Lily and the Duke (Sex and the Season #1)(40)

He grasped her shoulders, pushing her away from him. His eyes were smoky and sunken.

“Daniel?”

“Come sit with me, Lily. I want to talk to you.” He led her to one of the small benches.

“What is it?”

“I want you to know that I…care for you, and I’m so sorry about what happened this morning.”

“Is that what this is about?” Lily touched his cheek. “You don’t have to apologize. I’m not angry.”

“I was so rough with you.”

“Daniel, I wanted you.” Lily was bewildered. “Did I scream? Did I try to get away from you? I went to you willingly, like I always have.”

“You are the last person in this world I want to hurt.”

His face was twisted in so much anguish that Lily wanted to clasp his head to her bosom and comfort him as though he were a child.

“I swear to you that it won’t ever happen again. Why did you let me do it?”

She met his gaze. “Because you…seemed to need me. You were so emotional. I wanted to help.”

Daniel looked away. “I just… When you said I would replace you… Damn it, Lily, I don’t know what’s going on with me.”

Lily stroked his hair. “You shouldn’t keep your emotions bottled inside you. It’s not healthy. You’ve been through so much in the past year. Have you ever let yourself mourn for your father and your brother?”

“I won’t speak of that,” he said abruptly.

“All right. I understand.” She reached for his cheek and pulled him back around to face her. “But if you ever change your mind, you can talk to me. About anything. I mean that.”

He wrapped his arms around her and drew her head to his chest, kissing the top of her hair.

Lily snuggled into his warmth. “Everything will be fine, Daniel,” she said. “I promise, everything is fine.”





Chapter 9





Lady Amelia Gregory adjusted her skirts as the well-endowed stable boy pulled up his trousers. She didn’t know his name, and she didn’t care. “Stay here,” she said. “Don’t follow me out.”

“My lady, I’d like to—”

“For God’s sake, don’t talk. I certainly didn’t come here for conversation.”

“But—”

“I got what I came for. You were acceptable. Now stay here, and don’t leave for at least fifteen minutes.”

“I’ll go out the back way.” The boy turned and walked away.

“Suit yourself.” Amelia hurried to the door of the stables and peeked out. Three horses were approaching. “Oh, bloody hell.”

Two of them headed left toward the guest stables, and one came toward her to the main stable. Midnight, carrying His Grace and that little twit, Lily Jameson. Amelia seethed. Not interested, my arse. The little fool can’t wait to become a duchess.

Amelia quickly turned around and headed for the back door of the stable, but it was too far away. She ducked into a stall behind a brown-and-white mare and watched through a small crack in the wood.

“Come in, Lily,” Daniel said. “Stay and talk to me while I take care of Midnight.”

“Don’t you have grooms to take care of him?”

“Yes, but I like to do it myself.”

“I understand. He’s a beautiful horse, Daniel.”

Daniel? She called him Daniel? The little harlot.

“Thank you so much for today,” Lily continued. “I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed riding more.”

“Neither have I.”

“May I help you with him?”

“Certainly.” He handed her a brush. “Take this and smooth out his mane, while I take care of his feet.”

“I absolutely love animals.” Lily ran the brush through Midnight’s mane. “Dogs are my favorite, but horses are a close second. They’re such beautiful and noble creatures. I wish I were a better rider.”

“You just need to get more comfortable.” Then he laughed. “You want to know what I think?”

“What?”

“I think you spend the majority of your time painting and writing, and you’ve never given yourself the chance to learn to ride properly.”

“Rose has tried to teach me, but I’m hopeless.”

“Nonsense. You responded well today.”

“That’s only because you were controlling Midnight. If I had been riding alone, you would have seen that—” She paused. “You’re not buying any of this are you?”

“Not a word,” he chuckled, shaking his head. “You have excellent instinct, as I saw today, plus it’s obvious that you enjoy horses. I could teach you, and you’d be riding like Rose in no time.”

“Would you really teach me?”

He finished with Midnight’s hind feet and strode toward her, taking the brush from her hand. “Love, I would do anything for you. Don’t you know that by now?” He grabbed a different brush and gave it to her. “Now we’ll do his coat. You do this side, and I’ll do the other. Here, I’ll show you.”

Amelia fumed, hidden. He had called her love. That ridiculous little twit, who “couldn’t care less” about being a duchess. Lily had no doubt set the course in motion long before she arrived at Laurel Ridge. I’ll ruin her, Amelia thought. But that wasn’t possible. All they had done was go riding together, with chaperones. Damn. She could make something up, though, something deliciously scandalous. Of course, if she did that, the little fool’s father, the earl, would no doubt force Daniel to marry her, and Amelia would have no chance at Daniel’s title. Besides, why resort to lying when she could do something much more fun? The little bitch had a very handsome and very available brother. Amelia had already threatened to seduce Lily’s brother, so why not go through with it?