Heath had thought she might be reluctant to share his company this morning, yet she looked as though she was anticipating their outing with relish. But then, he should have known he wasn’t dealing with any meek-mannered miss. Lily would throw herself into every challenge that confronted her, their courtship game included.
“I am trusting that you can handle a spirited horse,” Heath said as he moved closer to help Lily mount.
Her vibrant smile left a dimple in her cheek. “You needn’t worry about that. You should be more concerned about handling me.”
Her sparkling dark eyes enchanted him, while her beauty and vitality made him want to touch her. It was with great pleasure that Heath put his hands on Lily’s waist and lifted her onto the sidesaddle. The mare jigged a little, but Lily easily brought her under control, then adjusted her skirts and pulled down her filmy lace veil, which regrettably covered all of her face but her mouth. Then without waiting for him, she set off down the street.
Heath quickly swung up into his own saddle and gave orders to his groom to await him here, before urging his gelding after her.
“I thought we would ride in Green Park,” he said when he caught up to her. “It is closer and won’t be as crowded as Hyde Park.”
“That will do nicely,” she said in approval. “We can have a good gallop.”
Green Park was only about a half mile from Fanny’s boardinghouse on Gerrard Street, although in a busy part of London. The route they took to get there was congested by vendors hawking wares and all manner of traffic-drays and carriages, sporting vehicles and other riders. Heath kept a watchful eye on Lily, yet she dealt with the spirited mare so skillfully, he was soon able to relax and simply enjoy her company.
Heath found his mouth twisting with rueful amusement as he wondered how he’d wound up in this utterly alien situation-courting a woman he wanted for his bride who clearly didn’t want him.
He had never courted anyone before. Certainly he’d never had to expend such extreme effort just to gain a woman’s attention. With his wealth and power, he needed merely to show a modicum of interest for her to become his. And not in his wildest dreams would he ever have expected to have to woo Lily under the eagle eyes of her protective courtesan friends.
Yet he was looking forward to the most intriguing challenge he’d encountered in years.
He had every confidence that he could eventually change Lily’s mind about not wanting to marry him. His powers of persuasion were legendary, with charm and persistence being primary weapons in his arsenal.
In truth, winning had always come easily to him, Heath reflected-and he had every intention of claiming victory in their courtship.
But since Lily was so unconventional, he knew conventional methods would be ineffectual with her. If he hoped to keep her off balance, he needed to be creative and enterprising. Thus the superb Thoroughbred mare he’d bought for her late yesterday.
His instincts told him the way to Lily’s heart would not be through jewels and other feminine gewgaws. And from her pleased reaction to the mare, he knew he’d succeeded in winning their first skirmish.
However, the first words out of Lily’s mouth were not those of a young lady eager to win his own heart:
“I wish you would believe me, Lord Claybourne, when I say I will never marry.”
Heath cocked an eyebrow. “You mean to remain a spinster your entire life? I just cannot see it.”
“I can, quite easily. I imagine I will find spinsterhood delightful,” Lily contended. “Besides, two married women in one family is more than enough.”
He chuckled. “You haven’t yet forgiven your sisters for falling in love.”
“I have not.” Since Lily’s face was mostly veiled, he couldn’t see her eyes, but her luscious mouth was curved in a half smile. “I suppose they have a right to choose their own futures, however. And I am very glad they are happy. As for me, I was perfectly content before Marcus inherited the title from our late step-uncle and came into our lives.”
“Even living under the taint of scandal as you were?”
When her smile faded, Heath was sorry he’d brought up the subject. “It is highly regrettable that you and your sisters had to bear the brunt of your parents’ ignominy.”
Lily’s shrug was nonchalant. “You needn’t pity us, my lord. We quickly realized there was a silver lining to the disgrace. We were no longer expected to behave like perfect ladies.”
“Which you rarely did in any case.”
Her smile returned. “Indeed. But the scandals liberated us in a way.” She sighed. “You have no idea how frustrating it is to be shackled by the restrictions deemed proper for genteel young ladies. Frankly, I envy Fanny the freedom she enjoys.”
“But society permits more freedom for married ladies to behave as they please than single ones.”
She laughed. “Possibly, but that still won’t induce me to marry you.”
Heath very much liked the sound of her husky laughter. “What objections do you have to wedding me, other than your desire for independence?”
Lily waited until they had negotiated their mounts across a busy avenue before she answered. “Your reputation, for one thing. You are infamous for your amorous conquests, and I have no wish to become one more of their number.”
“As my wife, you would hardly be my conquest, sweeting. In fact, some would say you would be making the conquest.”
“Oh, yes, I know,” she said sardonically. “You are a great matrimonial prize. But you have plenty of admirers pursuing you. And since I don’t like to imitate sheep, I mean to resist you on general principle. I am stubborn-minded that way.”
“I can see that,” Heath remarked, amused. “But would you really allow stubbornness to dictate your entire future?”
She didn’t respond at once, and when she did, her tone was thoughtful. “Do you keep a mistress, Lord Claybourne?”
The question surprised him for its boldness, but he gave her an honest reply. “Not regularly, no.”
“But you have had countless lovers.”
His mouth curved. “You give me too much credit. The number is not countless. Even I haven’t that much fortitude.”
“Nevertheless, I expect you are a bit too much like my father for my tastes.”
Fixing his gaze on Lily, Heath regarded her intently. “I’ll have you know, I mean to remain faithful to our marriage vows after we are wed.”
Her pause spoke volumes. Because of the veil, he couldn’t see her arched eyebrows, but he heard the cynicism in her voice when she replied. “I find that very difficult to believe.”
He would never overcome her doubts by arguing with her, Heath knew, so he settled for a mild reply. “I can see that teaching you to trust me should be my first goal.”
“You are welcome to try,” she said without much conviction.
“I realize it won’t be easy, given your low opinion of noblemen.”
Lily nodded seriously. “I’ve had good reason to think ill of your ilk just recently, my lord. Two of our boarders were in service to noble households and were seduced by their masters, then thrown out onto the streets and forced to sell their bodies to survive.” Her tone turned dark. “It is appalling, what they endured. Can you even imagine facing such an horrific experience?”
Since her question seemed rhetorical, Heath didn’t answer, nor apparently did Lily expect him to, for she went on ardently. “And then they were roundly condemned for the sin of prostitution! It isn’t fair,” she said with real anger in her voice.
“No it isn’t.”
She finally looked over at him again. “Are you simply being agreeable because you wish to impress me?”
“No,” Heath said solemnly. “I admire your passion. It’s clear you are a very compassionate and caring woman.”
Lily seemed to relax a measure. “Not as compassionate as my friend Miss Blanchard. Now she is truly good. She has the kindest soul I’ve ever known. I am not particularly good or kind. I just
feel sorry for the vulnerable and helpless, especially the unfortunate women who must use their bodies as merchandise. Thankfully I was able to find those two girls employment with the household staff at Danvers Hall, even though Marcus didn’t need any more servants.”
Heath raised an eyebrow. “You sent your two boarders to Marcus?”
Lily hesitated. “Actually, I sent them to Roslyn. At the time I couldn’t ask Marcus to take them in, since I didn’t want him to know I was in London.” From her tone, he suspected Lily’s cheeks were flushing, but she gave him no chance to reply before continuing. “I could not simply ignore their plight, though. They needed someone to stand up for them. To help them to escape that awful life.”
He studied her thoughtfully. “And yet you are actively preparing your pupils to attract wealthy patrons at the soiree.”
Lily grimaced. “I know. But my friends convinced me it was the best course. If our boarders have a large enough income, they will have a greater measure of control over their lives, more choices for their futures. They won’t be quite so trapped and powerless as they are now. I am still concerned for them, however-which is why I asked you to find suitable candidates from among your bachelor friends. Our boarders deserve patrons who are kind and gentle. Widowers, perhaps, who need companionship more than passion. Or gentlemen like my friend Basil, who are amiable and tolerant, even bashful. Men who won’t behave like brutes simply because they control the purse strings.”
“Your pupils are fortunate to have you champion them so earnestly.”
For a few heartbeats, Lily eyed him as if trying to judge his sincerity. “I suppose you deserve some of the credit, Lord Claybourne.”
“Credit?”
“For causing me to come to London in the first place. If not for you wanting to court me, I never would have become involved with our boarders.”
“Now that is a novel notion,” Heath murmured with a tinge of wryness.
Lily stiffened. “I am completely serious, my lord.”
“I can see that, angel. And I commend your efforts. I was simply laughing at the irony of my courtship driving you to such lengths.”
“It is rather ironic,” she said more softly. Her mouth twisted without humor. “No doubt I can sympathize with their difficulties because of what my sisters and I went through after our family scandals erupted. We could easily have wound up in the same dire circumstances as our boarders.”
Heath found himself frowning. He didn’t like thinking of Lily at the mercy of fate like that. He hated to imagine her as a needy young girl, forced into prostitution to survive.
“And someone needs to help them,” Lily added. “They will get little assistance from most members of our class. Take yourself, for example. You are a gentleman of leisure. You treat life as a game.”
Perhaps that was true, Heath acknowledged. Pursuit of pleasure and excitement had been his aim for much of his life.
“Before meeting our girls, I was a good deal like you,” Lily continued. “I didn’t worry much about the lower classes or consider how they managed to survive. And we were so sheltered from the realities of life, I never even knew women like our boarders existed. Except for Fanny, of course, and she is certainly not typical of the demimonde. But now I feel as if I have finally found a calling.”
Heath nodded thoughtfully. He’d never given much consideration to the plight of fallen women. Oh, he’d always behaved with honor toward his servants and ensured their welfare. But otherwise, he rarely involved himself in their lives.
He could admire Lily for her newfound passion. She had channeled her rebellious spirit into striving for a worthy cause.
Just then, however, they arrived at the entrance to the park.
Lily visibly shook herself before giving him another glance. “Do forgive me, my lord. I have bored you to tears.”
“You haven’t bored me in the least. In fact, I can honestly say you are the least boring woman I have ever met.”
When he smiled, she made a face. “Well, it certainly was not my intention to entertain you. Perhaps we should ride?”
Entering the park, they guided their horses onto a wide gravel path flanked by elms and oaks. But they had gone barely ten yards when they saw two riders approaching.
Recognizing both gentlemen, Heath paused politely to greet them, but Lily urged her mare past them, leaving him to deal with his friends.
And as soon as he caught up to her, she broke into an easy canter.
“I’m certain you understand why I would rather not meet anyone in your illustrious circles,” she explained before he could take her to task for riding on without him.
“Yes, but I would prefer that you wait for me next time,” Heath chided. “You should have an escort when you ride anywhere in London.”
“A pity that I cannot oblige,” she replied sweetly, spurring her horse into a faster canter. “You see, I mean to leave you in my dust.”
Heath couldn’t help but grin at her provocation. “Is that a challenge to race, Miss Loring?”
“Most certainly,” she called over her shoulder.
Bending over the mare’s neck, she asked for more speed, and Heath knew that if he wanted to keep Lily in sight, he would have to accept her challenge.
He dug his heels into his mount’s sides, and soon they were both galloping along the path, heedless of the impropriety of racing through a public park.
He managed to close some of the distance between them, yet he was distracted by the simple pleasure of watching Lily ride. She was a hellion in the saddle, that was strikingly clear. And then she threw her head back and laughed with sheer exuberance.
At the sound of her joyful laughter, Heath felt a sharp tug of sheer lust rippling in his gut.
Realizing that he would never win their race if he didn’t focus, though, he put all his effort into the match. Even so, she gradually drew away from him. And when they finally reached the end of the path at the far end of the park, Lily was ahead by nearly two lengths.
When she pulled up, her spirited mare was snorting and prancing in excitement, and Lily herself was a bit breathless.
“That was utterly delightful!” she exclaimed, patting the mare’s neck.
Heath drew rein ruefully, aware that he hadn’t been bested that badly in a horse race since he and Marcus and Drew were boys. He was even more aware of his exhilaration at watching Lily. She was utterly delightful, Heath thought. Delightful and vibrant and intoxicatingly alive.
He couldn’t see the upper part of her face because of that damned veil, but her ripe mouth alone was enough to rouse a stimulating fantasy in his mind: making love to Lily and setting all that marvelous passion free. He had no doubt what she would be like in his bed. Hot, passionate, eager, wild.
The thought made him hard at once, which regrettably made his doeskin riding breeches painfully tight. Hence, Heath was glad for the slower pace when they turned back the way they had come and kept to a walk to cool their sweating horses.
They had reached the juncture of a new path when Heath found himself hailed again by more of his acquaintances. This time it was two ladies driving a dashing phaeton.
“You are quite popular this morning, my lord,” Lily murmured, flashing him a mischievous smile before turning her horse down the side path.
By the time Heath had suffered the ladies’ effusive regards, Lily was nowhere in sight. Impatiently he set out after her, a niggling concern for her safety chafing at him. Even though she seemed well able to take care of herself, an unaccompanied young lady could be a target for any manner of riffraff.
He followed the path Lily had taken, moving off it now and then to make certain she wasn’t hiding behind a thicket or concealed in a stand of trees. But there was no sign of her anywhere. She had disappeared.
Heath combed the entire park twice to no avail. Twenty minutes later, he finally returned to the park entrance and found her patiently waiting for him.
His relief vied with vexation, although
her enchanting smile almost made him forget his ire.
“What kept you, Lord Claybourne? I have been waiting for simply ages.”
Her tone was teasing, provocative, and it made Heath want to drag Lily off her mare and onto his lap so he could kiss her senseless. But he settled for saying mildly, “I was searching for you, of course. I couldn’t credit that you would be so unwise as to ride alone. It can be dangerous for you.”
“Perhaps, but I decided to start as I mean to go on. I won’t make it easy for you to win points by always acquiescing passively to your tactics, my lord.” Her saucy smile broadened. “What will our judges think when you confess that you lost your quarry? It should prove amusing, seeing you explain how I managed to escape your escort.”
“It will hardly be amusing for me,” he said dryly.
She laughed at his exasperation. At that husky, glorious laughter, Heath felt a rush of heat arrow through him.
I want you, sweet Lily, he thought. I want you beneath me, beside me, sharing your vibrant passion with me. I want your laughter surrounding me.
“I expect you won’t find it amusing, my lord,” Lily agreed. “But I warned you, remember? This is what you can expect if you insist on continuing our game. Are you willing to give up yet?” she asked sweetly as she turned her horse toward the street.
“Not on your life.”
He wasn’t about to give her up now, Heath reflected silently. He wanted this bright-eyed spitfire who radiated vibrancy. And the only honorable way to have her was through marriage.
The prospect was growing more appealing by the moment. He could imagine Lily as his wife now. He could even imagine willingly spending time with her once they were wed.
Long pleasurable nights filled with passion. Delightful days filled with laughter and adventure.
However, it would be a tactical mistake to suggest any such future to Lily, Heath knew. “You will find that challenges only spur me on to greater lengths,” he said instead.
“They do the same for me,” she replied.
“See, I’ve been trying to tell you we have a great deal in common.”
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