“I might faint,” her friend warned.
“Were I you, I would visit with other ladies and gentlemen before he arrives. Then, at least, you’ll be ready for a conversation.” Evangeline’s attention seemed rather distracted, and it was then that Lily noticed her brother standing nearby.
Her friend glanced over at James and murmured, “I will never be ready. “Not for a man like him.” She let out a dramatic sigh, fanning herself. It made Lily even more suspicious that Evangeline was playacting for James’s benefit.
“I suppose you have given up on James, then?” Lily ventured. She was starting to wonder whether it was still true that Evangeline wanted nothing more to do with James.
But her friend’s demeanor shifted into sadness. “It’s not really giving up when he had no interest in me, in the first place.”
There was nothing Lily could say to that except, “I’m sorry.”
Evangeline braved a smile before it suddenly faded. “Oh goodness, Lord Magnificent is here.” She fanned herself rapidly and clutched Lily’s palm with the other hand. “What shouldI do?” It was then that James walked away, and Evangeline’s attention shifted back.
“Try smiling," Lily suggested. “He might come and speak to you.”
But Evangeline’s expression was pained. “I never should have hidden in the trees that day. He might come talk to you, but never to me.” She closed her eyes. “I should go into the hallway by the stairs and collect myself.”
“You are not going anywhere.” Lily tightened her grip on Evangeline’s hand. “Calm yourself. Take a deep breath and count to ten.”
The young woman made a valiant effort, but she seemed unable to resist her urge to disappear. Thankfully, after a few moments, she seemed to gather her composure. And that was likely because Lily had not released her hand.
But Lord Davonshire did not approach. Instead, Matthew’s cousin, Adrian Monroe, walked toward them. He wore a black evening tailcoat with a snowy waistcoat. Mr. Monroe bowed to them and then turned to Evangeline. “Miss Sinclair, would you care to dance?”
His invitation was the last thing Evangeline expected. Her expression resembled a gaping fish, so Lily intervened and handed her friend over to Mr. Monroe. “Of course, she would.” It was far better for her friend to dance and distract herself from Lord Davonshire. “Enjoy yourself, Evangeline.”
Adrian tucked her gloved hand in his arms and winked at Lily. “And will you save a later dance for me, Lady Lily?”
“If you wish.” It did seem that Monroe had recognized that she wanted only friendship, and she was grateful for that.
For a moment, she stood among the wallflowers, watching over the dancing. There had been a time when she had remained among them because she had not wanted any man to court her.Now, she wasn’t so certain. When she glanced back to where she had last seen Lord Davonshire, she now saw Matthew.
His heated gaze fixed upon hers, and she felt the echo of an invisible caress upon her bare skin. The very sight of him unnerved her. He knew her intimately, and it was as if the rest of the crowd had disappeared, until only the two of them stood before one another.
Lily had made a conscious effort to distance herself over the past few weeks, declining all invitations. And indeed, with each day she was apart from Matthew, she found herself missing him more and more. He had been kind enough to continue sending her the books on veterinary medicine, but the books only augmented her loneliness.
Right now, she wanted to cross the room and embrace him, feeling his strong arms around her.
You are so weak,she told herself. She wanted to believe that his mind had healed from the torment he had endured. And yet, his unwillingness to tell her anything about India suggested that he had buried the past instead of trying to face it. She needed him to trust her with the truth before she could give him her heart without reservations.
He watched her for a time, a slight smile curving upon his mouth. She met his gaze, realizing how much she cared for this man.
Lily heard a slight sound behind her, a woman’s cry of dismay. It distracted her enough that she turned to see what it was. She saw her mother standing in the shadows. What on earth was Iris doing here?
“I did not realize you were attending the soiree this evening, Mother.”
But when she came closer, she saw that Iris was wearing a day dress and not an evening gown. Around her neck, she wore achain of dried daisies, and her gaze was distant. “The wolves are circling, Lily. And I fear they have come for me.”
Her heart froze, and she moved beside her mother immediately. “I am here, Mother. I am sorry you aren’t feeling yourself. I’ll summon the carriage and take you home.”
“No, you mustn’t leave,” Iris said. “He will be here soon.”
Lily didn’t bother to unravel the mysteries of her mother’s conversation, nor did she ask who “he” was. Instead, she reached out to take her hand. Iris was not wearing gloves, and her palm was ice cold. “Will you walk with me, Mother?”
“They’re circling…all around,” she breathed. “Don’t you see them? They will devour us all.”
Desperately, Lily looked around in case Matthew had come any closer. Or even her brother, but neither could be found. She needed someone to help her escort Iris outside before anything happened. Right now, the madness had overtaken her mother, suffocating out all reality. If she tried to force her to leave, Iris might protest and make a scene.
When she tried to tuck her mother’s hand in her arm, Iris pulled back. “It’s not safe here, Lily.”
