by Wendy Vella
“It won't be easy for her, that much is true. However, with our support and that of the Sinclairs and Lord and Lady Wynburg, I think in time she will be accepted.”
“We go to the quieter part of the park, where Emily feels comfortable,” Samantha said, looking at Nicholas.
“Lead the way then, Samantha, and your cousins shall follow,” Nicholas said, producing a gentle smile for the girl.
“You really have changed, haven't you, Nicholas?” Lilly's words were quiet, but he heard them.
“Yes.”
Nothing further was said, but it was enough for now that she had acknowledged what he was trying to do.
They found a pond with ducks that Mr. Whiskers wanted to jump in and play with. Nicholas took his lead, as the little dog was quite insistent.
“Buttles has given us some bread and James told me that as I cannot yet swim, I am not to follow the bread into the water,” Samantha said, taking a small bundle from one of the footmen.
“That child could murder someone and that smile would get her off,” Nicholas muttered as he watched the footman blush as the little girl beamed up at him.
“Yes, she is a delight.” Lilly laughed.
“It's strange how we have inherited two cousins. Yet I like it, and also this closeness we have with James, even though he is usually lecturing me.”
“Yes,” Lilly agreed. “Strange and yet comfortable.”
They went to the water’s edge and proceeded to throw the bread for the ducks, who swam around in circles quacking loudly in gratitude. Nicholas and Samantha soon found a small island which they were convinced they could reach with their pieces of stale bread, and a competition immediately arose.
“Excellent shot, Nicholas!” Samantha squealed as a plume of water indicated the force with which he had hurled his piece of stale bread, even though it fell short of its mark.
“Are you patronizing me, Samantha Raven?”
“I am too young to understand that word!” Samantha cried, hurling her piece with enough force that she had to lunge to the side to stop herself following it into the water.
Nicholas's laugh made Lilly smile. It was unrestrained and a thing of joy, and she could not remember a time when she had heard it before.
“Good shot, Samantha!”
Sending his sister a ferocious scowl, which she ignored, Nicholas picked up another piece of bread.
“Well, well, well, what a lovely scene. Miss Braithwaite, Lord Braithwaite.”
Lilly shot Emily a look as the Duchess of Abernathy walked toward them. The woman was a notorious gossip, and Emily was not yet ready to face society and most especially not this venomous harpy.
“Duchess,” Nicholas said, dropping his bread and stepping forward to take her hand. “May I say how beautiful you look this morning.”
Swallowing a snort, Lilly watched the Duchess preen under Nicholas's compliments.
“La, Miss Braithwaite, I see quite a change in you. No longer wearing glasses, and finding a modiste who makes clothes that actually fit you, in colors more befitting your age.”
Lilly gritted her teeth. Of course she had known that changing her appearance would draw attention, but she had no wish to be the topic of discussion for this woman. She said nothing, simply nodded, as she had no wish for the Duchess to linger. The sooner she left, the sooner Emily would feel comfortable once again.
“And now, my lord, you must tell me who this beautiful child is? Her governess I obviously have no need of meeting,” the Duchess said, dismissing Emily.
“This is Lady Samantha and Miss Tolly,” Nicholas acknowledged Emily. “They are the Duke of Raven’s sisters, Duchess,” Nicholas said.
“Ah yes, the little bastard daughter.”
Bitch, Lilly thought looking at Emily. She was now standing beside Samantha, her face composed. No one looking at her would realize the turmoil she was no doubt experiencing from the Duchess’s cutting words.
Samantha opened her mouth to protest, but one look from Lilly stopped her. Intelligent child that she was, she knew not to create a scene that would embarrass her sister any further. Executing the perfect curtsey, the child then took Mr. Whiskers from the groom who now held him, and with a sweet smile on her face, she dropped his lead. Excited to be introduced to someone he did not already know, the dog immediately jumped up and put both his dirty paws on the Duchess's skirts.
“Oh, you beastly animal!”
“It's because he likes you,” Samantha said, her features schooled into an innocent look.
“Well, I don't like him! And I will thank you not to laugh,” she added, glaring at Lilly. “You would do well to study your brother's manners, Miss Braithwaite. It seems yours are sadly lacking!”
“I would thank you not to speak to my sister that way ever again, Duchess.”
Nicholas said the words quietly, and Lilly felt ridiculously happy that he had championed her.
“I am a Duchess, I can speak as I like,” the woman snapped.
“Not to my sister, you cannot. Nor to either of these two,” he added acknowledging James’s sisters.
“Well!” Giving them a final glare, she stalked away.
“Shrew!” Lilly hissed. “Thank you for acknowledging Emily and for what you said, Nicholas. I hate that woman more every time I see her.”
“Yes, she is a loathsome witch.”
“I heard a rumor once, that you and she….” Lilly waved her hand about.
“I beg your pardon!”
“You and that woman,” Lilly said, poking her brother hard in the chest.
“I hardly think this is something we should be discussing in such a public setting, if at all,” Nicholas looked uncomfortable.
“I mean it, Nicholas, I shall do something nasty to you if I hear your name is ever linked with hers.” Lilly glared at her brother, who in turn was looking at her like she had sprouted horns.
“Such vehemence, sister. I could almost believe you care for me.”
Brother and sister looked at each other for several seconds, and then Lilly said quietly, “I do.”
Leaning forward, Nicholas placed a kiss on his sister's forehead.
“Then I shall never so much as dance with that woman again.”
“Oh look, Lilly, here comes Toby running toward us!”
Lilly turned to follow Samantha's finger and saw Toby running to where they stood.
“Something is wrong,” Lilly said to Nicholas. “He would never willingly seek me out in public.”
“This is the boy, Toby, who was hurt? The one from Temple Street?”
Lilly nodded, and then moved to intercept Toby.
“What has happened?” she said as soon as he was close enough to hear her words.
“There has been a fire, Lilly, at Temple Street.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
“Go back to the house, Nicholas. Take Emily and Samantha with you, and tell Devon I have gone to Temple Street as there is a fire there!” Lilly said, picking up her skirts in preparation to follow Toby.
“You are not running off without protection, Lilly. I forbid it, and your future husband will murder me if I allow it.” He grabbed her wrist. “You there,” Nicholas addressed the three footmen who were trying to appear inconspicuous. “Take Lady Samantha and Miss Emily back to the residence. Emily, tell Lord Sinclair and your brother what has happened, and I shall take a footman and my sister to Temple Street.”
Nicholas grabbed her hand, and they were soon running behind Toby back the way he had just come.
“Hurry and call a hackney, Toby. It will get us there faster,” Lilly panted. She watched him sprint ahead of her and out of the park gates.
“I regret, sister, that I get to see your house in Temple Street in such circumstances.”
Lilly was panicking. She had visions of Mr. and Mrs. Davey and any of the children currently there being trapped inside the house.
“I-I am s-so scared, Nicholas.”
“I am here with you, Lil
liana. We will face it together.”
“Quick, Lilly, Nelly says he'll take us there!”
Toby was hanging out the door of a hackney as they reached the road. Nelly, she gathered, was the driver, who gave her a toothless grin. The footman clambered up beside him. Nicholas threw her inside and followed, and the carriage started moving as he slammed the door.
“T-tell me what you know, Toby,” Lilly gasped, pressing her fingers to her side to stop the pain.
“Mr. Davey said it was nothing, but Mrs. Davey look scared so I came to get you. I saw the flames and the smoke was thick.”
“But everyone was all right?”
“Sam left for the country yesterday, so no one else was inside.”
“Lord I wish you had told me that before I ran to the carriage. Horrid visions were filling my head, Toby.”
He shrugged. “I don’t know how much damage has been done to the house, but I think everyone is safe.”
Lilly didn't know why, but she had a sinking feeling that the fire was to do with her visit to the Watch House and the kidnapping.
“I am slowly starting to piece together things that at the time did not seem right, but I ignored,” Nicholas said, giving Lilly a steady look as she battled the panic inside her. “Your shopping trips and visits to friends were, in fact, all to your house in Temple Street, weren't they?”
Lilly nodded.
“God, how could I have been so blind.”
Ignoring her brother's muttered words, Lilly was up and out the door as the carriage stopped.
“Looks all right,” Toby said, opening the front door.
The smell of smoke still lingered in the air as they made their way through the house. The small front parlor appeared untouched, as did Mr. and Mrs. Davey's bedroom.
Nicholas followed them silently as they checked the lower floor, and then Toby led the way down the stairs to the kitchens, and Lilly heard the murmur of voices. She found Mrs. Davey with her arms in a tub of soapy water and Mr. Davey with several boards in his hand.
“Is everyone all right?”
“Of course we're all right,” Mrs. Davey said, quickly drying her hands and reaching for the kettle to heat water. Tea was always called for when anyone arrived at Temple Street.
“Where was the fire?”
“Now then, boy, you should not have disturbed Miss Braithwaite,” Mr. Davey said to Toby. “There is no need to worry yourself; it was just a small fire by the back door in a box of old rags we kept outside. The problem was it got hold of the wood I had piled outside and the flames were high enough to cause a few murmurings in the street. If we'd not been here, the damage would have been substantial, to be sure, but we were, so no harm done. If I'd known the boy was running for you, I would have stopped him.”
“I thought she should know,” Toby said, shrugging as he leaped onto the bench and took the large piece of jam and bread Mrs. Davey handed him.
“Where are your manners, Miss Braithwaite?” Mrs. Davey said, looking over Lilly's shoulder to where Nicholas stood.
“This is my brother, Lord Braithwaite. Nicholas, this is Mr. and Mrs. Davey. They look after the children and run Temple Street. It is their home.”
Lilly watched as Nicholas shook Mr. Davey's hand and bowed to Mrs. Davey. Both looked him up and down, neither looking particularly happy to have him in their home. Lilly had never willingly spoken about her family with them. However she guessed her maid and Wilson had, and none of what they had imparted had been complimentary.
“It seems my reputation has preceded me,” Nicholas said, shooting Lilly a look, to which she shrugged. “However, will you believe me when I say I have seen the error of my ways, hence my appearance here before you in the company of my sister?”
There was silence in the small kitchen and then Mr. Davey nodded. “Well then, that's as it should be, I'm thinking.”
“I wonder if you would be so kind as to take me on a tour of your lovely home, Mr. Davey?” Nicholas added, surprising Lilly. She was happy for him to do just that now she knew no one was in danger.
“Indeed, I would be honored, my lord.”
“Can you show me where the fire started, Mrs. Davey?” Lilly said after they had departed.
“Of course, please follow me.”
Her heart had resumed its normal beat as they walked outside. The weather had grown colder on the drive, and a brisk wind had risen.
“I'll fetch you a shawl, miss,” Mrs. Davey said.
“I shall be all right for a few minutes until I come back inside,” Lilly said, moving to the box Mrs. Davey pointed to.
“That is the box it started in.”
Lilly studied the area. It was small, with only a tiny patch of grass, a shed, and several chairs. There was a gate at the rear of the property and it would not be hard for a person to slip down the narrow lane and inside to light the fire. Was she being overly suspicious? Walking around the box, she looked at it from all angles.
“How do you think it started, Mrs. Davey?”
“Don't rightly know. Mr. Davey couldn't work that one out either. Oh, I almost forgot in all the goings-on, Miss Braithwaite, that a message was delivered for you first thing this morning.”
“Thank you,” Lilly said, taking the note the woman pulled from her apron. “Please go back to whatever you were doing, Mrs. Davey. I'll be along shortly.”
“Come in when you're finished, and I'll have a cup of tea ready to take off the chill.”
“Thank you.”
Lilly took out the note and opened it.
I had planned to send you on a long voyage to a certain Kurdish sheikh who will pay an extremely high price for you, as he has a lust for blonde English noblewomen, Miss Braithwaite. That can still be arranged, as can the fact that I can burn this house to the ground and hurt anyone you care about. Stop meddling in my business, or next time I will make you pay tenfold.
Shivering, Lilly wondered what she should do next. If something happened to Devon, or any of the others in her life now, she would never forgive herself.
“I thought we agreed you were not to rush headlong into danger without first notifying me.”
Pushing the note behind her back, she turned to face Devon. Lilly could tell he had left the house in haste. He was hatless, his hair standing on end, and the collar of his overcoat was tucked inside.
“I had to come; Toby said there was a fire. Nicholas and a footman are here,” Lilly rushed to say. “Mr. Davey is at present showing him the house.”
“And what of the danger to you?” he said, ignoring the fact that her brother was there. Taking off his coat, he moved to where she stood.
“I am quite warm,” Lilly said, retreating several steps.
“Your lips are blue, and if you wish to hide what is in your hand from me, then I will not force you to show it. However, I will search your things when you're not looking.”
The woman would see him in Bedlam, Dev thought as his heart settled back into his chest. He had been looking over some maps in James’s office, while the Duke took his wife driving around the park, when Emily and Samantha had burst into the room to inform them that Temple Street was on fire. He had run out of James's house and jumped into the carriage he’d just called to take him to the docks. He had then urged the driver to race at a reckless speed through London and its bustling traffic.
“You wouldn't be so underhand!” Lilly said in shocked tones, which made him laugh.
Something had frightened her. The fire definitely, but also whatever was in that note she had thrust behind her skirts.
“Of course I would. How do you think I kept track of my siblings, without being underhand,” he added, wrapping his coat around her shoulders and hauling her close so he could kiss her. All the starch instantly left her spine as she sank into him. Lord, she had the softest lips, Dev thought, an instantaneous tug of lust surging through his body.
“All right,” Lilly whispered against his mouth.
“All right?”
>
“All right, you can read my note,” Lilly said, pulling back and handing it to him. “But you must understand that I have no wish for you to start roaring or being even more protective. I am showing it to you because I want no secrets between us.”
“I understand,” Dev said, wondering what the hell it said. “When did you receive it?”
“Mrs. Davey gave it to me a few minutes ago,” she said, handing it to him.
Lifting an arm, he tucked her under it and opened the paper so they could read it together. He felt his blood run cold as he read the angry, slanted words.
“Inhale and exhale a few times before you say anything,” she urged him. It was sound advice. The hand she rubbed up and down his chest also helped... but only a little.
“Christ, Lilly.”
“I know, but as you saved me, I am not on a boat about to be delivered to a Kurdish sheikh.”
“You never will be.” Dev hugged her close. “I want you to leave London with me for a while, Lilly. Just until it is safe and this madman is caught.”
Her body stiffened against his. “I cannot leave now, Devon, you must know that.”
“To lose you would destroy me, love.”
“That's not fighting fair, Devon.”
“My feelings for you go beyond fair, Lilly, and I will not have you taken from me because you show a reckless disregard for your welfare. This,” he waved the note before her, “is very real, and words of a man who is dangerous and intent on achieving his goal no matter the cost. I cannot allow you to get anywhere near him again. Therefore, you must be protected, and to do that, I want you to leave London.”
Dev watched the frustration flicker across Lilly's face. She tried to pull away from him but he wouldn't let her. She had to learn that he was part of her life now, and she could no longer make decisions without forethought.
“You are to become my wife. Therefore your welfare is my main concern, and if I sound unreasonable for wanting to remove you from some madman intent on taking you from me, then so be it.”
