At eighteen, Olivia Bridgerton-Sharpe is not a girl of many means. Her mother and father run a printing shop and she, along with her sister and two brothers, has been an apprentice, learning the tools of the trade, even if she does not plan to engag...
"[Confidence] shows character, not just a willingness to please." The Secret Journal of B.T.
"Olivia, I cannot believe you did such a thing. It was awe-inspiring. You went up against the queen and stunned her into silence. She did not name a diamond after your display." Caroline, who had witnessed the entire charade alongside the rest of the ton, was amazed by her cousin's courage. "I saw many gentlemen who were appalled, and a few who were intrigued. I believe you may be a bride this season, if you wish to be.
"I am not afraid to speak my mind, as much as the queen might wish me to stay silent. I can only hope a gentleman will wish to pursue me." She would never apologize for staying true to herself. It did, however, make things more difficult for her.
Most gentlemen—most men—would be terrified to take on such an outspoken woman as a wife. It meant she may not be obedient to him. Every man wishes for a subservient woman who will cater to their needs and produce an heir.
Her dream went far beyond that. She wished for a partner. The first item on her list of requirements was to have a friendship with the man she would marry. Next was that she was viewed as an equal in her husband's eyes. Third was that they found a love that endured all things.
Without those three things as a foundation to a marriage, she could not and would not marry.
"You will find a man, of that I am sure. Do not lose hope, dear cousin. The season may still be kind to you yet," Caroline promised. They arrived at Hastings House and departed from the carriage. Daphne had yet to say a single word to Olivia.
August, her eldest cousin and next in line for the dukedom, talked next. "I will let you know if I hear anything from my friends. They may surprise you."
"I will as well. August and I do not run in the same circles," David, the next eldest male cousin in the Basset family, said. It reassured her that her aunt's family was there to help, not just watch as she floundered.
The second child of Daphne and Simon's was a girl named Belinda. She had married and moved out long ago. Even Olivia, who was only a year or so younger than she, hardly knew her. They did not share many similarities. What few they did share were masked by separation and age. Daphne followed the same naming conventions her mama did for her five children.
"Thank you, all of you, for all the help you have given and will give." Olivia bowed her head to her cousins and departed to her room.
She could not help but imagine all her life could be. What if a man did sweep her off her feet? Her reveries were filled with a man—more a shadow than a face—dancing the night away with her. She dreamed of long days filled with laughter and even longer nights filled with whispered secrets. Her life would be perfect if she could find a man to love for the rest of her days.
When all was said and done, all Olivia Bridgerton-Sharpe wished for was love.
She saw how it bridged worlds, melded hearts, and mended lives.
Hopefully, she would find a man who could make her reveries a reality. If she did not, this would all be for nothing. The dresses and the shoes and the ballrooms and the music would be another world she would fail to grasp. She could not let this one go so easily.
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