“Especially a past as incestuous as yours.”
At these words, Lilly’s head snapped back with a jerk. “I find your insinuations insulting, my lord. I’d advise you to change the subject now. You are being quite improper.” She spoke sternly.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk.” He shook his head in mock solemnity. “What would Mr. Joseph Spencer think if he were to discover the lady he courted was from a family who believed themselves above the law? Your marriage to your brother-in-law was illegal. Worse than that, sinfully incestuous!” That word again. Lilly held herself rigid and attempted to pull away from the earl’s grasp, but those spiderlike fingers had suddenly become vicelike. He pulled her closer so that his face was very close. “I suggest you tell the Duke of Cortland, your lover, that if he does not desist with his amendment, I will make things very difficult for you. Very difficult indeed.”
Whereupon, one booted foot stomped down upon her slippered toes. He released her at the same time. It was done easily, Lilly realized later. It merely looked like an embarrassing accident.
But in that instant, there was only pain.
Her slippers were satin, and the heel of a boot was hard, with sharp edges. As agonizing pain shot through her foot, she was also suddenly free of his constricting grasp. Lilly’s own attempt to pull herself away from him added to her momentum, leading her to fall quite humiliatingly onto the unforgiving parquet floor. Wishing she could disappear to anywhere but there, she lay stunned, reeling from pain, embarrassment, and most of all, the earl’s words. Other nearby dancers looked on in curiosity. The earl tsked and stood nearby, feigning concern. “Oh, my dear, I was under the impression you knew how to waltz!”
It took all of ten seconds before two other gentlemen, who had released their own partners, crouched down beside her. One of them was Viscount Danbury, whom she had come to know quite well that long-ago spring.
The other gentleman was Michael. They were joined by several others, and Hawthorne backed away slowly. “Oh, I say,” twittered the bystanders surrounding her.
Stunned, Lilly’s mind reeled as the earl’s words replayed themselves over and over in her mind.Incestuous. Above the law. The Duke of Cortland—your lover.
It took a moment for her to recover her bearings enough to actually hear Michael and Danbury speaking to her. “Take deep breaths, Lilly.” Michael’s voice was closest. With one arm behind her back, he helped her sit up.
“Are you injured, my lady?” Danbury asked, looking around and then adding, “What the devil happened?” He spoke to nobody in particular.
“She fell, must have tripped,” an unfamiliar voice offered.
Lilly tried to sit up on her own, but Michael refused to release her. “I’ve got you, love,” he whispered in her ear, and then before she could move he had scooped her into his arms and was carrying her across the dance floor to the seating areawhere her aunt Eleanor looked on in concern. Carefully placing Lilly on one of the sofas, he crouched down before her with a deep frown furrowing his brows.
Hawthorne had accused Michael of being herlover! Surely seeing him address her with such attentiveness would reinforce the man’s claim. She needed Michael to be far away from her. He had called herlove. He’d said those exact words to her once before, at the waterfall. He had been her lover once, but this was no longer true. She needed him to go away! Now!
The caring in his eyes was nearly her undoing.
She pushed his hands away and looked at him with as much disdain as she could muster. “I am fine, Your Grace. I need no further assistance,” and then, “Thank you.” The look in his eyes changed from concern to confusion. She wished he were not so close to her. She wished she could look anywhere else but at him. His presence overwhelmed her.
“Lilly?” he said softly.
“Thank you, Your Grace.” She spoke harshly. And then she turned her head to the side so she would not see his eyes for even a second longer.
Lord Hawthorne stood across the room, leaning against a wall, appearing far too interested in the sight of Michael and Lilly together.Incestuous, illegal, your lover…She had known it could not become public knowledge that she’d married Rose’s widower but had not considered the reality of what the ramifications would be if the truth were to be made public. Could it truly ruin Glenda’s chances of making an advantageous match? She was not certain, but worried that ladies had, indeed, been ruined by lesser transgressions.
And she could never ask Michael to give up on his amendment. She would not!
“Leave me be,” she ground out. Hawthorne was watching!
AN ENEMY
Her eyes flashed such disdain, Michael nearly flinched. And she was telling him to leave her alone. She might just as well have slapped him across the face, so surprised he was by the venom she spewed in his direction. He had no choice but to rise to his feet and step back.
Taking in her stiff posture, he had to reconsider that perhaps shedidblame him for everything. As she well should.
At the Willoughby ball, their parting had been wrenching. After what he’d learned, he would not—he could not—blame her for holding him in contempt. And yet…that was not her way.
He knew this about her. He would never forgive himself for the situation she’d been forced into—the mere thought of it stole his breath—but he’d believed in his heart she’d somehow forgiven him. He had not thought she hated him.
And when he’d carried her from the floor, she’d not resisted. It was the same as it always had been, when they touched, as though their hearts beat in unison—a coming home of sorts. Had he imagined it?
And then he glanced in the direction of her gaze. LordHawthorne watched them intently, with a spiteful look in his eyes.
Lilly had been dancing with the blasted man when she’d suddenlyfallen downin the middle of the ballroom floor. What had happened? What had Hawthorne said to her? What had he done?
Knowing he would not get any answers from Lilly right now, he bowed and then took his leave. She was under the watchful eye of her aunt now. She would be well cared for. But did she need protection as well?
