Lily looked at Rose but didn’t ask any other questions. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know what it was, because as long as she was doing it with Daniel, she knew she’d love every second of it.
Chapter Three
Lily was waiting in the parlor when the maid showed Daniel into the room. She’d kicked Amaryllis from the room, but she knew her mother would never allow her to close the door. Daniel took the spot on the couch beside her and after a quick glance to see if anyone was about, she boldly brushed her lips against his, jumping back when she heard a throat clear.
“Hi, Mama,” Lily said waiting for the lecture to ensue. When nothing was said, she looked up in expectation.
Mary had a slight smile on her face. “Welcome, Daniel. I understand you’ll be joining us for dinner again.” She held her hand out to Daniel and squeezed his briefly between both her own.
Lily was surprised nothing was said about the kiss, but she was sure she’d hear about it later. Her parents had an affection for Daniel, and always had, but that didn’t mean they wanted him kissing their daughters in the parlor when no one was looking.
“Yes, ma’am if that’s all right with you, of course.” Daniel was obviously flustered at being caught mid-kiss with Lily. He jumped to his feet and waited for Mary to sit down. When she sat across the room in an overstuffed chair, he resumed his spot beside Lily.
As soon as he was seated, Lily wound her fingers through his. She couldn’t seem to stop touching him. Even the feel of his palm on hers was enough to send shivers down her spine.
Mary didn’t miss the sight of their hands twining together, but said nothing about it. “How are you enjoying working at the bank, Daniel? Do you think it’s something you’ll always do?”
Daniel nodded slowly. “I have always loved working with numbers. Banking seems to be something that was meant just for me. I’m really glad your husband took a chance on me.” He rubbed his thumb across the palm of Lily’s hand and felt her shudder slightly beside him.
“I’m glad you enjoy it. I’m sure Fred’s not always easy to work for.”
“I disagree. He’s been a good boss. I have no complaints whatsoever.” He swallowed hard. Lily had leaned into him and they were pressed together from knee to shoulder. How was he supposed to talk to someone when he was lusting after her daughter?
Fred stepped into the room. “I’m happy to hear it.” He held his hand out to Daniel to shake. “Am I going to be seeing you all the time now? Office all day? Home all night?”
Daniel shook his head. “If I’m around too much…” He didn’t want to not be with Lily, but he didn’t want to make her father and his boss angry either.
Fred laughed and waved his answer off. “Not at all, boy. We’re glad to have you here.” He took a seat beside his wife. “Is dinner ready yet?”
She stood. “I’ll just go check and see how much longer.” She patted his hand as she headed for the door, coming back less than a minute later. “It’s ready now.” She looked at Lily. “Get your sisters for supper, please.”
Lily stood and wondered if she should just yell at them like she usually did or go get them. After a moment, she opened her mouth and bellowed, “Time to eat!” If Daniel couldn’t marry the woman she was, he certainly wouldn’t be happy when she didn’t change after the wedding.
He chuckled softly at the sight of her mother’s mortified face. “Lily! You should have gone to find them.” She shook her head in disgust.
Lily shrugged. “They’re coming.” She glanced at Daniel and saw he wasn’t the least offended by her uncouth ways. She breathed a sigh of relief. She knew he’d seen it all, but she’d hoped he hadn’t thought she changed because she started wearing dresses and had her hair up all the time.
She held his arm as they went into dinner together. He took the spot beside her he’d occupied the last time he was there on Saturday evening. As her sisters filed into the room, the various smiles alarmed him. Iris was obviously just delighted to see him, but the look in Jasmine’s eyes was downright scary. What did she have planned?
He didn’t have to wait long to find out. Halfway through the meal, Jasmine lifted her head and stared straight at Lily. “So, Lily, how do you like kissing Daniel?”
Lily shrugged. “It’s okay, I guess.” She squeezed his hand under the table in some sort of signal that he didn’t quite understand. Was she telling him to stay quiet?
Jasmine made a face, obviously annoyed that Lily wasn’t rising to the bait. “You sure looked like you were enjoying it the other night.”
“Someday you’ll be old enough to kiss your beau, too, Jasmine.” Lily calmly ate another bite of her dinner, not saying anything beyond that.
Jasmine sighed. She looked between her parents. “Aren’t you upset that Lily’s running around kissing boys?” She obviously wanted Lily to be in trouble, and it wasn’t working for her.
Lily didn’t wait for her parents to respond. “I’m not running around kissing boys. I’m kissing one man.” She looked down at her plate to hide a smile.
Fred cleared his throat. “That’s enough, Jasmine. If I have a problem with Lily and Daniel kissing, I’ll talk to them about it, but not in front of you.”
Jasmine pouted, obviously upset she hadn’t been able to cause any problems. What fun was it to tease your sisters when no one would get angry?
As soon as supper was over, Daniel got to his feet. “Thank you for a delicious meal. I’m going to take Lily for a drive if that’s all right, Mr. Sullivan.”
Fred nodded. “Oh, yes, of course. Don’t stay out too late. We have work tomorrow.” He smiled at Daniel, putting Daniel’s fears to rest that he was upset with him for kissing his daughter. It wasn’t easy courting the boss’s daughter!
Daniel led Lily outside to the buggy and helped her up. “Do you have anywhere you want to go?” he asked after walking around to his side and tucking the lap robes tightly around them.
Lily shook her head. “Just so we get to spend time alone together, I’m happy!” She moved a little closer to him as soon as they were out of sight of the house. She loved touching him, and she wasn’t going to stop just because her sister had teased her.
He drove toward the outskirts of town again, concentrating on navigating the roads. Finally, they reached a country road and he pulled back into the woods. Setting the brake, he turned to her, opening his arms.
She smiled, moving as close as she could, wrapping her arms around him while tilting her mouth up to offer it to him. His mouth came down on hers, harder and more demanding than before. She parted her lips for his kiss right away, knowing what he’d want from her.
He moved his hands around to her front and unbuttoned her coat, before unbuttoning his own, never breaking the kiss. Then he pulled her closer to him, with their bodies pressed more tightly together. “You feel so good to me. I’ve been thinking about kissing you like this ever since Saturday night.”
She smiled up at him in the darkness. He may be in love with Rose, but he had enough affection to go around. “I’ve been dreaming about it.”
He groaned softly, his lips moving across her cheek, and going down to kiss her neck and shoulders. “I can’t seem to get enough of you.”
She wound her fingers through his hair, thrilled that he felt the same way she did. “I love it when you touch me!”
His hand moved from her back, inside her coat, around to cup her breast, squeezing it gently. Lily was surprised at first, but when she gave herself up to the pleasure of it, she groaned softly. “That feels so nice.” Wicked, but nice. She knew her mother would never approve, but it didn’t seem to matter then.
He pressed his lips against hers, his tongue tangling with hers wildly. After a moment, he groaned and pulled away from her, resting his forehead against hers. “You know we can’t keep doing this. We’ll be caught.” His breathing was fast and his breath hot against her face.
“What would happen if we were caught?” Lily had been causing problems since s
he was old enough to dress herself. What did she care?
“If we’re caught we’ll be forced to marry immediately.”
“Would that be terrible?” she asked. Was he against marriage to her?
“Not at all! I would just rather marry because we want to marry, and not because we’re being forced into it. I’d like nothing better than to have you as my wife.”
She sighed, wishing she could believe him. She knew he still carried a torch for her sister, even though she was married to another man. She almost wished they would get caught because she didn’t want to have to spend a long time planning a wedding ceremony. She hated getting all dressed up like a lady and being the center of attention. Why couldn’t they just get it over with?
He brushed another soft kiss against her lips, before carefully buttoning first her coat and then his own. He turned the buggy around and drove back toward her house, his arm firmly around her shoulders. At her house, he helped her down and walked to the door with her. A quick brush of his lips against hers, and he turned to go. “I’ll see you Friday evening at six,” he called back over his shoulder.
As he got into the buggy, he took a deep breath. They were going to have to marry soon. Who would have thought Lily, who played baseball and climbed trees better than just about every boy he’d ever met, could kiss like that? He was going to catch fire if they weren’t careful.
* * *
Lily woke up Friday morning with a huge smile on her face. She would see Daniel again tonight. She wasn’t sure why he’d stayed away all week, but she hated not being with him. She’d kept busy working with the battered women, but it wasn’t the same. Nothing was the same when he wasn’t by her side. Despite her reservations about the people they’d be surrounded by, she loved the idea of spending the evening in his arms.
She walked to Rose’s house with a spring in her step. She couldn’t wait to see how her new dress fit. A whole evening in Daniel’s arms was her idea of what heaven would be like.
Rose must have been watching out the window for her, because she rushed out of her house wearing her coat as soon as Lily started up her front walk. “Lily! Let’s go try on your new party dress!” The excitement in her voice was palpable, and Lily wondered, not for the first time, how two girls who were so different could have been born to the same parents.
“I hope it fits,” Lily fretted. “What will I do if we get there and it’s the wrong size? No one else’s dresses fit me!” Lily was the tallest girl in their family at five feet ten inches tall. She was thankful Daniel was well over six feet so she didn’t feel like a giant.
“It’ll fit! If not she’ll make a couple of small adjustments and you’ll be ready to go. We need to stop at the jeweler for a necklace, though. You don’t have one at home, do you?”
Lily shook her head. “I’ve never cared for jewelry.”
“Well, this dress is going to need something.” Rose pulled open the door of the dress shop.
They were greeted by the owner immediately. “It’s ready. I stayed up most of the night to finish it, but it’s ready.” Her blue eyes were red-rimmed, giving credence to her words.
Lily went straight back with Rose trailing behind. Once the dress was on, Lily twirled for a moment, delighted at the way the full skirt flared around her. She’d never really worn a dancing dress, and this one made her feel like a princess. “How does it look?”
Rose’s face was lit up with a smile. “It’s wonderful, Lily. I’ve never seen you look so good!”
Lily looked into the mirror and nodded to herself, feeling like she did look special for once. “What should I do with my hair with this dress?”
Rose made a face. “Can you have Daniel pick you up at my house? I’d love to fix your hair for you. I have just the right style in mind.”
Once she’d changed back into her regular clothes, they walked to the bank. Daniel was working at the front as usual. She waited until he was finished with his customer and went to him, embarrassed to be bothering him at work. “Can you pick me up from Rose’s house tonight?” she whispered.
He nodded. “Sure. Is everything okay?”
“Yes, she’s just going to fix my hair for me.” Lily blushed as she said the words.
He shrugged. “As far as I’m concerned, you can wear braids. It’s not your hair I care about.” He squeezed her hand across the long counter. “I can’t wait to see you.”
She smiled all the way to the jewelry store. He was such a good man. She just hoped he didn’t figure out she wasn’t as good as Rose before they married.
Lily was a bundle of nerves for the rest of the day. She couldn’t find the exact right necklace at the store, so Rose said she could borrow the pearls Shawn had given her. It felt strange to wear something that was so expensive, but she wanted to look her best, and Rose assured her she didn’t mind.
Lily felt silly having Rose fix her hair for her night out with Daniel, but she didn’t know what else to do. None of the other girls knew nearly as much about how to look their best as Rose did. Rose had spent years making a science out of the best way to catch a man.
Rose’s touch was magic, though. Lily looked at herself in the mirror when Rose finally pronounced her ready, and she was shocked to see the young lady looking back at her. Gone was the little girl who liked to run around in boys’ pants, although she could see her lurking beneath the surface. Instead she saw a young woman with dark red hair and green eyes, who looked like she was a real lady, not just a little girl dressing up as one.
She looked down at the slippers on her feet, and had to stifle a giggle. She’d deliberately worn the slippers that she’d once thrown at Rose’s head. Rose watched her and frowned. “What’s funny?”
Lily just shook her head, knowing she’d share the laugh with Daniel, but doubting Rose would see the humor even now.
“You wait up here. I’ll call you when he’s here. I want you to come down the stairs and make a grand entrance.” Rose clasped her hands together over her chest, obviously pleased with her creation.
Lily nodded reluctantly. She saw no need to make Daniel wait even a minute for her, but Rose knew best. Right?
She paced impatiently back and forth across Rose’s bedroom until she heard Rose call her name. She took a deep breath, putting her hand to her stomach to try to settle the butterflies that had taken up living there. Slowly she walked toward the stairs. She could just picture falling halfway down and landing on Daniel once again.
The suppressed giggle on her face was the first thing Daniel noticed. She looked so beautiful and happy that he vowed then and there to never make her cry. She was a good person through and through and never deserved to be treated with anything but the utmost respect and love.
He watched as she slowly walked down the stairs. She was halfway down when he noticed the slipper peeking out from under her skirt. He laughed out loud at the sight of it, his eyes meeting hers happily. “You wore our slippers!”
She grinned, her eyes meeting his. “I did. I thought you’d approve.”
He took her hand in his, tucking it through his arm. “How could I not? It’s perfect." He dropped a kiss on her cheek, giving Rose a half smile as they walked toward the door.
Lily walked proudly at his side, so happy to be his girl that she couldn’t express it.
When they arrived at the dance, she felt a moment’s qualm as James stared at her in disbelief. “Lily Sullivan? You brought Lily Sullivan?”
Daniel stood proudly. “I brought the most beautiful woman in Seattle. I couldn’t find anyone else half as perfect, so I had to bring her.” He took her coat from her and handed it to the maid who was waiting. “Don’t mind him. He’s an idiot.” Daniel led her through the hall and into the parlor where two other couples were waiting.
She did her best to make small talk, but more than anything she listened as Daniel talked to the others. There wasn’t a person there who had ever been kind to her at school.
Throughout the meal, she could feel
the other young people’s eyes on her. She’d never really fit in with the other kids at school, because she’d enjoyed things that weren’t “right”. The boys didn’t want to do things with her, because she was odd, and the girls had nothing in common with her. It was strange to be sitting among them this way, but for Daniel, she’d do anything.
Once the meal was over, they danced. Daniel didn’t ask her to dance, but instead took her hand and led her to the middle of the dance floor and twirled her around. There was someone playing the piano for them, and she enjoyed the quiet music, but more than anything, she enjoyed being held in Daniel’s arms.
Once, about halfway through the evening, James tapped him on the shoulder. “May I cut in?”
Daniel looked into Lily’s eyes and must have read her feelings there, because he immediately shook his head. “I don’t think so.” He gave her a slight smile as they twirled away.
She politely thanked James for the invitation as they left that evening, but she was thrilled she hadn’t had to spend any more time with him than she had. As they left, Daniel asked, “You didn’t have a very good time, did you?”
She shrugged. “I enjoyed being with you, and I loved the dancing. I never really fit in with the others, though.” She’d do it every day, though, if that’s what it took to make him happy.
He slipped his arm around her shoulders as he walked her to the buggy. “We won’t spend time with them again, then. I had no idea you didn’t like them.” He shook his head as he looked down at her. “You should have told me!”
“It’s not that I don’t like them. They’ve just never been very nice or polite to me. None of them ever really felt like I was good enough to fit in with them, and that’s always bothered me.” Most of the time she hadn’t bothered being an outcast, but occasionally their stares and pointed laughter had hurt her feelings.
Daniel helped her into the buggy and climbed up beside her. “You’re so much better than them. I’m sorry I took you there.” He started driving toward her house. “I’d suggest going for a short drive before I take you back to your house, but it’s getting late. I don’t want to make your father angry with me.”
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