Balfour didnât dare admit he had no clue about Ivyâs tolerance for booze. Little did he know that sheâd be tipsy from just a glass of wine, her head swimming in a gentle haze.
Ivyâs cheeks were flushed a lovely shade of pink, and as she lay in bed, she seemed restless, not entirely at ease.
Alyssa instructed Balfour not to return downstairs. âJust stay here and look after Ivy, dear. Your grandfather and I will handle the rest.â
He rose to see Alyssa out, still concerned. âYou both are getting on in years. Iâll look after her for a bit, and if all is well, Iâll come down shortly.â
Alyssa waved her hand dismissively. âOh, donât fuss, just stay with her.â
The guests whoâd come today, to put it nicely, needed Alyssa and Dean to entertain them.
To be frank, aside from a few close friends, they werenât exactly the life of the party.
Such a small matter wouldnât be too much for them to handle. Reassured by Alyssaâs words, Balfour relaxed. Soon, someone brought up a cup of strong coffee, the perfect remedy for Ivyâs condition.
Althea instructed Balfour to help Ivy drink it. âOtherwise, sheâll wake up with a dreadful headache.â
Downstairs, Mara watched them, restless. Seeing the two head upstairs again, she could barely contain herself and followed suit.
It was at that moment that Olivia caught her.
âWhat are you planning on doing in their room how, Mara? Itâs not that Iâm trying to stop you, but have you thought this through? Youâre in the Howard household. Any misstep could ruin the impression youâve made. Do you think Balfour would choose you after that? No matter how anxious you are, now is not the time. Itâs Alyssaâs birthday party, for heavenâs sake. There are so many guests. If you cause a scene, itâll be a mess that no one can clean up.â
She spoke with genuine concern, for Mara was her friend.
Despite their differences, Olivia wanted to prevent Mara from doing something irreparable. Maraâs face became gloomy. âWhat do you mean? Havenât we already agreed? You chase your man, and Iâll go after Balfour. Whatâs it to you? Youâre not helping me, and now youâre here blocking my way. What happened to your promise?â
Oliviaâs face hardened. She was indeed at the mercy of Mara, but that was no excuse for Maraâs sarcasm.
Mara crossed her arms and scoffed, âYou think youâre someone important? If it werenât for me, youâd probably be wandering the streets by now. Donât you dare try to lecture me from your so-called moral high ground! No one can stop me from doing what I want.â
With that, Mara turned to leave, but Olivia grabbed her arm. âDo you really think I want to stop you? I came with you today because I donât want your mess to drag me down. How are we any different? If it werenât for your sister saving Balfourâs life back then, do you think youâd even be here?â
Mara hated being reminded of the past. True, if Victoria hadnât saved Balfour, she wouldnât have what she does now. But that was her family business, and she wouldnât allow anyone to use it against her.
âSo what? Iâve known for a long time how jealous you are of me. But it was my sister who saved him, not yours. Youâre just jealous.â
âJealous of you?â Olivia laughed scornfully.