Lilly had been amused that Madame Aubert had no French accent. With the woman’s flair for clothing and her elegant features—a long nose, dark hair and a surprisingly line-free face for her age—to hear an English accent took her by surprise. It was, Madame Aubert confided, useful to give the appearance of being French in her business but she had no ability to master the French accent.
“But,” Madam Aubert said with a laugh, “by the time they have seen my creations, my clients forget that I am not French at all, and thus my reputation in London as a fine French dressmaker continues.”
Unable to resist laughing herself, Lilly eyed the woman with renewed admiration. She had no husband from what Evan had told her, and she had created a thriving business. It made her feel as though she had achieved so little in her life. Still, a year with Evan and she could go on to achieve her dreams and help further the suffragette cause.
A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts and Lilly called for whoever it was to enter, half hopeful it might be Evan and she would be able to decide if Madame Aubert was correct and she had him enraptured.
Instead it was Mrs. Hargreaves with a letter. She handed it over wordlessly, bobbed a curtsey and left. Lilly shuddered. The woman had yet to warm to her and she wasn’t sure it would ever happen.
Madam Aubert fussed around with some material samples while Lilly opened the letter and scowled at the signature. Her cousin, Henry. What could he possibly want now? She had written to him to inform him his belief of Evan’s involvement in her father’s death was incorrect and that she would be here for the next year so he could rent out the house as he wished, but she intended to return as soon as Evan had given her the money she was owed. She assumed Evan had made his own arrangements with regards to the debt as Henry made no mention of the money owed.
But he did mention coming to stay. Lilly rubbed her forehead. Why would he want to do such a thing? Maybe he felt ashamed at his cousin selling herself to pay off his debt but she thought it unlikely. After all, it had been her decision and Henry was not the sort to worry about others. As pleasant as he was, he rarely thought deeply about anything.
Another knock at the door sounded. “Come in,” Lilly snapped and braced herself for another cold look from Mrs. Hargreaves.
A set of wide shoulders in a white shirt filled her vision first and she lifted her gaze to meet his dark eyes. Without his necktie, he never failed to steal her breath. The tiny bit of flesh at his collar reminded her of what it was like to have him naked in bed and her belly swooped.
Madame Aubert pressed a swatch of teal fabric to her breast. “What do you think, my lord? This color makes her most radiant, do you not think?”
“Indeed, most radiant.” His gaze travelled up and down her approvingly.
It was wholly inappropriate being in front of him in only her combination, the thin cotton garment which left her ankles on display, but Madam Aubert appeared not to notice and Lilly conceded nothing about her acquaintance with Evan could be considered proper.
“A letter arrived, I believe. Is anything amiss?”
“No, it was from my cousin. He…” She frowned. How to broach the subject? She supposed as usual it would be no good in trying to hide things from Evan. “He intends to visit. In the next two days.”
“Visit? Why in the devil should he want to visit you here?”
“Perhaps he wishes to check on me?”
“Is that usual for him?”
She shook her head. “No. In truth, I cannot fathom it.”
They had never been close though he was one of the few who did not treat her as if diseased. She didn’t blame her father’s family. After all, could they be expected to be kind to the woman who stole him away from them? Her father’s wife had been bitter indeed that her mother had conceived a child and she had not. But Henry liked to ignore anything that might disturb his happiness and therefore, in the few moments they spent together, pretended there was nothing at all strange about their family connection.
“In two days you say?”
“I’m afraid so.” She hoped he didn’t intend to check Evan out himself or worse, accuse him of murder. Perhaps he wished to discuss the debt with Evan.
Evan did a fair job of masking a grimace. “I shall have Mrs. Hargreaves order in something nice for dinner.”
Her heart sank at having their time interrupted by her inept cousin but she forced a smile. “I hope you shall have some dresses for me before then, Madame Aubert.”
The woman lifted her head. “You are in luck, my dear. The wonders of modern society means I have many ready-to-wear dresses at my store. I shall have them sent by train. But I must insist on a few custom gowns.”
“I cannot wait,” Lilly said.
“Nor I,” Evan commented, a hint of a smile on his lips. She almost groaned at the devilish glint in his eyes. She hoped he didn’t intend to destroy any of her new gowns.
Chapter Seventeen
“Are you to show me around then, cousin?”
Lilly glanced at Henry across the breakfast table. He insisted on behaving as if he were visiting with friends rather than with the man to whom he owed a debt and his mistress—the woman who had sold herself to pay off that debt. Somehow his persistently genial manners made the whole situation worse.
“The countryside around here is very beautiful,” he remarked. “A little flatter than Hampshire perhaps but very charming.”
A grumbling sound of irritation came from behind the newspaper Evan was holding. Lilly clasped her hands together under the table and stopped herself from kicking Evan in the shin. He had been unbearable since Henry intruded on their solitude. The man really didn’t do well in company and she suspected he resented that they did not have the freedom of the previous week. With Evan planning to return to London at the end of the week, they might get very little time together.
Henry might have only been with them for a day but Lilly already missed Evan’s visits to her bed. If only he would agree to stay for a whole night. Waking alone never failed to remind her of the disgrace of her situation. Every morning she felt dirty and used until he whispered some heated words or gave her an intense look, and then it would all be forgotten and she failed to stay annoyed with him.
“We can go out on horseback if you wish. There is a delightful stream and copse that is worth visiting.”
Evan lowered his paper. “It promises to rain today.”
Henry placed his cup of tea down and looked to the window as if surprised by the observation. “It shall hold off long enough surely?”
“If we head out straight away, we shall miss it,” Lilly agreed.
They might not but she could no longer bear the stifling atmosphere in the house. Tension simmered between the two men and though Henry appeared determined to remain affable, she saw the occasional tightness of his jaw and the odd glint in his eye. She didn’t know her cousin well enough to know if he had a temper—the few times they had seen each other he had always been pleasant to her—but she didn’t wish to wait around and see if he did have one.
“You shall get wet,” Evan said to no one in particular.
“I shall have the horses made ready,” she said, ignoring him.
“Excellent.” Henry grinned, his cheeks almost as red as his hair. “I have a hankering for a decent ride. Carriage travel is well enough, but it does make one rather tired and stiff.”
“You shall get ill if you get wet.” Evan had lifted his paper again but his words were clear enough.
Lilly managed not to roll her eyes and stood. “Come then, Henry. Let us get some fresh air. It is somewhat stifling in here,” she said pointedly.
A grumbling sound came from behind the paper but Evan said no more. Good. Let him sulk. Just because he was a marquess didn’t mean he should behave so abominably.
Henry bid Evan good day and was rewarded with a gruff response while Lilly asked Anne to get John, the stable hand, to ready two horses.
“I shall fetch my riding j
acket,” she said to Henry and hurried upstairs to put it on, along with her new favorite riding hat.
The vibrant red color made her feel slightly scandalous but in an exciting way. What a shame no one was here to see it. With her hat on at a jaunty angle, she eyed herself in the mirror and conceded that if one did not know of her station in life, she could well pass for a marquess’s wife. A heavy weight settled on her heart. She should not be having such thoughts. It would never happen and why should she wish to be a wife to such a disagreeable man? Yes, he could be kind and sweet but for the most part, he was determined to stay unlikable.
Henry was upon the horse and ready to go by the time she stepped outside. His green frock coat clashed with his red hair and made Lilly want to shake her head. John brought over the steps and aided her onto her own pale mare.
She peered at the sky and grimaced. The heavy clouds had darkened and Evan’s premonition looked to be correct. They were likely to get rained on. Maybe if they made it to the copse before it started, they could shelter while it passed. However, that would mean more time in the company of her cousin, and she still had little idea what to say to the man. She supposed a few awkward moments with her cousin would probably be preferable to the uncomfortable tension between him and Evan.
Lilly led Henry to the stream first and hoped she had timed it well that the weather might break once they found shelter. Henry proved a pleasant enough companion—not considering to remark on her situation which relieved her—though tension still coiled tight in her stomach and she suspected it would remain like that until Henry left. Visiting with someone’s mistress was really not the done thing, family or not.
“This reminds me a little of Marshgate.”
Lilly twisted her head to view her cousin. “You have been to the cottage?”
“Yes, well, the staff needed instructing while you are gone and I needed to ready it for the next tenants. It was all very sudden, your decision to join Lord Hawksley here.”
Her heart panged at the thought of the servants and her pretty home. Ever since her mother had died, she had run the house. For her, it was a place of comfort and the servants eased her solitude. She found herself content enough in her own company—unlike here. Was that because she craved Evan’s company or because she wasn’t comfortable here yet?
“Are they all well?”
“Very well, Lilly.”
An odd expression distorted Henry’s face for the briefest flash. Annoyance, perhaps. She could not be certain. She had never seen Henry anything but charmingly pleasant—even if it did aggravate at times.
“Shall we continue on?” she suggested.
“Indeed, let us give these beasts some exercise.”
They continued on at a fair pace, though Lilly could not keep up with Henry’s pace on her side saddle. He had spotted the woods and reached them several minutes ahead of her. By the time she had arrived, grey clouds had darkened the skies and wind whipped over the tops of the trees, making the branches sway ominously. Lilly shuddered. A little rain never harmed anyone, she reminded herself. She never got sick.
Fat drops began to fall around her as she dismounted and guided her horse under the trees. Henry grinned at her, droplets gathering on the brim of his hat as he took the reins from her.
“Allow me to tie these up for a moment in case they get skittish. Though I don’t think we shall be treated to any storms, thankfully.”
“Of course.”
Lilly waited while Henry led the animals to a slightly open spot and tied the horses to a sturdy tree while she peered in the direction of the house. Even though the land around the house was indeed flatter than many areas, it remained hidden by a hill, some way off. In this weather, they would end up soaked to the skin if they attempted to return. Evan was right. He would be insufferable now.
In spite of the shelter of the trees, the rain began to steadily seep through the leaves and drip down the back of her hat and onto her neck. Lilly suppressed a shudder as a droplet found its way under her jacket and dress and worked down her back.
“Perhaps we should consider returning?” Henry suggested. “I don’t think it will ease and either way, we shall end up quite wet.”
Lilly pursed her lips. Attempt the ride or stay and probably get wet anyway? She didn’t relish being trapped here any longer and the thought of a warm drink and dry clothes enticed.
“Yes, let us return. There is no sense in us being outside any longer than necessary.”
“Right you are then.” Henry collected the horses and brought them over.
He aided Lilly onto the saddle and the horse shifted a little. Lilly grabbed the reins and steadied the horse with a frown. Was the weather making her skittish?
“I shall keep pace with you,” Henry said. “I wouldn’t want you to take a tumble in this weather.”
Lilly nodded her thanks and they set off at a more careful pace though Lilly pushed her horse as fast as she could manage. Her teeth began to chatter while the rain soaked through her clothes to her undergarments. Lord, Evan really would enjoy gloating.
The mare took a few steps sideways, forcing Lilly to clutch the reins. “Come on, girl,” she urged, hoping the horse would hold out for the rest of the journey. Lilly shifted in the saddle and grimaced at the slippery leather beneath her skirts. The horse jerked and almost tore the reins from her hands. She tried to reassure the horse, but the animal was having none of it and her movements grew more aggressive. Before Lilly was aware of what had happened, the animal reared and she found herself thrown to the ground.
A sharp pain cracked through her skull, and she screamed as the animal reared again, her hooves bearing down on her. Henry sprinted up and tried to control the animal before it could trample her, but his shouting only aggravated the horse. The mare dropped her hooves mere inches away from Lilly before turning and galloping off.
Lilly fell back to the ground fully, fear clutching tight at her chest while an excruciating ache pounded through her head.
Henry leaned over her. “Cousin, are you well?”
“My head,” she told him over the patter of the rain.
He eyed her ankle. “You have likely knocked it. I shall ride back and send for a doctor,” he declared.
Lilly’s head had grown thick. She opened her mouth to protest being left in the rain, but no words came out and Henry had mounted his horse before she could summon the strength to lift her head and call for him.
The thud of hooves on the ground rattled her skull and Lilly had no choice but to remain on the muddy ground, trapped by her aching head and the confusion in her mind while the rain continued to soak through her clothing. She closed her eyes, willed the pain to fade, and found herself falling into an enticing blackness.
Chapter Eighteen
Evan paced across the drawing room and paused to peer out of the window for at least the twentieth time since the rain had started. Foolish woman, why could she not listen to him? And that damned fool of a cousin was no better. What had he been thinking, demanding to see the area with the threat of rain? Why had he even come to see them? Who in their right mind would come and stay with a man and his mistress? He could only conclude the man was a halfwit.
His heart jolted as a figure split the sheeting rain. Henry. Evan paused and peered at the man. Where in the devil was Lilly? She would be a slower rider but surely her cousin wouldn’t ride ahead in such weather?
Evan raced to the door and flung it open just as Henry was dismounting.
“Where is she?” he demanded.
Henry paused to catch his breath once he had handed over the horse to John. “She fell. Hurt herself. We need to get a doctor out to her.”
“You left her?” Evan growled. His skin grew hot, his nostrils flared. Both hands curled into fists, he drew himself up to his full height and glowered down at the man.
“She insisted, my lord. You know what Lilly is like. She said she couldn’t ride so I had little choice but to come back for help.”
/> Evan shook his head. “You shouldn’t have left her, you damned fool. I don’t care what she said. John,” he called to the stable hand, “will the horse cope with another ride?”
The fair-haired man shook his head. “I fear you’ll end up in a pickle too, my lord, if you try to push her.”
“Damn and blast.” He turned to Henry. “Have the doctor sent for. If he is not here by the time I return, I swear to you, you shall regret it. Where did you leave her?”
Henry’s throat worked. “Not far from the woods. You couldn’t miss her in that red riding habit.”
Evan didn’t grace him with a response and flew out of the door, tearing his jacket off as he ran and flinging it to the muddy ground. Every fiber of his being screamed at him to get to Lilly. She had to be about a mile away. Thank goodness he was in good shape.
Rain soaked through his shirt and dripped down his face, but he barely registered it. He felt numb. He surveyed the fields for any sign of her red dress but to no avail. What if she was more badly injured than Henry had supposed? What if she was dead? God’s bones, if he had only spent more time with her. He should have taken her into his bed and spent every waking—and sleeping—moment with her. What had he been thinking trying to keep his distance from his own mistress?
The rain eased up and he had a clear view of the outline of the woods. His lungs were raw and legs aching, but he refused to stop until he had found her. Evan slowed only briefly to take a look around the lush green fields. The weather now a light drizzle, the fresh scent of wet grass imbued the air.
A flash of color caught his eye and his heart leapt into his throat. He stumbled to a stop and peered intently at the spot. Sure enough, a flicker of red revealed itself amongst the long, swishing grass. Without another moment’s hesitation, he sprinted over and came to a skidding halt by her side, dropping to his knees.
“Lilly?” His voice shook.
Thrusting a hand under her head, her hat tumbled off. Eyes closed, she remained still and her skin was too pale. Her riding habit was wet and caked in mud. He drew her onto his lap and pressed a finger to her neck, releasing a long breath when he felt her pulse.
Love Regency Style Page 15
