“So . . .” She glanced down and intertwined her hands with his, his warmth creating a cocoon of peace over her soul. “You’re saying you love me?”
Luc chuckled. “I’m saying I really never had a choice. But yes, I love you, Liliah.” He sealed the words with a kiss, tender, sweet, and lingering. He pulled back as Liliah leaned in for more. His affectionate chuckle met her ears and she blinked her eyes open.
“If I engage in kissing you longer, I won’t have the strength to leave, and I must if I’m going to arrange everything by tomorrow. What time is your appointment?”
Liliah pouted, but answered, “One.”
“Brilliant. We should have sufficient time. And you’re of age, so it shouldn’t be a problem.”
“So you won’t stay?” Liliah asked brazenly, wanting to feel the security that she’d found in his arms.
“Not tonight, but every other night henceforth? Yes. Always yes.” He kissed her nose, then headed to the door.
“Good-bye.” Liliah offered a small wave.
“No, just see you in a few hours,” Lucas corrected and opened the door a crack. After a moment he slipped into the hallway, closing it once more.
As Liliah listened for any sounds, she shook her head, realizing she’d never asked him how he’d been able to sneak in.
And really, it didn’t matter how.
It only mattered that he had.
Chapter Thirty-six
Lucas knocked on the door of Heathcliff’s residence at what surely his friend would call an ungodly hour, but there was no time to waste. The butler answered with cool reservation, and with the long established friendship between the men, didn’t inquire as to why Lucas was calling. His friend was less than amicable, but received Lucas nonetheless.
“Please tell me you have something of life-or-death importance, or please see yourself to the door,” Heathcliff muttered from his position behind his desk in his study. He had dark circles around his eyes and his beard was less than tidy. Never more had Heathcliff appeared more beast than man, save one time. Lucas thought of a previous time, and shuddered.
“I’m getting married today and I thought you’d wish to know.”
Heathcliff spit out the tea he’d just sipped and coughed.
“Good morning to you too.” Lucas withdrew a handkerchief from his coat pocket and dabbed his sleeves where some tea had landed. He took a cautious step back from his glaring friend.
“Say wha’ now?” Heathcliff coughed a few more times and muttered a curse as he dabbed the papers on his desk with a linen napkin.
“Liliah and I are to be married today, I’ve a special license and all.”
“Well, if that doesn’t beat the day.” Heathcliff wiped down his beard with the same napkin. “Congratulations, you old dog!”
“Thank you.” Lucas nodded. “I’ve come hoping you can give me additional information on the situation with the duke and Catherine?” Lucas asked hopefully.
Heathcliff nodded. “It seems the lad who had, er, arranged the mishap with the carriage sang like a canary when one of Greywick’s hired men cornered him. Seems Greywick had suspicions of his own, and he filed away the information for use later. He knew of his precarious financial position a while ago, it would seem.”
“Interesting. He was quite patient,” Lucas added.
“And it almost paid off.”
“So he does have evidence.”
Heathcliff seesawed his hand. “Not the kind that would hold up in court, not against a duke. Truly the worst it could do would be to harm his reputation or create suspicion.”
Lucas nodded. “But with two daughters of an age to marry off, it was an easy way to rid himself of one daughter, and also eliminate any evidence against him.”
“Tidy it up all around. The lady’s dowry wouldn’t be missed from his coffers since it had been designated long ago, and he’d be killing two birds with one stone. Bastard,” Heathcliff swore.
“Indeed. Very well.”
