No, no need. He could find a woman somewhere else, and the embassy had its share of accommodating maids, too. He could be patient for the title promised to him by His Majesty.
He could wait.
***
If the baron knew Lilian's opinion about him, it would have brought him down a peg.
Upon entering the carriage, Lily immediately sat next to Jerisson and hid in his warm, comfortable embrace.
"What did you talk to Richard about?"
"He saved me," Jess snorted. "I was attacked by a crazy hen."
“Really?"
"Lady Irida Seinel from the Avesterian ambassador party."
Lily frowned but couldn't remember her at all.
"Does she have a death wish?"
"She's not local; she doesn't know about you."
Lily chuckled.
For the embassy to send someone uninformed? Inconceivable! But she decided to remain on the Avesterian king's conscience or simply remember history. He had no reason to like Earton, neither father nor son, nor her, considering her role in revealing the Ivelien conspiracy.
Speaking of which...
"And I was attacked by a feral rooster."
“Who’s that?”
"Some Baron Lofrayne."
It was Jerisson's turn to frown.
"Hmm...that tall man in gray and blue?"
Lily shrugged.
"I guess. I didn't pay him much attention. He said he came on business. He's interested in Mariella Trading House."
"Lofrayne...I don't remember him."
Lily stayed silent, but the words, "I doubt you know all merchants" hung in the air.
"I'm trading luxury goods that include your products, and I know many people in my circle, if not everyone."
"Friends and competition?"
"Exactly, my love."
"Then what does Lofrayne need of me?"
She didn't call him a spy outright, but...
"No need to think ill of a man right away. Maybe he's carrying out someone else's bidding..."
"Yes, it looks like that. I'll find out when I talk to him."
"Where will the conversation take place?"
"At Mariella, of course," Lily said with a chuckle.
The majestic building of the trading house had opened only recently but already won popularity in the capital. People visited it to make purchases, socialize, and taste exotic dishes. Inviting a lady there became a sign of good form. Of course, Lily had her own office there.
"You haven't invited him to our house?"
"As if!"
Jess gave her a knowing nod.
Lily might be nice and hospitable, receiving any guest with a smile on her face, but she never invited anyone herself other than their closest friends. Her home was her fortress, and she wouldn't permit just anyone to enter it, period.
At first, Jess had laughed at her conviction but gradually started to find it attractive. Really, it was his house, his children, his family...why would he need strangers there?
"I'll talk to Hans, have him probe that Avesterian."
"He already has enough on his plate with those murders."
"Right. Let him delegate it, then. I don't like it."
"Don't be jealous," Lily said, waving her hand. "You know that I don't need anyone else."
"I do. I'd like to be jealous, anyway."
Chapter 4
As usual, breakfast at the Earton house was tasty and eventful.
Jerisson was taking care of a huge piece of meat while Lily was chewing porridge, not especially pleased. She would have preferred meat, but restraint was important. She had to be moderate in her desires, especially in food. Diet was a way of life, not a one-time affair, and her body wouldn't thank her for eating everything she laid her eyes on.
And that's not including recovering after giving birth. There were no control-top belts in that world yet. She had to urgently invent them and start selling through Mariella. Lily had never thought that there weren't any tightening clothes around, but she could only find corsets, which wasn't the same thing.
The belts sold like hotcakes. The porridge, however, still tasted like sorrow. Maybe she should feed it to the dogs? Yeah, right. Those two traitors had moved closer to Miranda, who was feeding them ham snatched from the table.
“Mirrie! I can see everything."
"I'm not doing anything."
"Am I supposed to believe that? You wish!"
Miranda didn't have time to find an excuse, as a servant entered the room.
"A messenger to Her Grace."
Lily nodded.
"Let him in."
Messengers and couriers weren't a rare sight at the Earton house and arrived at all hours, whether early in the morning or late in the evening. A few times, they had come even at night. Lily never refused anyone requesting medical aid and always had an emergency bag prepared. She never knew what to expect.
A real doctor never limits themselves to healing in perfect conditions. Try working in the field, in the ER, or on the go where each second means the difference between life and death. Then and only then can you call yourself a professional.
That didn't apply to dentists, however. Lily would have preferred if she were treated slowly and with enthusiasm. Alas, there were no dentists around, and barbers who also worked with teeth could have made passable torturers.
In Lilian's opinion, a file against the teeth was a more merciful option.
A young man with a bouquet of roses entered the room. The huge scarlet flowers all but challenged everyone sitting around the table, sharply contrasting against the pale walls and pastel clothes. They seemed vicious, predatory, and inappropriate. Apparently, more than one flower bed had been hurt that morning.
"For Her Grace."
Jess knit his eyebrows together.
Lily nodded, indicating that the flowers should be put on the table, and continued her breakfast.
The servant slipped a few coppers to the messenger and pushed him toward the doors.
Dismissed.
Lily reached out for the bouquet and pulled out a small envelope, disgustingly pink.
What was inside, though?
Oh, my. It had been a while since she saw something like that.
A madrigal!
"Ahem?"
"Yes, dear," Lily said, passing the letter to her husband. What else could she do?
If the flowers arrived at another time, she would have thrown the envelope away and forgotten about it once and for all. But how was she to get herself out of that?
To the fairest one of my heart
I am singing this song of my soul.
Will I drown, forlorn, in your eyes,
As I look for my love that you stole?
When your voice calls for me, it's a gift
That I'll treasure for once and forever...
"Hmm?" Lily finally asked.
"I'd like to know who's writing to my wife," Jess remarked.
"You know, so would I," Lily confessed.
Her husband's look was full of suspicion, but before anyone said anything, Miranda spoke up.
"Papa, give me back the poem."
“Mirrie?"
The girl...or, rather, almost a woman straightened her shoulder, demonstrating that she already had breasts and everything.
She was so pretty! When had she grown up all of a sudden? Her black hair fell on her shoulder, her blue eyes shining, matching her light blue dress... That's how children became adults. You'd think they were still crawling around on all fours, but they might be on the verge of having their own offspring!
"Papa, think! How can the sea be green? The sea is blue."
Jess tossed his head.
"Wait, Miranda, but—"
"It says, 'To Her Grace,'" Miranda said, wrinkling her nose. "But I'm also Her Grace, am I not?"
Jess paused, genuinely trying to think.
"But...you're still a child."
"Papa!"
"And you hav
e a fiancée, by the way."
“So? Does it mean that nobody can admire me?" the girl retorted, her nose up in the air.
Lily laughed out.
"Take it, seductress."
She pushed the flowers to the girl.
Miranda accepted, all regal and dignified but not for long.
"The girls will die of envy!"
It was Jerisson's turn to laugh. The tense moment was over as if nothing had happened.
***
"Mama?"
"Yes, Mirrie?"
"So are those flowers mine or yours?"
Lily considered the question.
"I don't know, honey. I really hope they're yours."
"What if they aren't?" Miranda was serious. "I said it so Papa wouldn't be jealous, but you know..."
"I do," Lily replied, also turning serious.
She couldn't say that Ativerna was especially puritanical, morals-wise, but...
A bouquet and a madrigal could mean only one thing: the lady had given an excuse. Made advances, so to speak.
For Miranda, light flirting was considered acceptable. (When would a girl charm men if not before marriage?) But for Lilian...
A married woman must be above such suspicions.
Lily bit her lip.
"I don’t know, sweetie. What can I say? It's a problem."
"A severe one, too," Mirrie added.
She evaluated the situation the same way as Lilian: someone was trying to hurt Countess Earton. Screw her over, drive a wedge between her and her husband, who was bound to be jealous... And jealousy meant suspicion, anger, arguments, and fights, as keeping an eye on Lilian was all but impossible, considering that she was on the move half of the time.
"I wonder who is that snake," Lily said, preoccupied.
Even if Jerisson knew that he had no reason to be jealous and that Lily didn't want anyone but him, jealousy didn't play by the rules. It never had.
"I'm curious, too," Mirrie said, nodding. "Let's talk to Hans."
"No. We'll talk to the Virmans."
Miranda nodded. That was the right decision. Let them take the flowers if they continue being delivered, but not the letters. If Jerisson didn't see them, he wouldn't get angry. And Miranda could get the flowers to make her friends jealous.
But who could be the sender?
That didn't sit well with Lilian.
***
"Your Grace, Baron Lofrayne is here to see you."
"Let him in."
Lilian was sitting in her office inside the trading house building.
"Arf?" Nanook asked from the carpet.
"If anything happens, don't kill him," Lily commanded the dog. She wasn't sure what might happen. Dogs, especially Virman ones, didn't get jokes. He would tear the man apart first and bury him later.
Anthony came in, shining like a summer day. Or was it a flower bed? A big, bright one...and full of lilies, colorful and majestic.
At that, the romance ended, as even if Lilian shared her name with the flower, she had a certain condition. Lilies smelled, and their fragrance was rather pungent, especially when there were a lot of them. And so, the first and the last word said by Lilian was...
“ACHOO!”
It was repeated around twenty times. Anthony froze in the doorway, filling the office with the smell of lilies and stripping it of the remaining oxygen. He had no idea what to do, never having been in a situation like that on a date. He remembered being embraced, slapped, being fainted on, but sneezed at? What was he supposed to do? Lily realized that she was about to black out and forgot all decorum.
"Nanook, achoo, out! Achoo, achoo, achoo!"
The dog wasn't allergic, but he didn't like lilies either. The confused baron was knocked down by the huge Virman hound, all two hundred pounds of pure muscle, and Lily fled to her freedom, still sneezing. She only managed to pull herself together on the first floor, in the salon, after drinking water and washing up.
It was a while before Anthony Lofrayne came down. Nanook was a pesky beast; he hadn't simply knocked the baron over but also stepped on him, picking a specific area usually not discussed in the presence of ladies.
Anthony howled, but nobody could hear him anymore—definitely not Lily with her sneezing.
Who says that dogs aren't intelligent? They are quite smart and wise, not to mention their sense of humor—a particular one weighing two hundred pounds. Therefore, the baron took his sweet time getting down, covering his codpiece with his hand. The paw print was quite conspicuous, considering the dog's size and the thin velvet pants.
The flowers had been left in the office.
“Your Grace."
Lily gave Lofrayne a mistrustful look, suspecting Avesterian sabotage. She asked something else, though.
"Baron, are your flowers still upstairs?"
"Yes, Your Grace," Tony replied, throwing his hands up.
They were, ripped apart and stomped on first by Nanook and then by Lilian herself. Tony also hadn't been particularly picky while writhing around on the floor.
"Iris," Lilian asked one of the girls. "Could you go upstairs, gather everything, throw it away, and ventilate the floor? I hope the baron doesn't mind."
Tony didn't. He shrugged.
"Forgive me, Your Grace. I had no idea..."
Lily shook her head and sneezed once again—fortunately, not triggering a fit.
Actually, lilies didn't grow in Ativerna. The local climate didn't favor them, apparently. They were imported from the Khanganat and cost so much that she had never gotten a gift like that. Her husband preferred to give her jewelry, her suitors quickly realized that they had no chance, so there wasn't much point in giving presents, and her friends showered her with books and scrolls from all over the world. It was her first experience with lilies, and it was quite unsuccessful.
"I didn't know myself. I hope that in the future, you won't give me any flowers."
In the future? Tony perked up. Had it worked? Did she want to see him again?
In truth, Lilian meant that he would have to come a few more times. He couldn't examine all of Mariella's product line in one go, after all. And then, they would have to sign the agreement, ship the goods...they would have to see each other again, and there was so little time.
Still, he was a nobleman, and she had no nobles on her payroll. She would have to do it herself despite her lack of desire and time.
The man and the woman exchanged looks, not understanding each other, but smiled.
"Well then, Baron," Lily said sweetly, "let me show you what Mariella can offer so you could pick what you like."
Hot tea had converted her into a reasonable mood, alleviating her running note and the redness of her face, and her voice was calm.
That will do. In a state like that, she could work, show him the products, and haggle.
Really, it was nothing compared to sitting in class with a hundred-degree fever, stuffed with pills, all because of the exam next week that she was bound to fail if she missed even one lecture.
"I'd appreciate that, Your Grace."
Lily stood up from the couch and led him on a guided tour. There was no getting around that: conquering a new market required work.
***
Tony was impressed by the lingerie, the tools, everything. Yes, all of that reached Avester, too, but not as much and not as high-quality, either. They were deprived of the best goods.
If he really dabbled in trade, he would have leaped at the proposal. As things stood...it was still a good excuse to develop their relationship.
"Your Grace, may I look at the prices?"
"Of course."
Lilian ordered a catalog to be given to the baron. Wholesale prices, retail... Tony promised to study everything and wondered if he could come the next day.
Lily sighed. So soon?
She didn't really want to see the man again. She had never loved such peacocks, even in her youth, when they strutted around the college, proudly wagging their...tails. They
annoyed her to no ends. It was ironic that she had ended up married to Jerisson, who could take the place of honor among the "peacocks." Still, at least she was training and educating him so that they could adapt to each other.
Why would she tolerate a narcissistic idiot, and so often? God, give me a break!
"If you think that you can catch up on all the numbers in one night, then you're welcome, Baron."
All of that was said in a calm tone with nary a sign of passion. Had she swallowed the bait or not?
Tony wasn't sure, but he was going to find out the very next evening.
***
Another bouquet arrived. This time around, the flowers were yellow with a scarlet center: an expensive sort with a romantic name, Heart of Passion. Lily, however, felt no passion—just frustration.
She knitted her eyebrows and looked at Mirrie.
"Honey, we need to find out who this is."
"Absolutely," Jerisson nodded. "After all, you're betrothed."
"I remember. I won't cheat on Amir with anyone!" Mirrie exclaimed, her nose in the air.
Lily sent her daughter a tender smile.
"I don't doubt it. Still, we have to find out this arrogant suitor's identity and tell him what's what."
“Yes, Mama."
Jess nodded in agreement. He was starting to get annoyed, too. Maybe it wasn't his wife who was getting the flowers but his daughter, but she was his daughter! What the hell was that stranger thinking courting her? He might get his legs broken if he kept it up!
Later, the Virmans gave the letter directly to Lilian Earton. In several lines, the mysterious suitor praised her sun-blessed locks, the eyes the color of the sea, and her smile, dreaming of meeting his beloved.
Lily shook her head. What a bad time!
At least she could reassure Miranda that she wasn't the target. But who was the sender? And most importantly, why was he doing that?
Lilian had been occasionally given flowers—but only as a polite gesture. For example, Altres Lort sent her a bouquet each month, and then, there were His Majesty and her own husband... But to do it like that, so arrogantly and audaciously? That person was bound to know that he was bringing discord into her family; he must! Those luxurious flowers and anonymous letter dripping with implications...
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