My Fair Lily (8 page)

“You do that.” He ran a thumb along her cheek to wipe away a
stray tear, still overwhelmed by the need to protect her. She felt soft as a lamb, her skin silken smooth beneath his rough palm, and he wished he could take her into his arms and hold her until the pain she so obviously felt went away.

After a moment, she stepped away and fumbled through her reticule. “Oh, dear. I seem to have misplaced my handkerchief.” She glanced up and then shook her head and sighed. “I’ve been doing that a lot lately. Losing small items here and there. I never did that
before.”

“I’m sure your handkerchief will turn up. Do you wish to return to the lecture hall?”

“Yes, but I think I’ll wait out here anyway. The speaker ought to be finished by now, and the crowd will soon pour through these
doors. I’ll wait here for my uncle.”

As she predicted, the attendees began to file out. It wasn’t long before Lily’s uncle stepped outside and scanned the ladies and gentlemen milling about the street. “There you are,” he called out and soon joined them. “What have you there?”

“Flowers, Uncle George.” She inhaled their scent and smiled. “They’re from Mr. Cameron.”

Her uncle eyed him curiously, then smiled.

Oh, bollix.

He’d given Lily violets, not a betrothal ring.

LILY ENTERED
Eloise’s salon the following morning clutching the
note her butler had delivered earlier. She saw Eloise seated at her
writing desk. “You wanted to see me?”

“I have a favor to ask of you, child,” she said, setting down her quill pen and placing the stopper back on her inkpot before rising to greet
Lily. “My dear, the Duke of Lotheil has invited me to tea. I’d like you to join me.”

Lily shook her head. “But he hasn’t invited me.”

“Nonsense, he knows a woman my age can’t make her way
about London on her own. He expects me to bring a companion.”

“Is this the only reason you want me to go?”

Eloise laughed lightly as she motioned for Lily to take a seat beside her on the divan. “Ewan will be there, of course. So will his sister, Meggie. She’s due to arrive at Lotheil Court today and I’m concerned she’ll be quite overwhelmed by the grandeur. Not to mention that her grandfather can be an ogre.”

Lily rolled her eyes and plopped into the seat beside her. “I know.
He’s the one thwarting my dream to be admitted into the Royal Society. I’m not violent by nature, but I’ve wanted to poke him in the
nose more than a time or two this past year.”

“I know, dear.” She patted Lily’s hand. “Perhaps he’ll soften once he gets to know you better.”

“I doubt it.”

“One can always hope. He’s asked me to help him plan his seventy-
fifth birthday celebration, and I would love your help. You’re so
capable
and efficient. He intends to hold it in the new wing of the Royal Society,
sort of a double celebration of his birthday and the grand opening of the
new geographical hall. He wishes it to be a splendid affair - a full
orchestra, the best champagne, fireworks.”

Lily rolled her eyes again. “The duke refers to me as
that baboon girl
and cringes at the mention of my name. He’ll never allow me to participate in planning his party.”

Eloise cast her an indulgent smile. “We won’t know for certain unless we try. In the meanwhile, you’ll have a reason to be at Lotheil Court quite often. I count on you to befriend Meggie. She’s a timid girl, and I’ll need your assistance to make her London visit a little
less frightening for her.”

“Timid? Then she’s nothing like her brother.”

Eloise sighed. “Ewan can be a bit headstrong, but he’s a good
man. What do you think of him?”

Lily pursed her lips as she gave the question some thought. “I don’t know. He’s blunt, unimpressed by society. Clearly hasn’t spent any time going about in society. But he’s kind to his dog and was very kind to me yesterday. He bought me a bouquet of violets.”

Eloise’s ears perked. “Did he?”

“Ah, your eyes have lit up like fireflies on a summer’s eve. Please don’t make too much of it. He saw that I had been treated cruelly by certain members of the Royal Society and took pity on me.
That’s all. It was a small bouquet. Tell me more about his sister.”

“I haven’t seen her in a while, so I don’t know much more than I’ve already told you. I’m certain you and Meggie will become fast
friends.”

“I look forward to meeting her.”

“Good. Then it’s settled. You’ll join me at Lotheil Court. Did you know the duke has one of the finest libraries in England?”

She nodded. “I’m eager to see it. Do you think he’ll allow me a view of it?”

“Ewan will give you a tour if his grandfather won’t. Run along
and ready yourself, child. We haven’t much time.”

Within the hour, she and Eloise were in the Dayne carriage on their way to the duke’s imposing residence. Lily had known the place would be impressive, but she wasn’t prepared for its palatial
size or splendor.
Built in the style of a Grecian temple, Lotheil Court had soaring
marble
columns and an enormous fountain in the center of the circular drive. The duke stood at the top of the porticoed steps, staring down
at them with arms folded across his chest.

His thick head of white hair matched the color of those soaring portico
columns, and he looked every bit as grand as his home. So did Ewan, who stole Lily’s breath away as she gazed at him standing at the foot of the steps, his arms folded across his broad chest and his brow furrowed in that same look of determination his grandfather had on his face.

She imagined the two men would be appalled to realize how closely they resembled each other. They looked like a matched pair of fire irons—stiff, unbendable—and both had the same, stubborn set to their jaws.

A young woman stood beside Ewan. Her long hair was a shade redder than her brother’s. Her eyes were a lighter green than his,
more of a sea green, and showed signs of crying recently.

“That’s Meggie,” Eloise told Lily. “She’s a sweet-looking girl. Poor thing, she looks as out of place here as a donkey in a henhouse.”

Lily agreed.

The footmen lining the steps were more finely dressed than either
Ewan or Meggie, she noted. Indeed, even the duke’s gardener went about his work in more stylish clothes.

Ewan strode toward the carriage to greet Eloise and help her down.

He smiled as he turned to Lily. “Glad ye made it, lass. What do ye think of the place? A braw paffle, is it no’?” He took her by the waist and lifted her into the air as though she weighed no more than a feather.

She grabbed his shoulders for support, not surprised to find them hard and muscled. “Oh, yes. Quite braw and extremely paffled.”

Chuckling, he set her down beside him but didn’t release her.

She had to admit, this was an excellent way to descend from a carriage.

“Come, Lily. I’d like you to meet Meggie.” His warm breath tickled her ear and his fingers lingered at her waist, his touch light and at the
same time possessive. Little tingles of heat ran up her body and shot down to her toes before racing upward again. A delightful flutter began deep in her stomach, as though it housed a thousand dancing butterflies.

She took a deep breath to steady herself and inhaled Ewan’s scent, an earthy scent of pine forest, clean and pure and rugged. “Meggie’s been crying since she arrived,” he said in a whisper. “I can
no’ make her stop.”

Lily’s gaze darted to his sister. Poor thing. But what could she do? “I’ll try my best to cheer her.”

Ewan tossed her a lopsided smile. “Och, lass. That would be grand.”

Oh, his smile! The butterflies in her stomach were now dancing themselves into a frenzy.

When he made quick introductions, Meggie graced her with a hesitant smile and Lily returned it warmly. She noted that the duke had not deigned to descend the few steps to greet them but was
waiting for them to climb the steps to reach him.

Eloise walked up them assisted by Meggie, who had a hand on her
arm. Ewan had tried to offer, but she’d dismissed him with some nonsense about not seeing Meggie for ages and wanting to catch up
with all that had happened since Eloise’s last visit north.

Ewan was left with his arm sticking out conspicuously, so he offered it to Lily. “By the way, what’s a paffle?” she asked as they approached the duke, who had escorted Eloise and Meggie into the entry hall.

He chuckled. “A bit o’ land.”

She looked about, her gaze once more falling upon the ducal residence in all its white marble splendor. “Indeed, it’s quite a paffle.” The gleaming entry hall was two stories high and full of light from an elevated row of windows. The light reflected off the black and white marble tile floor. One wall of the sparsely furnished hall contained an enormous mirror edged in gold leaf and, under it, a mosaic table of Arabian design.

“May I present my companion, Miss Lily Farthingale,” Eloise said.

The duke regarded her with the same, dark emerald eyes as his grandson’s. “I know you. You’re that baboon girl, the Farthingale chit everyone at the Royal Society is in a fuss about. You don’t look like much.”

A soft growl emanated from the back of Ewan’s throat, and his
hands curled into fists. “Insult her again and I’ll—”

Lily put a hand on his fist. “I am the very one, Your Grace. I’m glad to hear I’ve made you all take notice. Rest assured, you haven’t
heard the last of me.”

“Is that a threat?”

“Against your male bastion?” She nodded. “And a promise. I’ll have your ancient walls crumbling before the year is out.”

“Gel, you’re fortunate you came here with my dear friend. Otherwise, I’d have tossed you out on your impertinent ear.”

“Lotheil! Really!”

“I beg your pardon, Eloise. Your young friend here ought to be taken to the woodshed and soundly thrashed.”

Ewan’s sister burst into tears.

Ewan groaned. “Och, Meggie. Will ye no’ stop crying?”

So much for introductions. Lily put an arm about Meggie’s shoulders.
“Don’t you fret. You and I shall be great friends. Your grandfather
and I are
just amiably sparring. It’s all the rage in
London to... er... engage in witty repartee. Do you like to ride?”

She sniffled. “I’m no’ very good at it. My brother is, though.”

Lily nodded. “So I’ve heard. Do you enjoy lectures? There’s a fascinating one tomorrow on Charlemagne.”

“Who?”

Lily exchanged perplexed glances with Ewan. “Never mind.”

The duke led them into his conservatory, where a table
overlooking
his impressive garden was set for five. Ferns in decorative pots stood at measured intervals around the room, except in one spot where
there seemed to be a pot missing.

“Jasper broke it this morning,” Ewan whispered. “The big looby slid on his belly across the polished floor and next thing ye know,
there’s a great crash followed by a whimper.”

She let out a laughing groan. “Poor Jasper.” The adorable beast
did not walk or trot. He bounded, sprang, leapt. “Where is he now?”

“My chamber. Safest to keep him up there for now. There’s so much
shine and polish in this house, poor creature’s been sliding into walls all
day.” He held out a chair for Lily, then turned to his sister and held one out for her. “Meggie, you and I can take him for a
walk later.”

The poor girl looked as though she were going to burst into tears again. She cast Ewan a look that clearly revealed her desire to return
to Scotland
now
and never come back.

Ewan had the same expression on his face.

If they hated being here, then why had they come? Lily glanced at Eloise, who was engaged in conversation with the duke. She recalled the little bits of information Eloise had revealed in the carriage on their
way over, something about a family bitterness that had lasted thirty years. She’d have to pry more details out of her companion as soon
as they
were on their way back to Chipping Way. She couldn’t understand such feuds. Her family always talked through their differences, compromised, put love above all else. That’s what the duke and his
grandchildren ought to have done years ago.

For the remainder of the afternoon, the duke spoke mostly to
Eloise about plans for his birthday party.

He ignored Lily.

Endured Meggie.

Surprisingly, Lily caught him glancing at Ewan in admiration.
Not once, but twice, and only when Ewan had turned away.

Near the end of the afternoon, the duke surprised Lily by offering her a tour of the house. “Might as well show it to you and my granddaughter, since she hasn’t let go of your arm since you arrived.”

Eloise remained behind in the conservatory, shooing Ewan away
when he offered to remain with her. “Nonsense, join the ladies,” she insisted. “You’ll be grinding your teeth and fretting until they return.
Quite an annoying habit. Can’t abide it.”