Then Came You (The Gamblers #1)(16)

“Why hasn’t she ever married?”

“Lily has always said that marriage is a dreadful institution devised for the benefit of men, not women.” Penelope cleared her throat delicately. “Actually, she hasn’t a very high opinion of men. Although she does seem to enjoy their company…going hunting and shooting and gaming and so forth.”

“And so forth,” Alex repeated sardonically. “Does your sister have any ‘special’ friends?”

The question seemed to perplex Penelope. Although she didn’t quite understand his meaning, she answered readily. “Special? Well…er…Lily keeps company quite often with a man named Derek Craven. She has mentioned him in her letters to me.”

“Craven?” Now the entire sordid picture was clear. Alex’s lip curled with disgust. He himself was a member of Craven’s club. He’d met the proprietor on two occasions. It only made sense that Lily Lawson would choose to associate with such a man, a cockney who was disdainfully known in polite circles as “flash-gentry.” No doubt Lily had the morals of a prostitute, for a “friendship” with Craven could mean nothing else. How could a woman who had been born into a decent family, provided with education and all her material wants, sink into such degradation? Lily had willingly chosen it, every step of the way.

“Lily is merely too high-spirited for the kind of life she was born to,” Penelope said, guessing at his thoughts. “Everything might have been different for her, had she not been jilted all those years ago. The betrayal and humiliation, being abandoned like that…I believe it led her to do many reckless things. At least that is what Mama says.”

“Why hasn’t she—” Alex broke off, looking toward the window. He had been alerted by a sound outside, the grating of carriage wheels upon the graveled drive. “Is your mother expecting callers today?”

Penelope shook her head. “No, my lord. It could be the dressmaker’s assistant, come to do some fittings for my trousseau. But I thought that was tomorrow.”

Alex couldn’t explain why, but he had a feeling…a very bad feeling. His nerves sparked with a sensation of warning. “Let’s see who it is.” He sent the library door swinging open. Striding to the gray-and white-marbled entrance hall with Penelope at his heels, he brushed past the elderly butler, Silvern. “I’ll take care of it,” he said to Silvern, and went to the front door.

Silvern sniffed in disapproval at his lordship’s unorthodox behavior, but did not voice a protest.

A magnificent black and gold carriage with no identifiable crest had come to a stop at the end of the long graveled drive. Penelope came to stand by Alex, shivering in her light gown as the breeze touched her. It was a misty springtime day, cool and fresh, with billowing white clouds overhead. “I don’t recognize the carriage,” she murmured.

A footman dressed in splendid blue and black livery opened the carriage door. Ceremoniously he placed a small rectangular step on the ground for the convenience of the passenger.

Then she emerged.

Alex stood as if turned to stone.

“Lily!” Penelope exclaimed. With a cry of delight she hurried to her sister.

Laughing exuberantly, Lily reached the ground. “Penny!” She flung her arms around Penelope and hugged her, then held her at arm’s length. “My goodness, what an elegant creature you are! Ravishing! It’s been years since I’ve seen you—not since you were little, and now look at you! The most beautiful girl in England.”

“Oh, no, you’re the beautiful one.”

Lily laughed and hugged her again. “How nice, to flatter your poor spinsterish sister.”

“You don’t look at all like a spinster,” Penelope said.

In spite of Alex’s amazement, his emotions rallying to battle-readiness, he had to agree. Lily was beautifully dressed in a dark blue gown and velvet cloak edged with white ermine. Her hair, unconfined by a ribbon, curled prettily around her temples and lay in wisps in front of her dainty ears. It was difficult to believe she was the same outlandish woman who had dressed in raspberry breeches and straddled a horse like a man. Pink-cheeked and smiling, she looked like a well-to-do young wife on a social call. Or an aristocratic courtesan.

Lily saw him as she looked over Penelope’s shoulder. Without shame or even a trace of discomposure, she disentangled herself from her sister and walked up to the circular steps to where he stood. Extending a small hand to him, she smiled impudently. “Straight into the enemy camp,” she murmured. The sight of his thunderous scowl caused her dark eyes to gleam in satisfaction.

Wisely Lily restrained herself from grinning outright. It wouldn’t do to send Raiford into a rage. He was angry, though. Certainly he hadn’t expected her to come sailing up to the door of his country estate. Oh, she hadn’t expected to enjoy this so much! She had never felt such pure delight in provoking a man. By the time she was through with Raiford, his entire world would be turned upside down.

She felt no remorse for what she planned to do. It was an outrage, this pairing of Raiford and her sister. The wrongness of it was evident just in glancing at these two. Penny was as fragile as a white-petaled anemone, her golden hair shining with the soft gleam of a child’s. She had no defense against those who would bully and intimidate her, no recourse except to bend like a delicate reed in the face of a violent storm.