“Please, allow me to explain,” said Colin.
“What is there to explain, Mr. DeVere?” she replied, her eyes firmly locked on anything other than her partner. “If the rumors I’ve heard weren’t enough, I saw with my own eyes the truth of the matter. I saw how you fawned over her.”
Her chin trembled, and Colin tried to speak, but Miss Aubrey continued. “Not that I can blame you. Miss Kingsley is a wonderful, kind-hearted lady, and quite striking. She comes from a good family and…” But her words caught, and she blinked, turning her face away from Colin.
As grateful as he was for the opportunity to speak with Miss Aubrey, Colin cursed the public manner in which he had to catch her, for he wanted to pull her into his arms and assure her of the voracity of his affection as only a kiss can do.
“You are the only lady who holds my heart,” he said.
Her eyes met his, and Colin fell into their hazel depths. He wanted to tell her everything that was in his heart, but there was too much to tell, and words were too weak to describe the way his heart twisted in his chest at the sight of her gathering tears.
“I do not care for Miss Kingsley as anything other than a friend,” said Colin, and that much was true, though it was not the whole of the story. But before he could gather his courage to tell it all, Miss Aubrey prodded him.
“From what I hear, you see her daily. At parties and balls. On drives and walks.”
Colin sighed and struggled to keep his feet moving in time with the music while his mind struggled to think. “Only to make Hatch jealous.”
Miss Aubrey halted for a moment, though a near collision with another pair snapped her into action. “You were using Miss Kingsley?”
With the most shameful part out in the open, there was little reason to hide anything else, so Colin told her all.
“How could you?” she gasped.
“I swear it’s over and I’ve not seen Miss Kingsley since you spied us,” he said. “I never meant to hurt you, and my heart aches to know that I have. I will never give you reason to doubt—”
“How could you do that to Miss Kingsley? You toyed with her heart,” she amended, her brows pulling together in a fierce scowl. “The gentleman I love would never have done such a selfish thing.”
Colin’s eyes widened. “You love me?”
But Miss Aubrey’s eyes narrowed, her lips pinching together. “That is not a revelation, Mr. DeVere.”
“Yes, but you have never spoken those particular words.”
Her cheeks pinked and her gaze fell away from him. “My heart is not in question.”
“And neither is mine,” replied Colin. How he wanted to lean in closer and press his lips to hers, but to do so would be inexcusable. Unfortunately, his heart struggled to remember that.
“Perhaps, but even if I believe you, your honor is not as sterling as it once was.” The words stung as they rightly should, but before Colin defended himself, Miss Aubrey continued while holding his gaze in a steady, unyielding manner. “You have allowed this petty argument between you and Mr. Hatcher to fester and grow. It has tainted you and your character, and I cannot accept that.”
“I own that my behavior has not been sterling of late, but my anger for that man is justified. He treated me cruelly—”
“He did the right thing, Mr. DeVere,” she replied with a challenging glint to her eye.
“He promised—”
“A position but not a partnership. You decided what you wanted and would not accept anything you deemed beneath your dignity. And rather than searching for a position elsewhere, you’ve allowed your anger to fester and waited for an income to fall in your lap. I’ve held my tongue hoping you would see the folly in your actions, but I cannot stand it a moment longer. What you’ve done is despicable!” Her expression tightened, growing fiercer with each word. Colin opened his mouth to argue, but Miss Aubrey shook her head.
“How could you do such a thing, Mr. DeVere?” she whispered, her chin trembling. “You toyed with a good lady’s affections and broke my heart in the process, and all in the name of getting revenge on an honorable gentleman whose only offense was to offer you something you were too entitled to accept.”
Miss Aubrey went silent as they turned about the dance floor. She held herself stiffly in his arms as though she wished to be free of his touch, and Colin could not blame her. While his pride had shielded him from the truth of the matter, hearing such a stark assessment of his character from such a loving and kind creature cast a light on the truth. The guilt he’d so easily hidden away came rearing into focus, and Colin couldn’t deny that he deserved it.
“I have behaved like a bounder,” said Colin, his brows scrunching together as he gazed into her eyes with all the heart he could muster. “You are unequivocally correct, and I wish I had some better response to offer than ‘I apologize.’”
The grim lines in her expression softened, her eyes growing misty. “I cannot think of a better one than that. People do not say it often enough.” Blinking, she turned her attention to the dancers. “But that does not mean that I forgive you.”
There was just a hint of her usual sauciness that Colin smiled at that. “I would not expect you to without more groveling on my part.”
Miss Aubrey’s eyes darted to him and narrowed. “And what would that entail?”
Colin resisted the urge to pull her closer, but he gripped her hand gently in his, his thumb brushing against her palm. Miss Aubrey’s cheeks glowed as she gazed at him.
“First,” he said, his voice a husky whisper, “a vow to never behave like such a cad and to make reparations if I can. I have already sent Miss Kingsley a note to make a break of things.”
The corner of her lips turned up. “That is a good beginning.”
“And second, I have an appointment with your father to speak with him about my intentions.” Just speaking the words sent a spike of panic flowing through him, but it subsided at the brilliant smile Miss Aubrey gave him. Her eyes sparkled with radiant joy, and she looked ready to throw her arms around his neck.
“I fully expect him to bar me from your house, but I shall try to make him see reason,” said Colin. In all honesty, he did not know how he would manage it, but the time was long past for him to try. They could not go on as they had.
“We shall convince him together,” she added, her hand squeezing his shoulder.
“Together,” he echoed. Colin rather liked the sound of that.
Chapter 25
Holding a leaf between her fingers, Lily twirled it as she walked along the park’s pathway. In a rare display of glory, the sun was out and not a cloud was in the sky. Though her aunt would be horrified to see such a display, Lily turned her face towards it, basking in the rays. Luckily, Aunt Louisa-Margaretta was holding court to one side of the walkway and too occupied to notice.
For once, the day was warm enough not to warrant jackets, and though it had taken some work, Lily had found the right dress to match her shawl. It was a silly way to choose an outfit, but she couldn’t help herself. She’d not had the opportunity to use it, and today was too perfect a day to do anything less.
The dress was the perfect shade of dove gray. Lily normally shied away from such dull colors, but it was the ideal complement to the bright shawl; the rosy tint to the muted neutral color paired perfectly with the bold reddish-pink. Lily may be a grown woman, but she felt like twirling about the park with her shawl fluttering behind her. Though that might have more to do with the memories of when she’d purchased it.
Lily broke into a smile. She could not help herself. Even a fleeting thought of Jack brought it to her face. Nearly two days since the concert, yet Lily was still grinning like a fool.
“Miss Kingsley!” called a gentleman, and Lily dropped the leaf and turned to see Mr. Dosset guiding his wife towards them—though guiding was too kind a word for it. Phyllis looked as eager as a prisoner marching to the gallows while Mr. Dosset prodded her along.
“How good to see
you this lovely afternoon,” he said with a bow. Phyllis gave a faint bob, but Mr. Dosset scowled at her. Straightening, Phyllis glared at him and then her, though Lily had not the foggiest notion as to why the lady so clearly blamed her for this imposition. Then with stiff movements, Phyllis gave a proper curtsy and brittle smile.
“Miss Kingsley.” Her tone was cold enough to drive away the warmth of the summer sun.
Mr. Dosset leaned over and hissed something in her ear, and Phyllis took a deep, shaky breath, her muscles tensing as Lily watched the pair of them. With a sigh, Phyllis’s expression softened, though her eyes were as glacial as before.
“I do admire your shawl,” she said.
Lily nodded, though she could not think what to say in response to the first civil words she’d received from Phyllis in years.
“Though I have yet to see an announcement in the papers, I hear we’re to congratulate you on your upcoming nuptials to Mr. Hatcher,” said Phyllis. Her jaw tensed as she smiled at Lily. “Quite fortuitous—”
“Darling,” interrupted Mr. Dosset, with a pointed tone. Turning to Lily, he smiled. “Mr. Hatcher is quite the lucky fellow to have captured your heart. We wish you both well.”
Taking his wife by the arm, Mr. Dosset led her away but paused as he passed Lily. He leaned forward and asked in a low voice, “You will tell Mr. Hatcher that we spoke with you today, won’t you?”
“If you wish me to,” said Lily, her brows drawing together.
“And that it was quite congenial,'” he added with a pointed look.
Lily blinked at the odd man. “Certainly.”
Mr. Dosset gave her a bow in farewell and nudged his wife, who gave her another curtsy. Lily watched the pair walk away, as Phyllis hissed and scowled at her husband, though he did not budge in whatever argument they’d been having.
“That was quite odd,” she said to no one in particular, and as no one was paying any attention to her, it was of no consequence.
A strange thought popped into her head, and though Lily could not quite countenance it, she could not dismiss it, either. At the best of times, Phyllis was a two-faced shrew. At all others, she was merely a malicious, cold-hearted shrew. The only difference was how pointed she was in attacking her prey.
Yet, Lily could almost say that this interaction had been innocuous. Strange, certainly. But there were no veiled insults. Lily was no fool to think that Phyllis’s behavior was of her own volition. Anyone could see that she’d held her tongue under duress. And Lily could think of only one person who could inspire that significant change and would put forth the effort to do so for her.
Jack had not seemed overly concerned with Phyllis’s behavior during the charity concert, but Lily’s instinct told her this was his doing.
“I do hope that smile means you are in a particularly fine mood,” said Mr. DeVere.
Turning to greet him, Lily’s smile broadened, though it had nothing to do with the gentleman before her. Simply having him comment on her fine mood reminded her of why she was in a fine mood, which made it all the finer. She was being a bit ridiculous, but her heart expanded every time she thought of Jack.
“I am, Mr. DeVere,” Lily replied. “And yourself?”
“Better than I’ve been in a good while,” he replied, tucking his hands behind him with a nod.
Stepping closer, Lily batted her eyes at him in the most audacious fashion, but she knew it was time to end this farce. There was no good to be had from it anymore—though Lily had no intention of giving Mr. DeVere an easy escape. She may not have much experience with gentlemen, but nothing terrified flirts more than true intent. Banter was fine and well, but hint at something serious beneath it, and they fled like a fox from hunting dogs.
“Is it because we are together?” she asked with a simpering smile and a step closer. Lily wished she dared to brush his arm or something more flirtatious, but she couldn’t be that forward.
“I wanted to speak with you,” he said, stepping away.
Widening her eyes, Lily gasped. “Certainly, Mr. DeVere!”
*
Colin stared at her, his mind moving slowly through the implications of her tone. Miss Kingsley kept batting her lashes, drawing closer any time he remained in place for more than a heartbeat. He kept putting a respectful distance between them, but the lady moved forward with a determination he’d not seen from her before. It had them inching along the pathway, moving farther away from the rest of the group. Though Colin appreciated the privacy for what he needed to say, Miss Kingsley’s behavior had him sweating at his temples.
It was difficult enough to confess without this lunacy.
“You received my flowers after your performance?” asked Colin. He tugged at his jacket as she gave yet another simpering grin.
Surely, she had understood the bouquet's meaning. Ivy was a sign of friendship, and the accompanying note had been polite—nothing more. It was a simple token of admiration for her talent and could not be taken as anything more. Yet she kept gazing at him as though he were the sun in her solar system, all while batting her eyes in a most bizarre manner.
“They were so lovely,” she replied, her voice dropping into a whisper. “But you wished to speak with me?”
“Yes,” he said. “Over the past few weeks, I have come to value our friendship dearly.”
“Oh, Mr. DeVere,” she said in a breathy tone.
Behind Miss Kingsley was a clear path. An easy exit. Simply turn tail and flee. There was no reason to beleaguer this point. Colin’s pride told him to remain mute, and if not for a promise he’d made to Miss Aubrey and his guilty conscience holding him there, he would have taken the coward’s way out. But acknowledging his behavior and taking the consequences was the only honorable thing to do, and Colin was done with playing the cad.
“I need to apologize, Miss Kingsley,” said Colin. Gritting his teeth, he closed his eyes to gather his courage as he ordered the words in his thoughts. “I have used you abominably and behaved in an unseemly manner, leading you to believe that my feelings run deeper than they do to annoy Mr. Hatcher. It was unfair of me to toy with your affections, and I ask your forgiveness, though I do not deserve it.”
When Colin opened his eyes to meet Miss Kingsley’s gaze, he found no tears or pained expressions. Miss Kingsley gave him a narrowed look, her brows drawing together.
“You are ruining my fun, Mr. DeVere.”
“Fun?”
“You are supposed to be running away in fear,” she said with a frown. “And instead, you are behaving rather honorably.”
Colin stared at her. “And you wish me to behave more dishonorably?”
“I wish you to give me the satisfaction of getting one over on you.”
*
Mr. DeVere’s brow was pulled tight, his expression all scrunched together in such utter confusion that Lily didn’t know whether to laugh or pat the lad on his head and send him home.
“I am no fool, Mr. DeVere. I was aware of your intentions, and though I cannot claim I was unaffected by your deception, it did no lasting damage.”
Glancing at his feet, Mr. DeVere’s shoulders sagged. “I don’t know if I should feel relieved or ashamed.”
“A bit of both, I suppose,” replied Lily. “But you have ruined my grand plan. I thought it time to end the charade, so I was going to make you think I expected us to get married. I had anticipated that you would escape and never return.”
Mr. DeVere’s head snapped up, his eyes wide, though that shock faded into chagrin. “I suppose you have every reason to think I would be that despicable. I had planned on quietly disappearing after sending that bouquet, but after speaking with someone dear to me, I knew you deserved a proper apology.”
“A lady?” asked Lily with a smile.
Eyes darting away from Lily, Mr. DeVere’s cheeks pinked, though his lips held a hint of a smile. “She is exceptionally patient and far better than I deserve.”
“I do hope you will tell her such.”
“No harm was done, Mr. DeVere. I only hope you will be careful about how you treat others in the future.”
“I swear it,” came the quick reply, though the speed did not lessen the sincerity with which he spoke the vow. “Sometimes it is hard to see how far astray we’ve gone. Luckily, I have a good lady who sees more clearly than I and is willing to set me straight.”
Lily smiled at that. “We should all be so lucky to have someone like that in our lives. But in truth, I would like to thank you for your kind words. It is not often that I hear such lovely things said.”
Mr. DeVere’s brow furrowed. “You deserve to hear them often.”
With a chuckle, Lily clasped her hands behind her. “That is the second time you’ve said that I ‘deserve’ something, but I cannot help but think you are too free with that word. There are so many unmet needs in this world that I hardly think I deserve any more blessings in this life than I already have. My life is so full, how can I deserve more?”
His lips pulled into an appreciative smile. “May I at least say that Hatch does not deserve you?”
“You may,” she said, cocking her head to one side, “but I disagree. I do not know what has happened between you two, but he is an excellent man.”
“Then you are happy with him?” asked Mr. DeVere. It was a forward question, but the entire conversation had been rather forward so Lily could take no offense at it. Of course, she did not need to answer aloud, for that bright smile of hers broadened, filling her face, and Mr. DeVere’s grew in response.
Reaching forward, Mr. DeVere took her hand in his, bowing over it and placing a respectful kiss on her knuckles. “I thank you for your kindness and wish you nothing but happiness, Miss Kingsley.”
A Stolen Kiss (Victorian Love Book 1) Page 20