Olivia had now realized she loved Magnus to the very core of her being.
The reason she knew this to be true was because the mere thought of the two of them parting in such unhappy circumstances and never seeing each other again was enough to break the heart which belonged completely and exclusively to Magnus.
A love he obviously did not feel for her when the only reason he was coming to her uncle’s home today was to criticize her behavior.
Oh, Olivia had no doubt that Magnus desired her, and he had admitted to enjoying her company too. But love?
No, they had not known each other long enough for such a cautious gentleman as he to have allowed his heart to be won over.
“Perhaps he is coming here to ask Papa’s permission to court you,” Cecelia speculated.
Olivia bristled. “Do not be ridiculous— I apologize for my sharpness,” she groaned when she saw Cecelia’s hurt expression. “But your father is only my temporary guardian. And anyone looking at the admiral can see that the only thing he wishes to be married to is the sea. Nor,” she continued firmly before Cecelia could argue the point, “does he have any interest in becoming involved with someone like me.” The reason for which she couldn’t share with her cousin if Cecelia’s own mother had chosen not to tell her of the past. “He is more likely coming to ask your father to administer a suitable punishment for my having been alone with him yesterday evening.”
“That seems a little unfair when he is surely as much to blame for—”
“If you will excuse me.” Olivia rose hastily to her feet as she heard a carriage arriving outside. “I believe I shall go for a walk.”
“But—but—”
“Close your mouth, darling Cecelia, or you will start to catch flies,” she drawled teasingly when her cousin continued to gape at her.
“But you cannot go out when the admiral has just arrived,” Cecelia recovered enough to protest, confirming it was the carriage bearing Magnus that now stood outside the Fitzgerald’s home.
“By writing to your father, Mag…the admiral, made it clear he is not here to see me,” Olivia reminded calmly.
“Yes, but—”
“There are no buts in this situation,” she rebuked. “I shall walk down to the cove to see if I can spot any seals.” It had become one of the pleasures she most enjoyed after the first time of discovering several seals sunning themselves on the rocks in the bay closest to her aunt and uncle’s home. “I would appreciate it if you did not reveal my whereabouts to your mother or anyone else,” she added in warning.
Cecelia grimaced uncomfortably. “You know how I always give in and tell Mama whatever she wishes to know when she looks at me with that gentle reproach in her eyes.”
Yes, Olivia did know. Her own mother had far less success when she tried to do the same to her. But that was perhaps because Franny Fitzgerald was a far nicer person than Olivia’s mother.
She gave Cecelia’s arm a squeeze. “Do your best to resist, hm?”
Cecelia’s smile was rueful. “I shall try.”
It was all Olivia could ask in the circumstances. The truth was she had to get away before Magnus’s presence in the house prevented her from doing so.
Hopefully, by the time she returned, Magnus would have said his piece to her uncle, and, with Olivia nowhere to be found to be chastised, he would simply leave again.
Knowing Magnus as she did, Olivia doubted that would be the last she heard on the subject, but she only had to remain elusive until after he had left the island tomorrow.
The thought of not seeing him again caused an aching feeling in her chest. But the alternative of the two of them meeting as if they were polite strangers instead of lovers was even more painful.
No, Olivia had no intention of seeing Magnus again before his ship was due to sail away on the tide tomorrow evening.
Magnus strode forcefully toward the cove where Cecelia Fitzgerald, questioned by her mother, had reluctantly admitted Olivia had disappeared to the moment Magnus arrived.
His conversation with Cormac Fitzgerald had been more amiable than he could have hoped for in the circumstances. Only for it to be revealed afterward that Olivia was missing from the house, after a message was sent for her to join them in the older man’s study.
Magnus had no doubt Olivia’s absence would be deliberate on her part. She knew of his expected arrival and had decided to ensure she could not be found.
She was, without a doubt, the most infuriating woman he had ever met.
Also, the most desirable.
The most likeable.
The most intriguing.
Uniquely so, in regard to all those things.
Which was what made it doubly worrying to Magnus that Olivia had chosen to leave the house, even though she knew he had arrived, rather than face the possibility of seeing him today.
She truly was infuriating!
Admittedly, Magnus had written to her uncle, requesting permission to call upon the older man this morning, but social etiquette dictated he had to do so. Much as he and Olivia had flouted convention by meeting alone several times, they could not do so in her aunt and uncle’s home.
He came to a halt halfway down the rocky path down into the cove, his eyes narrowing as he searched the sandy beach and rocks for the young woman who aroused and irritated him in equal measure.
Not able to see Olivia, he began to question whether Cecelia Fitzgerald had sent him on a wild-goose chase. But then he chanced to see a flash of violet peeping over the top of a rock formation toward the end of the cove and realized that it was the top of Olivia’s bonnet. It was followed by a sight of the creaminess of her brow and cheeks as she lifted up enough to be able to look toward the pathway where he stood.
The fact she was seated behind the cover of those rocks at all was reason enough for him to believe Olivia had hoped she would not be found. If he had not caught that brief glimpse of her bonnet and face, she would not have been.
Magnus’s lips thinned as he now strode with purpose toward those rocks.
His booted feet sank into the sand, scratching the polished leather as well as making progress more difficult, and adding to his annoyance in being inconvenienced in this deliberate way.
A discomfort Magnus intended Olivia to be made fully aware of the moment he was once again in her presence.
Oh dear Lord!
Olivia had seen Magnus in any number of moods during their short acquaintance. Cool and polite, then surprisingly warm and cordial, followed by deeply passionate, and then a return to that cold politeness.
But she could never remember seeing him look quite so thunderous as he did standing on the path leading down into the cove where she sat behind the shelter of some rocks.
She was taking refuge from the cold wind coming in off the sea, Olivia had told herself when she secreted herself away there. All the time knowing she was lying to herself, and it was Magnus she was hiding from, if he should care enough to come looking for her.
In her defense, her avoidance arose from the fact she truly didn’t think she could bear to again see that cold arrogance on his face as when the two of them parted the previous evening.
The sand muted his footfalls, but Olivia was nevertheless aware of Magnus’s rapid approach. Why he hadn’t simply given her up as a lost cause and gone on his way, she had no idea. She had hoped that her absence from the house would be enough to deter him from speaking with her, at least for today. Obviously, it hadn’t. She—
Olivia gave an unladylike squawk as, having rounded the shelter of the rocks, Magnus wasted no time in conversation, but instead lifted her in his arms before dropping to sit upon one of the rocks and then flipping her over onto her stomach. Before Olivia was even able to regain her breath, he commenced to administer several hard and resounding smacks to the cheeks of her bottom.
Olivia, too shocked at first to respond, was finally able to turn an outraged glare in his direction. “How dare you—”
“Does it hurt?” He scowled at her.
She blinked. “It stings dreadfully—”
“A sting is not the effect I wished for,” he muttered before throwing up the back of her skirts and delivering three more hard spanks to her drawer-covered bottom cheeks. “Now?”
“Magnus, you cannot—”
“Obviously not,” he bit out, pulling down the material of her drawers.
Olivia’s outrage turned to a pained gasp as Magnus landed three hard smacks to her completely bared bottom.
“Better,” he murmured with satisfaction before proceeding to administer several more spanks in rapid succession. “You knew I was calling upon your uncle this morning, and yet you deliberately chose to go out when you heard my carriage arrive. As a consequence, I have been put to the trouble of seeking you out.” Each sentence spoken was accompanied by at least two more smacks, three during the first and longer one. “You are infuriating. Maddening. Unreasonable.” Three more sharp slaps burned her poor hot and stinging flesh.
Olivia was being bombarded by a myriad of emotions, and far too rapidly for her to be able to deal with and recognize all of them. She did, however, know exactly what the heat was which was currently coursing through her body and causing her nipples to engorge and between her thighs to become slick and hot.
Arousal.
Because Magnus had spanked her!
How could that be? It was barbaric for a man to spank a woman.
Unconscionable.
Unforgiveable.
And yet…
Far from feeling outraged, the whole of Olivia’s body tingled with a sexual awareness. The cheeks of her bottom more than stung; the ache went deep into her core. Her breasts felt swollen as they hung down and almost burst free of her gown. Between her thighs throbbed, and the material of her drawers was soaking wet with the release of her aroused juices, the nubbin hidden amongst her folds so swollen, it rubbed against that chafing dampness.
But none of it was enough to bring her any relief.
“Are you rubbing your clit against my thigh?” Magnus questioned incredulously, the instant tensing of Olivia’s body enough to tell him that was exactly what she’d been about. “I have released a monster!” He raised his eyes heavenward. “This is meant as punishment, not pleasure, Olivia,” he added sternly. “What did you say?” he prompted after she’d mumbled something too softly for him to hear.
She turned to give him another glare from those glittering violet eyes. “I said I am not the only one who deserves to be punished, when you are as much to blame for last night as I am.”
Magnus had ceased all movement the moment he saw the tears glistening on the pallor of Olivia’s cheeks. One of his hands remained on her back holding her in place, the other on her still bared and red and heated bottom cheeks. “I am not spanking you because of last night.” He pulled up her drawers and rearranged the skirt of her gown to cover them before turning Olivia in his arms.
She gave a pained gasp as he settled her so that her sore bottom was seated on his thighs.
A single glance at his face now caused her to bury the dampness of her cheeks against his chest. “Then why did you spank me?” She sniffled against his shirt.
“For running away from me this morning,” he explained gently.
“I was not running away from you. I was—I was—I was ensuring you did not have to see me again this morning,” she finally managed to defend.
Magnus did not enjoy seeing this fiery woman so discomposed, especially when he knew the spanking he’d just administered to be partially responsible for it.
He’d had a temper when he was younger, but his years as an officer and then admiral in the navy meant he had learned to control those impulses. Knowing Olivia was not only absent from the house, but had actually run away from him had snapped that control as if it were no more than a twig.
“You must have known that once I had finished my conversation with your uncle, I would want to see and speak with you,” he gently admonished.
Olivia’s head remained bowed. “Is it not already humiliating enough that I have insulted my aunt and uncle’s hospitality with my scandalous behavior, without also having to suffer through the embarrassment of listening while you berate me for it in front of them?”
Magnus drew back until he was able to fully see Olivia’s damp and flushed face. “Olivia, why do you think I called to speak with your uncle this morning?”
Some of her usual fire gleamed briefly in her eyes before she gave another sniffle of misery. “To inform him he needs to take a firmer control of me and my actions, before I embarrass him and his family as well as myself.”
It was so far from the truth, Magnus could have laughed at the irony of it. Except he didn’t think Olivia would appreciate his laughter when she was looking, and obviously feeling, so miserable.
His arms moved to hold her more tightly against him. “I called upon your uncle this morning to formally ask his permission to spend time with you until I leave tomorrow to sail back to London. Once back in England, with your agreement, I will visit your parents and ask your father’s permission for the two of us to marry.”
Whatever response Magnus had been expecting to his words, it wasn’t to have Olivia push away from him with a look of horror on her face before she struggled to her feet and stepped back and away from him.
“No,” she told him forcefully, her cheeks now flushed with anger. “No, and again no! I will not now, nor will I ever, agree to marry you!” She turned on her heel and ran across the sand, far more fleet of foot than Magnus’s bulk had managed when he joined her a few minutes ago.