“You won’t want to come much closer to her. You see, she is my protector.”
What was she thinking?Walking about outside all alone? Likely more than one unsavory lecher patronized this inn’s tap room. Michael was glad he’d caught sight of her out the window. Anyone could have followed her. Miss Fussy and her mistress did not look very fierce, regardless of the small dog’s defensiveness. In fact, Michael thought, Lilly looked vulnerable.
He had behaved badly at dinner, goading her. He hadn’t meant to be cruel, but all the hurt of her desertion, the years of heartache, had risen up inside of him upon seeing her again.
Which was ridiculous after all this time.
“I am sorry,” he said softly, “for provoking you earlier. It was…unkind of me.”
Lilly eyed him suspiciously. “It was,” she granted. And then, “I’ll admit you’ve had what seems to have been a rather awful day.”
Appreciating her consideration, he smiled ruefully. “Oh hell, that’s putting it mildly!” They stood together quietly for a moment, neither of them speaking. Then, “I couldn’t believe it when I heard your voice. It was quite a shock…seeing you…” His voice trailed off softly, almost to a whisper.
Lilly seemed to force an uncomfortable laugh. “I nearly didn’t recognize you! Nearly every inch of you was covered in mud!” But then she grinned. “It was even in your hair. And you stood there, issuing orders! You should have seen yourself.” Miss Fussy squirmed in Lilly’s arms. Crouching down, Lilly placed the dog on the ground.
“You finally got your pet.” Whenever they had been in the park and come across a dog, she had always expressed herdesire for one. And he had remembered. He remembered everything.
“She has been such a comfort to me.”
“After your—after Beauchamp’s passing?”
“Oh, no, I’ve had Miss Fussy for seven years now.” She paused. “Lord Beauchamp could not refuse. She was a gift from my Aunt Eleanor after Mother died.” Lilly took a few steps when the dog tugged at the leading string. “Father was right to ensure we were provided for. I believe he knew himself ill before Mother and I travelled to London that spring. He grew very weak, couldn’t keep his food down, and then stopped eating all together. He died the day after Christmas.”
“Both of your parents are passed?”
“Yes.” She glanced at him with a rueful smile. “Mother was not the same afterwards. Lord Beauchamp allowed her to live at Beauchamp Manor for those last months, and I was glad to have her with me. But…” She swallowed hard. “She loved Papa more than life, I think.”
Lilly followed the dog to the edge of the clearing. It was in her nature to care for helpless creatures. No wonder the pup defended her so bravely. There was a time when Michael had imagined her the mother of his own…He shoved his hands into his pockets and strolled alongside her.
“Did you—Do you—Have you any other children from your marriage?” This was a difficult question, but he wanted to know. Had she loved her husband? Had she been happy?
She shuttered her eyes and looked away. “I have been happy to be a mother to Glenda.” She paused and pinched her lips together, then picked the dog up again. Miss Fussy burrowed into Lilly’s shawl. “It was not meant to be.” She tilted her head back to look up at the sky. After a weighted pause, she continued, “Such a clear night. I think it will not rain tomorrow. Do you plan on hiring horses to catch up with your other carriages?”
Ah, it seemed perhaps all had not been right in her marriage. And Lilly would not share this with a former lover. She would not wish for his pity.
Michael offered her his arm. “Let’s walk,” he said. The wind had increased and added to the chill. Still holding the pup, Lilly hesitated and then tucked her free hand in his arm. Touching her brought a new wave of memories. Her hand felt more fragile than before. She seemed to lean into him for warmth as they walked along the edge of the cut-away forest. Perhaps she too, was remembering…
Michael cleared his throat. “To answer your question, Jackson doesn’t have any horses available. We’ll have to wait for the mail coach. Unfortunately, this puts me in London later than I was hoping. That is, unless Duncan, my valet, decided to return for us. But he doesn’t even know…This entire situation is unprecedented, I’m afraid.”
“I’ve never heard of a duke travelling on a mail coach before.” Lilly glanced down at the toes of her slippers, peeking out from under her dress. The ground was soft here, still damp from the rain. And then she surprised him. “Parliament opens in a week. You lords have some dicey questions to address this session. Have there been any uprisings on your properties? I had heard they were mostly in the north.”
“Not on my properties, but nearby. I don’t agree with the Corn Laws, but most of my colleagues see them as necessary.” His previous worries arose at her words. “Must keep the aristocracy strong, you know,” he added sarcastically.
“But they have accomplished just the opposite!” Lilly nearly gasped. “When I have visited with our tenants and nearby farmers, the wives do not keep their opinions from me. The tax is the source of much resentment. There is more unrest to come.”
“I wish it weren’t the case, but it’s likely you’re correct.” Anger stirred him. “There are other ways to bolster one’sestate. The old ways are failing. We must look to innovation to keep people working. Build factories that make industrial parts and textile works. I can hardly keep up with all of them, but it’s necessary for me to do so.” He was surprised she followed politics. Most women did not. He knew that Lady Natalie did not, despite her father’s involvement.
Lilly nodded in approval. “Some of the tenants talk of emigrating to America. It baffles me that so many peers support the Corn Laws. It’s as though they have placed sacks over their heads.”
Michael clenched his fists. “Precisely why I need to be in London now.” In agitation, he stepped away from her, picked up a stick, and hurled it across the field. “The highwaymen got away with some rather important documents. I don’t know if it was inadvertent or not. I had counted on using them as evidence to garner votes. All that work…gone. I have a few allies but not nearly enough. It’s going to take a miracle to bring in the votes needed to pass the amendment.” And then he paused and turned back toward her. “Do you remember Viscount Danbury, Hugh?” At her nod, he continued. “He’s planned some strategic gatherings—formal dinners, that is—this week. The Earl of Ravensdale has as well. We’re hoping to use the social occasions to convince a few of the less adamant peers to our way of thinking.”
“Ah…” Lilly nodded. Had she realized that the Earl of Ravensdale was his fiancée’s father? “And these dinners commence…?”
“In two days,” Michael finished for her.
“Well, then, you simply must be in London in two days then.” She spoke firmly, with a stubbornness he remembered. “You will travel into town with us. There is enough room for you and one of your grooms. The others, and your man of business, can ride in with the mail.” She grimaced. “Glenda won’t mind if we eliminate a few stops. In fact, she will likelyappreciate the opportunity to arrive in London sooner. She is impatient for the season.”
Michael would have liked to have been able to decline her generous offer. Two days in her company could not be a good idea. He was an engaged man. Was it possible to spend time with her and not want her even more? Already, he’d sensed that pull, that magnetism they’d shared in the past. When she had taken his arm, he’d again experienced that notion of completeness.
