Page 4

“Thank you, Penelope,” she was saying to his sister, a small but genuine smile curving her pale pink lips as she and Penelope shared a brief embrace.

Miss Grayling—Lily, apparently—had not noticed him yet, and while he stood there, watching her and waiting, tingles of anticipation skittered up his spine.

“Lily,” Penelope said, “I would like to introduce you to my youngest brother, Mr. Frederick Darrington. Freddy, this is Miss Lily Grayling, my dearest friend in all the world.”

Miss Grayling’s gaze had met his halfway through the introductions and, save for an almost imperceptible stiffening of her spine, he might have believed she did not recognize him.

Her smile never slipped, and her expression revealed nothing. Frederick admired her self-containment. He himself had often been likened to an open book.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Darrington,” she murmured, dipping into a curtsy. “It is...lovely to meet you.”

Frederick bowed his head, carefully shifting Jasper from one arm to the other. “Miss Grayling. It’s a pleasure to see you again.”

“Again?” Penelope parroted, her gaze flicking back and forth between them. “Have you two met before?”

“Oh, yes,” Frederick said, smiling. “I met Miss Grayling and the lovely Blythe yesterday on the road. Of course, I had no idea then that she was your friend. She was simply a lady in distress, so, naturally, I stopped and offered my assistance.”

He was speaking to his sister but looking at Miss Grayling, who was the picture of serenity, though Frederick would wager everything he owned that she was trying not to roll her eyes.

“Distress?” Penelope’s brows were deeply furrowed. “What distress? Did something happen? Lily, were you hurt?”

“No, no, it was nothing like that,” Miss Grayling said calmly, holding her hands up. “Blythe had escaped the barn again and I was trying to bring her home, but she did not wish to go. You know how stubborn she can be. I was not, however, in distress .”

Frederick challenged her with one raised brow. “But you will admit you needed my assistance.”

A beat of silence passed, and then, begrudgingly: “I will admit to accepting your assistance.”

The qualification made him smile. “And how is the fair lady Blythe today?”

“She is very well, thank you.”

It was quite possibly the prickliest reply he had ever heard. His smile deepened. “I am very glad to hear that.”

“Right. Well.” Penelope clapped her hands together. “Now that the introductions have been made, will you please excuse us, Freddy? Miss Grayling and I have…business to discuss.”

“Business?” Frederick arched his brows. “Then perhaps I ought to stay, Pen, in case Miss Grayling needs my assistance. Again.”

Miss Grayling parted her lips to reply, but a flicker of consternation lit her eyes and then her mouth snapped shut, as if she dearly wished to say more but couldn’t because there were children present.

“She won’t,” Penelope said firmly. “Goodbye, Freddy.”

Chuckling over the unsubtle hint, he transferred Jasper to his sister’s arms. “Goodbye, Penelope. And, Miss Grayling…” He bowed his head to her. “Until we meet again.”

And, with his sister shooting daggers with her eyes and Lily Grayling avoiding his gaze altogether, Frederick turned and headed for the house, smiling all the way there.

Lily did not watch Frederick Darrington exit the garden, though she certainly wanted to. He was just so delectable with all that tousled black hair, the chiseled jawline, those intelligent, teasing eyes. He quite literally made her belly clench.

And he was Penelope’s brother.

She had completely forgotten he was coming to Little Bilberry this week, so when she’d met the stranger on the road yesterday, it hadn’t occurred to her he might be a Darrington.

And it certainly hadn’t occurred to her that she would see him again, standing in Penelope’s garden with little Jasper in his arms, his silk cravat askew and drooping like sodden seaweed.

The cravat was likely damaged beyond repair, but Mr. Darrington didn’t seem to mind a whit.

Her belly gave another unwelcome flutter.

Why, oh, why did the handsome stranger from yesterday have to be Penelope’s brother? She’d hoped never to see him again, but now it seemed he would be in Little Bilberry for several days, and worse, staying in her dearest friend’s house.

Curses. She did not want him here. He was too handsome, too charming, too tempting . And she did not want to be tempted.

“I apologize for my brother’s behavior,” Penelope said, claiming a seat on the bench and settling Jasper on her lap. “Freddy is a good enough sort, but he is a flirt, and a rather successful one at that. Please do not fall victim to his silver tongue.”

Lily sat down beside Penelope and folded her hands primly in her lap. “There is no chance of that happening, I assure you. I have absolutely no interest in men, least of all silver-tongued rogues.”

Frederick Darrington’s broad shoulders and mischievous smile flashed through her mind.

Well, almost no interest.

“I suppose he is something of a rogue,” Penelope said with a sigh. “I love him dearly, though. Of course, he drives me mad, as well. He’s so clever, so capable, yet he wastes his life on parties and trysts and meaningless frivolities. I want more from him, more for him.”

“He is still a young man,” Lily pointed out.

“He’s five-and-twenty,” Penelope said flatly. “William and I were both twenty-one when we became betrothed. It is time Freddy grew up.”

“I do not disagree with you,” Lily said with a rueful smile, “but I will admit, a part of me envies men like your brother. I think I’d like more frivolity in my life.”

“Wouldn’t we all?” Penelope huffed out a laugh and then, as if feeling guilty over the remark, dropped a kiss on Jasper’s head.

“Not that I wish to change my life, of course,” Lily said. “I love running the inn with Gran, and I’m grateful for everything I have here, but…” She blew out a covetous sigh. “A little revelry would be lovely on occasion. I’d even settle for a little relaxation.”

“And you certainly deserve it,” Penelope said. “You work harder than anyone I know.”

Lily shrugged. “I enjoy it, mostly. But I wouldn’t mind being a little less busy every now and then.”

Penelope bussed Jasper’s cheek noisily, drawing a squeal of delight that made Lily smile, even as it tugged at her heart. She enjoyed spending time with Penelope and her children, but it could be painful, too, being this close to the kind of family she yearned for yet might never know herself.

“Have you considered hiring someone to help out at the inn?” Penelope asked as she fussed with the collar of Jasper’s white cotton frock.

“We cannot afford it.”

It wasn’t strictly true, but Lily would rather do the work herself and set aside the coin she might have spent on wages in case of future hardships or unplanned repairs.

“Well, what about a husband then?” Penelope asked. “Some fit young man to warm your bed and help you run the inn?”

“You sound like my grandmother,” Lily said with a roll of her eyes. “But, no, our situation is not so dire that I must consider marriage.”

Penelope slid her an assessing look. “Does your situation need to be dire to compel you to take a husband?”

“Absolutely. Dire verging on destitute.”

Penelope laughed. “And if a dashing stranger should arrive at the inn, profess to you his undying love and beg you to be his wife, would you still refuse to marry?”

Lily snorted. “I would have a better chance at being besieged by Spanish pirates,” she said dryly. “But, yes, even if such an unlikely event should occur, I would probably refuse him.”

“Probably? Then there is a chance you would accept.”

Lily smiled at her friend’s triumphant tone. “A very small one. Miniscule, even.”

Penelope harrumphed but said nothing more on the subject.

Lily often wished she had her friend’s optimism, but if she were ever to agree to marry, her suitor must prove himself a constant and faithful man of honor, and Stephen’s betrayal had made it difficult to believe she would ever meet a man like that.

Even if she did—even if a faithful, constant, unmarried gentleman of honor should somehow find his way to Little Bilberry, he would then have to meet her, fall in love with her, and agree to spend the rest of his days running the inn with her.

Not even an eternal optimist would like those odds.

Which was precisely why she’d abandoned such dreams. Mostly.

“Do you think you will ever marry again?” Lily asked suddenly, and immediately regretted the words, fearing she might have upset her friend.

But Penelope didn’t seem upset. She considered the question in silence as she bounced Jasper on her knee and then shrugged.

“Perhaps. Someday. If someone wonderful comes along. He would have to be kind like William—gentle, patient, with a warm smile and intelligent eyes. And, of course, he would have to like children.” She glanced at Lily with a sheepish smile.

“What do you suppose the chances are of my meeting a man like that here in Little Bilberry?”

“I’m not even certain a man like that exists,” Lily said mildly. “But if he does, I know he will find you wherever you might be.”

Penelope grinned, clearly pleased with the answer, and then the two fell silent as Annie the housemaid arrived bearing a tray with tea and cakes.

Lily was not an optimist—not anymore, at least—but she’d meant what she said.

If anyone deserved to be happy, to have everything she ever wanted, it was Penelope.

They had only known each other for two years, but Lily had never had a better friend.

Penelope truly was the best of women, and she had suffered a great deal when her husband died.

She deserved to find happiness again with a kind and decent man.

And perhaps there is one for you out there, as well, a voice whispered through her mind, though she hastily shoved it away. She supposed if a wonderful man came along and swept her off her feet, she might be persuaded to marry him.

But mostly she was happy with the way things were, and whenever she felt a little pang of longing, well, the feeling usually didn’t last long, and she was much too busy to dwell on it, anyway.