Page 11 of The Lady’s Reckless Abandon (Safely in Scotland #1)
T wo evenings later, dressed in the gown she’d worn when she left London, she arrived with the duke at Mr. and Mrs. Haywood’s fine home. The duke had said it was a dinner party, but there was also a group of musicians playing in the corner of the large drawing room and an area had been cleared away to allow dancing before the meal.
It wasn’t uncommon for country hosts to employ similar entertainments as were attended in Town.
The duke introduced Lily and Mrs. Prichard to a number of people who stared at her curiously, and nodded in approval at the duke’s explanation on how she’d come to be standing in their home.
As he’d said, no one challenged his account, or asked her any additional probing questions. It was simply accepted that she was his friend and nothing more.
As they drifted away from the other guests, they took a spot at the edge of the room where she could see a few couples on the small dancefloor.
When a new dance began, she was surprised when a lanky young man came to bow before her.
“Would you do me the honor of standing with me for the next dance, Lady Lily?”
“Oh,” she said, wanting to do anything but dance with him. But, of course, it would not be acceptable for her to turn away an offer from a gentleman, so she nodded and gave the duke a desperate smile. “How lovely,” she said to the boy as she took his offered arm and he escorted her to the floor.
They turned and spun with the other dancers as he chatted about a number of inane things. Things she would have found intriguing when Reggie had spoken to her during their few dances.
Had it taken so little for her to fancy herself in love with the bounder? She hadn’t provided the slightest challenge to the ferret-faced weasel. She’d fallen so easily for his charm. How na?ve she’d been. But no longer.
She smiled when it was appropriate and engaged in polite conversation, but she used her demeanor to communicate that was all he would be getting from her.
When he returned her to the duke, he bowed and hurried off.
Beside her, the duke chuckled, a low sound that vibrated throughout her body.
“You find something amusing, Your Grace?” she asked pointedly while staring at the dancers rather than him. She knew if she looked at him, she would see that devilish grin. Perhaps if he was particularly entertained, he would smile wide enough to allow the dimple on his right cheek to peek out.
She nearly melted when that dimple showed itself. So, she didn’t look. She couldn’t afford to melt this evening.
“I don’t know what you said to the lad, but he looked a bit pale as he scurried away.”
“I didn’t say anything. I was the picture of politeness.”
“All while giving him a look that told all you were less than impressed with him.”
“I’m afraid I am not so easily impressed as I once was. I see these men for who they are. I can guess at their true intentions.”
He gazed down at her with his eyebrows raised.
She frowned. “Was it so obvious?”
“Maybe it was only me who noticed since I was watching you so closely.”
What did he mean by that? He’d been watching her? Closely?
After days of dormancy, that heat curled slowly through her bloodstream, her heart pumping it along until she was fully consumed.
“You look overheated. I shall get us some punch,” he said before walking away.
Lily fumbled a bit with her fingers as she waited for him to return. She looked across the room at Mrs. Prichard and wondered if it would be safer over in the corner.
Before she could move, she was greeted by a pretty young woman with shining black hair, blue eyes, and a smile that could only be called snide on her rosy lips.
“So, I am to understand you are friends with the duke?”
“Yes. That is true,” Lily said cautiously.
“You are living with him.” Her eyes fairly glinted with her statement that was not so much a question. But Lily answered anyway.
“That is correct. For the time being.”
The woman’s gaze drifted from Lily’s toes up to her hair which Mrs. Prichard and Mrs. MacDougal had helped her with. Apparently, the other woman found Lily lacking for she shook her head. Just a slight movement that seemed full of judgement. So, it was to be like that.
Lily looked toward the table where the duke had gone for the punch and saw he’d been intercepted by another person on his way. Which meant he wouldn’t be returning soon enough to save Lily from this woman.
“I’m Beatrice. I was a dear friend of the duke’s sister, Juniper.”
“I see,” Lily said, though she did wonder how close this woman had been with the duke’s sister as he and the rest of the staff always referred to the woman as June. It was rare to hear them use her full name.
“If you have designs on the duke, I should warn you that would be unwise.”
Lily felt her eyes widen at the woman’s impertinence. She might not know every personal detail when it came to the duke, but she did know he’d never mentioned this woman.
It would have been petty to say as much, but when the woman looked down her nose at Lily, she found she no longer cared if she was being petty.
“Odd, he hasn’t mentioned you at all. Are you close?”
That had hit its mark if the flare in her eyes was any clue.
“We will be very close when he has decided he is ready to settle down and marry.”
“Hmm,” Lily said. She couldn’t speak to what the duke’s plans were in regards to settling down, but something unpleasant fluttered along her spine at the thought of the duke taking this woman for his wife.
It was none of her business, of course, he was free to marry whomever he wished. But Lily thought of him married to a sweet woman with a kind smile and a wonderful sense of humor. The duke was funny, he needed someone who would laugh easily at his jests.
The duke came back handing over a glass of punch to Lily as he took a sip from his own glass.
“How kind of you to get a glass of punch for your friend. I was just making her acquaintance,” young Beatrice said in a tone that reminded Lily of the beagle at her sister’s home whose tail was always in motion with excitement to please his master.
“Hello, Miss Tanglewood. I hope you’re doing well,” the duke said formally.
The vicar’s name was Tanglewood as well, so Lily assumed this woman was his daughter.
The girl trilled a laugh and reached out to put a hand on Finn’s arm. Lily fought the urge to put a stop to the contact. And when had she started to think of the duke as Finn ?
“Oh, Finn, you can surely call me Bea. After all, we’re practically family.”
The duke raised a brow that spoke volumes regarding his disagreement in that regard. Lily relaxed and shook off the small bit of shame she felt as the other woman dipped a quick bow and scurried away.
“That woman is the reason I never leave a room. I cannot tell you how many times she’s contrived to get me alone. Once she even dropped out of a tree on me as I was making my way to the stables. She might have succeeded in trapping me if she’d not sprained an ankle in the process. She even feigned friendship with my sister to get closer to me. A more ruthless girl I’ve never met.”
Lily felt her fingers pull into a fist. It was better she hadn’t known this about the woman before she’d walked away for Lily might not have been so courteous.
And she wasn’t sure which thing she found more repulsive. That she was attempting to trap the duke into marriage, or that she had used Juniper. Used her for her own gain.
“If I were not a lady, I would plant her a facer for being so cruel to your sister. It is the lowest of scoundrels who pretends to care for someone just to use them.”
Finn must have realized where her thoughts had gone, for he offered a consolatory frown.
“I’m sorry that happened to you,” he offered with complete sincerity.
“And I am sorry you have to deal with women falling out of trees in an attempt to become your duchess. Do not fear, Your Grace,” she said while leaning closer to whisper, “I will protect you.”
He laughed loudly enough to draw the attention of others in the room, including Miss Beatrice who scowled at Lily.
Lily lifted her glass of punch to her lips but the duke held her arm from rising farther and said quietly, “This punch has whisky in it, so drink it slowly.”
Hearing it contained whisky had her wanting to toss it into the nearest plant, but she couldn’t risk embarrassing the duke so she took the tiniest sip possible. She found the flavor of fruit mixed with the smokey warmth of the spirits enticing, but paced her sips so as not to need the duke to get her to her bed and take off her shoes tonight.
“Would you dance with me?” he asked, surprising her and doing nothing to stop the burning desire circulating through her body.
Again, she wished to say no, though not for the same reason she’d resisted dancing with the other young buck. However, Society forced women to accept any offer, no matter how dangerous. For when he touched her, she feared she might explode into flames.
“Very well. Let us dance.”
As she placed her hand in his, she heard his laughter low and warm in her ear and a shiver went through her. Though she was not chilled.
No, definitely not chilled, she burned.