Lily and the Duke (Sex and the Season #1)(89)

“No, I’ve already arranged for you, your mother, and Rose to stay here after the house party ends, to help plan the wedding. Your aunt and cousins also.”

“Really? That sounds wonderful. But couldn’t we…”

“Yes?”

Lily fidgeted. “Would you mind terribly if we…postpone the wedding for several weeks? I…I want a real wedding night, Daniel. I don’t want to be cheated out of it.”

He smiled. “It’s already arranged, my love.”

Her heart hammered and she grasped his hand. “That’s wonderful. Thank you.”

“I thought you would be pleased. I hope you don’t mind being married here. Since my title is above your father’s socially, he and I both thought it would be best.”

“Goodness. I don’t think I’ve considered that before.”

“What?”

“That I will be above my parents socially. I’m not sure I find that at all comfortable.”

“I find titles as a rule uncomfortable, but I possess a powerful one. One I never thought I’d have, that’s for certain. Your discomfort won’t keep you from marrying me, will it?” He winked at her.

“Of course not,” Lily said. “Tell me, though, how do the titles work in your family? Will our children have titles?”

“Our first son will carry the lesser title of Marquess of Gordonshire. That was Morgan’s title. Personally, I hope we have many daughters and only one son. Being a second son is difficult.”

“Your mother told me a little about you and Morgan as boys. I’m sorry it was so hard for you.”

“My mother talks too much.” Daniel smiled lazily.

“Perhaps. Before my accident, she told me you were in love with me.”

“She was right about that.” He laughed, but turned serious. “If you and I have more than one son, I plan to do things a lot differently than my parents did.”

“We’re not shipping any seven-year-old boys off to school, that is for certain,” Lily stated.

“My, she did bend your ear, didn’t she?” Daniel rubbed his thumb in the palm of her hand. “I wholeheartedly agree with you. All my sons will learn about the estate, as will you, Lily. I expect full cooperation from my duchess. I plan to put your intelligence to good use.”

“That’s the highest compliment you’ve ever paid me,” Lily said. “I am very interested in being a true partner to you in this marriage.”

“Another reason why I’m marrying you.” His eyes gleamed. “Aside from your amazing kindness and tenderness, your incomparable beauty, and your”—he lowered his voice to a smoldering whisper—“unbelievable prowess in bed.”

Heat crept up her neck. “Any prowess I possess comes from your lead.” She rose from her seat and curled into his lap. “You taught me everything I know.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a light kiss on the mouth.

“My beautiful Lily,” he said, nuzzling her cleavage. “How am I going to wait five more weeks for you?”

“We’ll wait together,” she said. “I miss you as much as you miss me.”

“I love you so much.” Daniel kissed her hand. “There’s something I want you to know.”

“What?” She kissed his neck.

“I want to tell you why I was waiting for Amelia that night.”

Lily sighed. “Daniel, it doesn’t matter. In fact, I’d rather forget the little harpy even exists.”

“Please, Lily. I don’t want any secrets between us.”

His beautiful green eyes held remorse, and her heart melted. She threaded her fingers through his luscious hair. “All right. Tell me.”

Daniel inhaled sharply and let out his breath slowly. “I met Amelia about six years ago at a house party, not long after her husband had died. She came on strong, as you can imagine, and I didn’t try to resist her. We began an affair that went on and off for the next five years, until my father and Morgan died. The encounters worked for me because she wasn’t interested in a commitment, and neither was I. We never had any meaningful conversation. I couldn’t tell you what her interests are to this day. I didn’t care then and I don’t now. I’m not proud of my past.”

“It’s all right. I love you just as you are.”

“You’ll never know how much that means to me.” He sighed, closing his eyes for a moment, and then opening them again. “I bedded many women during the last decade or so, and my affair with Amelia lasted the longest of all of them. It wasn’t that I cared for her more than the others. I didn’t care for any of them, at least not in the way I care for you. But she and I seemed to run into each other a lot. I wonder now if she planned it that way.”

“Of course she did,” Lily snapped. “For a man with your experience, you don’t know two figs about women, do you?”

“I know a few things.” He smiled slyly.

“I’m not talking about that. Women like Amelia are conniving and sneaky. They’ll do anything, say anything, to get what they want. Believe me, I know. I’ve seen many of them wrap my sweet brother around their little fingers. It’s sickening.”

“You’re not like that.”