Wild Lily (Those Notorious Americans Book 1)(65)

“And you liked them both.”

“Oh, I did!” She blushed. “You tease me.”

“No.” I adore you. “I applaud you.”

“So, we’ll dance? You won’t be one of those gentlemen who does it out of duty or…or hates it really? Tell me you aren’t like that.”

He stepped back a bit, wrapped one arm around her waist and brought her other hand high. Then he led her into the steps. “I’m not.” Not with you.

She beamed at him. “You like this?”

“With you I do.” He waltzed her around the floor, away from the carpet so they could glide along the polished wooden floor. “You’re very good, too.”

She flung back her head to grin. “And you are expert. How many women have you charmed, dear sir, dancing with them in ballrooms and gardens?”

In her question, he heard the implications of another, more serious. “I’ve waltzed with others, many others.”

“And did you—?” She bit her lip, missed a step and paused. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. You can know. I once considered marrying a young woman. We were both quite young. She married another.”

Lily hung her head. “I see.”

He put two fingers to her chin. “Look at me.”

When she lifted her face, her eyes held trepidation.

“I was twenty years of age and thought I loved her. I declared for her and she for me, but we were not to be.”

Lily waited, searching his face for more.

“She had another offer and she took it.” Miserable in her bargain, too, say the gossips. “I’m glad she did.”

Hope blended with curiosity in Lily’s pale blue eyes.

He cupped her cheeks, his thumbs stroking the exquisite arch of her bones. “She hated to dance. Did not ride astride. And would never have made love in my carriage.”

“She’s a proper lady.”

“Proper?” He thought of Margaret Sheffield in many other terms. Voluptuous, opportunistic, greedy. “Very much so.”

“And you’re not ashamed that I’m not…like that?”

He crushed her to him. “That you’re kind and thoughtful? That you’d go to our tenants in the driving rain to nurse them? That you’d want to dance with me?”

“Often?”

“Until you wear out my shoes.”

She vibrated with glee, narrowed her eyes and asked, “In the moonlight?”

He nodded, a silly grin on his face. “I do believe Valentine has a garden off his ballroom terrace.”

She hugged him. “And you’ll make love to me—”

My greatest pleasure. “Anywhere you like.”

“Oh? Really? Dear sir, be careful what you say.”

“Where, madam, would you like?”

“In his garden?”

He hooted in laughter. Scooping her up in his arms, he took her to their bed and placed her down upon the sheets. Then he bent over her. “Wherever you wish. Whenever you wish.”

“You are so kind,” she said.

And more in love with you than I can say.





Chapter Thirteen


“Thank you for allowing us to attend your party. And to arrive late. Your home is lovely.”

Julian smiled at Lily as she praised Burnett Castle with all the buoyant enthusiasm she naturally bestowed on those people, places and things she admired. The medieval castle, transformed to an Elizabethan house and a Regency showcase, was a mélange of architecture only a lover of oddities could find appealing. “Julian has told me about it. How you’ve adapted it over the centuries.”

“My wife likes to soak in the history of a place,” Julian boasted to his cousin as they stood in the baron’s entrance to his ancient keep. Her exuberance for the trip and her delight in meeting Valentine tickled him. “She enjoys the appointments of Willowreach and plans a master list of all the portraits and porcelains.”

“You are welcome here, my lady,” said Valentine Arden. “Do come catalogue all of my treasures. Alas, I have no wife. Not yet. And now that I see how well my cousin has done in his selection, I fear I shall of necessity take longer to find a suitable candidate for the job.”

She removed her gloves. “I hope you do not mind that we are a day late.”

“No matter.” Valentine was gracious as ever. But he looked weary.

Julian worried about him whenever he went to France for his sister’s remembrance. Val had hated the man and the means of her death. He seemed not to recover from the despair it invoked.

“The rest of our party,” Val continued, “is in the courtyard conservatory imbibing what little sunshine streams in today. It’s warmer there, too. Perhaps after you’ve changed from your journey, you’d like to join us there.”

Julian thanked him. “We will.”

“I’ll have tea sent up to you in your rooms. I say, Chelton, would you mind if I had a word before you went up?”

“No, of course not.” Julian looked at Lily. “I’ll be along, my dear.”

Valentine motioned to his butler. “Please take Lady Chelton to their suite.”

Julian followed Val down the hall to a small sitting room. “Good of you to have us on short notice, Val. I didn’t think Lily would welcome the thought of leaving Willowreach so soon after our wedding.”