Pleasure Me (10 page)

Despite the gray stone exterior, the inside of the home was warm and cheerful. There was no resemblance between it and the atmosphere he’d grown up in. Laughter echoed out of a room just down the main hallway, and he moved toward the sound.

He came to a stop in the doorway of what was the home’s primary classroom. The sight of Lily blindfolded, her hands outstretched in an attempt to find one of the giggling children surrounding her, made him chuckle. His sister immediately placed her hands on her hips and tilted her head in his direction.

“Children, is Lord Stratfield here?” she asked with the blindfold still over her eyes.

“Yes, Miss Lily. ’Is lordship’s—” The boy who’d piped up groaned loudly as Lily darted forward to wrap him in her arms. Squirming like an eel, he slipped free of Lily’s embrace. “Aww, that’s not fair, miss.”

“It’s perfectly fair, young master Alfred, and you know it,” Lily said with a laugh as she tugged off her blindfold and handed it to the boy. “You didn’t have to answer me until you were out of reach.”

With a begrudging look of resignation, the boy accepted the blindfold and proceeded to become
It
. Wading her way through the children, Lily stopped at Garrick’s side to kiss his cheek.

“I was beginning to think you’d forgotten our appointment.”

“I’m not that late.”

“No, but usually you’re early when it has to do with Caring Hearts.” Lily linked her arm with his and pulled him down the hallway to the office. “Is something troubling you?”

“No. Why would you ask?”

“Vincent mentioned you’ve spent every night at Chiddingstone House for the past week. It makes me wonder if you’ve perhaps parted ways with your mistress.”

“Blast it, Lily. That’s not the sort of thing you should be asking me.” He frowned at his sister, who rolled her eyes at him.

“Why? I care about you. Vincent and Grace do as well. We want you to be happy, and if you’ve broken with your mistress, then perhaps you’re finally considering marriage.”

“Marriage.”
He came to an abrupt halt and looked at his sister in stupefaction. “What in God’s name would make you think such a thing?”

“Well, you can’t woo a potential bride if you’re still keeping a mistress on the side.”

“I can assure you, I’m not considering marriage now or in the near future,” he snapped. “And any further discussions of my personal affairs are off limits.”

“So you
have
broken with your elusive Mary. I thought as much when I heard you were seen dancing with the Lady Ruth at the Somerset ball.”

“Damn it, Lily. This isn’t a suitable discussion topic. We both know what can happen when gossip runs its course. Particularly where love affairs are concerned.” The moment the words were out of his mouth, he regretted it. A blank look quickly replaced Lily’s teasing expression.

“You’re right. Forgive me. After all, we both know I’m too much like our mother. Fickle to a fault.” There was a bitter note in her voice, and he grimaced.

He hadn’t meant to call forth sensitive memories where Lily was concerned. Their mother was a vain, selfish woman who had run off with her lover just before he turned fifteen. Her actions had driven his father to take his own life, leaving Garrick’s uncle in control of the estate until Garrick had come of age. Lily didn’t have it in her to do what their mother had done. For that matter, none of his siblings had that kind of callous nature.

“You’re nothing like her,” he said quietly as they entered the orphanage’s small office.

“No? In case you’ve forgotten, I left my husband, too.”

“The circumstances aren’t the same.”

“True.” Lily shrugged with detachment. “But it doesn’t make me any less my mother’s daughter. If anything it confirms it.”

“You didn’t run off with a lover and leave your children behind,” he bit out in a vicious tone. He despised his mother for what she’d done to him and his siblings. It was unconscionable.

“Perhaps, but an apple never falls far from the tree.” Lily seated herself at the desk and opened up one of the ledgers. He frowned at her cynicism. It wasn’t natural for a young woman to have such a jaundiced view of the world.

“One day, you’ll find love again, Lily.” He heard the conviction in his voice, but the slight shrug his sister made said he’d not convinced her.

“The day
you
change your mind about marriage will be the day you can lecture me on the matter. Until then, I’m content to work here at Caring Hearts or Crawley Hall.”

At the mention of the Hall, he winced. Exactly how was he going to explain that he’d not even bid on the property, let alone secured it? He knew how much Lily preferred it over the others. She’d been the one to insist he bid on it in the first place after she’d visited the property without him. He walked toward the window and stood there staring out at the small garden at the back of the house. It wasn’t large, but it served as a place for the children to play when the weather accommodated.

“I’m afraid I wasn’t able to acquire Crawley Hall.”

“What?”
Lily jerked her head up to stare at him in amazement. “You said it was as good as ours. I’ve already spoken with a contractor about the improvements needed.”

“It sold to another bidder.” Hands clasped behind his back, he shrugged, deliberately keeping his expression neutral. He didn’t elaborate that he knew the other bidder. The last thing he wanted was Lily asking him questions about Ruth. “There are other properties equally suitable for our needs. I’ve already arranged with Smythe to view two of them tomorrow. I’ll have something finalized by next week.”

“Are you telling me that someone actually outbid you?” His sister’s incredulous tone made him frown as she completely ignored his reassurance that he would find a replacement for the Hall in a few days.

“I always have a price I’m not willing to exceed.”

It was only a slight deviation from the truth. He set limits in everything he did. But in this case, he’d not even bothered to bid on Crawley Hall. A fact that said his interest in Ruth was far more reaching than it should be. He’d practically given the estate to her. No, he’d tried that and she’d refused. He hadn’t realized it until now, but that day in the hothouse, he would have willingly bought the Hall and presented it to Ruth as a gift.

He’d never been that extravagant with any woman, not even when he’d settled a sizeable dowry on Mary as a wedding gift. The knowledge made him resolve to strengthen his self-control when it came to Ruth. The mocking laughter resounding in his head made him wince. Even his subconscious found it easy to scoff at him.

“Blast.”
Lily’s disappointment pulled him out of his thoughts. At least she didn’t probe further. He inhaled a deep breath then released it as his sister turned to a spot in the ledger. “Well, if we have to put off moving the children another few months, I suppose we could consider Doctor Lawrence’s suggestion about bunk beds.”

“Bunk beds?” This wasn’t the first suggestion the good doctor had made, and it was a good one. Even more impressive was Lily’s willingness to consider the man’s recommendation.

“Yes, he said we could increase the number of children we take in and that the boys would vie for a top bunk. We could free up at least two rooms for the girls, while adding more beds for the boys.”

“The cost?”

“It’s a rather small amount, but unless we receive a sizeable donation in the future, it’s not the cost of the beds that concerns me. The more children we take in, the larger our food bill. At this rate, we might be forced into drawing from the foundation’s savings before the end of the year.”

“I don’t think that will be a problem. The dairy in Grantham is beginning to show a profit, and the cotton mill in Northwick will be operational at the end of the month. The profits from both properties are designated strictly for the foundation.”

“I’m worried we might also have to reduce the apprenticeship age down to twelve to make room for more children. Mrs. McGrath took in two more babies this week that we really don’t have room for, but how could she say no? How could I?”

“If it comes to that, then we’ll hire a teacher for each of the properties. The children will continue their schooling as they learn their trade. We’ll care for the children as we always have.”

“I couldn’t bear it if the younger children were sent away from the home too soon.”

Lily’s worried expression prompted him to cross the room and place his hand on her shoulder. All of his siblings took an interest in Caring Hearts Home, but Lily was the one who’d invested her entire being into the orphanage. She’d been almost thirteen when their mother had abandoned them, and she’d taken it hard.

Worse, she’d been born a beauty and suffered for it. Their uncle had made her marriage to the Earl of Lynmouth doomed from the start. Beresford had more to pay for than the humiliation Garrick had suffered at his hands. The pain and trauma he and his siblings had endured had driven him to open the orphanage. Not only had he wanted to protect other children from men like his uncle, he’d wanted them to have a chance at a better life by learning a trade.

Over the past eight years, the orphanage had ensured that every child it took in had a basic education and didn’t start working until the age of thirteen. An age that was higher than the current child labor laws allowed. The children were taught a trade and paid from the proceeds of the businesses where they worked.

“You worry too much, Lily. The children will be fine.” He squeezed his sister’s shoulder. “Now show me the financials you’ve prepared. I’m sure the picture isn’t quite the doom and gloom you’re convinced it is.”

As he bent over her shoulder, he reviewed the meticulously kept ledger, pointing out where concessions could be made to address needs elsewhere. After more than an hour, Lily closed the book and smiled up at him.

“All right. I concede things aren’t as bad as I made them out to be.”

“You’re a worrywart,” he teased as he bent and kissed her brow. “But the best kind. You worry about others.”

She squeezed his hand in sisterly affection as she got to her feet and looked at the small watch pinned to her dress. “Good heavens. I didn’t realize it was so late. I’ve a dozen things to do before I leave here today. Shall I tell Cook that you’ll be with us for supper? The Hamiltons are joining us.”

“No. I’ve other plans this evening.”

“The Lady Ruth?” The sly question caught him off guard as he met his sister’s curious gaze.

“And if I said yes, would that matter?” he asked in a neutral tone.

“She’s hardly marriage material, and isn’t she a bit old for you?” There was just a hint of scorn in Lily’s voice, and he sent her a harsh look.

“That’s the sort of comment I would expect from others of a less generous nature, Lily. You don’t even know the Lady Ruth.”

“I know that she seems interested in making you her latest conquest.” Cheeks flushed from his disapproval, his sister tipped her head upward in a stubborn pose. He looked at her in disbelief before laughing out loud. When Lily’s mouth fell open in surprise, he laughed harder.

“Up until this morning, the lady in question found my company less than amenable. I can assure you that she’s not set her cap for me by any means.”

“We’ll see,” his sister muttered. “You’re a good catch, and there are dozens of women who would be happy to have you pay them attention.”

“I am quite content with my life as it is.” He sent Lily a warning look. “And I like the Lady Ruth.”

“How
much
do you like her?” Lily eyed him pensively. It was a question he wasn’t sure he wanted to answer. Not because he didn’t want to talk about Ruth, but because he didn’t want to think about how easily he’d become enamored with the woman. He averted his gaze.

“I like her enough,” he replied. “Now I have other business to attend to, and I believe you do as well.”

He quickly moved toward the office door in his desire to escape his sister’s inquisition. Behind him, Lily released an unladylike snort.

“You like her a lot more than you want to admit, and if she knows what’s good for her, she’d better be kind to you.”

“As I said before, you’re a worrywart,” he said as he tugged the door open and left her standing alone in the office. He frowned as he strode down the hallway to the orphanage’s front door. Maybe Lily had good reason to worry about him. Ruth was beginning to present some unexpected problems for him, and for the life of him, he didn’t seem capable of staying away from her.

The stairs leading to the exit of the Royal Opera House were crowded as Garrick guided Ruth downward from the balcony above the Grand Tier. He’d always enjoyed the opera, but tonight was the first time he’d found himself watching the woman he was with more than he had the stage. Seeing her enjoyment had given him more pleasure than he cared to admit. Then there had been the occasional glance she spared him at different points during the performance. Over the course of the evening, it had created an unexpected intimacy between them as she silently signaled her appreciation of the music.

They reached the wide landing of the Grand Tier to join the rest of the Marlborough Set making their way out of the theater. A flurry of activity in front of them signaled the departure of the Prince and Princess of Wales from the royal box. The crush of people forced Ruth into his side, and he unconsciously wrapped his arm around her waist in an effort to protect her.

As the crowd parted for the royal couple and their entourage, he felt Ruth go rigid against him. Puzzled, he turned his head to see a look of distress on her features. His gaze followed hers, and he saw an elderly gentleman with the royals staring back at her. Disgust darkened the man’s features before he quickly dismissed her without another glance.

Garrick turned back to Ruth to see a smooth mask of composure fall over her face, but her violet eyes were dark with a pain he immediately wanted to ease. When the crowd around them began to surge forward again, she didn’t move until he gently pushed her toward the stairs leading to the lobby.