Chapter 5
Breathtaking blue eyes…
Julian opened his eyes, staring at the ceiling above his bed. His dreams had been plagued by dancing and intensely beautiful eyes that held him captive. Sighing in annoyance, he flung the covers from his legs and climbed out of bed.
He had not been able to sleep after the ball the previous night, but when he had fallen asleep, he had dreamed of her. In fact, she had been all he had been able to think of since their dance.
She had come into his life out of the blue and inhabited his thoughts without permission. Yet it was not just her physical beauty that had captivated him. He had been drawn in by her spunk, the resilience in her gaze, and the defiant manner in which she carried herself.
Everything about her seemed to draw him in, inviting him to get to know her better.
“I do not have time for such nonsense,” he grumbled to himself and began to dress, resenting the fact that he had ever attended the ball in the first place.
It irritated him endlessly that a woman had found a way into his thoughts when he had promised long ago never to allow anyone in ever again.
He needed to marry for money, and pursuing someone he found attractive was far too dangerous.
It would be better to pursue someone whose financial situation he knew.
He dressed in a hurry and made his way downstairs, where his mother and sister were already seated for breakfast in the dining room.
The smell of fresh tea, warm toast, and fried kipper made him hungry as he greeted and took up his place at the head of the table.
“Good morning,” he grumbled before reaching for the toasted bread.
“Good morning, dearest. I hope you slept well. Your sister and I were just discussing how successful the ball was last night.” His mother speared a piece of kipper on her fork and lifted it to her mouth. Her remark seemed to ignite Juliette’s passion as she carried on chatting.
“It was wonderfully successful, and did you see how close Arabella was with Lily? She seems like such a charming and sophisticated young woman. I can hardly understand why everyone continues to gossip about her.” Juliette sighed appreciatively and held her cup of tea in both hands, inhaling the fragrance.
Their mother nodded. “I agree, she was such a breath of fresh air. I would love to get to know her better. Lady Tremaine did nothing besides sing her praises.”
Turning to Julian, Juliette smiled. “And what say you, brother? What do you think of the lovely young Lily who has graced the ton with her presence?”
A frown creased his brow just as he reached for the tray of kippers. “I am afraid that I am not privy to your conversation. Whom are we speaking of?”
Juliette rolled her eyes with a heavy sigh. “Lily Prescott. The woman who was dressed head to toe in silver. You should know, you danced with her. She is the infamous American.”
His hand froze over the tray.
Lily. So that is her name.
He withdrew his hand and reached instead for his cup of tea, regretting the action when Juliette’s eyes flashed mischievously.
“Were you that enamored with her that you did not even get her name? The two of you seemed to be having quite an intense discussion. Naturally, I assumed that you were exchanging pleasantries, but was that not the case? Were you having a deeper conversation that made everything else, such as names, redundant?” She shot him a teasing grin.
Sitting back in his chair, Julian glared at her. “Your behavior this morning is very unbecoming of a young lady, Juliette. You should occupy your thoughts with more productive matters than this nonsense.”
Their mother averted her gaze, sipping her tea in amusement as she attempted to hide her smile.
“I have important matters to attend to,” he grumbled, pushing his chair back with his legs as he stood.
His mother’s voice made him halt as she spoke up. “Before you leave, darling, please remember that you promised to accompany your sister and me to the art exhibition this afternoon. We have been looking forward to it all week.”
Julian shut his eyes as a heavy sigh descended on his chest. “Must I really accompany you? Is it not sufficient for you to act as a chaperone?”
His mother shot him a stern look. “It is, but I would like to have both of my children accompany me. Is that too much to ask?” She raised an eyebrow and pursed her lips.
A sigh of irritation escaped his chest, prompting him to protest. “Mother, must I really…” His sentence was cut short by the appearance of the butler, who cleared his throat, pressing a fist against his mouth.
“Did you need something, Mr. Carlton?” his mother asked kindly.
The tall man with a widow’s peak and light brown hair bowed. “Mr. Southampton is here to call, ma’am.” He came up straight again.
Feeling thankful for the distraction, Julian nodded. “Show him in, Mr. Carlton.”
Juliette perked up instantly at the mention of Benedict. “Perhaps Mr. Southampton can join us, Mama. He is like family; we can make a day of it.”
“What a splendid idea that is, thank you, Juliette.” His mother nodded over the rim of her cup, holding it between her fingers in the same manner as her daughter.
Groaning inwardly, Julian hoped that his friend would have the good sense to decline the invitation. If his mother and sister had been paying such close attention to him, then it was more than likely that they had been watching Benedict as well.
“Good morrow, Sinclairs, what news have we this morning?” Benedict strutted into the dining room, smiling from ear to ear as usual.
Julian attempted to shake his head discreetly, but his mother and sister quickly drew Benedict’s attention away.
“It is wonderful to see you looking so full of life, Mr. Southampton. As a matter of fact, we were just talking about an outing to the art exhibition. Would you care to join us?” Juliette made the offer.
Looking from mother to daughter, Benedict beamed. “That does sound like a jolly good time. You know, I do not recall any other plans. Why not?” He clapped his hands together, rubbing them enthusiastically.
Groaning inwardly, Julian rolled his eyes and shook his head. “You are such a soft touch, Benedict. I swear,” he grumbled.
Confusion knit his brow together as Benedict looked from Julian to his family. “Did I miss something?”
Julian spoke first before his mother and sister could intervene again. “Just the downfall of the patriarchy. Remind me to have a word with you on the cunning nature of female minds.”
His frown deepened as Benedict cocked his head to the side. “I do fear that I have missed something here.”
Their mother smiled with a graceful sigh as she stood. “You have missed nothing, Mr. Southampton. Ignore Julian’s temper this morning. I am afraid that Juliette and I have been teasing him. Shall we all leave since we are here? I see no reason for resting on our laurels now that we are gathered.”
The ladies filed past them as Benedict shot Julian a questioning look. “Was I supposed to decline the invitation?”
“Yes, but that does not matter now. The battle has already been lost; just ensure that we do not lose the war.” Julian shook his head as he followed his family.
***
Julian sighed heavily as they entered the large building in Mayfair where the art exhibition was to be held.
His mother and sister had been particularly chatty during the carriage ride, and Benedict had let slip that he had, in fact, enjoyed his dance with Miss Arabella Tremaine. They seemed utterly enthralled by the news and left Julian to his thoughts, something that he was grateful for.
Yet the feelings of gratitude quickly left him when Eleanor made her way over to them as soon as they entered.
“How wonderful it is that we have all had the same idea this afternoon.” Miss Everet cooed as she hooked her arm through Julian’s despite his reluctance to offer it to her.
“I dare say that it is less of a coincidence when my mother and sister were speaking of it only last week, Miss Everet,” Julian replied stiffly. His response only seemed to throw her for a second before she regained her composure.
“Well, it is only a pity that I was not invited to the masked ball. And to think, I was not invited, but that silly American was,” she sniffed with an air of someone who had been deeply offended.
Julian stiffened instantly. He had forgotten that Eleanor had spoken so harshly of Lily the last time he had seen her.
Lily?
His thought froze mid-sentence when he realized that he was thinking of her by her first name, and not Miss Prescott.
Juliette seemed to want to do damage control as she glanced at Julian and smiled. “We actually met Miss Prescott at the ball. She is quite lovely, and you and Arabella Tremaine have never been close, Miss Everet. I suspect that is why an invitation was not offered.”
Eleanor narrowed her eyes slightly as she shot a scathing look at Juliette. “Never mind that, I am sure it was just an oversight. I will have Mama ensure that we will be invited to the next ball,” she gripped Julian’s arm a little tighter and began to pull.
“Will you show me the paintings, my lord? I am afraid that I do not know much about art and will need a chaperone.” She dragged him along without waiting for an answer.
Glancing back over his shoulder, Julian saw his sister mouthing an apology as Benedict began to follow.
They walked along galleries and hallways hung with portraits as Miss Everet chattered away about the latest fashions and how she did not understand art or any of the paintings.
Julian’s mind wandered to excuse after excuse of how he could escape and excuse himself, yet Eleanor seemed oblivious to his reluctance in the one-sided conversation. He was about to complain of a headache when a familiar scent made him stop in his tracks.
Amber with a hint of roses…
He looked around quickly, feeling his heart jolt when his gaze landed on Lily from across the hall. She was staring up at a painting of a young maiden in a meadow, utterly enthralled by the piece of art.
“Is something the matter, my lord?” Eleanor asked when he skillfully unhooked his arm from hers.
“Not at all, I simply caught sight of someone that I know. I must go and speak to them at once,” He beckoned Benedict to step forward and placed her arm on his friend’s. “I am certain that Mr. Southampton would not mind accompanying you until I return.”
Eleanor’s face fell. “Oh, well, I suppose that would be all right. But you will hurry back, will you not?” she asked more hopefully.
“I will certainly try my best,” Julian fibbed, feeling slightly guilty for not wanting to return at all.
Nodding, Eleanor allowed herself to be guided away by Benedict, leaving Julian behind.
He quickly turned his attention to Lily, who still seemed to be captivated by the painting. A lady who looked somewhat similar to her stood to the side, chatting to some other lady of the ton.
Taking his chance, he walked up beside her and stopped, admiring her beauty afresh. He did not think it was possible, but she seemed even lovelier to him than she had done at the ball.
Her elegant white day dress hung past her shoes, while a simple satin shawl had been draped over her arms. The golden strands of her hair had been pinned to the back of her head, exposing the elegant curve of the nape of her neck.
It seemed like forever as he stood there staring at her, and when he finally spoke, she turned to him with an expression of shock. “I would love to know your thoughts on this painting…”
Her mouth opened slightly as she looked at him, that far-off dreamy look still slightly present in her gaze. “My lord, did we… meet at the ball?” Her eyes seemed to be searching his face, landing on his lips before moving back up to his eyes again.
Julian nodded as he felt his lips curving into a smile.
“We did, Miss Prescott, both while dancing, and later…” His eyes remained fixed on hers as a slight blush spread over her cheeks.
He could not help but wonder if she was thinking of the way he had removed her mask and how intimate that moment had been.
He had certainly thought of it more than once.
Her eyes flickered back to the painting as she took a deep breath. “It certainly is a wonderful piece. It makes one want to explore the fields and leave the hustle and bustle of the city behind,” she remarked quietly.
“It is stunning and thought-provoking. One could gaze at it all day,” he replied with his gaze still fixed on her.
She turned back to him with a veiled expression, her perfect lips parting slightly as if she were about to say something.
“And whom do we have here?” the older woman asked as he turned back to Lily and left her former conversation behind.
Julian bowed to her, noting the resemblance as he wondered if the lady was her mother.
Lily seemed to regain her composure as she took a deep breath. “Aunt Margaret, may I present…” She suddenly turned back to Julian with raised eyebrows as if she realized that she had never gotten his name.
“Julian Sinclair,” He offered.
The older woman beamed as her face lit up. “Of course! You are our newly crowned Viscount of Barnard. I am Lady Margaret Brewster and am pleased to see that you have already made my niece’s acquaintance.” She smiled down at Lily.
“The pleasure is all mine, Lady Brewster. I had the pleasure of dancing with your niece last night at the ball, and she was quite charming despite my clumsy footwork.” He shot Lily a reassuring smile.
“Your dancing was anything but clumsy, my lord. I am only sorry that we did not get to speak again during the ball. You know how busy one can get at such events.” She returned her smile, making his heart slam against his ribs at how beautiful she was.
She was breathtaking when she was angry, irritated, thoughtful, and even when she was charming. It did not seem as if there was an end to the ways she fascinated him.
He opened his mouth to say something, but Eleanor suddenly appeared at his side again.
“Julian, there you are. I have been looking everywhere for you. You said that you would not be gone too long.” She once again looped her arm through his and turned her gaze on Lily. “And you are?”