Lady Wolcroft chose a chair nearby and regarded her. “I came to discuss your scandalous behavior. It must cease, Lily, dearest.”
Since her grandmother never used endearments, she understood that this was quite serious. “And what scandalous behavior is that?”
“You’ve been visiting Lord Arnsbury.”
Lily saw no reason to deny it. “So I have. I’ve waited nearly two years for his return. Why wouldn’t I?”
“Because your behavior is entirely too forward. It does not bode well for finding you a good match. Lord Arnsbury looks like an unshaved barbarian, and you would do well to avoid him.”
“I will not leave him,” she insisted. “Matthew has suffered, yes, but he—”
“Matthew?” her grandmother interrupted. “And what gives you the right to call Lord Arnsbury by his Christian name, do tell?”
Oh dear.Lily bit her tongue for speaking. She knew that Mildred did not approve of her interest in Lord Arnsbury, especially after she had spurned Lord Davonshire. Lady Wolcroft could not imagine any reason a woman would turn down a future marquess. But perhaps if she revealed the truth to her family, they might understand.
An abridged truth, to be sure, but one that would make them see why she would not give up on Lord Arnsbury.
She reached for the silver chain around her neck and unfastened it, revealing his gold signet ring. Then she slid it ontoher finger. It was heavy and didn’t fit, but that was irrelevant. “Because I married him.”
An illegal marriage, yes, but Lily had spoken promises nonetheless. And she rather hoped that revealing the scandal might lead to the true, legal marriage she wanted.
Silence flooded the room, and her grandmother gaped. “You did what?”
“Oh, Lily,” her sister breathed. Her tone mirrored Lady Wolcroft’s, as if to ask,How could you do such a thing?
“Another wedding!” Lady Penford clapped her hands with delight. “Lily, don’t you see? I was right to wear this gown.” She preened and held out her wrist that was adorned by a pearl and diamond bracelet.
Lily ignored her mother and held out the ring to Lady Wolcroft. “Matthew gave me this ring before he left for India. We spoke our vows, and I promised him that I would keep the ring until he could give me a true wedding.”
Lady Wolcroft’s gaze narrowed. “And just who witnessed these vows? Some flighty minister whom you bribed?”
She flushed at her grandmother’s anger, for it wasn’t far off from the truth. “A minister did witness our vows, yes.”
“And what of the license?” her grandmother demanded.
At that, she was forced to admit, “There was no time for a license.”
Her grandmother closed her eyes and let out a heavy sigh. “Then it wasn’t a true marriage, thank goodness. We can still uphold your father’s arrangement with Lord Davonshire, now that enough time for mourning has passed.”
“I spoke my vows before God,” Lily argued. “It was a real marriage in that sense. And we intended to remarry when he returned from India.” Matthew had warned her from the first that it would not be legal, but she hadn’t cared. At the time, she’dneeded a means of stopping her father’s arrangement with the marquess.
But then George had died, and there had been no more talk of marriage. Her mother’s grief had crippled her mind, and Lily had been free to wait upon Matthew’s return.
Her grandmother stared hard at her. “You didn’t allow him to ruin you, did you?”
Her cheeks flushed scarlet, and Lily didn’t know quite what to say. “Well—I—do you suppose I would do such a thing, Grandmother?”
But Lady Wolcroft was not blind. “Oh dear Heavens, youdid.That scoundrel. He will not get away with this.” Her grandmother shook her head. “You do not know how fortunate you were not to get with child. Lily, how could you be so naïve? How could you allow it?”
“I loved him,” she said simply. “And nothing happened. There was no child from our time together.”
“Nothing? You simply ruined yourself for a man who may not want you anymore.” Lady Wolcroft sent her a pitying look. “And everyone says he went mad after he was a prisoner in India. He has not set foot out of his house.”
“I do not regret my choices. I loved Matthew, and I wanted to be with him.” Lily replaced the ring upon the silver chain and hung it around her neck. “I still do.”
But her grandmother’s words weighed upon her. It was true that Matthew had demanded that she leave him. And there was no doubting his lack of awareness when she’d broken the teacup.
She had tried to stop him from touching the shards, but he’d clenched them in his palms, squeezing tightly until blood welled up. His eyes had been vacant, as if he were unaware of what he was doing.
