When she’d succeeded in retrieving the item she sought, he pulled away and half-placed, half-plopped her on the bed, grasping her wrist and leaning down toward her reddened, slightly bruised lips.
“The only reason I allowed you to take back the letter is that I’ve already read it and memorized each word. Although I loathe my sister’s parlor games, I have now made it my sole purpose to discover the unfortunate man for whom those words were written.”
Her sharp and shallow breaths fanned across his face. “I’m afraid, sir, you will be greatly disappointed at whom you find.”
He straightened and left the room. Downstairs, he could not shake what had transpired between himself and Lily. He hated himself for allowing her to kiss him. He hated himself more for allowing himself to enjoy the intimacy between them, if only for that brief moment.
“How is Miss Scott?” Jane asked beside him.
“Slightly…bruised,” he answered shortly.
Jane’s thin eyebrows rose over her furious blue eyes. “Please tell me you were civil to her.”
Henry twisted to face his sister. He knew she remained oblivious to the reasons why he’d chosen to stay away for so many years. Her whimsical illusions regarding love seemed impenetrable, while his had been punctured and left to bleed.
“I am only required to remain civil to those whom I regard as close acquaintances. Miss Scott is a stranger to me, especially since I see her but once every year, and at those times, she can only manage to sputter one-syllable greetings as if my presence offends her.”
“She’s shy!”
“She’s coy, Jane. Women like Miss Scott are not who they appear. I would almost tell you not to see her again.”
“You contradict yourself, Henry. First, you say you do not know her, and then you proceed to call her a flirt. Well, which one is it?”
He opened his mouth, only to slam it shut again.
“You could at least get to know her, again.”
He lifted his head and inhaled. “I do believe I know her better than anyone else in this room.” At least he guessed he did. Of course, he wasn’t certain how many other men she’d kissed to get what she wanted.
“Oh, do you claim to know her better than Miss Appleton?” his sister asked, her tone dripping with sarcasm. She sighed loud before projecting her opinion without pause. “I’m more vexed than offended that you made me invite the woman. It might do you well to stand with someone who hasn’t caused a scandal in one way or another.”
Amused, he leaned forward so no one else could hear. “And arranging parlor games for young, irrational girls who believe the gentleman whose card they’ve received will someday want to marry them is not a scandal?”
“Miss Scott is not irrational,” his sister hissed, her mouth pursed with irritation.
Henry thought Jane did a good job of changing the subject back to her friend.
“I beg to differ.” He paused, unable to forget how wonderful Lily’s soft lips had felt against his. “Regardless, the next time you arrange one of these parlor games and wish to include me, make sure to invite a few ladies who are inclined to converse more than flirt.”
Jane scoffed. “Miss Scott is a lovely girl with more intelligence than that…that Miss Appleton you have attached yourself to recently.”
Henry wanted to laugh. “I don’t like Miss Appleton because of her intelligence.”
“Well, that’s obvious.”
His sister stormed away, going to the writing table to scribble the ladies’ names on the cards so the gentlemen could pull them. Not that he admitted to looking, but he found Lily had returned and settled herself on a gold and mauve striped settee next to the window. She had her head bent toward a small book, her teeth biting into the pink flesh of her lower lip. He didn’t deny the fact that Lily intrigued him. She had blossomed into such an enticing creature; he could not stop staring at her.
He supposed she sensed him gazing at her and lifted her head to send him a curious glance. She reminded him of their youth and a fleeting time when he thought—
“Pull your card.”
Henry bent his head to find Jane standing in front of him, holding a bowl full of shuffled, folded parchment paper.
“Would it do any good to ask which one is Miss Appleton’s?”
His sister scrunched up her pert nose and shook her head. Henry wondered how she had not found her own match. Both beautiful and bright, she had her handful of suitors, all of which would have made her a good and proper husband. He imagined she was too romantic to settle for anyone who was not Lord Byron himself.
“If I must say, it would serve you right to pull Miss Scott, Henry.”
He had to disagree, for both his and Miss Scott’s sake. Nonetheless, he reached in and plucked out a piece of paper. In the glinting firelight, he glanced at the woman’s name.
“The devil,” he swore. “You have done both her and me a disservice.” He left, pivoting toward the awaiting crowd and calling out her name. “Miss Scott.”
A few moments later, his friend Waverley picked Miss Appleton’s name. Henry had thought he’d feel some jealousy at his friend’s great fortune. He did not.
“Now, gentlemen, you are to go to the lady whose name you picked and introduce yourselves,” Jane announced with such glee, Henry had to wonder just how much brandy she might have had before the evening began. To his right, Aunt Sophia hiccupped, snorted, and fell back asleep.
As Lily stood reflective and unmoving, he stepped across the maroon carpet, stealing a glance at Waverley, who was, in turn, stealing a glance at Miss Appleton’s bosom.
“Mr. Dalton,” Lily said, dipping into a curtsey. When she rose, her cheeks were flushed pink, a rather fetching color next to her evergreen eyes. She smiled, causing his heart to beat at a faster pace.
“Sir, if you don’t mind me asking, why did you come here, knowing your sister had every intention of luring you into her parlor games?”
He nodded and returned her haughty smile. “I didn’t come to be lured, madam, I came to watch.”
Her head tilted at an adorable angle. “Are we all so amusing to you?”
Henry exhaled, forced to recall the inviting softness of her lips. “Yes, especially you, Miss Scott. Around the opposite sex, you are the most unsure, unsteady, and undisciplined creature I’ve ever seen.”
Her blush spread lower.
“Do explain, Mr. Dalton.”
He stepped a few paces closer, so her chin tilted upward. “A peculiar response. I would have expected you to take offense, lift your hem, and storm off in another direction, perhaps in the company of someone more…complimentary.”
He glanced around at the other gentlemen in the room. He’d yet to discover which one she might favor. There was Frank Naughton, who tended to drink more than converse, and Harry Bentley, who, while tall and amiable, did not stand out as anyone who might inspire a lady like Lily to pour out her heart.
When Henry returned his gaze to her face, she blinked her green eyes. “Are you always this crass and unpleasant?” She didn’t give him a chance to answer. “And is it your intention to offend me, so I will leave you alone? Are you that desperate to be in the company of Miss Appleton again?”
Henry’s heart thumped at her whispered question. Oh, had he heard a tone of jealousy in those barbed words? Although Miss Appleton possessed the type of figure to lure a saint into her bed, he found something about the way Lily gazed at him now that made his blood rush through his veins like a thawing mountain river.
“On the contrary, madam, I don’t think I’ve ever been more engaged in a conversation in all my life. You see, it is not often that I get to converse with a female who has such low opinions of me.”
“Forgive me, sir, but I find that hard to believe.”
After the initial shock of her forthrightness, Henry threw back his head and laughed. Between the kiss and now, he’d expected her to either languish in remorse or embarrassment. Instead, she talked to him as if they�
�d never separated.
“Now, it’s time to get to know your partner better,” Jane called from the middle of the room.
“Oh, dear God,” Henry mumbled.
“I don’t bite, Mr. Dalton,” Lily said beside him.
He turned to her, his chin down, his gaze fixed on her mouth. “It’s not your bite, but your tongue I am most…anxious about, Miss Scott.”
His bold words caused her to draw in a deep breath. He waited for a response, half expecting her to slap him across the face or, worse, tell him she wished never to see him again. Of course, she continued to surprise him by leaning in, so her words stayed just loud enough for him to hear.
“When you steal something of mine, I will use whatever means to get it back. As well, you should know that it shall never occur again.”
He smiled. “Which part: carelessly losing the letter to your lover or kissing me?”
She opened her mouth, only to snap it shut when Jane jumped in with the instructions on what everyone should do next.
“Now, I would like every lady to reach into their partner’s jacket and find their handkerchief.”
“Oh, dear God.” It was Lily’s turn to whisper the words.
Around them, the room had grown darker where a few candles were snuffed out to heighten the intimacy. Damn Jane.
Henry’s body tightened and his hands clenched with the urge to reach out and haul Lily firm against him. Damn her, too. With one kiss, she’d reawakened everything he’d hope to forget about her.
Still, she had not moved one inch in his direction. He cleared his throat, and she jumped. At last, she reached out to grasp the lapel of his jacket. With agonizing slowness, she shifted closer, his heart beating faster with each short step. Her trembling fingers fumbled for the silk item, and part of him regretted not burying it deeper inside his pocket. She smelled faintly of violets, sweet and sensual. With her dark hair tickling his chin, he drew the aromatic scent of her skin into his lungs.
He bent his head to murmur against her right ear, “I’d much prefer your way of confiscating things off my person,” he said, reminding her of the kiss she’d surrendered to him earlier.
“Pompous.”
He chuckled, continually amazed at her unguarded responses.
She stepped back, her cheeks tinted with a blush.
“Now, gentlemen, take the handkerchief from your partner and place it over her eyes.”
“I do wish I’d stayed upstairs,” Lily murmured.
“And I wish I’d stayed with you.” Her gaze lifted to his, and they stared at each other for a quiet moment. On an exhale, she handed him the blindfold and closed her eyes. With gentle hands, he wrapped the white linen around her silken hair. He imagined the soft strands cascading across his bare chest and suppressed an impassioned shudder.
“Is that too tight?” his voice sounded husky and strained.
She shook her head. “No, sir, but I’m not sure I want to do this.” Her words trembled. For a woman who’d kissed him without shame or inhibition, she seemed suddenly shy and unsure. To be honest, he wasn’t certain he wanted her to do this either. After all, the woman he’d brought here stood only a few feet away.
“Now twirl your partner around five times, let her go, and step back five paces.”
With reluctant hands, Henry did as his sister instructed.
“Ladies, the first gentleman you touch will remain your new partner for the rest of the evening.”
Henry snapped his head in Jane’s direction, infuriated. Just when he’d resigned himself to staying in Miss Scott’s company, his sister had gone and changed the rules so that Lily would go to someone else. And, as it appeared, that someone else was his damnable friend, Waverley.
Chapter Four
Henry had been so distracted with his closest friend’s delighted reaction to the turn of events regarding Lily that he didn’t notice who’d found him until she wrapped her arms around his neck, her breath heavy in his right ear.
“Is that you, Mr. Dalton?”
“Yes, Miss Appleton. ’Tis I,” he said, untangling her arms, and placing her a foot away.
The rest of the night, he took turns glaring alternately at his sister and his friend. He also followed Waverley and Lily with Miss Appleton’s hand glued to his right sleeve. He supposed he might have acted a bit possessive, but the only thing Waverley loved more than women was getting them alone. Just like he was doing right now.
“Is it not too late for a walk in the garden, Mr. Dalton?” Miss Appleton asked, her pace hurried, trying to keep up with him.
“No,” he answered, grabbing a candle off the closest mantelpiece and exiting through the French doors. Outside, he remained several yards behind Waverley and his new partner, trying to catch their conversation, all the while having Miss Appleton buzz in his ear about the latest balls in London.
“Do you not agree, Mr. Dalton?”
“What? Oh…yes, of course.”
Miss Appleton smiled, apparently oblivious to Henry’s inattention to her chatter. Ahead of them, Lily giggled, her musical laugh lifting into the rustling treetops. When Waverley rotated her around, Henry could not help but notice her gaiety disappear the moment her gaze fell upon his.
He continued to walk toward her, consumed by emotions he’d not allowed himself to feel until now. His blood rushed inside his veins, causing his heart to beat wild and unsteady. Tightening his fists, he tried to quell the rising desire to kiss her again. What made him falter was wondering whether she might have another letter tucked in her sleeve. His gaze fell there before rising slowly back to her beguiling face.
In the dancing candlelight, he saw her blush. When they passed each other, he sent her a curt nod, and she graced him with a curious smile. A small breeze kicked up, sending the delicious smell of her skin swirling in the warm night air. He wanted to talk to her again, to say something to strike up a conversation. Thus far, Miss Appleton had changed subjects four times, each one managing to bore him more than the last.
“I hear your sister’s friend, Miss Prescott—”
“Her name is Miss Scott.”
“I thought you introduced her as—”
“We both know you were aware of her actual name before you arrived, Miss Appleton, despite my unwarranted introduction.”
The woman reacted to his brusque reply with an annoying pout.
“Forgive me and please do go on about Miss Scott.” It seemed Miss Appleton’s sole purpose in life was to know everyone and the rumors attached to their name.
“Very well. Miss Scott, I’ve heard, will be married soon to a gentleman whose good looks far exceed his character.”
Henry felt the muscle in his jaw jump. Of course, he already knew this. He’d had the misfortune of playing cards with the incorrigible fop several months ago. While John Gibbons was exceedingly handsome, the man was also a drunk and a gambler. Under the influence of brandy, he had bragged about marrying a woman whose father was willing to pay off his debts. When Henry had discovered the unfortunate woman was Miss Scott, he’d just sat there, his mind unable to comprehend her married to anyone but—
“She could do worse, I suppose,” Miss Appleton said, flipping her fan out to cast a gentle breeze on her face.
Henry had to force his teeth apart. As a boy, he had loved Lily like no other. They had been young, barely old enough to contemplate a future, but she’d listened to his wild dreams of one day owning more land than his father.
The seasons flew by, changing them and his feelings for her. Although he’d always been protective of Lily, hence Jane’s innocent and playful marriage vows, his mind and body grew more enamored and more aware of her. Eventually, his father had noticed this, pulling him aside and informing him of the importance of marrying well.
Miss Scott, though amiable and handsome, does not possess the amount needed to keep Hadley from falling to creditors, and so should not be considered as a marital prospect.
She would also not bring Henry enoug
h to be able to purchase more land like he’d always wanted. Realizing his duty and being too young to argue, Henry had forced himself to forget all about her. He moved to London soon afterward where he met women who loved to flirt and teach him the art of lovemaking. He remained enamored of their attention until he fell in lust with a green-eyed, genteel woman who’d neglected to tell him she was already married. Fortunately for him, the selfish woman’s husband was drunk and a terrible shot.
Furious with himself and the turn of events in his life, he drank himself into a stupor and staggered home, only to stumble upon his mother wrapped in another man’s arms. It was a devastating discovery, one that caused him to quit Hadley Manor for good. His respect for all women shattered, he vowed only to return home when he knew his parents were in Bath.
This time, he was aware of Lily visiting and supposed, or rather hoped, she no longer mattered to him. He came seeking closure, to prove she was the same as every woman he knew, flirtatious and untrustworthy. So far, she was doing a damn good job of proving him right on both accounts.
“That was a lovely walk, Mr. Dalton.”
Henry shook himself and glanced down to find Miss Appleton still clinging mercilessly to his arm. Inside the manor, he spied Lily and Waverley talking and smiling at one another. He strode toward them, Miss Appleton in tow.
“Ah, Dalton, it is a fantastic night, isn’t it? And just look at Miss Scott. I dare say, that walk in the garden brought a spectacular glow to her cheeks.”
Tossed into a bad mood over his thoughts, Henry didn’t care to guard his words. “Are you saying there wasn’t a glow in Miss Scott’s face earlier, Waverley?
Beside him, Miss Appleton tilted her head to glare at his profile. He was sure he’d just offended her by keeping Miss Scott the center of their conversation. Again, he didn’t care.
Waverley shook his head. “Why, no of course. That’s not…what I implied at all.”
Mine, Forever and Always: Historical Romance Novella Page 2