Hearts Entwined (Victorian Love #3) - M.A. Nichols Page 0,63

jabbing a finger at her as she disappeared.

Oliver held up his hands, his brows pulled together. “I—”

“No matter how explicitly I deny her, I cannot spend even a few minutes alone without her haranguing me, desperate to add me to her list of conquests and hurt your mother in the process. And yet you are willingly casting aside a good lady in favor of a Banfield—”

“I am doing nothing of the sort!”

“Do you honestly think that anyone who has witnessed your behavior of late believes that?” Father’s voice rose with each word, but he caught himself, letting out a huff of a breath. He placed his hands on his hips, and he dropped his head.

Father stood there for several silent moments. The sound of chatter and laughter echoed in the distance, and when he spoke again, his voice barely carried over it. “I do not speak out of turn, Oliver. Your interest in the Banfield girl has been marked by every member of the party. You are toying with the affections of two ladies, and if you care for either of them, you must desist.”

Shifting from foot to foot, Oliver relaxed his jaw and released the breath stuck in his lungs. “I know, and I cannot bear the thought of causing them any more heartache. I’ve already broken with Miss Sophie.”

Father sighed with a faint smile. “It’s for the best.”

Oliver’s stomach gave a sour turn, his heart dropping in his chest as he nodded; that simple movement felt like the worst lie he’d ever spoken. And something in Father’s expression said he understood Oliver’s disbelief.

Meeting his son’s eyes with unflinching strength, his father confessed, “I courted Mrs. Banfield before I met your mother. I thought myself madly in love with her, and that no other could ever hold my heart as she did. When she married another, I was foolish enough to believe I would never love again.”

Father huffed, shaking his head at his past self as his eyes drifted away for several quiet moments.

“You know your mother and I married for convenience, but when we exchanged vows, I was still enamored with Mrs. Banfield. I kept your mother at arm’s length because I believed my feelings for her could never compare to the silly sentiments I harbored for that woman.”

Shifting, Father kicked at the ground, grinding his teeth together. He took a deep breath through his nose before he continued. “Then Mrs. Banfield and I were thrown together in a situation similar to your own, and I sought her out time and time again, convinced my behavior was innocent. Warm friendship. Nothing more. And all the while, my dear, endlessly kind, and beautiful wife’s heart broke as I fawned over another.”

Tugging at the stock tied around his neck, Father rubbed a finger across the crooked bend of his nose. “To this day, I cannot think back on my behavior without abhorrence. I was never unfaithful to your mother, but neither was I the faithful husband she deserved.”

He gave another huff and kicked at the ground again. “With time, I came to see the truth behind Mrs. Banfield’s demure mask. She didn’t care for me, and what I felt for her was nothing but an infatuation kept alive by my own stupidity and stubbornness.”

“Father—”

But the gentleman shook his head. “You are committing the same folly, Oliver. Learn from my mistake and let go of this infatuation before it costs you dearly.”

Oliver tucked his hands behind him, his gaze turning to the pond. There was a little breeze, causing ripples along the glassy surface; the green of the foliage and grass created a stark contrast to the dark water. But his thoughts were far from the idyllic view before him.

Father’s words only confirmed and strengthened his decision to sever ties to Miss Sophie, but the weight pressing on his chest did not lighten.

“As I have said, I know my duty, and I shan’t shirk my responsibility to my family or Miss Caswell,” said Oliver, his strength ebbing with each word; he maintained his upright posture with the last of his reserves.

“Duty and responsibility?” Father’s brows rose high, his tone echoing that surprise. “You sound like a condemned man.”

But Oliver was past the point of discussion. There was no more to say, nothing more to be done, and it did no good to bemoan his situation. Father called after him but, thankfully, did not follow as Oliver turned back to the party and strode to where Lily and the other young ladies