Chapter 31
Holding her breath, Lily watched as Julian, Arabella, Juliette, and Benedict came riding toward the front of her aunt’s house. Yet what surprised her most of all was the fact that Oliver was right there on a horse between Julian and Benedict.
His eyes narrowed considerably when he caught sight of her, and it was then that Lily noticed the large gash on his forehead. Her heart leaped with fear when her gaze quickly moved to Julian, searching him for signs of a fight.
They had all hurried from the house when one of the footmen had spotted them down the road, yet Lily had not been prepared for the state of Julian and the others.
Julian’s coat, breeches, and even his hair and face were streaked with mud, yet he still was not as dirty as Oliver, who looked as if he had bathed in the street.
“What the devil has happened to all of you?” the duke asked, his eyes honing in on Oliver more than anyone else.
Dismounting his mare, Julian climbed from the saddle before assisting Benedict in hauling Oliver down from his seat.
The man struggled quite a bit, but he eventually gave in and came to his knees on the pavement, his hands still bound behind his back.
“Would you care to explain to everyone why it is that we are in such a state?” Benedict asked, taking the lead as he stood firmly beside Oliver with one hand on his shoulder.
Snarling up at Benedict, Oliver showed his teeth. “There will be hell to pay when I am finally free! You people cannot treat me like this. I am an American citizen, and I demand that you fools let me go!”
All the ladies beside Lily gasped, utterly appalled.
Sighing, Benedict shook his head. “Very well then, Mr. King, I shall explain for you.” He turned his gaze to the others as he began to explain.
“Mr. King here decided that it was a grand idea to chase us all down with a gun in the rain. It was only thanks to Miss Everet that we all escaped with our lives.”
“Miss Everet?” Lily asked in shock, looking from Benedict to Julian.
It was Julian who nodded and confirmed what his friend was saying.
“Miss Everet, although complicit in the scheme, turned a new leaf and decided to make things right. She sends her regards and apologies for all the pain that she has caused.” He held her gaze, making her pulse leap with every breath.
Just what was he thinking when he looked at her like that? Was he angry about what she had done, or was he relieved to see that she had not yet left for America?
A commotion broke their gaze as Oliver began to fight against his restraints once again. “Let me go at once!”
The duke’s face suddenly shifted as he looked at Oliver with a wide-eyed expression of anger. “You are the traitor!” He practically growled despite the small crowd that had begun to gather on the street. “How dare you make such demands when you have betrayed your own country and England?!”
Oliver scoffed at him. “And what of it? I am on English soil. You do not possess the power to do anything about the allegations!”
Pulling himself up to his full height, the duke flared down at him. “I may not have the authority to prosecute you myself, Mr. King, but I can assure you that I know the men who possess that kind of power.” He looked over Oliver’s head, beckoning someone in the distance.
Six soldiers wearing red coats and unmistakable badges on their chests came marching to the word, the group on the street, pushing people out of their way.
“You sent for us, Your Grace?” The tallest of all the soldiers addressed the duke while glancing around at all of the faces.
The duke nodded. “I certainly did.” He thrust a pudgy finger in Oliver’s direction. “This man is a treasonous liar, and we possess evidence that will further add to that accusation.”
The newcomers in the crowd all gasped as heads turned to Oliver, who seemed to be seething with rage as he glared at Lily.
Coming to her side, Juian stood beside her, making her feel safe as she returned Oliver’s glare.
He is standing up for me!
The thought made her heart race with joy as she felt like jumping into Julian’s arms and telling him right then and there that she loved him. After everything that had happened, he had still found it in his heart to protect her.
The moment was short-lived as the guards closed in around Oliver and lifted him to his feet with one man on each side holding him up by his arms.
“You cannot do this!” Oliver continued to screech and locked his gaze on Lily after realizing that his struggles were futile. “I am not the only one that you should be arresting; that woman over there is just as guilty as I am.”
Shocked faces turned to look at Lily, but the duke quickly stepped in front of her and pointed a finger at Oliver. “She is not! And will prove it. You acted alone in your treachery, and you shall be put on trial alone.”
All of the blood seemed to fade from Oliver’s face as he stopped moving altogether. “You have no proof…”
“I most certainly do, Mr. King, and I am certain that even this Miss Everet shall be persuaded to testify to it, but that is enough for now. Take him away!” the duke commanded and turned as the guards began to drag Oliver away.
“Good riddance,” he huffed importantly and almost succeeded in placing his hands behind his back.
Turning to one another, Lily and Julian exchanged a look of relief, but it was short-lived when the duke addressed everyone in the crowd.
“I will have it known that neither Lord nor Lady Barnard was involved in the despicable accusations that were made on this day. In fact, Lady Barnard in particular was responsible for bringing an American spy to justice!” the duke announced.
Shocked applause erupted among the crowd, and people began to move away again as the duke stood his ground.
Waiting until the people had dispersed, the duke addressed Lily and Julian directly. “I want to thank both of you for your honesty and involvement in the matter. As much as I detest allies of Spain and France, I look up to those who are willing to do what is right.”
He stopped and offered them both a rare smile. “You have not only my thanks, but my gratitude and loyalty. Our country may not know it, but we all owe you both a great deal.”
Lily could hardly believe her ears as she stood beside her husband. She had thought that the duke would have been angrier with her for not coming forward sooner, yet the man seemed to admire the strength it had taken to speak in the end.
Coming forward, the duchess placed a hand on the duke’s arm and smiled. “Come now, Your Grace, I am certain that there will be enough time to thank our new friends at the ball I shall be hosting in their honor.” Her lips curved into a knowing smile as she held Lily’s gaze.
A ball in our honor.
Lily could hardly believe what was happening.
The Duke and Duchess of Archibald were some of the most influential people in the ton.
A ball being hosted by them meant absolution in the eyes of the rest of the ton.
Nobody who valued their standing in Society would dare turn their nose up at her and Julian if the duke and duchess were on their side.
The duchess turned to her husband with a contented smile. “Come now, Your Grace, I am certain that Lord and Lady Barnard would appreciate a moment alone.” She pulled him gently by the arm before winking at Lily and heading toward their carriage.
The rest of the group seemed to understand the hint as they all suddenly turned away, muttering excuses about cleaning themselves up.
Once they were alone, Lily turned to Julian. “Could we have a moment in private? I am sure there is a lot that we both need to discuss.”
Nodding, Julian gestured for her to lead the way.
She made her way back to the house and chose one of the lesser used parlors off the foyer before locking the door behind them.
They started speaking at the same time, making Lily smile as she relaxed a little. “You go first,” she said.
Clearing his throat, Julian looked her directly in the eyes. “Are you in love with Oliver King? Because if you are, I shall let you go. It was never my intention to trap anyone in a marriage that they did not wish for.”
The question caught her off guard as she quickly shook her head.
“No, I cannot say that I am. I may have convinced myself once that I was, but I know now that it was not real. Real love is patient and kind, it does not envy, and it does not boast. I could go on and recite the entire passage, but Julian, you must know that I am in love with you.”
His eyes widened as he looked at her, his mouth slightly agape. “If that is the case, my dearest, you must know that I love you too. I have loved you for the longest time, and no matter what the future holds, I wish to spend my time with you.”
So much joy filled her heart that Lily felt as if she would burst. There were no words that could describe how she felt as she stood looking at the man who had saved her life.
Stepping forward, Julian closed the distance between them and took her in his arms, pulling her against his chest without another word.
His lips sought her, eagerly and passionately, as the pent-up emotions from the past few weeks finally gave way.
The world began to fade around her as nothing else mattered besides the warmth of his body against hers and the feeling of his lips. It was as if the person she had become had always been longing for that one moment and had finally found fruition.
Drawing back for breath, Lily looked in his eyes, finding the love that her heart had been searching for from the start. “Julian?”
“Yes?” His hands ran up and down her arms, gently stroking her skin through the fabric of her dress.
“Do you forgive me for not telling you about Oliver from the start? I had so many opportunities to tell you, but I always seemed to fail,” she confessed almost tearfully. “I did want to tell you. I just could not find the right moment.”
Bringing his hands up the sides of her arms, Julian cupped her face in his palms. “My dearest, sweet, beautiful Lily. There is nothing in this world that you could have done to make me stop loving you. I would have forgiven you if you had held a knife up to my heart. And that is something that I could not have said about any other woman in my life. You are all I ever want and need. There is nothing left to forgive.”
“Oh, Julian!” Lily began to sob, finally giving in to the emotions that had been building in her chest. “I never thought that I would love again, but you proved me wrong, and now I cannot picture my life without you.”
He drew her against his chest and kissed the top of her head. “And neither can I, my dearest Lily. I love you more than words can ever say.”