A Lily Among Thorns(122)

He grinned wider. “I’m going to trade the Prince Regent Mother’s tartlet recipe.”

Oh God, that would really work. It would, and they would be married—she lunged at him and kissed him. It hurt her jaw, but she didn’t care.

A short time later, she said rather unsteadily, “But don’t think this means I’m not going to insist on very stringent marriage settlements.”

“I never for a moment thought you wouldn’t.” He laughed. “I feel faint with happiness. If I swoon, don’t tell my uncle, all right?”

She smiled suggestively. “Do you know what would make you even more light-headed?”

His eyes lit with anticipation.

“Cartwheels,” she said cruelly.

His eyes narrowed. “It’s raining.”

“Not very hard.”

“I’d rather stay here, where it’s nice and dry.” He began nuzzling her neck. It was actually fairly wet under the tree, but Serena didn’t say so.

“How—how often do people walk this way?” she gasped.

“Not very often,” he said, and kept going.

When they walked back to the house, sometime later, they were both dripping wet and muddy in patches. “I think you ruined my dress,” Serena grumbled happily.

“I’ll make you another.”

Serena looked about her at the misty, sparkling countryside. Everything looked clean and new and full of possibilities. She lifted the muddy hem of her skirt away from her toes with one hand, and reached out for Solomon’s hand with the other. “I want a red one.”





ROSE LERNER discovered Georgette Heyer when she was thirteen, and wrote her first historical romance a few years later. Her writing has improved since then, but her fascination with all things Regency hasn’t changed. When not reading, writing, or researching, she enjoys cooking and marathoning old TV shows. Rose lives in Seattle with two roommates, four cats, and too many books and DVDs to count.

So you can get to know Rose a bit better, she’s given herself a little quiz. Fill out the poll at http://www.roselerner.com/bio.php to share what you think!