Chapter Four
H ow ridiculous it was for Lily to cry now, when she was safely ensconced in a luxurious carriage, and hopefully on her first step to getting her life set back to rights.
This man must think her a lunatic, and after she’d just questioned his sanity when she found him speaking to himself…
She had been talking to herself for most of the day. Well, not talking so much as scolding.
As she’d sat there baking in the sun, watching for any sign of Reggie’s return, the facts taunted her. Reggie’s insistence that he loved her and wanted to marry her after only sharing a few dances and a kiss on the terrace at the Waltham’s ball was clearly a lie.
She’d responded to the kiss as the dry earth soaks in the rain, so desperate was she for anyone to pay her the slightest bit of attention. She’d then agreed when he’d suggested they elope so they could be married without her father coming between them. He’d told her he wanted her to be his wife as quickly as possible because he couldn’t wait to start their life together.
And then he’d left her.
Not just left, he’d taken every cent she had, as well as the diamond necklace her sister had given her when Maribel’s husband had decided the stone was too small for a viscountess.
Lily had been ruined and abandoned by a scoundrel, and was robbed of her things, as well as her dignity. And now, instead of going home where she would likely be tossed out, she was traveling further into the seventh circle of hell that was Scotland.
For the moment at least, she seemed to be safe and she had food and water, which was enough to overwhelm her with gratitude. She managed to stifle the remaining tears for the man across from her seemed more than uncomfortable. She worried he might throw her from the moving carriage to get away from a crying woman.
She practically guzzled the cool water and then remembered her manners. Or at least a few of them, she imagined she would still be prone to cursing for some time. At least any time the memory of Reggie came to mind.
“Thank you…” Oh, dear. She didn’t even know this man’s name. Perhaps she should just call him her savior, or knight in shining armor, but she preferred to give it some time before making such a claim. She had been incredibly wrong recently. “What is your name, sir?”
“Finneas Lockhart, Duke of Granton.”
“Apologies, Your Grace. I am Lady Lily Cantrell.”
“ Lily? ” He looked heavenward and rolled his eyes. “Of course.”
“What does that mean?”
“Nothing. It appears my sister is playing a prank on me.”
Lily didn’t understand, but then it was clear from the predicament she was in she didn’t understand much when it came to men. Despite having shared a womb with one, even Maxwell often times confused her.
However, one thing was becoming extremely clear. Men would do anything to have sex. No matter how dubious or dishonorable. She’d heard Max and Matty speak on the subject incessantly and now her assumption had been proven correct by her encounter with Reggie—the ferret-faced weasel of an arse.
Men were not to be trusted. Even handsome dukes who seemed kind enough. She studied the man sitting opposite her and wondered if he was guilty of the same crimes. He was a man after all. Though his striking good looks and wide, strong shoulders put him out of her grasp, not that she would be grasping any men for the foreseeable future.
But the duke had done what seemed to be an honorable thing, unless he thought to get her to his home and reap some reward for his chivalry. If so, he was going to be disappointed.
She hoped his sister would prove a loyal friend, and help her navigate this impossible situation. For she truly didn’t know what she was to do next.
*
The woman, Lady Lily, was comfortably quiet for the next hour or so. He wasn’t sure if she was still numb from her trying day or if she was just a quiet person naturally. He appreciated the company of people who didn’t feel the need to fill any wisp of silence with meaningless chatter.
His thoughts went again to Juniper and her endless babble. When she’d passed away, the castle had fallen silent, uncomfortably so. Which was why he’d decided to go to London, but he didn’t find any peace in London either. It was exhausting, always needing to be aware of possible manipulations of marriageable misses.
He looked over at Lily and wondered if she had attempted to manipulate an elopement with the blighter who left her in Scotland without a care as to what happened to her.
He’d watched her when he told her his name, more importantly his title. He hadn’t seen her eyes widen. Drool hadn’t dripped from her jowls at the mention of him being a duke as he’d seen happen during the Season. Metaphorically, of course, because ladies didn’t drool in good society and this one specifically wasn’t in possession of what he would refer to as jowls.
Still, Lily showed only remorse for having called him a sir. A matter he didn’t need to be corrected. Under the weight of his title and responsibilities, he was a man not unlike any other.
Well, perhaps he was different than the weasel arse who’d left Lily stranded in the inn where he’d debauched her.
Lily.
He still couldn’t believe that was her name.
His sister’s favorite flower. Juniper loved all manner of flowers, as their mother had, but she painted lilies most often because she favored them.
“What is your favorite flower?” he asked his traveling partner as they grew nearer to Gealach . He had opened the curtains on both sides of the coach to let in the soft light of the moon as they traveled north.
It touched her face and gave a blue cast to her dark hair. She was lovely, not that he needed to notice such a thing. She was no more than another responsibility, picked up along the way to be managed tomorrow.
She gave his question only the barest thought before answering almost immediately.
“Roses. Maribel says they are the only flower worthy of giving.”
Finn nodded at her answer, though he didn’t agree. For years, he had sat while his mother and sister worked in the gardens. He’d come to admire many different blooms for either their color or fragrance. He found roses to be overrated and fussy.
Lily’s brows pinched together. He didn’t know for sure, but he felt she regretted her answer.
“And Maribel is?” he prompted. Not that it was important for him to show any interest in her life, or the people in her life, but they would be traveling a little while longer.
“My apologies, Your Grace. She is my eldest sister. A viscountess.”
“And roses are her favorites. Are they yours as well?”
“Oh, quite. I find their scent…” Her sentence rather drifted off. He worried she’d fallen asleep, but he could still see the moonlight reflected in her gray eyes, so he knew they were open still. “Actually, I find their scent to be overpowering, if I’m being honest. And they seem not to last very long. They begin to wilt almost immediately. But they are the most coveted flower, are they not? Any suitor worth a lady’s time had better show up on her doorstep with roses if he wishes to make a good impression with the Cantrell household.”
She fell into silence again, but he found he liked hearing her honesty so he nudged her again.
“Then roses are not your favorite. What is your favorite, Lady Lily?”
“It seems it should be lilies, does it not? But I don’t think that’s correct.” He watched as she fretted over coming up with an answer. He didn’t mean for his inquiry to cause her such a burden, but before he attempted to end the discussion her face fairly lit up.
“I believe violets are my favorite. They are not usually brought by a suitor, but I prefer them to not be picked. There is a place in the woods near our country home in Cornwall, where violets grow along the ground, so thick they look like a carpet of purple blooms. And purple is my favorite color. I’d thought it was blue, like my sisters, but I realize now I prefer purple, despite it being a color of half-mourning.”
“I also like purple, though after the deaths of my family, I will say I am growing tired of it. We have heather here in Scotland. It also grows like a purple carpet across the hills. It will bloom in July. And the scent is quite lovely as well.”
She nodded and smiled as if quite pleased with herself as she whispered, “Violets, yes.” A few moments later she looked over at him and said, “Thank you for asking, Your Grace.”
He only nodded. It was a simple thing. But it seemed significant to Lily for some reason. He didn’t push for more because the sound of the carriage wheels on gravel foretold of their arrival home.
When the carriage stopped, the door opened. He stepped out and reached for Lily’s hand to help her down. She blinked up at his home and swallowed.
“My, it is a castle.”
“Aye.”
The servants came forth to start unloading his things, despite the late hour. He and Lily met a surprised Mrs. MacDougal on the steps to the foyer.
“Mrs. MacDougal, this is Lady Lily, she will be visiting with us. Please put her in the Violet Room. Have a cool bath brought up as well as a glass of wine. She has had an exhausting day, and it will help her rest. Also check with the cook and ask if that salve she uses for burns would help soothe Lady Lily’s tinged skin.”
“Of course, Your Grace. I believe it might.”
He turned back to Lily. “Do you read?”
“I do,” she answered.
“Oliver, there is a copy of The Tales of Bristol in my study. Would you get it for Lady Lily?” He spoke lower to her. “It has put me to sleep each time I’ve attempted to read it, so I think it might be just the trick this evening for you.”
She smiled and he felt the earth tilt. Perhaps not the earth, but at least the foyer where he stood. She was a lovely woman, as he’d noticed a few times during their journey despite the dim light. But here in the foyer, with a smile on her lips, he was caught off guard by her beauty.
Beautiful or not, she had gone through a stressful ordeal and he’d not add to it by gawking at the woman. She would not be in his home long enough to warrant noticing her lovely smile and intriguing eyes.
“Is there anything else you require for the night?” he asked, hoping to see his responsibility fulfilled.
“I believe you have thought of everything, Your Grace. I thank you for your valiant rescue this evening.”
“I hope you will be comfortable in my home during your stay. If there is anything you need, please let Oliver or Mrs. MacDougal know.”
“I should be fine. Good night, Your Grace.”
“Good night, Lady Lily.”
He watched as Mrs. MacDougal led Lily up the stairs toward her room.
Oliver cleared his throat.
“She’s lovely, Your Grace.” He paused and waited for Finn to look at him before speaking again. “Does the lady not have a companion or a maid to accompany her on this visit to a bachelor’s home?”
Oliver was not such a stickler for propriety. The man was simply trying to ascertain what situation had brought Lily to Gealach Castle.
Finn was not accustomed to lying to his staff. He felt for all the responsibilities rested upon his shoulders it was his reward to live however he wished without feeling a need to hide things from his butler. And Finn was not known to live far outside of propriety, regardless.
But in this, he would preserve Lily’s reputation as best he could. And not just because it was not his story to tell.
“Through no fault of her own, Lady Lily became separated from her travel companion. I have offered refuge until other arrangements can be made.”
He wondered how long those arrangements might take.
As he went to his study to have a drink, he found himself hoping she would not need to leave so very soon. He found himself curious to get to know her better. But of course, he would not.
It surely wouldn’t be a quick thing to get a lady on her way back to London. He would simply offer her refuge until her family could provide safe passage for her return home. In the meantime, he would keep his distance.
The castle was so large, he doubted he’d even see much of her in the interim.
Frowning at the family portrait hanging in his study, he focused on the impish grin on Juniper’s face.
“Yes, you would be quite amused, sister. I daresay, you would not have your fill of mocking me anytime soon.”