David from the one who had simply walked out of his old life because he wasn't able to face up to what he had done. Now he knew and understood the power negative emotions had to hurt their owner even more than those they were directed against. And Olivia was hurting—David knew that.
'Give her time,' Jon had counselled him.
There was David's son as well, but Jack had had the benefit of getting the parenting from Jon and Jenny that David and his ex-wife Tania had not been there to give him. Jack, unlike Olivia, was secure in himself...happy in himself. Jack might watch him with a certain wariness...waiting, judging...but there was none of the fury or the fear in Jack's reaction to his return that there had been in Olivia's.
Her point-blank refusal to see him or speak to him was perhaps understandable. Her father's return had come as a shock to her—he knew that and he knew, too, that he had hardly given her any reason to either love or respect him; but he had hoped that she would mellow a little towards him and at least attend the wedding party he and Honor had given at Fitzburgh Place. He was desperate to make some kind of reparation to her, to talk to her, to explain...apologise.
He had no right to expect her love; he acknowledged that. But it was her pain that made him hurt more than his own...her pain, his blame.
Every time he looked at Max and saw what Jon's son had become he reminded himself that Max had the very best parents any child could possibly have had, just as whenever he thought of Olivia he knew that she had not and that he and his selfishness were to blame for that.
As Honor saw the sadness in his eyes she guessed what had put it there—Olivia... She couldn't imagine how she would feel if one of her daughters were to reject her...to feel so hurt by her and detached from her that they refused to let her into their lives; or rather she could, and it was so untenable that it made her shiver.
Honor was a good listener and she had heard a lot about Olivia from other members of the family, not because they had gossiped about her or criticised her.
No, the Crightons if they were nothing else, were fiercely loyal to each other. No. What she had learned was how very concerned in their different ways all her relatives were for her.
'She was so happy when she and Caspar married,'
Jenny had said. 'And when the girls arrived...'
And her inference had been that the happiness had gone.
'She works too hard,' someone else had said and there had been other comments, all made with loving anxious concern which Honor had correctly interpreted as meaning that Olivia's life was shadowed and unhappy.
'Sometimes she seems almost...afraid to let herself relax and have fun....' had been the most telling statement of all made by Tullah, Saul's wife, her magnificent eyes darkening as she spoke. There had been, Honor guessed, enough damage done to Olivia as a child for her to feel a need to take refuge in controlling and pushing herself to reach self-imposed targets. And to have a very fragile sense of self worth.
Leaning over to nibble on David's ear Honor whispered enticingly, 'Let's go to bed.'
'What!' David pretended to be shocked. 'It's still afternoon....'
'Mmm...siesta time.' Honor smiled seductively.
Arm in arm they made their way across the grav-elled space that separated the house proper from the outbuildings.
Honor was looking forward to the arrival of David's old friend and mentor and as she walked past the lavender she paused to brush her free hand against its leaves and breathed in the scent she had released.
It was her plan to grow a wide variety of herbs here and to make her own herbals and potions from them.
Olivia reminded her a little of her lavender...
outwardly sturdy and tough but inwardly so sensitive that the merest touch could bruise and damage.
CHAPTER THREE
BOBBIE, Luke Crighton's wife, was the first member of the family to hear Olivia's news. She had called at the house knowing that
'Give her time,' Jon had counselled him.
There was David's son as well, but Jack had had the benefit of getting the parenting from Jon and Jenny that David and his ex-wife Tania had not been there to give him. Jack, unlike Olivia, was secure in himself...happy in himself. Jack might watch him with a certain wariness...waiting, judging...but there was none of the fury or the fear in Jack's reaction to his return that there had been in Olivia's.
Her point-blank refusal to see him or speak to him was perhaps understandable. Her father's return had come as a shock to her—he knew that and he knew, too, that he had hardly given her any reason to either love or respect him; but he had hoped that she would mellow a little towards him and at least attend the wedding party he and Honor had given at Fitzburgh Place. He was desperate to make some kind of reparation to her, to talk to her, to explain...apologise.
He had no right to expect her love; he acknowledged that. But it was her pain that made him hurt more than his own...her pain, his blame.
Every time he looked at Max and saw what Jon's son had become he reminded himself that Max had the very best parents any child could possibly have had, just as whenever he thought of Olivia he knew that she had not and that he and his selfishness were to blame for that.
As Honor saw the sadness in his eyes she guessed what had put it there—Olivia... She couldn't imagine how she would feel if one of her daughters were to reject her...to feel so hurt by her and detached from her that they refused to let her into their lives; or rather she could, and it was so untenable that it made her shiver.
Honor was a good listener and she had heard a lot about Olivia from other members of the family, not because they had gossiped about her or criticised her.
No, the Crightons if they were nothing else, were fiercely loyal to each other. No. What she had learned was how very concerned in their different ways all her relatives were for her.
'She was so happy when she and Caspar married,'
Jenny had said. 'And when the girls arrived...'
And her inference had been that the happiness had gone.
'She works too hard,' someone else had said and there had been other comments, all made with loving anxious concern which Honor had correctly interpreted as meaning that Olivia's life was shadowed and unhappy.
'Sometimes she seems almost...afraid to let herself relax and have fun....' had been the most telling statement of all made by Tullah, Saul's wife, her magnificent eyes darkening as she spoke. There had been, Honor guessed, enough damage done to Olivia as a child for her to feel a need to take refuge in controlling and pushing herself to reach self-imposed targets. And to have a very fragile sense of self worth.
Leaning over to nibble on David's ear Honor whispered enticingly, 'Let's go to bed.'
'What!' David pretended to be shocked. 'It's still afternoon....'
'Mmm...siesta time.' Honor smiled seductively.
Arm in arm they made their way across the grav-elled space that separated the house proper from the outbuildings.
Honor was looking forward to the arrival of David's old friend and mentor and as she walked past the lavender she paused to brush her free hand against its leaves and breathed in the scent she had released.
It was her plan to grow a wide variety of herbs here and to make her own herbals and potions from them.
Olivia reminded her a little of her lavender...
outwardly sturdy and tough but inwardly so sensitive that the merest touch could bruise and damage.
CHAPTER THREE
BOBBIE, Luke Crighton's wife, was the first member of the family to hear Olivia's news. She had called at the house knowing that
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