“Mama—Mama said you know. That you hate me,” she called out and the pain that laced her tone felt so heavy in Lily’s chest.
Lily rushed forward a few steps. “Please know I couldneverhate you, but certainly not for who you love!”
At that Alice burst into tears and she released Mary to rush forward into Lily’s arms. Lily clung to her as she sagged and wept, smoothing her hair, trying to sooth her fears and hurts just as she had when Alice was little more than a baby.
“Please come back,” she said at last.
Alice pulled away at that and took a step back toward Mary. Lily looked at the young woman. The poor girl was shaking like a leaf and kept looking at Lockhart like she thought he would lunge at her at any moment. It was clearly only her deep feelings for Alice kept her from bolting back into the woods. Another point in her favor, that she would be so brave for the woman she loved.
“I can’t,” Alice said. “Mama sacked Mary and she’ll do even worse if we return.”
Lockhart shook his head. “I’m sorry that I know your secret, my dear. I’m sorry your mother didn’t respect you enough to keep it, to allow you to tell it yourself if you wished to do so.” He moved a little closer. “But since I do, I want you both to know that I won’t let her do anything to you. And Iwon’tseparate you two. I promise you that you won’t be forced to marry, and Mary will be protected. We’ll work this out. But if we don’t know where you are, it will be so much harder. On you and on your sister. Please come back to the house.”
Now it was Alice and Mary who both wobbled a fraction. Though she glanced at Lily and George, it seemed high emotions overcame secrecy. Mary put her arms around Alice’s waist and they clung to each other for a moment before Alice shook her head. “What you must think of me, my lord.”
George moved forward, but Lily noted how careful he was, as if he sensed the fear his presence created and didn’t want to add to it. “I certainly think nothing less of you in this moment than I did in any other. If anything I think more of you. I also think that all this was rushed forward because of pain. Both yours and mine. But that isn’t a reason to marry. I think you’re brave to fight for what you want and who you care about.”
“But my mother won’t let what I want happen,” Alice whispered. “Even if you think you can protect me, once the match is broken, she’ll have me back under her thumb.”
“She won’t,” George promised. He glanced at Mary again. “Mary, I swear to you that she won’t, do you understand?”
Mary finally looked at him and she slowly nodded. “Yes.”
“You might not believe me now, but believe your sister, Alice. Believe that we have your best interest and Mary’s at heart. And that we won’t let anyone harm either of you. But if you run, protecting you will be so much more difficult.”
“Please, Alice,” Lily said softly. “Please come back and let’s work this out together.”
Alice looked back at Mary. “What do you want to do?”
Lily smiled a little at that question. Her sister did truly love this woman. Thought of her first. Stared at her with more passion and love and connection than she’d ever shown George, that was certain. That she’d found such a love was truly beautiful. It was everything Lily had hoped for when she dreamed of Alice’s future.
“I don’t want to ruin your life,” Mary whispered, her voice broken.
And now Lily saw the same returned from Mary.
“My life would only be ruined by losing you,” Alice said.
Mary sighed. “If you trust him…”
Alice looked at Lily and she nodded, hoping she could turn this tide. At last her sister sighed. “I do.”
The words made sense, but they still put Lily to mind of a wedding vow and she jolted a little.
Mary took her hand again. “Then we should go back.”
“Good,” Lily said. “Good.”
She wanted to take Alice’s hand, but it was evident that the young women needed to be together. Strange that when she looked at her sister with George, she had seen the child Alice had always been. But standing next to Mary, she seemed more like the woman she was becoming.
George led the way and she walked beside him again, though unlike before she didn’t touch him. She wanted to, wanted to feel that support from him again. And she did, just by his presence. Somehow she trusted him to fix this, even if there was no way her tangled mind could picture how that could be possible.
CHAPTER17
Despite the drama of the afternoon, George’s return with Lily, Alice and Mary wasn’t met by much fanfare. For that he was grateful. His parents seemed to understand that what everyone needed was space, some time to gather themselves before they spoke again about the choices that now lay ahead.
Their friends had been called back from their searches and though he’d received several notes of relief that Alice had been found, the earls and their wives had also not pushed.
Now, after suppers that everyone had in their own quarters, he had come down to his father’s study where they would talk about what would come next. And he would have to somehow find a way to keep his promise to Lily and Alice to fix this. To protect the sister of the woman he loved, and to perhaps even find a way to get to love Lily for the rest of his life.
