Chapter Thirty-Five
L ily shifted in her seat yet again as her maid did her best to affix the pearl strands through Lily’s hair. She hardly recognized herself as she stared at her reflection in the looking glass.
At two and twenty, she’d not been a young girl when she came out the year before, but she’d been incredibly na?ve and desperate for affection. Now she seemed mature and settled. Perhaps even patient, except for her inability to sit still.
“There. How is that?” her maid asked.
Twisting her head this way and that, Lily was pleased with the look as well as the stability of her coiffure.
“Thank you, Belinda. It is lovely.”
A brisk knock had Lily turn toward the door as it opened and her dashing husband entered with William in his arms.
“Look how beautiful your mama looks this evening, Willie,” Finn said before tilting his head and frowning. “But I do think something is missing, don’t you?”
“Missing?” Lily looked down at her ruby gown and silver dancing slippers.
When she looked up, she saw Finn hand William to Belinda as he came closer holding a box.
“I had my solicitor send the Granton jewels to the house today and took the liberty of asking your maid what color you were wearing tonight. I do hope I chose correctly.”
He opened the lid displaying a sparkling ruby and diamond choker and earbobs to match.
“Oh, how perfect.”
Finn helped her by fastening the necklace as she handled the bobs.
“ You are perfect, wife.”
Her cheeks warmed under his compliment. She gazed at him in the reflection of the looking glass and saw deep affection in his amber eyes. It might have been due to their plans in the study being cut short, but she thought it was more than lust.
“Thank you, Finn.”
“Shall we?”
She nodded and went to Belinda to press a kiss to Willie’s chubby cheek.
“I’ll see him up to the nursery,” Belinda said as Finn blew against Willie’s palm making him smile. He’d been doing that more these days and Lily was eager to hear him laugh.
Finn assisted Lily into their carriage and soon they were away to her sister’s home a few streets away.
“I’m nervous,” she admitted.
“I’ll be by your side ready to unleash my ducal glare at anyone who isn’t enraptured by your charm and beauty.”
She laughed as was his intent.
“Thank you,” she said more for his role in calming her nerves than his promise to glare. “It is sad to say I would be less nervous if we were attending the ball of a complete stranger rather than Millie’s.”
“Yes, well, it does seem as though we are willingly walking into the witch’s lair. And your brothers-in-law are quite repulsive. Except, Harry.”
“Harry hardly speaks.”
“Yes. That’s why he’s not horrid.”
“And my brothers?”
“I worry for them.”
“Aren’t young men encouraged to be scamps in their bachelordom?”
“Scamps, yes. But I fear Max plays too deeply at the tables and doesn’t know when to stop. And Matthew seems to want to follow in his footsteps. But then your father…” He shook his head. “Good God, Lily, how did you come from this family and turn out somewhat normal.”
She brushed at her skirt and lifted a brow. “I’m going to ignore your use of the word, somewhat .”
“Thank you, dear.”
Finn helped her down from the carriage when they arrived and he held her hand against his arm tightly as they walked into Millie’s home, as if sending his own courage through to her by touch.
“The Duke and Duchess of Granton,” the majordomo announced them and everyone in the room turned to stare.
“My, but that surely did it,” Finn said.
Lily didn’t answer, she was too busy taking in the crowd below them as she took the steps into the ballroom. Many a fan had come up between the women as they huddled closer together to whisper.
“I’ve never caused such a stir on my own. This is surely all your doing,” he whispered.
She couldn’t help but laugh. While some of the women were looking at her, their narrowed gazes told her they were jealous she had taken this charming man off the marriage mart.
“Your Graces,” Millie said formally. “Welcome to our home.”
“Thank you. I hope to have you, Martha, and Maribel for tea soon.”
“Of course.” Millie’s lips pinched together, making her look more like their eldest sister. “Mother is also in town.”
“Oh. I hadn’t heard. I will be sure to invite her as well.”
“I hope you enjoy your time here this evening,” Millie said as a way to get them moving along.
“That wasn’t so bad,” Finn said.
“No. She didn’t even sneer. I’m not sure what to think of it.”
“Do not let down your guard. That’s when you are most vulnerable to their spells.”
Lily laughed again.
“Will you be going off to find the gaming rooms?” she asked, earning a confused look from Finn.
“No. I said I would be by your side this evening. I’m not about to leave you here alone with all these scoundrels eyeing you up. I daresay, I will need to step out into the garden to find a large stick so as to fend them away from my wife.”
She laughed again. She would need to find a way to thank her husband later for helping her through this event. His humor had managed to calm her brittle nerves.
After dancing the first set with her husband, she was asked to dance by two other gentlemen. Though they hadn’t asked her as much as they’d asked Finn who nodded his permission. She danced a waltz with Finn and then another set with him before Lord Neville came to ask for her to stand with him.
She’d never danced so much at one ball. It was strange how easy it was to converse with men when the stress of marriage was removed.
“That’s the woman who trapped the Duke of Granton.” Lily heard a woman say as she leaned in to her friend. Lily stumbled, but continued on. As she made her way to the dance floor with Lord Neville, she heard other whispers…
“Who is she? I’ve never seen her before.”
“She’s quite old, isn’t she?”
“That’s why she was so desperate as to capture him.”
“My sister set quite a trap indeed.” That last voice was Millie’s. Lily shouldn’t have been surprised to find her own sister speaking of her in such a way. And in reality, she had no defense. She hadn’t tried to trap Finn, but she had nonetheless.
As the dance continued, the whispers grew louder, until they seemed to swirl around her in an icy fog. Just as Finn had warned, she shouldn’t have let her guard down for a moment.
For the evil spells had been cast.