Lilly (6 page)

“He might if there was an opportunity,” Aunt Ellen offered.  “He has a much better reputation and character than his brother.  He’s n
ot an earl but would be if Lord Randall has no sons.”

“I don’t care about titles aunt, what else do you know about Robert?”
Lilly asked.

“He has income from his brother, but also lands a
nd a manor of his own.  He maintains a respectable townhouse off the square.”

“Not his possessions, has he been engaged before
, a mistress?  Married?”

“No, not that I recall.  But you’re getting married to his brother tomorrow, if you are serious you must work fast,” Aunt Ellen said, rubbing her hands together and grinning.

“Oh, it’s too short of time, I can’t know a man that fast.  To think, a few weeks ago I had no one interested, now there might be two or more.  I must thank you dear aunts for dressing me up enough to be desired,” Lilly smiled, uncertainty running inside her mind and heart.

“Darling, w
e might have added the bows and ribbons, but you are the beauty.  Those town men might not see it, but everyone else does and your kindness within shines in your face for everyone to love,” gushed Aunt Mary. 

“I’ll go riding, it will help me think and perhaps I might meet someone,”
Lilly said, smiling.  “A duke in the hedgerows or a prince behind the beech groves.”

“Splendid, don’t lose your humo
r, you’ll need it married to either of the Randall men.  Lilly, don’t believe you can run away.  There is no place for a viscount’s daughter to run to, but ruin,” Aunt Ellen warned.  “Also, take a groom, you should not be seen riding alone.”

“I’
ve always ridden this area unaccompanied,” Lilly lamented, knowing her father or Aunt Mary never cared to apply society rules over her.

“You were a young girl then Lilly, now you’re a grown lady.  Rules must be enforced,” Aunt Ellen stated.

Lilly and Aunt Mary exchanged frowns, then smirks remembering all the times Lilly had traveled, ridden, and gone to the village by herself.

……….

Lilly didn’t know what led her there, but she ended up sitting under the same tree she retreated to, after her first conversation with Lord Randall.  She remembered his hints to her of a liaison, before his unpleasant marriage and knew her future with him would be one misfortune after another.  Would he forever be arranging affairs behind her back?

Lilly felt guilty dragging a groom from the stable
s with her, and motioned for him to go sit under the next tree, in the shade.  Poor Todd, he had no idea what a groom’s duties were, keep the predators at bay Lilly supposed and laughed.  She missed her independence.

She heard a horse
and looked up to see a gentleman approaching.  For one crazy moment Lilly closed her eyes and wished it was a stranger, her prince after all.  Only, when she opened her eyes she recognized the man as a Randall, but she was not sure which one from this distance. 

Robert Randall noticed her at once and rode directly towards her.  He needed to talk to
Lilly Castleford without his brother being nearby.

“Hello,”
Lilly called.  “You caught me thinking.”

“Did I?” Robert asked.  “I’m glad to find you.  I want to
apologize again.  What I said about your appearance, well anyone with eyes could prove that statement false.  You are beautiful Lady Castleford, please know I mean that sincerely.”

Lilly
smiled at him and waved to the groom, motioning that she was fine.  She had tied her mare to a branch and sat on the ground.

Robert pushed his horse around, dismounted, and settled beside her.  She was even lovelier up close
in the sunlight.  Her youth apparent in her smooth skin and sleek hair.  She wore a navy blue riding habit, trimmed in white ribbon, pearls in her ears and covering clips in her hair, she was gorgeous.

“Thank you for saying it, though I’m not sure if I believe anyone with the name Randall.”

“Call me Robert then and may I call you Lilly?” He asked, turning and sitting so he could look down into her rich eyes.

“I might be your sister tomorrow, of course you can.”

“I don’t want you for a sister Lilly, the thought of Reece having you, leaving you here for a life of loneliness, while he lives like an infant in town, it turns my stomach,” Robert said.

“Yes, it is rather frightening.  Do you know he introduc
ed his mistress to me in the village, Marlena?” Lily asked, leaning her head back against the tree.

“You’re joking?”
Robert replied, looking more than surprised.

“No, he did, bold as anything.  I hope I don’t look like th
at after a few years with Reece.   She reminded me of the stableman’s old saying,” Lilly laughed.

“What?” Robert asking, watching her full lips move.

“Rode hard, put away wet,” Lilly grinned.  “But really, who does that?  Has a mistress down with him when he’s getting married.  Is it London behavior?”

“Faith no, it’s a degenerate’s way.  Listen
Lilly, you can still change your mind and not marry him,” Robert suggested, wanting to take her hands and feeling the soft kid of her gloves.

“He
sent my father funds and he spent it.  Ten thousand pounds.  He also said he had letters with promises and he would sue us.”

“Is that
how he woos a gentle young lady?  With money and threats?  He’s worse than I thought.  Lilly, I could return those funds and then you’d be free of him,” Robert offered, picturing himself her savior.

She turn
ed and looked into his dark black eyes, so like his brothers, but different.  Lilly saw feelings and a desire hidden there, emotions Reece hid behind bland indifference. 

“You think Reece
would just give up and leave then?” Lilly asked, growing hopeful.

Robert wasn’t sure hi
mself, for he’d never seen his brother so interested in a lady.  Reece had threatened him with a dead serious, ‘hands off.’  Not once before, over anything, had Reece threatened him.  No wonder, Robert thought looking at the beauty of Lilly.

“Or you could leave,” he suggested.

“Hide you mean, run to Brighton and become a famous courtesan?  Join a gypsy camp, sneak into a ship’s hull?” Lilly laughed.

He smiled.
  Robert had a nice genuine smile.

“I was thinking Scotland.”

“What would I do there?” Lilly asked, puzzled.

“Marry me instead,” Robert offered.

“Oh Robert, you must be jesting, you don’t even know me.  Why would you say such a thing?”

“Do I look like I’m joking?”

The tone of his voice alarmed Lilly and she stood.  Robert followed.  He put his hands on her waist and walked her closer to his chest.

He should not be touching her.  Lilly looked around and saw the groom standing.

“What are your plans for a wife? You see the other Randall offers a yearly visit for a few days to breed heirs, then he returns to town and his mistresses.  That’s not your offer too?” Lilly asked, trying to step away.

“That bastard actually suggested such a plan
?  He is absurd,” Robert hissed, his grip tightening.

Robert’s face flushe
d dark red and he let go and paced around the giant oak. 

“Robert, it’s
getting late, I have to go back,” Lilly stated, growing uneasy.  She waved to Todd and he nodded.

“No,” he growled
, suddenly back by her side.  “You won’t marry Reece, you cannot.  A life like that would damage you, make you miserable.”

Robert took
Lilly into his arms and started kissing her cheek, then slid to her neck and around to her lips.

“Has he kissed you
Lilly?” Robert whispered.

“No, I don’t think he’s very inspired.”

“Gads, I’m inspired.”

He turned her into his embrace and started kissing her with serious intent.  She was warm and soft, innocent and enticing, and she started kissing him back. 
Just feeling desired was soothing.  That was all Robert needed.  He ran his hands over her figure and pressed her against the oak, never breaking the kiss. 

It was more t
han pleasant, but a small part of Lilly wondered if all Randall’s were the same.  Was this another offer of a liaison under a tree?

Lilly
pushed back and stepped away.

“
You wouldn’t ruin me?” Lilly asked, brushing bark from her skirt.

“I can’t say I blame you, with the experience you’ve had thus far with my family, but I’d
never hurt you.  Take a chance with me Lilly,” Robert said, longing to kiss her again.

A small part of her wished she had kissed Reece just once to compare, but he’d never tried, or as much as hinted at it.

Lilly could tell Robert was forming his plans as he spoke them, and she smiled at his serious expressions.  Suddenly a thought came to her and she interrupted him.

“Robert, Reece would not harm you would he?”

Robert waited, he wondered that himself.  Would Reece challenge him?  Could he kill his own brother over a woman he knew one day?

Lilly
saw it then, the doubt and turned to hide her disappointment.  Robert didn’t love her either, he was just another man trying to gain what he desired.  It was no good.

Neither of them saw Reece sitting astride his horse, on the next rise.

……….

CHAPTER FIVE

The Wedding

Reece was burning with anger.  He had never felt rage like this in his life.  Bad enough, his brother was meeting with
Lilly, but when he started kissing her and backed her into that tree, Reece would have shot him, if he’d been armed.  He stopped himself from riding down to them, afraid of what he might do.  What the hell was that groom doing, besides standing by the next tree and acting uncomfortable?

“Damn it, I’ve not even kissed her myself.  Her first kisses with my brother betw
een us forever,” Reece cursed aloud.

He tried to calm down, but he was only growing hotter.  In a fit of insanity he wondered if he might love
Lilly, for what else could explain the heavy emotion, this new pain in his gut?  Suddenly he kicked his horse and rode directly at them.

The
y both saw and heard Reece together and separating further, they waited, the nervous energy crackling around them.

Reece rode in-between the couple and shouted,
“I warned you Robert.  What part of, ‘hands off’ don’t you understand?”

Robert had neve
r seen his brother half this furious.  My God, he really loves her, Robert thought.  He backed further away and Reece dismounted.

Lilly
looked at both their faces and cringed.  She’d never seen a man angry, let alone this display of masculine fury.  Her father never delivered a cross word, the sight of two males circling each other brought terror into her heart.

She
rushed in-between them and grabbed Reece’s hand.

“Don’t hurt him
,” she pleaded.  “He is just concerned for me.”

Reece tried to shake her off and get to his brother, but her
tenacious hold clung to him.

“I promise
d to marry you Reece.  I promise I’ll be there,” Lilly shouted, afraid of him for the first time.

He looked at her and saw she was terrified and brave to get close to his rage.
  He stopped and tried to control his breathing.

“Hurt her and I’ll beat you!” Robert shouted, adding fuel to the fire.

“I’m not going to hurt her!” Reece shouted back.  “It’s you I want to kill.”

“Stop it both of you,”
Lilly cried.  “Now, Robert I appreciate your concern, but I agreed to marry Reece and I will tomorrow, so go back to Hillside Park.”

She changed her look and
made her voice sterner as she added, “I won’t see you again until the wedding.  You understand me?”

Yes, Robert
understood.  He couldn’t blame her.  Lilly didn’t know him, why should she trust him?  At least Reece was a known commodity.

“All right, but I
want Reece’s word on something,” Robert conceded.

“I don’t know if you’re in a position to be asking favors,” Reece mocked.

Lilly did a surprising action.  She let go of Reece’s hand and moved even closer to him.  She wrapping one arm around his waist and leaned into him.  He felt it like a blanket of heat and itched to hold her against him.  It worked like a spell, for he released his anger and hugged her to him.

Robert looked at them joined together and re
signed himself to the fact he would not be having Lady Castleford.

“One thing.  You cannot mean to leave
Lilly alone in the country her entire life.  You must take her to town,” Robert demanded.

“Yes, please Reece,”
Lilly added.  “I’ve never been to London and I don’t want to be so isolated.  I don’t have to live in your townhouse and bother you and your parties.  You could buy me a small house, or rent one like you do for your other ladies, and I will stay out of your way.”

The things she said.  Reece couldn’t believe what she thought of him.
  He had a lot of work to do if he wanted to win Lilly.

“Please Reece before we are married, just promise
me that.  I’ll never complain about your other women or your choices.  Instead of jewelry and clothing I’ll have no use for, just give me a little place in London,” Lilly said, surprising herself, and she wondered, why do I want to be in town and near him?

“I thought you liked the country?” Reece asked, surprised and suspicious.

“I did as a girl, but my father is no company and my aunts are going back to London to live after the wedding.  No one will be at Hillside Park but me.  Give me three months and let me prove I can stay out of your way.  If I bother you, then you can send me back here.”

If she bothered him?
  Reece knew she would bother him.  If Lilly was in London, he would go mad wanting to see her, be with her; make love to her.  His life would change forever and he would not be his own man ever again.  If he chose another mistress, even danced with other women, Lilly would know.  He would always fear losing her by way of the gossip’s tongues.  Having his wife in town would restrain him.  What of the freedom and independence he prized so highly?  Still angry, he shouted.

“
I’ll agree, only if you’re on the other side of town.  Promise you won’t go to balls or parties I attend.  I don’t want you anywhere near me, don’t go where I can see you,” Reece thundered, anger choosing his words.

Oh, how that hurt. 
Lilly could not believe the knife wound she felt through her heart at his terms.  Now she understood the full power Reece had to inflict pain.  A terrifying thought passed her mind, God no, she loved him already.  Her face went white and her hands trembled.  Lilly slowly removed her arm from around his waist and stepped back, as if he’d just struck her.

“For God’s sake, could you be any
crueler?” Robert yelled.

Reece hadn’t thought of how those words would
injure, if Lilly didn’t understand the reason behind them.  He didn’t want her to know, but he hated the look on her face.  He hated himself.

“I promise,”
Lilly whispered.  “I understand, I’ll stay out of society and you can live as you’ve always done.”

Lilly
went back to her horse and mounted so fast, neither of the brothers could believe she was capable of so silently disappearing.  Her hapless groom followed at a distance.

“I’ll see you tomorrow
Lilly,” Reece called, his chest hurt seeing her go, her head down, and her hand over her eyes.

“You are the meanest son of a bitch.  I won’t be around you either.  I hope your whores give you diseases and brandy rots your gut.  You bastard.  I’m moving my thing
s to the village inn, I won’t stay in your house,” Robert hissed, never before being so ashamed of his brother.

Robert mounted and rode away.  Reece didn’t watch his brother, he turned and watched
Lilly grow smaller and smaller until she disappeared on the other side of a hill.

Reece closed his eyes and wondered why he’d just hurt the only two people on this earth that he loved.

……….

Cold stone walls, candles sputtering, warm from the press of bodies inside, the vicar’s high voice reading pledges and promises
, the solemnness of their replies; the ceremony was short and uneventful.

Lilly looked lovely in a beautiful satin cream dress, low cut at the neckline, small straps decorated with pearls, her brown hair styled by Ginger to best advantage with curls escaping over her shoulder and around her face.  She wore her mother’s
pearl neckless and earrings.  She carried white roses from their garden, mixed with a few spring lilies.

Reece Randall wore a fine linen cutaway jacket of midnight blue, cream breeches
buttoned into his polished Hessian boots, a snow white cravat tied in a waterfall knot.  His long black hair was tied back on his neck.  His waistcoat was blue striped and embroidered with silk golden threads. He looked tall, handsome, wealthy, and surprisingly happy.

Lilly
heard nothing but the ringing in her ears.  She stood beside her handsome gentleman, rich, titled, a man that could make her miserable and hurt her every day of her life if she let him.  The only way she could go on with this farce was to build a wall around herself and never let him inside.  He’d stated plainly how he intended to treat her from the very beginning and she’d still agreed to marry him.  Now she must add bricks to this wall by being ridiculous, she would test him by talking sarcastically, Lilly would see how far Reece would go. 

After the cerem
ony the guests dispersed to the food tables leaving Lilly free to turn to her husband.

“I was thinking Reece, I can ride to London in a separate carriage or even the stage.  And I think I should not use my real name, I don’t want to embarrass you o
r get in your way.  A countess living on the other side of town might be silly.  I shall call myself something else.  Ann Brown.  That’s who I’ll be.  I’ll never be invited to parties and no one will know me but my aunts.  I shall stay well away from you.  It will be as if Lilly Castleford died.”

Reece flinched.  Was she serious?  God,
he thought she was. 

“
Lilly,” Reece tried to speak, but his throat closed up and he felt like an ass.

“You don’t even have to force yourself to spend
a wedding night with me.  There’s no rush for an heir, I’m only twenty,” Lilly stated, trying to sound sincere.

O
h no, she was not escaping that.

“
Lilly, I want a wedding night,” Reece tried to take her hand, but she pulled away and smiled sadly at him.

“Don’t pretend Reece, it just hurts more.  You said you didn’t want me anywhere near yo
u, that you don’t want to see me.  I’ll never forget you saying it for as long as I live.  Have your wedding night with someone you care about in town,” Lilly offered, looking down so the hurt wouldn’t show in her eyes.

“Christ, I didn’t mean it that way
Lilly.”

“Reece, there’s really only one way to m
ean such remarks.  I offend you, you can’t stand to look at me, and you want me on the other side of town.  I understood you.”

“I don’t think you have any
idea what I think of you.”

“Probably not, don’t say it.  I have enough hurt already.  What is the name of your
solicitor?  If you give me his address, I was thinking I could get messages to you, through him.  Don’t worry, I don’t mean often, just something serious like if I deliver a baby or get very sick, or anything,” Lilly said, wondering if she was laying it on too thickly.

Half of him thought she was playing a game, for no one was that
considerate of another or that able to handle rejection.  The other half thought he had wounded Lilly so deeply she wanted to avoid him, she detested him.  That made chills run inside him, like snow down his collar.

“
Lilly, if you have a baby I don’t want to find out by a note from my solicitor.”

“Oh.  Sorry, I thought you’d want to know.
  I won’t bother you with it then.”

“Of course I’d want to k
now!  Not from him, from you,” Reece replied, trying to manage his growing anger.

She looked at him then and quickly looked away.

“Alright, I’ll send you a note if it happens.”

“
Lilly, we really need to talk.  You’ve misunderstood me and I’ve misspoken in anger.  I am going to see you.  You won’t be in town alone all the time,” Reece offered, wondering if seeing him would make Lilly elated or sad.

At that moment,
such a rush of emotion hit Lilly, she wondered if she hated him.  ‘Alone all the time,’ that was plain enough. He’d see his footman, his butler, his mistresses, friends, acquaintances, and strangers, more often than her and suddenly in a fury, Lilly was glad.

“I don’t care if I ever see you
again Reece.  After what you said to me, where you plan to house me, you won’t have to worry about me searching you out, I’ll never look.”

Finally her spirit
and temper returned and Reece was glad, for a moment he feared he’d destroyed her.  Then her words sunk in and he felt real alarm.

“We’re going to talk later.” 

Reece spoke sternly, but Lilly didn’t answer, she just looked away and smiled at her aunts and her father.  He would have given anything if she would look at him that way, just once.

The entire
village was there and after Lilly broke away from her conversation with Reece, she joined them.  They all laughed and embraced Lilly, as if she was their favorite family member.  Some crying, others laughing and holding her too close.  Children gathered around her and kissed her cheeks, lightly touched her soft satin wedding gown, and begged for a hug.  Grown rough men from the fields clasped her and made her laugh.  Elderly ladies with canes and snuff kissed her and whispered joyful wishes. 

Reece had never seen anyone so well loved.  Not once in his life had a village full of people even glanced his way with recognition or gladness and he was their earl.  The thought of taking this wonderful, kind and giving girl and hiding her in an off London street, under an assumed name was madness.  She was coming home with him.  The vision of
Lilly on some side street, mixed with whores and tradesman, closed off from people, was disgusting to him.