Cinderella Sister

by Dilly Court

  ‘Have you any idea where they were headed?’ Lily asked hopefully. They won’t be able to get married until morning, and even then they will have to make arrangements. We might be able to find them if only we knew where they’d gone.’

  ‘We might?’ Gabriel raised his eyebrows. ‘Are you including me in this scheme, Lily?’

  She met his gaze steadily. ‘I don’t think I could do it alone.’

  ‘And you won’t have to. Of course I’ll go with you, Lily.’

  The warmth in his voice was balm to Lily’s troubled soul. The smile in his eyes was for her alone and she felt strangely light-headed and unaccountably happy. ‘But as we don’t know where they’ve gone it’s impossible.’ She could not bring herself to look away and break the spell that seemed to bind them.

  ‘They were heading for Dover.’

  Nell’s voice shattered the moment, bringing Lily tumbling back to earth. ‘They were going to France to get married?’

  ‘That’s what Molly told me. I tried to stop her but I might as well have attempted to prevent the tide from coming in. She laughed in my face as she walked out of the door.’

  ‘Then we must go after them,’ Lily said firmly. ‘They won’t have reached Dover yet. They will have to change horses and maybe they’ve put up overnight at an inn.’

  Nell clasped her hands in despair. ‘Her reputation will be ruined. It won’t make any difference whether or not you catch up with them. It’s a disaster whichever way you look at it.’

  ‘Not yet it isn’t.’ Gabriel retrieved his hat and coat. ‘If we can get to them in time reputations will be saved, and you could have Molly restored to you by midday tomorrow or soon after.’

  Lily’s hopes were raised, only to be dashed by a seemingly insuperable problem. ‘But we’ve no means of transport and no money to pay for its hire.’

  Nell shot a suspicious glance in Gabriel’s direction. ‘I thought you were a man of means.’

  ‘I have a modest income left to me by my mother,’ Gabriel acknowledged. ‘But I’ve had unexpected expenses recently.

  Lily knew that he was referring to Christian Smith and her heart sank. She had almost forgotten the reporter and the sum of money Gabriel had paid him. ‘So it’s hopeless,’ she murmured, bowing her head. ‘There’s nothing we can do.’

  Shrugging on his coat, Gabriel set his top hat on his head at a jaunty angle. ‘Leave it to me. Give me an hour and be ready for a long journey, Lily. I’ll be as quick as I can.’

  The fire had gone out and Lily awakened with a start, gazing sleepily around the parlour lit by the glow of a single guttering candle. She stretched her cramped limbs, reaching her hands out to the fire but it had died away to a pile of silver ash. Dozing in the chair opposite her, she could just make out Prissy’s shape. Gradually the events of the past few hours came back to her. Nell had gone to bed soon after Gabriel’s departure, and Prissy had kept her company while she awaited his return. The sound of the front door opening and footsteps echoing off the flagstone floor made Lily rise unsteadily to her feet. She held her breath wondering if it was Gabriel or her brothers returning from their night watch. She breathed a sigh of relief when Gabriel strode into the room.

  ‘I’ve got a carriage and pair waiting at the end of the alley. Are you ready?’ He picked up her cloak, shaking it and holding it out with a flourish. ‘Shall we go?’

  ‘What’s going on?’ Prissy sat bolt upright.

  Lily placed her finger on her lips. ‘Hush, Prissy. We’re going to find Molly. I want you to stay and look after Ma for me. We’ll be back as soon as possible.’

  ‘Don’t worry, Prissy,’ Gabriel said cheerfully. ‘I’ll bring Lily home safe and sound together with the errant sister. Take care of yourself and Charlotte, and don’t let the Larkins bully you.’

  ‘They won’t get the better of me,’ Prissy said stoutly. ‘You don’t grow up one of ten nippers without learning how to stand up for yourself.’

  Lily leaned back against the padded velvet squabs of the five-glass landau, revelling in the luxury of travelling in style. She had noticed a coat of arms emblazoned on the door, and even though she knew nothing of heraldry, she realised that this elegant equipage must belong to a person of high rank. She stole a sideways glance at Gabriel, feeling suddenly shy in the shared intimacy of the confined space. He turned his head to smile at her. ‘We’ll catch up with them, Lily. Don’t worry.’

  His hand sought hers and she felt a tingle run down her spine at his touch. ‘I’m not at all worried now, but I’d like to know how you managed all this when I know you gave all your money to that hateful Christian Smith.’

  ‘I have an influential contact who loaned me his carriage and pair.’

  ‘It must be someone with a title who is extremely wealthy. Who is this person, Gabriel?

  ‘Let’s just say he’s an art lover.’

  ‘That’s only half an answer.’

  ‘He’s a titled gentleman who was a great admirer of my father’s works. He bought several and he’s been showing an interest in my efforts. There was a painting of mine that he wanted for his private collection, although I’d been reluctant to part with it.’

  His eyes were deep in shadow but Lily sensed the deep emotion underlying his words. She covered his hand with hers. ‘It was Lily in the Flames, wasn’t it?’

  He nodded wordlessly, raising her hand to his lips.

  ‘But you were going to enter it for the Summer Exhibition.’

  ‘He paid me a fair price, and the loan of the carriage was a bonus. There are more important things to think of now, and Molly is just one of them.’

  Lily’s breath hitched in her throat. ‘And the others?’

  ‘Our future, Lily. Yours and mine. We can’t live on fresh air.’

  She withdrew her hand, shivering as a chill ran through her blood. ‘I’ve told you before that you aren’t responsible for me or Ma. We aren’t related in any way.’

  He drew her into his arms, pressing his lips gently against her forehead. ‘But I want to be related to you, Lily. I want to hold you in my arms forever and tell you that I love you, and that I’ve loved you since that first moment when you almost tripped over me on Bell Wharf.’ He drew away just far enough to gaze deeply into her eyes. ‘I adore you, Lily. It’s as simple as that.’

  His lips claimed hers, robbing her of speech. Shock and astonishment melted away as Lily gave herself up to sheer delight. Her lips parted beneath his and as if moving of their own accord her arms slid around his neck. Everything seemed to fit. Her body moulded into his as if they had been made for each other. Her heart was beating to the same rhythm as Gabriel’s and her senses soared towards heaven. Even without knowing it, this was the moment for which she had been yearning and only now did she understand the reason why. She loved him with every fibre of her being. She was his, heart and soul, body and mind. They were as one in the swaying darkness of the carriage as it sped through the narrow city streets.

  When he released her in order to draw breath, she blinked dazedly into his smiling eyes. She knew every contour of his face: the tiny laughter line at the corners of his blue eyes, the quirk of his lips when he smiled and the way his dark hair tumbled over his forehead, all were indelibly etched on her heart. If they were parted now never to meet again, she knew she would not forget a single detail. Now she had his kiss imprinted on her lips. She would remember the taste of him and the masculine scent of him, which would linger on even if he was far away from her. Only now could she empathise with the love that her mother must have felt for Everard, and the passion that had led her to desert her family. Only now could she understand the terrible feelings of loss that her mother had experienced after her lover’s untimely death.

  Lily raised her hand to caress Gabriel’s cheek, needing to feel the warm touch of his flesh to convince herself that this was real and not a dream. ‘I love you too,’ she whispered. ‘I love you, Gabriel.’

  He silenced her with a kiss that she
wished would never end.

  She slept in his arms, waking only when the motion of the carriage changed as it slowed down and the horses’ hooves clattered in the cobbled yard of a coaching inn.

  Opening her eyes, she raised her head. ‘Gabriel?’

  ‘We have to change horses,’ he said, easing her into a sitting position. He kissed her on the forehead, and brushed her lips with a feather-like salute. ‘You are beautiful, my Lily.’

  She smiled. ‘I am yours, Gabriel. I can’t believe it’s happened, but in spite of everything I couldn’t be happier.’

  The carriage door opened and the groom let down the carpeted steps, proffering his arm to help Lily alight.

  The air was cold and crisp. A white frost iced the cobblestones and the roof of the inn glittered in the moonlight. An ostler hurried from the stables to see to the horses and the coachman climbed stiffly down from the box. Light spilled out onto the yard as a door opened and the innkeeper staggered sleepily towards them. ‘May I offer you a room for the night, sir? Or some refreshment for the lady and yourself while you wait for a change of horses?’

  ‘What time is it, landlord?’

  ‘Two o’clock, sir.’

  ‘Have you taken in many travellers last evening, landlord?’

  ‘Just passing trade, sir. Will you be wanting a room?’

  Gabriel glanced at Lily. ‘I think we should rest, don’t you?’

  She nodded her head. Her heart was thumping against her ribs and her whole body seemed to flame with unaccustomed sensations that brought a blush to her cheeks.

  ‘Two rooms, please, landlord. One for myself and the other for my sister.’

  It was not what she desired, but she realised that Gabriel was acting as his conscience dictated. Ashamed of her own thoughts, Lily knew that she would have gladly shared his bed and that made her little better than the mother whom the family had looked upon with such scorn and derision. She bowed her head, humbled and yet unrepentant.

  Next morning, after a surprisingly good night’s sleep, Lily was awakened by a maidservant bringing her a jug of hot water and a cup of hot chocolate. She filled the washbowl, set the cup down on a table within reach of Lily’s bed and proceeded to clean out the grate, chattering nonstop as if eager to pass on a tasty morsel of gossip.

  ‘We had another young lady pass through here yesterday with a foreign gent. They said they was brother and sister too, but he weren’t English and she was, so that was obviously a piece of nonsense. We see it all here and we can tell them as are pretending to be married and are really doing something they oughtn’t.’

  Reaching automatically for the cup of hot chocolate, Lily’s pulse raced. ‘Do you remember what the young lady looked like?’

  ‘Course I do, ’cos she looked a bit like you.’ The maid sat back on her haunches, glancing over her shoulder at Lily. ‘Same colour hair and eyes but she was more of a flighty piece. She’ll lead the foreign cove a pretty dance I says to Cook. She had him wrapped round her little finger. Brother and sister, all my eye and Betty Martin.’

  Lily gulped the hot chocolate, burning her mouth in her haste to swallow. ‘What name did they give?’

  ‘I dunno, but I heard the froggy-fellah call her Mary – no, perhaps it was Molly. I never paid much attention to it at the time.’ She scooped the ashes into the empty coal scuttle and clambered ungracefully to her feet. ‘I could light the fire for you, but I expect you want to be on your way. The gent is in the dining parlour and he’s ordered breakfast, so I don’t suppose you’ll want to keep him waiting.’

  Lily put the drink aside, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. ‘Will you tell him I’ll be down directly? We must be on our way as soon as possible.’

  ‘Related to you, was she?’ Calmly, as if it were an everyday occurrence to harbour runaways, the maid left the room without waiting for an answer.

  Ten minutes later Lily entered the dining parlour to find Gabriel seated at the table drinking coffee. He rose to his feet and his welcoming smile made her dizzy with delight. She had been wondering if their passionate embraces in the carriage had been a figment of her imagination, a delightful dream that would vanish in the morning light, but she knew in that instant that it was real. She was in love and loved in return.

  As if their emotions were now joined by an invisible silken cord, Gabriel seemed to sense her agitation and his smile faded into an expression of deep concern. ‘My love, what’s wrong?’

  Lily crossed the floor to fling her arms around his neck. ‘They were here last evening. The maid told me.’

  He held her close. ‘That’s good news. At least we are on the right track and with luck we’ll catch up with them before they reach Dover.’ He kissed her briefly on the lips. ‘We’ll leave as soon as you’ve had something to eat. No arguments, Lily darling. I’m taking care of you now.’

  She sat down at the table but she was too overwrought to manage more than a few mouthfuls of freshly baked bread and butter. She managed to swallow some coffee, but her throat constricted with emotion every time she looked at Gabriel, and her appetite deserted her. She could hardly believe that a man of his background and brilliance would fall in love with a girl raised on the docks, but every word he uttered and each loving look went some way to convince her that a miracle had happened.

  They left as soon as Gabriel had paid for their accommodation and he instructed the coachman to stop at every coaching inn on the road to Dover. At the second stop Gabriel returned to the carriage with the news that the eloping couple had spent the night at the inn, claiming as before to be brother and sister. He grinned, taking Lily’s hand in his. ‘They believed the fiction as little as the landlord of the inn where we spent the night. I never want to be mistaken for your brother, Lily. As soon as we get back to London I’m going to speak to Matt and tell him that I intend to marry you as soon as possible.’

  Lily struggled with her emotions; she wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. ‘Oh, Gabriel.’

  He wrapped his arms around her. ‘Is that all you can say? Am I not to know whether the answer will be yes or no?’

  This was not the moment to cry all over the man she adored. ‘You haven’t asked me yet,’ she murmured, blinking away tears of happiness.

  ‘I want to do this properly,’ Gabriel insisted. ‘You must have time to think and I need to know that our marriage won’t tear your family apart. The Faulkners have done enough damage to the Larkins, and I want our life to be free from feuds and bad feeling.’

  ‘I want that too. More than anything, but …’

  He silenced her lips with a tender kiss. ‘Our future happiness will stand the test of time, it’s Molly we must think about now. The landlord at the last inn said they left only an hour or so before we got there. Armand must be confident that they are not being followed. He’s in for a shock.’

  Lily nestled against him, resting her head against his shoulder. She did not want the journey to end, although she knew they must face the inevitable scene when Molly realised that she was to be taken home unmarried and with her reputation in tatters. Perhaps Armand would play the gentleman and do the honourable thing, but Lily was not so sure. If he was anything like his father he might already have taken advantage of her sister and yet think himself free to walk away. She hoped against hope that this was not so, although she had reluctantly to agree with Grandpa that it was unlikely that a man of his wealth and position would want a girl like Molly for his wife.

  They arrived in Dover a little after midday. A pale primrose sun shone from an azure sky and wispy white clouds cast shadows on the turquoise calmness of the English Channel. Lily stepped out of the carriage and breathed in the fresh salty air. The waters of the Thames must have mingled with the sea somewhere along the way. Her imagination had taken her to the coast often but this was the first time she had seen the sea, and the furthest she had ever travelled from London. Gabriel slipped his arm around her shoulders. ‘It’s beautiful on a day like this, but the weat
her can change in a moment.’

  ‘I wish I could paint it,’ Lily whispered. ‘I can see so many different colours in the waves, and that dark line on the horizon is almost purple.’

  He gave her a hug. ‘You are a true artist, my darling, but we’re here on a mission.’

  ‘And what would that be, mate?’

  Lily froze at the sound of that all-too-familiar voice. She did not need to turn her head to know that trouble had followed them to the coast.

  Chapter Twenty-two

  ‘What in hell’s name are you doing here, Smith?’ Gabriel demanded, turning to glare angrily at the man in a loud check suit with a bowler hat set jauntily over one eye.

  ‘It’s nice to see you too, guv.’ Christian tipped his hat to Lily. ‘And you too, miss. Down here to take the sea air, are you?’

  Lily slipped her hand into the crook of Gabriel’s arm and felt his muscles tense. ‘What do you want, Mr Smith?’ she asked warily. ‘Did you follow us?’

  He struck a casual pose as if enjoying their discomfiture. ‘I think that’s my business, miss. I go where my nose for news leads me.’ He paused and grinned. ‘That’s a good ’un – a nose for news. I must tell my editor and maybe he’ll up my wages.’

  ‘Come to the point, man,’ Gabriel said angrily. ‘Why are you here? I thought we’d settled our business.’

  A sly smile spread across Christian’s untidy features and Lily noticed for the first time that his nose deviated slightly to one side, as if it had received a hefty punch at some stage in his life, and one eyelid drooped slightly as if he were permanently winking. He licked his full lips as if enjoying himself hugely. ‘That particular transaction was done, but now I’m off on a new tack.’

  ‘Come away, Gabriel.’ Lily tugged at his sleeve. ‘He’s just trying to annoy you and we have more important things to do than argue with him.’

  ‘You won’t be interested in what I have to say then.’ Christian leaned against the sea wall with a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders.