Seeing Danger (Sinclair and Raven #2)(33)

“I am happy now, Lilliana. I have Eden, who loves me and I her, and two sisters.”

He smiled, and it was possibly the first genuine one she had received from him. She could see his happiness; it made him look younger and more approachable.

“Sisters, Duke?”

“James,” he reminded her. “The story is a long one. Will you come and take tea with us soon so you can make the acquaintance of my sisters, and hear our tale?”

“I would like that,” she said, feeling a small glow of warmth in the region of her heart. Nicholas may not love her, but perhaps this man could.

“Come, we should return, but before we do, can I ask something of you, cousin?”

“Of course.”

“Devon has told me how you were out on the street that night, and about your house.”

Of course he had. Bloody Sinclairs; it seemed they kept nothing close. Lilly did not understand that. She had always held her secrets inside, never sharing them.

“I see that angers you, but you must understand he told me only because he is concerned.”

“He has no reason to be so, as I am no concern of his,” Lilly said.

“Perhaps, but I think in this he is correct. You must take no more risks. No more nighttime ventures onto London Streets.”

Lilly nodded but remained silent.

“Promise that if you need help, then you will turn to me, if you cannot turn to Devon.”

“Very well,” Lilly said, accepting the kiss he brushed over her cheek. And then he was gone and she stood there, bemused. So much change and in such a short time; how was a person to cope?





CHAPTER TWELVE


Lilly needed time to think. Somewhere she could sit uninterrupted, and work through everything that was happening to her. She walked along the wall until she found two rows of seats upon which sat numerous young women awaiting a man to ask them to dance, and several older ones, watching their charges with narrowed eyes as they danced or stood in circles with men and women. She had spent a great deal of time on extremely uncomfortable seats on the edges of ballrooms just like these.

“Excuse me.” Lilly made her way along the row until she got to a seat in the middle. She would be safe here, tucked away. Safe from the loathsome Lord Danderfield, her brother, and Lord Sinclair.

“Dastardly hot, wouldn't you say?”

Damn.

“Indeed, Miss Juniper.”

Lilly had seriously miscalculated. Beside her was one of society’s leading gossips. Miss Juniper was in her sixties, a woman who spent her evenings digging up tidbits she could then pass on to her friends the next day. Harmless really, but still bloody annoying, as the woman had no idea on “sitting quietly.”

“The Duke and Duchess of Raven are the picture of health this evening, wouldn't you say, Miss Braithwaite?”

Short enough to fit under Lilly's armpit, Miss Juniper had sharp features and reminded her of a little bird, not dissimilar to the one she had in her hair. Her brown eyes were always on the move, as were her hands.

“Indeed they are, Miss Juniper.”

Lilly wondered if she could slip out again. The other option was hoping that someone took the seat between them, thereby blocking the woman from her sight and becoming Miss Juniper’s next victim.

“That is a very unusual arrangement in your hair, Miss Braithwaite.”

“Indeed, do you like it, Miss Juniper? It took my maid some time to arrange. The beak, you know, it needed to be placed so it did not dig into my head.”

The deep chuckle coming from the end of the row made Lilly's heart jump. She tried glaring at Lord Sinclair to make him leave, but he simply smiled and started down the row, sending the women he passed into a flutter.

“Lord Sinclair!”

“Miss Juniper.” He nodded to her, as if a man taking a seat among the women was an everyday occurrence.

“But Lord Sinclair, there are only women seated here!”

He settled on the seat between them. Due to his size and the seats being placed close together, his thigh pressed into Lilly's.

“Excellent, I am rather happy to be the only man surrounded by so much beauty.”

Lilly watched the women who heard him turn and smile, tittering. They all blushed and nodded. Lilly rolled her eyes. She then moved as far from him as she could, which was not far as a woman sat on the other side.

“Hello, Lilly, you look beautiful tonight.”

He turned his body, thereby shutting Miss Juniper out of the conversation completely.

“No I don’t and what are you doing?”

“Sitting with you.”

“But you should not do so.”

“Why?”

His face looked calm, as if they were discussing pleasantries, and yet his eyes... there was nothing calm about the vibrant green depths.

“Because this is where women sit,” Lilly hissed. She was attempting to slouch in her seat so no one realized he was sitting with her.

“Is that a rule?”

Horrified, she watched as he turned to Miss Juniper to address the question to her.

“Because if it is, I do not remember seeing it written anywhere.”

Miss Juniper tittered. “It is understood, Lord Sinclair.”

“Ah, well there you have me,” he said, smiling once more. “I rarely understand anything.”