by Jolie Cain
May I help you?”
“I am here to see the duke. Please tell him that his fiancé has arrived.”
Without giving the butler a chance to deny her entrance, she turned to wave to Caro and Stephen and then slid past him and strode across the entryway towards the room that Richard had taken her to on her previous visit. She glanced over her shoulder at the butler, who stood staring at her in silence, his widened eyes and reddening cheeks the only indication that she had flustered him. Lily smothered a smile, sure that not many would dare to barge uninvited into the duke’s residence as she had just done.
She had no time to soothe the ruffled feelings of the duke’s servants, however.
Raising her eyebrow imperiously, she sniffed. “Well? Don’t just stand there with the front door open. Tell the duke that I am waiting for him in his study, if you please.”
With that, she entered the room and closed the door firmly behind her. She turned to press her ear to the door and finally heard the butler’s heavy steps as they moved across the entry and headed up the stairs. Letting out a relieved breath, she crossed the room to the duke’s liquor cabinet and poured herself a small measure of brandy. She needed some type of fortification for the coming confrontation. She’d just swallowed a large gulp when the door burst open and the duke, wearing only a dark blue robe, entered. His hair was in damp disarray as though he’d been toweling it dry when he was interrupted by his butler’s announcement. His eyes narrowed suspiciously as he spotted her across the room. He shut the door and then leaned back against it, arms crossed over his chest. Lily tried not to notice how attractive he looked standing there, the dusky hair of his chest peeking over the loosely wrapped collar of his robe.
“So. Did I understand my butler correctly? Did you say you were my…fiancé?”
She jerked her eyes off his chest and took another quick swallow of the brandy.
“Yes. I did.”
*
Richard had been stunned when his butler had told him that Lily was downstairs in his study claiming to be his fiancé. In disbelief, he had hurriedly finished drying off and then rushed down the stairs, sure that there had to have been some mistake. But there she was. Pretty as you please. Making herself at home and drinking his best brandy.
He’d never before in his life felt tongue-tied. He was a duke. A peer of the realm. He had been known to make grown men shake in their boots and charm beautiful women out of their knickers. Yet here he stood, clueless as to what to say to Lily.
When he’d seen her in the park with that fool Spencer, he had felt a rush of jealous rage that she would allow another man to touch her. He hadn’t thought before he had reacted. And after he’d fallen into the basin, he had been completely humiliated that he had let himself get so out of control over a woman. He had wanted nothing more than to rush home with what little dignity he had left and wallow in self-pity. He knew that he had probably lost any chance he might have had of winning Lily’s heart.
Lily stepped forward. “I think we should talk. Don’t you?”
He shook his head. “I don’t think this is a good time. In case you haven’t notice, I have just made a total and complete ass of myself in front of the haute ton.”
“Yes, I am somewhat familiar with the feeling, Your Grace.”
Richard knew immediately to what Lily referred, and he felt a guilty flush rising to his cheeks. Another first. “Is that what this was, Lily? A way to get back at me for what I did to you? To teach me a lesson?”
She turned wide eyes up to his. “Oh, no, Richard, it was never meant to go so far. I just wanted you to realize how I felt. What you had done to me. I was hurt and humiliated, and I wanted you to know how wrong it was.”
“I see.” And surprisingly, he did see. When he thought about it rationally, he could see that what she had done to him was precisely the same thing he had done to her. Did he really have any right to be angry?
“But it was never supposed to go so far. To get so crazy.”
“I’m so sorry, Lily. I know how easily things can slip out of control despite the best of intentions.”
“Indeed, Richard. I think we both have much to be sorry for. I wanted for you to understand how I felt. But now…now I just want us to be together. To put all this madness behind us.”
He searched her face, trying to figure out if she meant what she was saying. Or if this was just another plan. “Lily, I am in no mood for any more games or plots or…” he gestured…”whatevers. I fear I grow weary of such…maneuvers.”
She stepped forward, a smile appearing on her face for the first time, and he allowed himself a small measure of hope. “I feel the same. We don’t seem to be very good at such machinations, do we?”
He shook his head and stepped forward until he was just steps away from her. “No, we don’t.” His hand came out to cup her cheek, and he stared deeply into her eyes, detecting no artifice. “All right, then. No games. Just us. You and me.” He looked into her eyes, drew a deep breath, decided to trust her. “Lilith Laughton, I love you. And I can think of nothing that would bring me more happiness than to spend the rest of my life with you.”
He saw her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “Oh, Richard. I love you, too. So much. When I think of how close we came to messing everything up, I—”
He pulled her against him, holding her tightly, thinking about all he might have lost.
“Lily, will you do me the very great honor of becoming my wife?”
She drew back and looked up into his eyes, a lone tear overflowing her eye and sliding slowly down her cheek. “Yes, of course. There is nothing I want more.”
He leaned down and covered her lips with his, relishing the feel of the woman he loved in his arms at last.
When he ended the kiss, he smiled down into her lovely face and shook his head.
Her eyes sparked a question, and he just pulled her tighter against him again. “We make quite a pair, don’t we?”
He felt her shoulders move with silent laughter. “Indeed, Your Grace, perhaps we could make a bargain. No more plans.”
He agreed. “No more plans or games. But I have to confess to you…I would have done anything to win you, Lily. I was fighting for love, and I wasn’t ready to concede defeat. Until I met you, I didn’t really believe in love. I had resigned myself to a marriage of duty. My greatest hope was that the woman I chose would be someone I could respect and admire, and with whom I could feel at least some measure of passion. I never dared hope for more. I want you to know that I will never try to control you or dictate to you.
And I will always be honest with you. I love you, and I don’t ever want you to regret marrying me.”
“Me, too. Oh, Richard. I do love you so. I never dreamed I could be this happy.”
“I’m just sorry that you were so upset by what I did. I was horrified when I realized how I had hurt you. It surprised me, I’ll admit. I was afraid that I had ruined everything.”
Lily just grinned. “Yes. About that. I think I know why I was so terribly upset.
According to Caroline, ladies who are increasing are frequently over-emotional.”
It took him several minutes to absorb what she had just told him. Then he just said,
“What?”
She took his hand and placed it against her waist. “I think I’m with child, Richard.
Your child.”
For the second time in his life, she had rendered him practically speechless. “My God. My God, Lily.”
He grabbed her and lifted her against him, squeezing her so tightly she squeaked.
Relaxing his grip, he carried her to the sofa and laid her down gently. “I love you so much. You don’t know what you’ve given me, my lady.”
“Why don’t you show me, Your Grace?”
He grinned wickedly. “It would be my pleasure, my love.”
As his mouth lowered to hers, he heard her whisper, “No, my love. The pleasure is all mine.”
The End
> About the Author:
Jolie Cain is a wife and mother of two whose home is in the Deep South. All her life she has created characters and stories, with dreams of one day bringing them to life. She finally decided to stop procrastinating and just do it! Thus, her first book was born. She has discovered that there’s much more to writing than, well…writing. But there’s nothing quite as satisfying as taking an imaginary world and turning it into reality. Jolie invites you to visit her at her website at www.joliecain.net
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