Chapter 4
The nerve of the man!
Lily practically huffed as she pushed through the crowd and found a quiet corner at the edge of the room near the terrace doors.
She knew she should not have allowed such a simple comment to get under her skin, yet it had been inevitable.
She had spent the first part of the evening feeling like an outsider, and then he verbalized that fear.
It was him…
She allowed her gaze to wander over the crowd again as she searched for him.
She had not recognized him at first, but one look into his eyes had brought back the memory of the sighting outside Madame Moirier’s.
She was certain of that. He could change his clothes and even his hair, but those eyes were far more distinctive than anything else.
The flecks of gold had glinted in the candlelight, and Lily had found herself getting lost in the depths. That was until he had opened his mouth.
You are the American that everyone is talking about.
The words still stung deeply as her body tensed.
It was one thing to be the topic of discussion, but another matter entirely when she did not know how much gossip had reached the ton.
Did they all know of the rumors regarding Oliver’s involvement with the leaked political information?
And by extension, had her name been mentioned as well?
Her heart beat a little faster as she thought of all the implications. She felt a little guilty after acting so harshly, but she had been sneered at all evening and had raised her guard.
“There you are, I have been looking all over for you,” Arabella announced as she came toward Lily and stopped at her side. “Is something the matter?” Her voice was filled with concern despite the healthy flush in her cheeks.
Taking a deep breath, Lily composed herself. “Not at all, there was just a slight mishap during my dance.” She lifted her wrist for Arabella to see the tear in her glove.
“Oh, you poor thing!” She gasped. “I can lend you a pair of mine if you like. I think I do have a silver pair that would match your dress beautifully!”
“Thank you, you are a wonder, Arabella, but before we do that, how was your dance?” She forced a smile, trying to recall if she had seen Arabella dancing. Yet the truth was that she had been so taken by the man and then angered that she had not noticed anyone around them at all.
Her cheeks flushed with color as Arabella shyly averted her gaze.
“It was lovely. I danced with Mr. Benedict Southampton. He was charming, delightful, and truthfully, quite funny. He asked me to dance again, but I will have to check with my mama first. I am not certain that it is proper for us to dance a second time after only just meeting.” Her voice seemed hopeful as she sucked in a sharp breath.
Lily softened at the sight of her only friend in London acting so bashful. “I am glad that you had such a wonderful dance. At least one of us did,” she lowered her voice with a sigh as she glanced down at her glove.
Whispered voices drifted to her ears, causing Lily to look up.
A nearby group of ladies were glancing in her direction while covering the lower halves of their masked faces with fans.
“I cannot seem to have a moment of peace,” Lily remarked when she lowered her torn glove again and pursed her lips in displeasure.
Giving her a sympathetic look, Arabella tilted her head to the side. “It is just because everyone knows who you are by now. It is exciting to have an American in our midst.”
Lily shook her head. “Of course, everyone knows who I am. I cannot seem to hide the fact every time I open my mouth.”
Reaching out, Arabella placed a hand over Lily’s arm.
“I think your accent is lovely, Lily. And it is not half as bad as you think. Forget the rest of the ton, the news of your arrival will soon die down, and everyone will go back to the usual kinds of gossip. If we are lucky, some debutant might be caught alone with a man in private, and that news will simply blow you out of the water!”
Stifling a laugh, Lily smiled. “Poor thing, I do hope her reputation will not be ruined.”
Arabella’s eyes widened as she seemed to realize what she had been implying. “I did not mean to wish anyone ill. I just meant that gossip is to be expected during the Season. It would be ghastly for any young woman to be compromised, and…”
Lily silenced her with a smile. “There is no need to apologize, dearest Arabella. I understood your meaning perfectly. I was only teasing.”
A breath of relief escaped her throat as Arabella sighed.
“Thank you, Lily, truly. It had been hard for me to maintain good friendships when I am constantly saying what is on my mind without thinking. You will never know how much it means to me that I can be myself around you. You are like a breath of fresh air.”
Her words warmed Lily’s heart. “And I am just as glad to have met you. Speaking of a breath of fresh air, I think I would like to have some.” She glanced over her shoulder at the empty terrace that led to the gardens.
“Of course, I will be with you in just a moment. I quickly just want to check with my mama if I am allowed to accept a second dance, and then I shall join you with a new set of gloves.” Lifting the hem of her dress, Arabella flitted off in the opposite direction.
Bless her.
Lily watched as she practically danced away toward her Lady Tremaine. Her attention was quickly drawn back to the group of ladies who seemed utterly enthralled by her. They only seemed to look away when Lily shot them a scathing glare.
The ladies seemed shocked and quickly turned their backs.
“I will pay for that later,” Lily whispered to herself and turned, moving as far away from the incident as possible.
The crispness of the evening kissed her flushed cheeks as she stepped out onto the terrace and headed for a quiet corner.
Winter roses were just beginning to bud on the bushes that lined the walkway into the gardens. Several torches were aflame, lighting the path, but Lily knew better than to wander off on her own. Even unaccompanied by a man, a woman’s reputation could be ruined if she was seen alone in the gardens.
Stopping just at the edge of the terrace beside a few potted trees, Lily found refuge as she took a deep breath, removing her gloves as she waited for her friend. She was far enough away from the doors for the music and chatter to have died down, but not so far that she could not slip back in.
Taking a moment to catch her breath, she thought of how angry her mother and aunt would be later that evening.
She had caused a small scene on the dance floor and walked off unaccompanied by her partner.
There would be a lashing of tongues as soon as she entered the carriage; there was no doubt about that.
You must be softer and more amiable when talking to men!
Her aunt’s words made her roll her eyes as she placed her bare hands behind her neck and sighed.
It was difficult to be either of those things when the memory of how Oliver had betrayed her fueled her every move.
She knew that she should find a husband and leave him in the past where he belonged, but the task was easier said than done.
“And what do we have here? It would seem that lady luck has smiled in my favor!” A male voice made her freeze.
Slowly turning, Lily came face to face with Lord Gall, who had been one of her chosen suitors. She had not seen him earlier in the evening.
His round face was red from drink, and even from a distance, Lily could smell that he had either fallen into a barrel of brandy or had drunk the contents. His gait was unsteady, and his eyes seemed to be struggling to focus on her as he tweaked his gray, handlebar mustache.
“Lord Gall, I was just…” She took a step back, frantically looking for an exit.
His large body was blocking the doors behind him, and there was no possible way that she could escape without being seen.
Had she and Arabella not just discussed how bad it would be for any young woman to be caught alone with a man?
Lord Gall’s belly jiggled slightly as he took another step forward, his buttons threatening to burst.
Lily’s pulse began to race furiously as panic set in.
He sniffed disgustingly and laughed. “You owe me a dance, Miss Prescott. You were not exactly kind to me after our last meeting, and I demand retribution!” He reached for one of her gloves, where the dance card was still securely attached.
Stepping aside, Lily quickly backed away. “I am afraid that my dance card is full, Lord Gall, but I thank you for your offer. I must take my leave now.”
Lord Gall caught himself just in time as he stumbled past her, his balance clearly affected by drink.
Coming up straight, he glared at her. “I do not think so, Miss Prescott. You shall dance with me. What is wrong with you? I thought you Americans were supposed to be more easy-going?” He snarled and lunged for her arm again.
Thinking quickly, Lily stepped aside and allowed him to fall into the bushes behind her. But he was quicker this time and gripped her arm, holding her back.
A scream caught in her throat, stopping just in time. Any sound she made would alert people to her situation and ruin her reputation. Using the heel of her shoe, she dug her foot into his, hoping to buy some time escape.
Lord Gall gasped, letting go of her for just a second, but quickly regained his composure and gripped her arm once again.
Lily attempted to elbow him in the face, but a fist flew past her head and connected with his jaw, knocking Lord Gall back several feet until he fell backward at the edge of the terrace. She turned to run but found herself face-to-face with a solid chest.
“My apologies, Miss Prescott.” The voice instantly made her look up.
“You,” she said irritably, taking a step back.
Her relief at being rescued was quickly replaced by humiliation and then irritation.
Out of all of the men who could have come to her aid, it had to have been him.
Lifting her chin defiantly in the air, she met his gaze.
“I had the matter handled, thank you, my lord.”
A teasing smile tugged at his lips and danced in his eyes. “I have no doubt that you did, but honor would not allow me to leave you alone. I had to take action and intervene.” His voice seemed sincere as she placed his hands behind his back.
Lily looked from her savior to the man behind her, who seemed to be snoring on his back with his mouth agape. “Charming,” she winced before turning away.
The masked man smiled again. “I dare say you need not worry about your reputation. I doubt that he will remember a single thing in the morning. It is rather impressive how he seemed to have gotten this drunk after only two dances.”
Opening her mouth to reply, Lily wanted to say that she needed to leave, but the sound of hurried footsteps was quickly making its way toward them. Her eyes widened, and her pulse began to race as she realized that she was deep into the terrace, with not one, but two men.
She was about to run off when the man quickly closed the distance between them, reaching for her wrist before pulling her into the shadows behind a few tall shrubs.
Her heart slammed against her chest, threatening to escape as panic set in. She was pressed too tightly against the stranger, making it difficult for her to breathe.
Lifting a finger, he placed it against her lips and shook his head, staring into her eyes.
Her body stilled, feeling a strange sense of gratitude. She was not scared of him; on the contrary, his presence seemed to be drawing her in with every breath.
He stared into her eyes for what seemed like an eternity as the rest of the world once again ceased to exist.
She became acutely aware of the hardness of his chest, the defined line of his jaw, and the masculine smell of cigars and old parchment.
Something sweet lingered on his warm breath, like fruit that had been soaked in sugar.
It smelled like summer despite the coolness in the air that came with early spring.
The footsteps began to retreat again after a moment or two, and Lily found herself relaxing against him despite her better judgment.
Gazing down at her intently, he lifted his arms, running them up the sides of her upper arms until a shiver ran down her spine. “Forgive me, Miss Prescott, for what I said to cause you offense, and for what I am about to do.”
A soft gasp escaped her parted lips when he raised his hands, placing them behind her hand as he undid her mask. The stiff fabric began to give way as he moved his fingers to the sides of her face and gently pulled off her mask.
The cool breeze instantly kissed her skin where the mask had been covering her cheeks, making her feel almost naked beneath his gaze as he looked at her intently.
Is he going to kiss me?
She leaned in closer, feeling his hot breath tickle her skin as he continued to gaze into her eyes.
And just like that, he stepped aside, leaving her alone behind the bushes as he disappeared into the dark.