Chapter 14
Opening her eyes, Lily awoke to an empty bed.
I chased him away.
She felt a sudden pang of guilt as she recalled the night before and how hard he had been trying to make conversation with her.
She had not wanted to push him away, yet the letter from Oliver had startled her to the point of not knowing what to do.
Everything between her and Julian at the wedding had been perfect; the last thing she wanted was for something like the letter to come between them.
A part of her felt as if she should tell him, but she decided to write to her mother first and get her opinion. She had never been married before and felt a little uneasy at keeping secrets, but her mother had always given her good advice.
Stretching out her arm, she touched the pillow where his head had been lying. The fabric was still warm, and a sudden memory made her blush.
I slept in his arms…
Flashes of the rest of the evening came back to her.
She had woken from a nightmare where she had been caught in a storm.
Julian had been fast asleep, and she had been lying in the crook of his arm, almost against his chest. Not wanting to wake him, she had lain as still as he could before drifting to a more comfortable sleep.
Had she been in his arms when he had awoken? And if so, how had it made him feel?
The thought made her blush deepen as she sat up straight and ran her fingers through her messy hair. The simple braid she had attempted on her own had not held at all, leaving her hair in a tangled mess.
A gentle knock sounded at the door, drawing a thankful Lily away from her own tortured thoughts. “Who is it?” She called out while straightening her nightdress over her legs.
“It is Amy, my lady, I have brought you some breakfast,” her maid called out.
Glancing at the curtains, Lily wondered if she had missed breakfast.
Bright light streamed through the thin crack in the curtains, making her wince as she adjusted her eyes. “Come in!” she called out again, welcoming the much-needed distraction.
Opening the door with one hand, Amy balanced the tray in the other while using her knee to prop it up.
She seemed like her cheerful self as she came in and placed the tray on Lily’s lap with a smile.
“Good morning, my lady. His Lordship asked me to bring up your breakfast. He thought you might like to sleep in a bit after all the excitement of yesterday.”
“Yes, thank you, Amy, that was very kind of him.” She looked down at the tray as her maid opened the drapes and began to tidy the chambers.
Buttered toast, cheese, and fruits were all neatly arranged on a plate beside a pot of tea with a single cup. Yet the thing that drew her attention the most was a small note that had been neatly tucked in beside the pot of tea. Unfolding the edges, she recognized the viscount’s writing at once.
Hope you slept well. I had an early meeting and thought you needed the rest. I will be gone for most of the day, but I am hoping to be back in time for dinner.
Your Husband,
Julian Sinclair, Viscount of Barnard.
The sentiment warmed her heart as he placed the note back and began to eat her breakfast. It was good that he had not been angry with her, but she needed to take more care in the future not to alienate his good nature.
She had been alone for so long that she was not accustomed to sharing all of her feelings with a man, but Julian seemed to be a far more open person than Oliver ever had been.
After finishing her breakfast, Lily allowed Amy to help her dress and fix her hair before making her way downstairs.
Catherine and Juliette were waiting in the drawing room as they welcomed her with bright smiles.
“Good morning, my lady, and how did you sleep?” Julian’s mother asked her and motioned for Lily to take a seat.
Breathing more easily, Lily joined them on one of the settees surrounding the coffee table. “Please, call me Lily; it will take me a while to get used to all of this my lady business.”
Juliette smiled at her with a teasing glint in her eyes. “You and Julian are so alike. He always insists that we call him by his name, and no, my lord.”
“Do not tease her so early in the morning, Juliette,” her mother scolded her lightly before turning back to Lily. “Of course, we shall address you in the manner you choose, Lily.”
A wave of gratitude washed over her as Lily sat back and accepted a cup of tea from Juliette.
“In that case, you must call us Catherine and Juliette. You are part of the family now, so it would not be improper. Did you enjoy your breakfast? Julian insisted on our leaving you to sleep. His thoughtfulness is just one of his many qualities, as I am certain you are aware of by now.” Juliette chattered away as a comfortable atmosphere descended between them.
She felt quite at home with his mother and sister as they chatted the first half of the morning away and was almost sad when Catherine announced that she had letters she needed to write.
“Juliette, why do you not show Lily around the house while I finish my letters? I am sure she would like to get to know the house a little better. After all, Redding Hall will not be ready for some time yet.” Julian’s mother suggested, making Juliette perk up considerably.
“I would love that very much! Would you like a tour, Lily?” Juliette turned to her, her eyes overflowing with excitement.
Placing her empty cup of tea back on the tray, Lily smiled at her. “I would adore a tour. I could not think of a better way to spend my morning.”
“Wonderful, it is settled then. I shall see the two of you for lunch.” Catherine stood and left them.
Coming to her feet, Juliette gestured toward the door. “Shall we begin?”
Obliging her new sister-in-law, Lily stood and hooked her arm through Juliette’s as they set off on a tour of the house.
Juliette chatted away with each room, speaking of her many hopes and dreams for her very first season while showing her everything there was to see.
“Julian is a good man, you know. I know it can be hard to see at times because he can be awfully grumpy, but he has a good heart. He would never do anything to hurt someone on purpose.”
Laughing at the apt description of his grumpiness, smiled. “He can be rather grumpy, but I do see how good he can be. It was very thoughtful of him to let me sleep in this morning.”
“Do you think you are falling in love?” Juliette blurted.
Taken aback by the question, Lily hesitated. “I… I am not certain. I thought I was in love before, but it was nothing like I had imagined it to be. Sometimes I think that love is what you make of it, and not something that just happens to a person out of the blue.”
“Do you mean the man that you were engaged to before in America?” Juliette asked innocently.
Stiffening a little, Lily sucked in a sharp breath.
How much do they know?
Her pulse began to race as she thought of the letter hidden in her belongings upstairs. She would have to tell them the full story sooner or later, but she had hoped that she would have more time.
“Oh, please do not take offense, I did not mean anything by the question. I have not heard much about the man you were engaged to before, but I did hear that there was a man,” Juliette began to explain as quickly as she could.
“It is quite all right, but if you do not mind. I wish to leave that part of my past behind me. I was very hurt, you see…” Her words trailed off when Juliette stopped and turned to her, taking her hands in her own.
“Please forgive me, Lily. I did not mean to bring up your past. It is perfectly understandable that you would not wish to talk about such matters. I am ever so glad that you have joined our family. Please say that you are not angry with me. Mama always says that my tongue will get me into a great deal of trouble one of these days.”
She sighed heavily and looked at the floor before lifting her gaze to Lily’s once again. “Of course, Mama does also say that I will be hard-pressed to find a man who will deal with me.”
Stifling a chuckle, Lily relaxed. “There is no need to apologize; your curiosity is understandable. Perhaps I shall tell you everything one day, but not right now.” She offered a reassuring smile.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Juliette turned forward again and continued to chatter. “Of course, I do not truly wish to marry so soon. Mama says it will be better if I do, but I wish to have fun and enjoy my Season without the hassle of looking for a husband. Do you think I should marry?”
“That is up to you…” Lily felt a little flustered at the sudden change of topic. To her credit, Juliette was a skilled conversationalist and knew exactly how to put people at ease. Lily, on the other hand, had never quite mastered the art of moving on from one topic to the next with such ease.
It was one of the things that Oliver had remarked on while they had been courting.
You never say much, do you, honey? It is refreshing to find a woman who speaks her mind but never says too much.
She had taken the comment as a compliment at the time, yet she now wondered if he had not been finding flaws in her character from the start.
What else could have driven him into the arms of another woman?
The thought stung her heart again, yet it hurt a little less than it had before she had met Julian.
They both paused at the same time as the butler suddenly appeared in front of them.
“Begging your pardon, my lady, but your mother, Mrs. Prescott, is here to see you,” he announced in his solemn manner before disappearing again. The man was quite brisk in his dealings, and Lily found herself hoping that the butler at Redding Hall would be much friendlier.
Turning to Juliette, she offered a warm smile. “Will you go and tell your mother that my mama is here?”
“Absolutely, I will let the two of you catch up before we join you.” Juliette scampered away.
Lily breathed a sigh of relief. She had been planning on going to her mother, but her presence made the matter so much easier as she made her way to the front of the house.
She had felt a little guilty by not telling Julian, and even worse, that Juliette seemed to be taking her into her confidence.
Yet that could not be helped when she did not know what needed to be done.
Her mother sat waiting in the mourning room and got to her feet as soon as Lily entered. “My dearest daughter, how does it feel to be a brand-new viscountess?” Her mother beamed, but Lily quickly shut the door behind her.
“Is something the matter?” her mother asked in a worried tone.
Not wanting to waste any time, Lily closed the distance between them and beckoned for her mother to sit as she sat beside her.
“I received a letter, Mama. Oliver is here in England. The rumors were true. He said he wants to speak with me, but he did not say where, when, or what the discussion would be regarding.”
Her mother’s face instantly grew more serious as she pursed her lips. “I think we all know why he is here. To cause trouble and nothing more. I curse the day your father ever decided to introduce you to the waste of a man,” she bit out harshly.
“Be that as it may, Mama, I have not told Julian about the letter. I did not wish for things to come between us. Not when we have only just been married. I will tell him. I just wanted to tell you first,” Lily explained as quickly as she could.
There was no telling how soon it would be before Catherine and Juliette joined them, and she wanted her mother to herself for a little while at least.
Shaking her head quite vigorously, her mother shifted a little closer and took her hands.
“Do not tell him, my dearest. Things such as this can only sour matters between a husband and a wife. We have just crossed the finish line; heaven forbid he got the wrong idea and acted rashly. He could have the marriage annulled if he thinks that there is anything between you and Mr. King.”
The words shook Lily to the core as she drew in a breath.
Annulled?
Would Julian do such a thing if he thought her untrue? Her reputation would be left in tatters if that were to happen, but more than that, she would never want to give Julian the wrong impression or make him believe that she had ever wanted to hurt him.
“You must keep this to yourself, my dearest. Mr. King will realize that you have moved on with your life and return to England before too long.” She gave Lily’s hands an encouraging squeeze. “You must focus on your marriage now. You and Julian are the ones who truly matter, and he is a good man.”
“And if Oliver reaches out again?” Lily asked with bated breath, dreading the persistence that she knew resided within him.
“Then you ignore him and the letters. He will eventually get the message and move on with his life.” She waved her hand angrily in the air. “He will move on to whatever scheme he has cooked up next.”
“One can only hope…” Lily turned her head to gaze out the window, praying that Oliver would leave her and Julian alone.