“I’m so sorry, Lily,” Lady Pembrooke said, but she was watching George. “This is clearly a situation that got out of hand. I’ll do anything in my power to remedy it once we find Alice.”
Lily nodded, even though George could tell she wasn’t really seeing his mother. She was too terrified about her sister at present. He leaned in to kiss his mother’s cheek and their eyes held for a moment before he put a hand on the small of Lily’s back and guided her toward the stairs and hopefully her sister.
Because if they couldn’t find Alice, he knew it would shatter the woman he loved and any future that could be had would shatter with her.
* * *
Lily couldn’t breathe as she and George made their way out of the house and down a long and winding path toward the copse of woods in the distance. Her mind raced with every step, her heartbeat pounding in her ears as she pictured her sister’s fear that she would lose the person she loved, or cause her harm. Pictured her sister’s heartbreak at the idea that Lily could hate her for her heart.
There had been a moment when Lockhart had been trying to break down the door when she had believed her sister might be dead on the floor inside the chamber. Even now she was terrified that the desperation Prudence had created would cause Alice to harm herself before this was all done.
“Lily,” George said softly, his hand coming to the small of her back again. His fingers were warm through the silk of her gown and his voice was gentle. “Breathe.”
She did as he had instructed, forcing the air in and out of her lungs in a few ragged breaths. That and the warmth of him beside her helped clear her mind and slow the racing of her thoughts and heart. All that had happened became clearer as her emotions calmed.
“You didn’t judge her,” she whispered.
His brow knitted out of what seemed to be confusion. “For…for what?”
“Loving another woman. For the secret my stepmother was all too happy to reveal.”
“Your stepmother is a vicious viper. I judgeherentirely. But who a person loves? That is their nature. It cannot be changed, even if someone wished to do so, and I don’t see anything wrong with it.”
She looked at him, her heart swelling even further with this gentle acceptance of Alice. She realized it was a rare thing amongst men of this station. That he would offer it so easily made her adore him even more. “Nor do I. How could I ever? But what is about to happen…whatIcaused…I’m sorry,” she managed to choke out as they continued on their way.
He looked down at her from the corner of his eye. “You’ve nothing to be sorry for. You caused none of this.”
She shook her head. “There was more I didn’t tell you in my terror about Alice’s wellbeing. Prudence…she saw us at the tower. I don’t know which time, but neither one is a good time. She thinks I’m trying to break the engagement between you and Alice to steal you.”
His nostrils flared ever so slightly and his jaw tightened. “You wouldn’t ever harm your sister, even to your own pain. Don’t listen to that wretched witch.” He was quiet a moment and the fact that he didn’t believe that horrible motive of her helped. He swallowed and spoke again at last. “I want to make it clear that I won’t force Alice to marry me.”
Though Lily was still terrified for her sister, she couldn’t pretend that relief didn’t rush through her at that sentence, spoken so softly but moving her with such power. She felt all at once like the worst person to have ever existed and like butterfly wings of wild hope now fluttered around her.
She drew a ragged breath. “Prudence may be the wretch you say, but she isn’t wrong that to end the engagement will cause a horrible scandal.”
He stopped on the path and faced her. “I don’t give a damn. I won’t hurt Alice by trapping her. She’s too precious to you.”
She blinked up at him, taking in every line of his face. God, but she did love him. She took his hand as they continued toward the woods. “Did you really get drunk and strip down in the midst of a royal promenade? I heard whispers. That was you?”
“It was,” he said. “I did so twelve years ago.”
Despite the direness of the situation, she giggled at the idea.
“It wasn’t my best hour. Somehow I didn’t end up hanged, though, and the gossip rags didn’t use my name, even though a large number of people saw it with their own eyes. My survival was my father’s doing, I’m sure.”
“He loves you,” she said softly.
He nodded slowly. “I suppose he does. His immediate disgust at the idea of blackmail being part of the marriage contract, his taking my side no matter what…that is meaningful.”
She drew a breath to speak again, but stopped when she saw something with a hint of pink move swiftly at the edge of the wood. She caught his arm with both of hers. “George, I saw something there.”
He nodded and then moved forward carefully, hands held up. “Alice if that is you,pleasedon’t run. We aren’t going to do anything to harm you or Mary. Please, trust me.”
“Yes, Alice, if you’re there, please talk to me,” Lily added, hating that her voice cracked with the high emotion. “I wouldnevercause you pain on purpose. All I want to do is help you. Keep you and Mary safe.”
There was a hesitation and then a rustle in the leaves and branches. Slowly, Alice and Mary stepped from the cool darkness, their hands intertwined with each other and both their faces pale and drawn.
Lily felt her knees wobble with relief to find her sister unharmed. George caught her elbow and steadied her. Alice stayed at a distance.
