Persuasion (2 page)

mouth. She looked perilously close to stomping her foot. “Lud, what am I to

do with him? You see what I've had to endure these twenty-four years

past?”

Privately, Lily thought her uncle a saint, but she kept that thought firmly

bolted in her head. Lily and Uncle George shared many a tense and strained

look when glancing upon Aunt Millie's more extravagant tantrums, but not a

word was ever said against the older lady. Despite her childlike ways, Aunt

Millie was liable to be deeply hurt by any criticism, and, regardless of her

nature, which could be both selfish and intolerant, she was well loved by her

whole family. Lily included.

“Oh! Leave him, aunt!” she murmured soothingly, inwardly thinking that at

least one member of their family could be content that eve. “You never know

he might win something and buy you a present!”

A tradition had been established long ago by her aunt and uncle, and was

well-known amongst them all. Uncle George had the poorest luck, but on

occasion had been known to win and always a large sum. As aunt forbore to

allow him to gamble, he always purchased her a gift with the winnings.

“As if that is enough this time, Lily! Honestly. Tis important that we show a

good face to the ton! Another pendant would hardly do that!”

Lily waved a hand. “But we've already presented a good face, aunt! The ball

started over two hours ago!” And she had been counting every minute!

Aunt Millie looked unconvinced. “It is not as though I ask much of him, Lily!

Oh, it is too much! As it is your special occasion and I should not be

burdening you with this, I shall drop this matter. But he shall hear from me

later! Of that I promise!” she declared and swept away as swiftly as she had

arrived, regal in her purple attire and rebellious with it!

Lily ducked her head to hide her smile and simultaneously shook out her

skirts. She looked up as someone laughed particularly loudly and

inadvertently caught some of the glances that were thrown her way. Rather

than be pleased by this, she was displeased!

Her aunt had decried that it was about time she left the wilderness of the

country on the very day of her arrival in London one month ago. But Lily was

not as out of touch as her aunt believed. She had many friends in the ton,

and during her period of mourning, had received many a letter detailing the

gossip and news of the foibles that had occurred within the crowded groups

of the ton's most influential people.

One of the men that had cast a smile at her mere moments ago, according

to her friend Lady Sara Doverby, had had an affair with one of his maids

then cast her out, when she had, horror of horrors, become pregnant!

Certainly not the type of gentleman Lily wished to become acquainted with,

never mind marry!

That was the beauty of having friends that were wed, while she wasn't. It

meant that they told her things that unwed débutantes had no right to hear.

In truth, if she had to go through this charade of a come out, then she was

content to do it now and at this stage in her life for it meant that she was

forearmed and forewarned!

Of course, being forearmed and forewarned was most unseemly. It meant

that she knew all that she shouldn't, from what occurred in the marriage bed

to the affaires du coeur of the ton's most eligible gentlemen. Naturally, she

cared not but Lily knew that many a man would find her depth of knowledge

disgusting.

Out-sweeping her fan, Lily fluttered the decorated and patterned silk and

enjoyed the slight breeze against her admittedly flushed cheeks. The heat

was oppressive and the dreadful crush did not help at all.

She returned to the refreshments table and took a milk ice, its taste was

mildly pleasant, but she enjoyed it for its coolness and for no other reason.

Lily watched as myriad maids rushed in and out with small bowls of the

concoction she was eating. Ices were a nightmare for the cook, but a

necessity if one were to survive a ball!

With a determined smile, Lily determined to cease being such an irascible

bore and to make an effort to enjoy herself. The truth was that a few years

ago she would have been delighted by this event. Would have spent the

evening in raptures, as she explored every inch of the ballroom and danced

along the entire length of the floor!

Her father's death had changed her and not necessarily for the good.

She smiled warmly at one of the younger girls, who looked as though she

had been cowed one too many times by the domineering woman at her side

and noted the simple elegance of her dress. Deciding that she wanted to

know the modiste behind that garment -for no longer could she trust her

aunt's, not after this debacle of a dress at any rate!- Lily stalked towards the

duo and curtsied.

“Lady Lily, such a pleasure,” the elder of the two murmured, a slight bloom

of surprise on her cheeks.

“The pleasure is mine, Mrs. Sampson. May I steal your daughter for a stroll

about the room?”

“I - why - of course, Lady Lily.” Mrs. Sampson's head swiveled between Lily

and her daughter, until she raised a brow at the delay. “Anna, go along with

her ladyship.”

Anna looked over-flushed and discomforted, by Lily's presence or her

mother's, Lily wasn't certain. And so, she clutched at Anna's hand, tucked it

underneath her elbow and forced her into moving around the cavernous

chamber.

“Your dress is quite . . . lovely, Anna,” she said and was the first to speak.

“T-Thank you, your ladyship. You look most beautiful also!”

“Less of the ladyship. My name is Lily.”

“Oh, I thank you for the honor, my lady, but I couldn't possibly. My mother

would not be pleased at such impoliteness.”

“Your mother is not here at the moment, Anna,” she pointed out with a wry

smile. “Please. I do so hate this dreadful necessity of thrusting our nobility

about the place as though it mattered.”

“I-If you are certain, L-Lily. You do me a great honor.”

“That is quite relative I'm sure. You would be doing me a great honor

yourself, if you . . . .”

“If I could? Anything I can do to help you, Lily, please, I am at your

disposal.”

“Tell me who your modiste is?”

“Is that all?” Anna laughed and a delightful blush spread along the curve of

her cheeks.

“Of course! Your dress is beautiful and while you say that I look lovely, I feel

almost as though I'm indecently exposing myself to any number of

gentlemen here!”

“Oh that's not true! It suits you perfectly!”

“We shall agree to disagree, I fear, Anna.”

“Madame Boliage is my modiste, Lily.”

“No! If she can produce that for you, why can't she produce it for me too?

Lily complained with a groan and looked down at Anna's sweeping dress

whose crisp, fine linen gathered at the bust then fell to the floor in a

sweeping wave of material. It was bordered with a thick line of embroidery,

which matched the bust and short capped sleeves at her arm. It was

elegant, tasteful and while showing a good deal of flesh did not make the

young Anna look like a houri!

“I fear you dislike your raiment, but you look most sophisticated for your . .

. ,” the younger girl hesitated.

Lily smiled. “My age? I suppose I need not look so pure as you, Anna, but

still, appearances must be upheld, no? The good Madame had designed me a

perfectly suitable outfit and then my aunt saw fit to interfere! The nerve, I

ask you,” she finished, but was less annoyed now and was sufficiently

calmed to merely grin at her aunt's mischief with the still-shy girl beside her.

“I'm sure your aunt thought she was acting on your behalf.”

“Naturally. I should have realized she would have slipped a whispered

message to the modiste! But still, if I'm as old as she says I am then surely I

have the right to choose my own apparel,” she said, with a teasing smile.

“I fear that you are correct. To our elders, we shall always be the babes

regardless of any contradictions they choose to make!”

“Very true. Sadly, I must remain with Madame Boliage if she was the creator

of your exquisite dress,” she said with a dramatic sigh.

“Forgive me, Lily, but you do not appear to be having a diverting time of it. I

had my come out ball three weeks ago and I enjoyed it greatly. Yet, you

seem . . . well, if you will forgive my forwardness . . . rather down?”

Lily raised intrigued eyebrows. She hadn't credited Anna with astuteness nor

frankness, apparently she'd been wrong. “You think so? I hope I'm not as

transparent as all that!” she murmured wryly.

“No,” Anna replied with a smile. “But I see much more than your average

eighteen year old.”

“Ah. You are a reader of people, no?”

“Well, I wouldn't phrase it like that, Lily.”

“How would you phrase it?” she asked and nodded to one of the gentleman

who smiled at her. She hurried their pace to escape a dance invitation and

ducked her head towards Anna.

“I can see that you approve of frankness, Lily. Forgive me if it takes me a

while to adjust to your temperament for there are hardly any like us

amongst these jackals. But, in my situation, I find that as my mother tends

to dominate me and all other conversation and always has, it does me well

to read others.”

Lily chuckled at that. She had to admit that she wasn't used to such

bluntness amongst this set. In the country, it was different. Naturally people

tended to guard their tongues, but there were many who didn't, especially

the matrons. “For me, it has been rather a lesson in self-protection.”

“Yes, the number of obsequious toads in London is rather appalling, is it

not?”

Laughing, Lily flipped out her fan and raised it to cover her smile. “Yes.

Indeed. I like you, Anna. Would you call on me tomorrow?”

“Why, thank you, Lily. I share those sentiments.”

“Lady Lily? May I have this dance?” a man, she recognized as Lord Lycombe,

asked and held out a hand for her.

“Excuse me, Miss Sampson,” she murmured and took his hand. Inwardly,

she sighed and grimaced. Outwardly, she was entirely composed.

Anna bowed her head. “Til later, your ladyship.”

“I must declare upon your beauty tonight, my lady.”

“Thank you, Lord Lycombe.”

“Is your mother not here?”

“No, she remains in the dower house of our estate, I'm afraid, although she

reverts to the estate from time to time.”

“Your brother insisted and so soon?” he asked and then paused as he

stepped in to the line of dancers and was separated momentarily from her.

Lord Lycombe had been acquainted with her parents and had even attended

one of their many house parties. She was fully aware that unmarried men of

a certain age could and did make an offer to totally unsuitable females on

the mart and Lily would fight to ensure that she was not one of them!

Her brother had told her that she could have a come out, if she so wished

and believing that it would inspire her mama out of her lethargic

indifference, Lily had agreed. Julia had taken it into her head that her grief

was having a dampening effect on Lily's life and that her only daughter was

missing out on the joys of the ton. And so, she along with Devlin and Aunt

Millie had decided that this was the best way to disprove her mother's belief.

Although, Lily was quite sure that her aunt had forgotten all that, for the

older lady was quite clear in her intentions to have Lily wed by this time next

year.

Not if Lily had anything to do with it, though!

She did not particularly want to marry and if she were to do so, it would be

to a man she loved.

A creature she had yet to meet and one she doubted even existed and so,

here she was. Dancing with an old rake hell who more than likely had sights

on her fortune and beauty. Lily was many things, but immodest was not one

of them. She had seen her appearance in the mirror and while she was not

an ordinary beauty, not enough to be classed as a diamond of the first water

at any rate, Lily had had sufficient admirers to know that she was found

attractive and combined with name, rank and dowry, her aunt had told her

that she would be lucky not to be surrounded by hordes of men.

The thought did not fill her with happiness.

The future months ahead of her seemed dire if the prospect was spending

time with men that wanted her for anything but the parts that truly made

her Lily. Parts like integrity and intelligence, kindness and generosity. No,

they simply saw her auburn hair, green cat eyes and the smart figure that

had her looking svelte in even the largest of pelisses!

“No, Devlin did not require it,” she retorted with a bite, when they met once

more on the floor. It was then that she remembered not having seen

Lycombe on the approved list of people to invite, which meant that, once

again, Aunt Millie had interfered! “Mama simply thought it time to move out

and the house is full of memories. Naturally, she felt overburdened by them.

Although, I believe that with time she will return to the house. At the

moment, the memories are too hard for her to handle, but with time I'm