His eyes gleamed hot in the dim light. “Who dared to touch you?”
“I would never tell,” she answered as irritably as the marquis had asked. “But three different gentlemen have kissed me. Not in the way you and I kissed tonight or that other time, but kisses just the same. And, I might add, I doubt there are many, if any, young ladies who have made it through their first Season without a kiss, or two, or three.” She held up her hand to stop his ready reply. “Before either of you say anything, yes, of course we know it’s inappropriate. The problem is gentlemen don’t seem to know that because they are always trying to kiss us.”
“So it’s our fault?” Seth asked hotly.
“Yes,” she answered just as passionately.
“It’s the young lady’s responsibility to keep gentlemen in line, and someone should have told you that.” He inhaled a deep breath and wiped his hand down his mouth. “None of that matters now, Lillian. We’ll be married.”
Lillian’s anger was not appeased by the marquis’ command. Not,willyou marry me, but wewillbe married. That would be her life if she made a match with him. He would never want her to challenge his decisions. At every turn they would be battling. Despite her loving feelings for him, she didn’t want to live that way.
“No, my lord,” she said softly. “We will not marry. While your kisses are so satisfying they make my head spin, I can’t marry you. We would be arguing all the time—about the boys, about our children, about the weather. You would want me to obey you even when I thought you were wrong, and it’s simply not in my nature. You are too serious-minded for me, and I am too strong-minded for you. We will leave it as we wouldn’t suit.”
“I am only serious-minded when I need to be,” the marquis defended, his eyes still flashing.
“Which unfortunately seems to be most of the time. I dare say if I should sneeze, you’d have me put to bed for a week. Even now you are telling me I must marry you.”
“You love me, Lillian. I know it and you know, so why are you being difficult?”
He was right. She did. But . . .
“I love several people but I don’t intend to marry them—or you. I could never put up with your rigid, uncompromising ways day in and day out. I want a husband who enjoys more out of life than you do, someone with more fire for life inside him than it appears you have.”
“If its fire you want is it, Miss Prim? I will show you more fire.”
He reached for her, but Crispin stepped in and laid his hand against Seth’s chest and stayed him. “I think we should take this up again in the morning after both of you have calmed down.” He looked at Lillian. “We’ll discuss this after you’ve had a talk with your sister.” He then turned to the Lord Wythebury. “And I’ve had one with you.”
Lillian looked at the marquis’ grim expression and her heart broke. She loved him. There was no doubt she loved him with her entire being, but she was also afraid that if they married, they might end up hating each other and that would be even harder to bear than walking away from him now.
“There will be no need,” she said, shaking her head. “I’ve made up my mind. I won’t change it.”
With that Lillian hurried away.
Chapter 8
It was maddening.
He had met his match.
Marriage wasn’t something Seth had ever given a great deal of contemplation. He didn’t know that he’d ever met a lady and thought about marriage to her. Until now. He knew he’d have to marry one day, but it was always in the future. Nothing he had to think about presently. But the more he looked at Lillian, the more he wanted her. And the more he wanted her, the more he wanted to be with her.
Every day.
All day.
And all night too.
Staring out the upstairs corridor window, Seth gazed on the scene below. The lads were running on the snowy back lawn with their coat tails flapping in the breezy chill. Beyond them, Lillian stood hiding behind a small bare tree, trying not to be seen. Seth could only surmise they were playing a game of tag. When she was spotted, the boys ran full throttle toward their prey with gleeful shouts and boyish laughter. She fled her hiding place and bounded around the corner toward the front of the house and out of sight.
Seth smiled. He had no doubts he loved Lillian and that she would be his. But now he’d also realized that it wouldn’t happen without machinations from him.
The problem was that he’d never before had to work for anything he wanted. No one ever denied him. Until Lillian. If he wanted something, someone found a way to provide it. It had always been that way. He was a marquis. Wealthy. Powerful. He was an expert with a pistol, a blunderbuss, and a blade. Not to mention cards, dice, and, of course, horses. What was there about him not to want?
Besides, she loved him.
Yet, Lillian had said no to marrying him.
He should be thinking,Damnation, I’ll not grovel to any woman. There are just too many young ladies available to worry about just one. But fate had other plans for him, and he did worry about just one. Miss Lillian Prim, the daughter of a viscount, sister-in-law of two dukes was the only one he wanted.
