by Wendy Vella
“I'll have you, girl, because no one else will, and your brother has consented.”
With these ominous words, he took her hand and led her to the dance floor. Lilly complied, as she had no wish to create a scene. But she would when she got her brother alone again.
“I just watched Lilly having a conversation with her brother and Lord Danderfield,” Dev said to James when he appeared at his side.
They were at the Deighton soirée, which was to Cam's mind just a fancy name for a ball.
“It may not have appeared heated, yet there was no doubting the tension in her as the two men talked. Danderfield's now dancing with her.”
Dev watched James take a step forward and look over the crowds to where Lilly danced with the old leech. Her face was tight as she tried to mask her feelings, but Dev had noticed everything about her from the minute she entered the room with her brother.
“God, that is a hideous dress, Sinclair.”
“It is an act, James. I am certain of that, just not sure why as yet.”
“She has a bird in her hair.”
“A robin, one would infer from the color of the breast.”
James snorted. “I need to speak to Nicholas and find out what the hell is going on.”
“He may not speak with you.”
“He will, or I will beat what I need out of him.”
“Eden just shook her head at that remark,” Dev said looking to where his sister danced several feet away. “Mind your business, shrew,” he added knowing she could hear his every word clearly.
“Do you want me to run him through, love?” James said, to which his wife nodded.
Eden's heightened sense was hearing, and of all their senses, hers was the most annoying, as she could hear most things, even with her earplugs in, from some distance away.
“So, it seems my suspicions are confirmed, and you are showing interest in my cousin, Sinclair,” the Duke said, leaning beside him on the wall. “I must admit that came as a surprise, as Eden told me you have, until now, never outwardly done so.”
Dev sighed. “Should have known this particular subject would remain in the forefront of my family’s minds.”
“I do wonder why you thought it wouldn’t, and why your siblings would not be interested in any woman who interests you,” the Duke said.
“A faint hope, Raven, nothing more.”
James snorted, his disbelief obvious. “Discretion, in your family?”
“True. As I said, it had been a faint hope only.”
The men were silent again, James switching his gaze from Lilly to Eden to check on her and back to Lilly again.
“I think tonight is as good a night as any to reacquaint myself with my cousin, Sinclair.”
“Perhaps Eden could hear what Danderfield is saying, if she danced close enough,” Dev said.
“I'm sure she will. Where you are concerned, my wife will do whatever it takes to make you happy.”
Dev grunted. His family always had his back, as he did theirs.
“May I take this brief moment of solitude from your siblings to offer my... congratulations, for want of a better word.”
“For what?” Dev dragged his eyes from Lilly to look at the man beside him.
The Duke was silent for several seconds and then he spoke. “For being the father Eden never had and for raising the wonderful family you have. I'm sure there are times when it was not easy.”
How did one answer that, Dev wondered? Raven was not a man given to excess emotions; in fact, when first they had met he had been colder than a dead man. Therefore, when he did express himself, it tended to shock the recipient.
“No words are necessary, Sinclair, but please know that now you are not alone in your commitments, and I will make it my life's work to make Eden happy, and be there for your clan should I be required.”
“Thank you,” Dev said, as uncomfortable with excessive emotion as the next man.
“I suppose if she marries you at least I can keep an eye on her.”
Dev's instincts screamed denial, yet it never showed on his face.
“Pardon?”
“Lilliana. If she marries you, at least I know she will be well cared for.”
“A lovely sentiment, I am sure, but may I suggest you put your energies into what is troubling your cousin instead of my future aspirations, Raven.”
James smiled. “I'm sure I have enough energy for both, Sinclair,” he added, holding out his hand.
Dev shook it and then hissed something foul at the Duke as he walked away laughing.
“Hello, cousin.”
“Duke.” Lilly sank into a curtsey and attempted to breathe as James joined her.
“James will do, I think.”
The emotions churning through her body were making her breathless. She could hear the small pants coming from her mouth but could do little to stop them. Dancing with Lord Danderfield had been horrid. He had touched her inappropriately several times and leered at her breasts. Now her cousin, whom she had once thought so much of, was talking with her.
“Lillana, are you well?”
“I-I am, thank you.”
“Come, take my arm and we shall walk a while.”
She did and slowly felt her breathing return to normal as they made their way through the open doors and out onto the terrace. Neither spoke as they continued to walk in slow measured steps and Lilly was grateful for it, grateful for the time to find herself again, even if it was on the arm of the man she had not spoken more than a handful of words with for many years.
“I have thought of you much over the years, cousin, and wondered how you fared, yet it was not till I married Eden that I realized just what I lost when we were separated as children. I would ask that you try to forgive me for the distance I placed between us, and hope that like me, you wish to change that.”
“It is all right, Duke. Your father—”
“Was a bastard, and most likely he terrified you when your family visited, and for that I'm sorry. But the thing is, Lilliana, those brief moments when you, Nicholas, and I ran wild over Raven Castle were the memories I cherished most.”
Lilly remembered them too. She had loved her quiet, stoic cousin almost as much as her brother back then. Even at a young age she had seen he was hurting, but did not know how to reach him, and then it was too late, as they had left Raven Castle for the last time.
“Do you know why you left and never returned that day?”
She shook her head.
“Your father tried to intervene on my behalf. Asked if I could spend more time with your family. My father refused, and that was the end of everything.”
“I'm sorry, I did not know why.”
“I am happy now, Lilliana. I have Eden, who loves me and I her, and two sisters.”
He smiled, and it was possibly the first genuine one she had received from him. She could see his happiness; it made him look younger and more approachable.
“Sisters, Duke?”
“James,” he reminded her. “The story is a long one. Will you come and take tea with us soon so you can make the acquaintance of my sisters, and hear our tale?”
“I would like that,” she said, feeling a small glow of warmth in the region of her heart. Nicholas may not love her, but perhaps this man could.
“Come, we should return, but before we do, can I ask something of you, cousin?”
“Of course.”
“Devon has told me how you were out on the street that night, and about your house.”
Of course he had. Bloody Sinclairs; it seemed they kept nothing close. Lilly did not understand that. She had always held her secrets inside, never sharing them.
“I see that angers you, but you must understand he told me only because he is concerned.”
“He has no reason to be so, as I am no concern of his,” Lilly said.
“Perhaps, but I think in this he is correct. You must take no more risks. No more nighttime ventures onto London Streets.”
“Promise that if you need help, then you will turn to me, if you cannot turn to Devon.”
“Very well,” Lilly said, accepting the kiss he brushed over her cheek. And then he was gone and she stood there, bemused. So much change and in such a short time; how was a person to cope?
Chapter Twelve
Lilly needed time to think. Somewhere she could sit uninterrupted, and work through everything that was happening to her. She walked along the wall until she found two rows of seats upon which sat numerous young women awaiting a man to ask them to dance, and several older ones, watching their charges with narrowed eyes as they danced or stood in circles with men and women. She had spent a great deal of time on extremely uncomfortable seats on the edges of ballrooms just like these.
“Excuse me.” Lilly made her way along the row until she got to a seat in the middle. She would be safe here, tucked away. Safe from the loathsome Lord Danderfield, her brother, and Lord Sinclair.
“Dastardly hot, wouldn't you say?”
Damn.
“Indeed, Miss Juniper.”
Lilly had seriously miscalculated. Beside her was one of society’s leading gossips. Miss Juniper was in her sixties, a woman who spent her evenings digging up tidbits she could then pass on to her friends the next day. Harmless really, but still bloody annoying, as the woman had no idea on “sitting quietly.”
“The Duke and Duchess of Raven are the picture of health this evening, wouldn't you say, Miss Braithwaite?”
Short enough to fit under Lilly's armpit, Miss Juniper had sharp features and reminded her of a little bird, not dissimilar to the one she had in her hair. Her brown eyes were always on the move, as were her hands.
“Indeed they are, Miss Juniper.”
Lilly wondered if she could slip out again. The other option was hoping that someone took the seat between them, thereby blocking the woman from her sight and becoming Miss Juniper’s next victim.
“That is a very unusual arrangement in your hair, Miss Braithwaite.”
“Indeed, do you like it, Miss Juniper? It took my maid some time to arrange. The beak, you know, it needed to be placed so it did not dig into my head.”
The deep chuckle coming from the end of the row made Lilly's heart jump. She tried glaring at Lord Sinclair to make him leave, but he simply smiled and started down the row, sending the women he passed into a flutter.
“Lord Sinclair!”
“Miss Juniper.” He nodded to her, as if a man taking a seat among the women was an everyday occurrence.
“But Lord Sinclair, there are only women seated here!”
He settled on the seat between them. Due to his size and the seats being placed close together, his thigh pressed into Lilly's.
“Excellent, I am rather happy to be the only man surrounded by so much beauty.”
Lilly watched the women who heard him turn and smile, tittering. They all blushed and nodded. Lilly rolled her eyes. She then moved as far from him as she could, which was not far as a woman sat on the other side.
“Hello, Lilly, you look beautiful tonight.”
He turned his body, thereby shutting Miss Juniper out of the conversation completely.
“No I don’t and what are you doing?”
“Sitting with you.”
“But you should not do so.”
“Why?”
His face looked calm, as if they were discussing pleasantries, and yet his eyes... there was nothing calm about the vibrant green depths.
“Because this is where women sit,” Lilly hissed. She was attempting to slouch in her seat so no one realized he was sitting with her.
“Is that a rule?”
Horrified, she watched as he turned to Miss Juniper to address the question to her.
“Because if it is, I do not remember seeing it written anywhere.”
Miss Juniper tittered. “It is understood, Lord Sinclair.”
“Ah, well there you have me,” he said, smiling once more. “I rarely understand anything.”
He turned back to her.
“That is a rather fetching robin in your hair. Quite the picture, with its red breast, and extremely lifelike.”
“Go away.”
“Do you realize that when you talk with me your voice changes?”
“It does not,” Lilly snapped, trying to change her tone back to the high-pitched trill she was known for.
“No, it does, and I much prefer it.”
“Go away,” Lilly said, desperate now to make him leave. Others would see him soon. He was not slouching like her, but sitting tall and straight.
“Did you and James have a nice chat?”
She couldn't look away; it was as if his eyes held her in place.
Run! the voice inside her head yelled. Run and don't look back.
“Yes, now go away.”
“I had believed you and Miss Braithwaite had formed a dislike for each other, Lord Sinclair. What is it you speak of so secretly?”
He held her eyes for a second longer before turning to face Miss Juniper.
“No indeed, we are friends, Miss Juniper. My sisters and Miss Braithwaite spend a great deal of time together, and as such I also.”
Lilly searched for an escape route and decided on simply pushing her chair back. There was a small amount of room between it and the wall; she could squeeze out without making the ladies to her right move once more. But before she did, Lilly had to ensure Miss Juniper kept Devonshire Sinclair busy for some time.
“Oh, Miss Juniper. Please tell Lord Sinclair, in detail, about the uses for white horehound syrup. His younger sister, Miss Dorset, suffers horridly from a hoarseness in the throat and a raspy cough. I believe they have tried everything for the poor dear.”
He swung to look at her as she spoke, and the look in his eyes threatened retribution, as everyone knew that once started on her cures Miss Juniper would not be stopped until she was good and ready, which hopefully would not be for some time.
“La, Lord Sinclair, I declare it is quite fortuitous that you have sat beside me this night, as I can indeed help you with your poor sister.”
The fact that she had questioned his taking the seat beside her was forgotten as she launched into a detailed discussion about the merits of white horehound syrup.
Lilly seized the moment and stood.
“Good Lord, I quite forgot I promised the Earl of Ridgeway the next dance. I shall not feel too bad at leaving you however, Lord Sinclair, as I will be doing so with the knowledge that you are keeping excellent company. Please don't miss out even the slightest detail, Miss Juniper, as Lord Sinclair is most eager to find help for his little sister.”
His hand gripped her fingers briefly where they lay between them.
“I shall find you later, Miss Braithwaite, and we will continue our discussion over that matter.”
Lilly shivered at these words, but did not look at him. Instead she fled.
“White horehound syrup, Lord Sinclair, is the only way to cure your dear sister.”
Witch, Dev thought, watching Lilly disappear into the crowds of people before them. She'd outmaneuvered him and he should be furious with her, but what he felt was admiration. Every minute he spent in her company made him want to spend several more. He didn't see her ugly clothes or ridiculous hair anymore, he saw her, Lilly. The woman who had his colors.
“Of course, steam also helps, Lord Sinclair.”
“Indeed.”
Dev muttered the right words at the right time and thought about Lilly. He wanted her to talk to him freely, needed her to tell him what the hell was going on in her life. Why the charade? What was between her and her brother? Was she happy?
“I will have a rub sent round for her chest, Lord Sinclair.”
“I'd be much obliged.”
He needed to find her, Dev realized. Because she was just as likely to leave before he had a chance to talk to her.
“Excuse me, Miss Juniper
, I have promised my sister I would dance with her.”
He walked away before she could launch into further cures. Circling the room, Dev looked for Lilly. Finding her, he tacked right and came up behind her. She had not seen him, and was taking a mouthful out of the glass she was holding. Leaning forward, he whispered in her ear.
“You owe me for what I have just endured.”
She shrieked, the glass tipped, and the contents ended up over her hands.
“You startled me!” She spun to face him.
“I hadn't thought your reaction would be quite so violent. Forgive me. Come, we shall find somewhere to clean you up.”
Before Lilly could stop him, he had her hand on his arm. Dev propelled her along at his side, and she could do nothing but comply. She would not create a scene; that was not her way, so her fingers appeared to rest on his arm, when in fact, they were digging in.
Dev found an open door that led outside and gently pushed her through before him.
“Why are we on the terrace? I can hardly dry my hands out here.”
“They will dry in the air, once you have taken off your gloves. It is warm out tonight.”
“I have no wish to be outside at this time, Lord Sinclair.”
“I wish to talk with you without anyone interrupting us.”
“You are always manhandling me. I am not one of your siblings, my lord. Let me go.”
Dev kept circling the terrace until they were alone, he then led her to the shadows, where he knew a stone bench sat.
“Sit.”
“I am not a dog,” she replied, indignant.
“Please sit.”
She muttered something and then the little bird in her hair bobbed as she sat abruptly. She made no move to remove her gloves.
“They are soaked in champagne, Lilly. Take them off and lay them upon the seat.”
She hesitated, first looking at him still standing, and then at her hands.
“They will be awfully sticky and uncomfortable if you do not.”
“My name is Miss Braithwaite.” Reluctantly she peeled first one and then the second damp glove from her fingers.
Dev studied her hands and could see no reason for her reluctance to let anyone touch or see them. She did not lay the gloves beside her, instead waving them about, Dev guessed, in the hopes they would dry faster that way.