Clearly, Adam had made a misstep. He raised his hands in surrender, trying to maintain the peace. “I volunteered.”
Sophie barely spared him a glance. “If you need help, perhaps I…”
Lily shook her head. “You have enough work to do in keeping up the household.”
“What household?” Sophie scoffed. “We no longer have servants to manage. I assure you, I have the time…”
Lily stepped toward the staircase, barely sparing her older sister a glance. “We manage well enough on our own. I’m tired, now. Good night, Sophie.”
She caught Adam by the hand as she walked away, and he followed her, frowning. A glance over his shoulder found Sophie staring at the page crumpled in her fist, her shoulders bowed. That was the look of a defeated woman. But what battle had she waged and lost?
When they reached the family’s wing, Adam used his hand on Lily’s arm to slow her. “Are you certain we shouldn’t include her? She wants to help.”
Lily glanced over her shoulder, her eyebrows puckering together. “No. She knows nothing of our enterprise, nor should she.”
Did she refer to making jewelry or to the theft? Likely the latter.
Even so— “I don’t think she’ll faint at the idea. Sophie is practical.”
Lily barked a laugh. “Sophie is an idealist. Can you imagine what she would say if she knew theft was our aim?”
Adam tugged his hand from Lily’s, forcing her to stop and look at him. “I think you’re underestimating your sister.”
As she rounded toward him, she didn’t seem open to a conversation. Color fanned her cheeks, her eyes sparkling. “I think you don’t know her as well as I do.” Her voice had a bite to it. She stepped back, adding, “Don’t pretend intimacy with my family, Adam. You haven’t been here these past four years.”
No, he hadn’t. But he still thought she was blind when it came to her family. Her sisters would prove as capable as she, if only she gave them the chance to contribute.
He followed her as she took haphazard, backward steps down the corridor as if distancing herself from the conversation.
“Why are you so set against asking for help?” Although they might manage on their own, he saw no reason not to involve the very people whose futures were held in the balance.
She wrinkled her nose. “This is none of your concern. This is my family. I know what is best for them.”
Aren’t I a part of that family? Adam’s voice hid behind a knot in his throat. All these years as he had labored, he had always thought of Lily and her family as his. She’d been everything he’d ever wanted. A home, happiness, belonging. Didn’t she see him the same way?
Turning on her heel she stormed toward their shared room. When he reached for her, she danced away.
“Lily…”
“Don’t touch me.”
Instead of opening the door to the bed they shared, she entered the adjoining room and slammed the door. He flinched at the sound and the gust of air on his face.
I am your family, too.
He traced the latch but dropped his hand. Whatever he had said to rile her, she needed time for her temper to cool. If she still didn’t consider him family once she had a clear head…
Well, he was leaving in either case, wasn’t he?
She wasn’t coming back.
Hours later, Adam thrashed beneath the thin sheet covering his legs. He couldn’t sleep. The bed felt unbalanced, empty without Lily in it. He ached to hold her, to reconcile, even if it meant apologizing for reasons he didn’t entirely understand.
Even if he didn’t think he’d spoken out of turn. But his Lily didn’t like to ask for help. His chest, tight from apprehension over their parting, prevented him from sleep. The role her sisters played in their enterprise wasn’t so important that he would rather lose what little time he had left with her. Was it too late to knock on the adjoining door and apologize?
He didn’t want her to fall asleep angry at him. Zeus, he loved her so much the idea pained him.
As he bunched his muscles to rise out of bed, the whisper of a sound met his ears. He relaxed, holding his breath. Soft, padding footsteps approached the bed in the dark. Then the mattress dipped next to him, the sheet shuffling as it covered another body. A body that crawled closer to him, much to his relief.
He released a pent-up breath. Not wanting to frighten her away, he whispered, “I was afraid you wouldn’t be sleeping here tonight.”
She curled into the crook of his arm, laying her cheek on his shoulder. “That’s all I’m here to do, sleep.”
He wrapped his arms around her, not giving her the chance to reconsider. With her weight against him, a peaceful feeling washed through him, chasing away the nightmares niggling at the edges of his thoughts. All was not well. Not between him and Lily, who, it seemed, preferred not to mention their argument. More than that, matters would not be well between them until they found a way to thwart Chatterley for good. Until he knew he could keep her here, by his side.
He kissed her forehead. “Good. I’d like to hold you for as long as I can.”
A lifetime would not be long enough, and the month was ticking past far quicker than anticipated.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Lily stormed into the house and up the stairs, battling tears. Her shoulders were rounded in, pushing out the world—pushing out Adam. He followed hot on her heels, letting the front door close of its own accord as he rushed to intercept her. He caught her on the landing, before she locked herself in her room.
“Lily, this isn’t your fault.”
She wrested her arm away, stepping back, turning her face from his. Her expression gutted him. He wanted to be the person she turned to, the person she relied upon. Now, he felt as though he had failed her.
“That’s the fifth prototype, Adam. The fifth. I can’t do this.”
Adam took her hands in his and held them between their bodies, a solid connection. “Lily, look at me. You do impeccable work. If anything, I’m the one who’s failing you, producing substandard metal for you to mold.”
She pulled away to wipe the tears from the corners of her eyes. “It doesn’t matter whose product is of inferior quality. If Reid won’t accept one of them as good enough, what are we to do?”
When she tipped her face up to meet his, Adam’s chest clenched. He swallowed hard, wishing he could eradicate the anguish in her eyes. Chatterley had acted particularly cutting today when dismissing their newest product.
“I can’t do it. And if I can’t…”
He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close and tucking her head against his shoulder. How many more times would he get to do this? Perhaps, a small part of him had been hoping that this was an impulsive and impossible mission. That they would fail. But now, three weeks had passed and they were no closer—a fact that seemed to incense Chatterley despite their frequent progress reports. Today, he’d accused Lily of being deliberately obtuse, of trying to sabotage her efforts. He’d threatened to turn over the debt that he hung over her head like a noose.
“I won’t let him harm you.”
She pushed away from him, visibly arming herself. He hated to see her vulnerability chipped away and replaced by the cold, hard woman he’d met in her rival’s jewelry store. He wanted to give her solace when she needed it, but if she wouldn’t turn to him…
“We’re running out of time, Adam. We’ll have to steal the artifact and take our chances.”
When he didn’t say anything, his jaw tightening, she looked to the ceiling, blinking her eyes rapidly to rid them of moisture.
“You know I’m right. There’s no way to escape this, no way to avoid the blame. I have to get in contact with Miss Granby and finagle an invitation to the next dinner party.”
“If you attempt to take the relic, you might be caught.”
“T
hat’s my risk to take.” Her eyes, when she settled them upon him, were hard.
Let me help.
Whenever possible, she refused. It was as though a different woman slept next to him at night from the one he interacted with during the day. During the day, she was commanding, the embodiment of control. She accepted his help, but she didn’t open herself to him emotionally. The only peek he had of the vulnerable woman inside that diamond-hard shell came when she lay next to him in bed. And even that he glimpsed less and less as their inevitable parting approached. She was closing herself off to him, and he felt as though she twisted a knife every time she did.
He could help her, if only she would let him in.
“Let me steal it. I have more experience.”
“No. This is my problem, and I’ll be the one to get the invitation. If you came with me, I would still be blamed. So why not do it myself?”
He stepped closer, reaching for her. “Lily…”
She stepped back, pressing up against the door. “No. I’m set on this, Adam. I will perform the theft.”
“You’ll what?”
Adam’s breath hitched at the sound of her younger sister’s voice.
…
Lily’s lungs wrung themselves of air at the sound of Willa’s voice. Her throat constricting, she turned to look behind her. Despite being at home, she hadn’t realized her sister was close enough to hear. She and Adam had been so careful to keep this to themselves… And now, in a fit of frenzy, she’d spilled her secret to the one person in the household who could not keep her mouth closed.
Willa stormed up to them. Her red hair billowed like a flag behind her, a war banner. Out of arm’s reach, she stopped, glaring at them both. “Please tell me I heard wrong. You cannot be discussing the possibility of stealing?”
Lily flinched. “Of course not…”
Willa crossed her arms. “Don’t lie to me. I can tell. I’m your sister.” Her pale blue eyes sparked with fury, her cheeks high with color.
Betrayed, she turned to Adam, then back to Lily. Her gaze was accusatory. “Sophie talks of an investment, but it isn’t true, is it? There is no investment. He stole from you four years ago and now he’s here to do it again.”
Lily gritted her teeth. “Adam is not here to rob us.”
Her sister sneered. “Even if he were, we have nothing left to give. You can’t get blood from a stone.”
Adam flashed her a charming smile, but this time, Willa seemed to see through it.
“You misunderstood, Willa—”
“Don’t talk to me,” she snapped. She turned, pinning Lily with the full force of her temper. “I want to talk to my sister alone.”
He stiffened. Lily felt his gaze hot upon her, but she didn’t dare look at him. Instead, she held herself still as he nodded curtly and moved next door into his room. The moment he shut the door, Willa clenched her fist around Lily’s wrist and hauled her out of earshot. They paused at the landing, Willa’s grip painful.
“Willa, you’re hurting me.”
Her sister dropped her hold. “So is he. Can’t you see it?”
How much could Lily tell her? How much could she trust her? Willa’s tongue was free, particularly when surrounded by potential admirers. If Willa betrayed a whiff of this…
“It isn’t what you think.”
Willa narrowed her gaze. “It had best not be, because I believe I just heard you planning with your thief of a husband to ruin someone else’s life.”
Lily snapped, “If I don’t, our lives will be forfeit.”
Her sister stumbled back, her cheeks blanching. “He’s poisoned you.”
“He hasn’t. I’m doing this to save the family. We’re on the cusp of debtors’ prison, and you know it. You must know it. We have nothing left, despite my best efforts.”
Willa’s eyes widened. “He has poisoned you, hasn’t he? He’s leading you astray.”
Lily gritted her teeth. “He is not. He…”
“A couple months ago, you never would have defended him. You’re different, Lily. Callous, selfish. You used to have integrity.”
“That’s not true…”
Willa’s mouth thinned.
“Isn’t it? When was the last time you sat with Mother? When was the last time you spoke to me or Sophie about the events of our lives? You only care about yourself and your own comfort.”
“I’m doing all of this for you.”
Willa shook her head, backing away. “No, you’re not. If you were, you might have stopped to ask us what we want.”
Lily didn’t ask. She didn’t need to ask— She knew Willa enjoyed life’s luxuries. Dresses, dinner parties, walks in Hyde Park, mingling with the elite. She would have none of it if they were confined to a prison or the streets.
“I want my sister back.” Spitting venom, Willa turned and stormed away, her hair audibly crackling through the air.
“Willa, wait—”
On the staircase, Willa paused and looked over her shoulder. “Don’t worry, I won’t spill your secrets. At least, not yet… If you’re still the sister I know and love, you’ll find another way.”
Lily trembled as her sister stormed down the steps and disappeared. Her stomach fluttered uneasily as she pressed a hand against it.
What if Willa was right— Had Lily changed? The accusations threatened to swallow her whole. Worst of all, she didn’t know whether to trust her sister’s avowal to keep mum. If Willa exposed her, all her careful work and sacrifice would be for nothing.
Chapter Twenty-Three
“Lily, he’s here.”
At Adam’s booming voice, Lily pulled the handkerchief from between her legs. It came away clean, for the dozenth time today. This month, she had bled a few spots and that was it.
“Lily?”
She stuffed away the handkerchief and raised her voice. “I’ll be right out.” She straightened her dress quickly, shoving all thoughts from her mind but what she must do. Adam had convinced her to give the prototype one last chance. If she could not forge it this time, they would admit defeat and seek another avenue. As Adam had put it: There is always another way.
But therein lay the danger. Without a convincing forgery to confuse the unwary eye, their chances of being caught increased exponentially. Lily had poured her heart into the latest creation, taking all of Reid’s criticisms into account. If he didn’t like this one…
Taking a steadying breath, Lily exited into the workroom, where a series of several armbands waited. Despite Reid’s distaste for them, she had kept the last two prototypes for comparison. The metal had been melted and reshaped too many times to use them again, though she had pried out the gems. If not for the holes where the gems had been, the pieces were exquisite enough to sell in her shop.
If, of course, she hadn’t been concerned with her enterprise being exposed. Despite the craftsmanship, made with Adam’s assistance, these armbands were worthless to her.
Her heart thumped wildly as she strode abreast of him. Without a word, he slipped his hand into hers, threading their fingers together, and squeezed her. “This is your best yet, I’m certain of it.”
“If only Reid agrees with you.”
Even if he admitted to Lily’s talent in sculpting the armband, she still had to swap it with the original. By her calculations, the next dinner party ought to be next week. The imminent moment made her stomach clench with dread. Queasy, she laid a hand over it.
Thus far, she hadn’t crossed the line into thievery. Lying, certainly. Forgery, yes. But she hadn’t used either of those things for personal gain. If Reid approved of this final creation, she would have to cross that line.
And she would. Despite the tension threatening to make her cast up her accounts, she had made her decision. She would do this for Mama, for Sophie—even for Willa, though she had made her distaste
for the activity clear.
Had Lily walked too far down this path to know when she had lost her integrity? She gritted her teeth and clenched her fist.
The door rattled with Reid’s knock. Adam dropped her hand and gave her a long, searching look. Because of the animosity between him and Reid, they had decided it was better he waited in the other room. Lily nodded to him, trying to contain her disappointment as he left.
She opened the door.
Reid was no friend to her, but still, as he stepped inside, rain soaking through the shoulders of his cloak and darkening the top of his hat, emotion welled in her throat. She could never trust this man like she once had. Her one consolation was that when he had tried to interfere with her life the first time, she had put her foot down.
That decision might have spiraled to this heartbreaking chasm between them, but it had also given her Adam.
As he entered the back room, Reid scanned the interior. When he didn’t find Adam in sight, he stamped his wet boots on the floor and shut the door. He gave her a thin smile. “A deuced miserable day out there. I trust you have something worthy of my time today?”
Lily hated this jaded man with his sharp-as-obsidian tongue.
“This way. I think… I hope you will find this one more to your liking. If you don’t, I may have to admit defeat.”
He caught her by the arm, his grip firm as he barred her from fetching the latest forgery. When she twisted to look at him, his expression was lethal.
“Failure is not an option. Not unless—”
When she tugged on her arm, he released it. She drew herself up, even though she couldn’t hope to match his height. “I know. But we may have to try another means if this does not work.”
From the brooding set of his mouth, he didn’t like that option in the least.
She bit her tongue hard, hoping to quell the tremble in her hands as she fetched the armband from a square case she had collected for it. As she lifted the lid, showing the item nestled in a bed of velvet beneath, she held it toward him.
The Price of Temptation Page 26