The Lady’s Reckless Abandon (Safely in Scotland #1)

Chapter One

May 1812

S unlight streamed through the dingy curtains of the inn as Lady Lily Cantrell stretched and smiled. It would be a lovely day for a wedding. Even if it was to be a hasty affair as soon as they arrived in Scotland, it would be the happiest event of her life. For she was marrying for love.

Turning to look at the empty bed and rumpled sheets, she felt her cheeks warm with memories of the night before. She and her betrothed had anticipated their vows, but it was only by one day.

Not even a full day really, as they planned to wed as soon as they got over the border later that morning. What difference could a single day make?

She couldn’t wait to marry Reggie. By this evening, she would be Mrs. Reginald Flockton, and no one would ever know of their minor indiscretion the night prior. It would be something they would laugh about for the rest of their lives together.

Sighing, she threw back the covers and frowned at the evidence of her virtue on the sheet. She’d always thought she would give this gift to her husband on their wedding night, but Reggie had convinced her it would be better to get through that part last night. So their wedding night would be free of discomfort or any untidiness. She had agreed, not just because she was near to dizzy from his kisses, but because she had been worrying over it so. She decided it would be better to get past such anxieties as quickly as possible.

She would never tell another soul, but she did find the act quite unremarkable and exceedingly quick. She wondered why others thought it to be so grand. And by others she referred to her twin, Maxwell, and her younger brother by less than a year, Matthew, who both spoke on the topic incessantly.

Perhaps it would be different after she was married. Another grin bloomed when she realized she would know the answer to that question soon enough.

Besides…if she didn’t particularly care for it, she would surely not be expected to do it every night.

She would deal with that later. As she brushed her hair, she saw her smile reflected back to her in the looking glass. She had never seen herself look so happy before. Today would be perfect. She and Reggie would travel the last few hours into Scotland and be married straight away.

Yes, it would have been lovely if she’d been able to marry in a church, as her three older sisters had, with her family in attendance. But her father, the Marquess of Devon, would never allow one of his daughters to marry the third son of a baron. Even if it was the daughter he hardly even noticed. But at two and twenty, Lily had well reached her majority and could marry without her father’s permission.

If it would’ve made any difference to share with the man how in love she and Reggie were, she might have tried, but Reggie was sure her father wouldn’t be convinced. So, instead they had chosen to elope.

It was surely the most scandalous thing she’d ever done, but no one would care after she returned to Town as a married woman. Her father might fuss a bit and her mother would likely swoon, but after the shock they would just be pleased not to have a spinster daughter under their roof any longer.

Donning her robe, Lily went to the door and requested a maid to help her dress for her special day. She imagined Reggie waiting for her downstairs, and the way his face would light up when she joined him for breakfast in her new gown.

After washing the soreness away from her wicked activities, Lily had the maid help her into her finest dress. The woman even did her hair with some fancy curls and a few fresh flowers.

“We only had the primroses blooming in the garden this early in May, miss.”

“They are lovely,” Lily said with a smile that seemed as if it might never go away. She went to her reticule to offer the woman a coin for her efforts and was surprised to find it empty.

“My apologies, Abby, I will have to get your coin from my fiancé who is waiting downstairs.”

The woman smiled, and with a quick dip turned to leave the room.

Lily stopped her to ask, “Do you know how far it is to Scotland from here?”

She hoped they would not have so long to wait. It seemed everything had been a whirlwind since he’d taken an interest in her just two weeks ago. Soon enough they would be wed and things could slow down.

The woman blinked at Lily and shook her head.

“Pardon miss, but you’re already in Scotland.”

“We are?” Lily laughed. Reggie had been mistaken when he’d said they would have to stop for the night and finish their journey the next day. How amusing he would find it to know they could have married last night after all.

Unless he’d planned it as a surprise. If so, she would play along so not to ruin it.

Reggie’s things had already been packed and taken downstairs. Lily’s heart warmed knowing her husband-to-be was eager to be on their way so he could marry her.

She knew her family would not be happy when she returned to London a married woman, but it wasn’t as if she had done much else to please them. She was the fourth daughter, which would have been enough reason for her to go unnoticed, but having been born mere minutes after the heir had put her firmly in the shadows.

The only time anyone in her family ever took notice of her was when she did something wrong. And while eloping might seem to be another of those things, and they would think she was reckless, it wouldn’t matter what they thought any longer, for she would be married and would no longer need to worry about disappointing them.

Her marriage would not only bring her happiness and love, it would bring freedom from her family’s reproach. She would no longer be forgotten or overlooked, for Reggie loved her. She didn’t think anyone ever would.

Lily gathered her small portmanteau that held her other dress and went down to see her impatient groom.

When she didn’t find him waiting in the public room, she chuckled, thinking how romantic he was to have splurged on a private dining room for them that morning. But that room was empty as well.

She stepped outside the tavern, thinking perhaps he’d already ordered their carriage to be brought around so they could make haste, but there was no one out front.

Going back inside, she stopped the innkeeper.

“Pardon, did you see my husband this morning?” She had thought Reggie quite worldly to think to tell the innkeeper they were already a married couple so they might share a room.

The innkeeper looked rather surprised as he looked toward the front door, and then back to her.

“I’m sorry, my lady, but the man left hours ago.”

“Hours ago?” She shook her head.

“Aye.”

“Perhaps you’ve confused my husband with someone else. I’m looking for the lanky man, just a bit taller than I am with the charming smile.”

“Don’t know about a charming smile, but I recall the scrawny fellow who looked a bit like a ferret that came here with ye last night. That’s the gent who left here just after dawn.” The man went on about his duties as if he had not just blown her over like a feather.

The man described Reggie fairly accurately—while she didn’t appreciate her betrothed being likened to a ferret, to some it might seem a proper comparison—so she didn’t think he had made a mistake. But that would mean…

“Oh, dear.” At first the very idea that Reggie might have intentionally left her behind seemed laughable, but as she looked around the establishment again only to find the man who had rushed her out of London to marry her was still not inside, a sound between a laugh and a groan erupted from her throat.

Lily had never swooned in her life, but as the tavern began to whirl around her, and the facts began to align, she decided if she were ever going to faint, now would be the perfect time.