by Dayna Quince
“I will speak to her,” Dominic said angrily.
“No.” She caught his gaze in the mirror. “It would only make it worse. We can’t show any kind of special preference for each other, other than normal guardian and ward behavior.”
“Lilly.” He stepped behind her and massaged her aching scalp. “If I can protect you, I am going to.”
“I know but…in this I need to protect myself." She swiveled to look up at him. “It does not help if you’re always in my bedchamber.”
He smiled devilishly. “I can’t help myself.” He leaned down and brushed her lips with his. He groaned. “All right, but don’t think this will be easy for you. You want me just as much as I want you."
“As a woman I can control myself,” Lilly said.
“We will see about that.” He leaned down as if to kiss her again, her face lifting automatically, but this time Dominic pulled away. He walked back to the door as Lilly scowled at his back.
“I never back away from a challenge.” He looked back at her with his hand on the door handle.
“Is this a game, then?” Lilly challenged.
“It is, my love”—he opened the door—“and I’m going to win.”
Chapter 21
Lilly’s first week back in London was a success. The events they had chosen were with hostesses from the upper echelons of society, and Lilly was well received. In fact, Dominic—the mysterious new Earl of Redwick—seemed to cause more of a stir than Lilly. Chance escorted Lilly on a brief shopping excursion with Olivia and Lydia after a teary but happy reunion.
Being reunited with her longtime friends had been more emotional than Lilly thought it would. She felt revitalized and happy, especially when Dominic surprised her with her old wardrobe, discreetly pilfered from her home. Everything was going well and Lilly had managed to stay out of Dominic’s arms thus far.
But it was torture.
She missed him terribly. Missed his arms around her, his kisses, his laughter, and especially the way he looked at her when he didn’t know she could see. It was like looking into his soul, and everything he felt for her was displayed for her eyes alone. Being apart from him left her feeling empty with an ache in her heart, even though she saw him every morning and evening across the dining table. It wasn’t the same as being able to touch him and feel his arms around her. It wasn’t the same as being able to openly love him, as she could when it was just them, alone on his estate.
She was desperately in love with Dominic. Undeniably. Even as she sat across from him now, watching him sip his morning coffee, she fought a sudden rush of emotion. He no longer sat at the head of the table, but across from her at the center so they could talk easily. The moment felt intimate, like a husband and wife sharing a private breakfast.
The moment was lost when Clarissa sauntered in, eyes only for Dominic. He immediately delved deeper into his paper, determined to remain oblivious.
“Good morning, Miss Seavers.” Lilly smiled brightly.
“Good morning, Lady Lillian,” Clarissa replied with barely concealed contempt. A footman pulled out her chair—conveniently, next to Dominic—and she sat down. “Good morning, my lord,” she said sweetly, clearly expecting him to melt with delight at her presence.
Lilly was greatly aware the Lady and Miss Seavers had marriage-minded ideas for Dominic, and Lilly’s presence did not fall in with their plans—except when they made every attempt to embarrass her, which usually fell short of its mark. She could see Lady Seavers growing more and more agitated when all her scheming came to nothing, day after day, ball after ball. She couldn’t stand how widely Lilly was accepted and how unpopular her own daughter remained. They were getting desperate, and with Lilly’s own debut ball coming next Saturday, Lilly was a little worried.
Lady Seavers was supposed to handle most, if not all the planning, but found devious ways to procrastinate until finally Lilly took over. The invitations went out yesterday and already the post was overflowing with replies. It was going to be a lavish affair and—if all went as planned—a ball no one would ever forget.
“Wouldn’t it be a wonderful day for a stroll in the park, my lord?” Clarissa asked shyly as she batted her eyelashes at Dominic.
Dominic grunted as a response.
“Indeed it would, Miss Seavers. Perhaps we should partake of one this morning?” Lilly responded politely.
Clarissa fairly scowled at her.
“Would a ride in Lord Redwick’s phaeton be more to your liking?”
“Oh, yes!” Clarissa beamed.
Dominic lowered a corner of his paper and glared at Lilly.
“I would be happy to drive you—if Lord Redwick doesn’t mind, of course. We shall cause a sensation.”
Clarissa’s face fell. “I naturally assumed Lord Redwick would drive me. I don’t think Mama would approve of you driving me, Lady Lillian. Do you even know how to drive a phaeton? They are quite fast.”
“Yes, I’d like to know as well.” Dominic put down his paper and seemed quite perturbed.
“Well, of course I do. Garret Wynthrop taught me.”
“Who?” Dominic growled.
“Garret Wynthrop—er…Lord Jephcott,” Lilly stuttered. “It’s not that difficult with the right pair of horses.”
“When was this?” Dominic demanded.
Lilly smiled in delight. He was clearly jealous. “Two seasons ago at a house party in Somerset. It was great fun.” Lilly smiled at Clarissa, who was clearly puzzled by Dominic’s sour demeanor.
“I don’t think Lord Redwick approves of you driving his phaeton, Lady Lillian. Perhaps you will drive me, my lord?” She batted her eyelashes again.
“I don’t approve of Lord Jephcott. He’s a gambler and a rake. Nor do you need to be causing a sensation by tooling around the park in my phaeton,” Dominic dictated.
Lilly would normally have been annoyed with such arrogance, but she was having great fun spurring his jealousy. She appealed to Clarissa once more. “Think of the attention we will garner from gentlemen, Clarissa. Surely even your mother can see the benefit of that.”
“You don’t need attention from gentlemen, Lilly. You get enough as it is,” Dominic grumbled.
Lilly paused, afraid Clarissa would catch the very familiar way Dominic used her name, but Clarissa had jumped all over the mention of attracting gentlemen and didn’t notice.
“That would be great fun, Lady Lillian, but I know Mama would not approve of me going anywhere with you.”
“Why not?” Lilly asked. Surely a duke’s daughter was not unfit company.
“Well…” Clarissa froze and looked between Lilly and Dominic. “You know…”
Dominic picked up his paper again and coughed.
Lilly glared at him then at Clarissa. She was growing tired of being treated like a pariah simply because Clarissa wanted to claim Dominic for herself at the urging of her mother. Did she really think she could worm her way into his heart and title? Lilly was no longer an outcast masquerading as a servant, and although she could no longer claim to be a virgin, she was no one’s mistress. She was in love with Dominic, and when this was all over she would be his wife.
“No, I don’t know, Clarissa. Is there some reason I would make unacceptable company for you?” She kicked Dominic under the table and was rewarded with a grunt of pain. It was time they dealt with the issue once and for all.
Clarissa squirmed uncomfortably. “My mama said… Well?”
It was at that moment that Lady Seavers made her appearance. She took a seat beside Lilly and must have caught the scent of blood in the air.
“Good morning, everyone. What are we discussing?”
Lilly deflated. She was angry and ready to confront the Seavers, but a little afraid. Clarissa spoke up first, continuing the original discussion. “Lady Lillian had suggested taking a ride in the phaeton since it is such a fine day.”
“What a fine idea. How generous of our lordship to take you.” Lady Seavers beamed.
Dominic set his
paper down. “I regret to inform you that I won’t be able to accommodate Miss Seavers. I have business to attend to. Lilly has graciously offered to drive Miss Seavers. Apparently she is quite adept at driving a phaeton, and I do have a suitable and gentle pair of mares here in town that would be quite manageable.”
“That’s preposterous! A young lady cannot drive a phaeton here in town, that’s positively scandalous. I will not have my daughter associated with such wanton behavior.”
Lilly, who had just taken a sip of tea she nearly spat out, “Wanton?”
“Yes!” Lady Seavers looked from Dominic to Lilly. "Don’t think I don’t know what is going on here, but I will not have the Redwick title besmirched by a harlot like you, Lady Lillian.”
Everyone froze.
"Enough," Dominic growled. “I will not tolerate this anymore. I asked you to come here to protect the name of a young, dignified woman who is under my protection for the time being. From the moment you got here, you have been rude and insulting. What has Lilly ever done to deserve such abuse from you?”
Lady Seavers went pale, and then blushed angrily. “You have insulted me by asking me to chaperone while you gallivant your mistress around town, trying to make her respectable. Well, I will not stand by while you throw your father’s name in the gutter and marry some treasonous whore.”
Lilly flinched as if she had been struck. She gripped her teacup so hard, she was surprised it didn’t break. She wanted to run from the room but could not make herself move. All she could do was stare at Dominic, who looked like some evil, vengeful god.
“My daughter would make a far better countess—”
“For the sake of your own life, Millicent, stop speaking.” Dominic’s voice was low and controlled but potent with danger.
“If it were not for the fact that we have an elaborate ball in three days, at which even the Prince Regent will be in attendance, I would have Fields throw you out on your arse this very moment. I brought you here to act as chaperone to a respected member of the peerage, and foolishly you have tried to sabotage her. It ends now. You will not say another word against her. You will stay out of our sight until this is over and I send you back to Redwick cottage—a property I own, if you don’t remember.”
“Yes, my lord.” Lady Seavers was pale and shaking.
“You will be on your best behavior, and as for your daughter—you must be out of your mind to think that I would marry her. She’s my cousin, for Christ’s sake."
“Come, Clarissa, we must leave the earl to his breakfast.” Lady Seavers all but ran from the room, her daughter in tow.
“This isn’t over,” Lilly warned. “That woman is incorrigible.”
“I know.” Dominic sighed wearily.
Lilly was still shaken, but her heart was beating fiercely with her love for him. He had stood up for her so valiantly, she had wanted to leap across the table and smother him with kisses. However, that would have done considerable damage to their ruse of guardian and ward. Lilly couldn’t wait for the day when she would be his wife in reality.
Chapter 22
That evening at the Carrington ball, Dominic escorted the three ladies into the ballroom. The night was chilly, and although Lady Seavers and Clarissa had been on their best behavior so far, Lilly had a terrible feeling. She nodded to acquaintances and smiled at Olivia, who stood with her mother across the dance floor.
Dominic excused himself to the card room after claiming a dance with Lilly. Lilly was following Lady Seavers toward a group of matrons seated on a chaise. Noticing that some of the women were more dragon than lady, Lilly quickly excused herself and made her way through a sea of gowns to Olivia.
“Lady Chandler has a bee in her bonnet tonight. She already told Sissy Caldwell that her hair was the color of a dirty potato. Poor girl ran crying from the room.”
“That woman is a menace," Lilly replied. It was no wonder Lady Seavers had befriended her. Lady Chandler, Lady Sealy, and Lady Goodswell were some of the most notorious gossipmongers of the ton. They delighted in destroying the reputations of young ladies fairer and more popular than their own daughters. They could create scandal with a mere whisper of an indiscretion, or bring a young girl to tears with barely concealed insults.
“I believe I just escaped the gallows.” Lilly smiled to Olivia.
As they watched the group of women smile and chat with each other, something ominous happened. Lady Seavers was leaning close to Lady Chandler and narrowing her eyes in Lilly’s direction. Lilly gave them her profile, but watched from the corner of her vision. Olivia noticed their obvious passing of secrets and watched, openly disgusted.
“Lydia and her mother just joined the group,” Olivia hissed.
“Figures. Lady Covington has never approved of me,” Lilly murmured.
“Lydia is coming to us, but wait!”
“What?” Lydia was just out of the corner of her vision.
“She turned back. She’s listening to something Lady Seavers is saying.” Olivia gripped Lilly’s hand with anxiety.
“Oh no,” Lilly cringed, and turned her back on the entire group. Lady Seavers was trying to spread rumors again, and to the four most talkative women in the ton.
“It is my duty to preserve the good name of Redwick, is it not, ladies? However, I fear the worst for that girl. Left all alone in that house with a treasonous stepfather. I faint to think of what she must have”—Lady Seavers paused for dramatic effect—“endured.”
There was a collective gasp. Lady Covington sat silent, staring at the four women. As a woman of moral fiber and the bluest of blood, everything about Lady Lillian and her situation rubbed her the wrong way. Nevertheless, listening to Lady Seavers and her supposed fears sounded less like concern and more like fuel for scandal. It was true having the Earl of Redwick as a guardian while the investigation proceeded was scandalous in and of itself, but matters couldn’t be helped. He was too young and handsome to be the guardian of a beautiful girl of marriageable age.
Lady Covington noticed her daughter had caught the last of Lady Seavers’ words and stood rigidly at her side.
“I understand, Lady Seavers,” Lady Covington calmly said, “that you are not a blood aunt to his lordship? His mother was your first cousin?”
“Yes, that’s true.” Lady Seavers smiled nervously. “After my dear cousin passed, I took a more maternal role with his lordship and his brother. No child should be without a motherly influence.” Her smile was brittle.
“That is so true,” Lydia said at last. Her words were polite but carried an edge. “We must be more sympathetic to those who have lost one or even both parents. An individual of good breeding and noble birth could never malign an innocent child left alone in the world without the love and protection of one’s parents. Isn’t that so, mother?” Lydia smiled sweetly.
Lady Covington smiled proudly at her daughter. “That is correct, my dear." She squeezed her hand fondly. “Why don’t you join your friends now and enjoy the ball? Lady Lillian looks quite becoming tonight in her silver and white gown. You must tell her I said so.”
“Yes, Mother.” Always polite, Lydia curtsied to the four chastised women and walked away with her nose in the air.
“What is happening?” Lilly asked worriedly.
“Lydia is coming this way.” Olivia smiled.
“Good evening, ladies,” Lydia sang, and smiled brightly.
“Tell me what you’ve done,” Olivia laughingly demanded. She peeked at the four dragons across the dance floor.
“We should talk somewhere else, there are ears everywhere.” Lydia pulled them into an alcove and pulled the gauzy curtains closed. The three women sat on the padded bench inside. “I intercepted Lady Seavers telling a nasty rumor about Lilly.”
“I figured as much.” Lilly groaned.
“What did she say?” Olivia asked.
“Well, suffice it to say, she implied that Lilly had been compromised while living alone with her stepfather.”
“What!” Lilly shot to her feet.
“Shhhh!” Olivia pulled her down and smiled away all the interested glances thrown their way.
“I’ll kill her. How could she? She’ll ruin me,” Lilly seethed.
“We should tell Lord Redwick,” Olivia stated.
“No. He gets too worked up. Our plans are fragile right now, and if he gets wind of this, well, I don’t know what he will do. He is entirely too possessive to let it slide even for the time being.”
Olivia and Lydia stared at her blankly.
“He’s…possessive of you?” Olivia tentatively asked.
Lilly’s cheeks heated as she turned away from their prying eyes.
“I don’t believe guardians are meant to be possessive,” Lydia said. “Protective, bothersome, negligent…” Lydia ticked the words off on her dainty fingers and paused. “No, I’ve never heard of a possessive guardian.”
“Lilly,” Olivia said with excitement, “is there something between you and Lord Redwick?”
Lilly blushed even harder. “I am in love with Lord Redwick.”
“How did this happen?” Lydia exclaimed.
“I don’t know. So much has happened and then he found me and then…”
“What! Tell me!” Olivia begged excitedly.
“He makes me feel things I have never felt before. He makes me feel safe.” Lilly gave them a watery smile.
Olivia’s eyes were teary. Lydia’s expression was guarded.
“This makes things a great deal more difficult. Are you going to marry him?”
“When this is all over, yes.”
“You really love him?” Olivia asked. “What does it feel like to be in love?”
“Oh, here we go,” Lydia grumbled. “Olivia, the queen of romance, is about to shower you with questions.”
“It’s so romantic!” Olivia sighed blissfully.
The first strings of music were beginning as the orchestra prepared to start.
“Dry your eyes, ladies, it’s time to dance and be merry.” Lydia stood.
“I don’t want to be merry.” Lilly pouted.
