My Fair Lily (11 page)

Lily nodded. “Does anyone else know about the box?”

“Not yet. I suggest you find your sister before she lets the cat out of the bag.”

“Of course. You’re right. Please don’t tell anyone yet, Pruitt.”

His eyes twinkled. “Tell anyone about what?

She gave him a quick hug. “Thank you.”

She hurried upstairs, knowing she’d find her sister waiting in their shared quarters. As expected, Dillie was sitting on her bed, the box beside her. She was strumming her fingers impatiently across the top.

Lily shut their door and turned to scowl at her sister.

“Took you long enough,” Dillie muttered. “Go ahead, open it.”

“No. I know what’s inside.”

“Come on. You know you want to. Well, I’m going to have a
look.”

“Don’t you dare! It’s my—”

But she was too late. Dillie had already lifted the cover. “Oh, my!” She shook out an exact replica of the riding habit Jasper had ruined. “Madame de Bressard must have charged him a king’s
ransom. Oh, Lily,” she said with a bubble of laughter, “you’re going to bankrupt the poor man.”

“I’ll do nothing of the sort. He can afford it.” Still, she couldn’t
take her gaze off the shimmering black velvet.

“You’re frowning. Why are you still angry with him?”

“I’m not... not really... not anymore. He’s definitely holding back about his family, but on the whole he’s been incredibly noble. It’s
Meggie
I worry about. I think of her as an unpainted canvas with all these
lovely
colors to be applied to create a masterpiece. But how can I paint a
proper portrait if important colors are missing?”

“And Eloise won’t tell,” Dillie said, having already heard that complaint from Lily.

Lily rolled her eyes. “Can you believe it?”

“Then you’ll just have to work on Meggie.”

“I don’t think she knows the entire story.”

“So we’re back to Ewan. And that will only make you angry again.”

She slumped her shoulders and let out a sigh. “No, it won’t. I like him.”

Dillie grinned. “A little more than you’d care to admit.”

Lily nodded. “He melted my heart the other day, buying me flowers and offering encouragement, something I sorely needed after the humiliating set-down I received at the Royal Society.” She paused to glance at Dillie. “Not even Ashton stood up for me, though I wouldn’t have expected him to since he’s their newest member. I would never ask him to anger his colleagues, especially within a month of his admission. I’m sure he’ll say something in my defense at one of their private meetings. After all, I’m helping him with his latest monograph on the impact of earthquakes and other catastrophic
events on the evolution of lemurs on the island of Madagascar.”

Dillie rolled her eyes. “I’m all agog. Can’t wait to read about his monkeys.”

“Lemurs aren’t monkeys, but I can’t either,” she said with enthusiasm,
then realized her sister was merely being sarcastic. “Oh, but it is interesting. I’ve been helping him gather information on the various lemur populations in Madagascar. Never realized there were so
many distinct offshoots, and—”

Dillie jutted her jaw, pounced on the bed, and began to make monkey sounds just as their mother swung open their door and dashed into their bed chamber. Sophie Farthingale came to an abrupt halt. “Lily, I warned you all that studying would damage your constitution,” she said, staring at Dillie, who had frozen in mid monkey grunt. “I do wish you’d take the season more seriously. Why can’t you behave like Dillie?” She mistakenly pointed to Lily and flashed her a warm, maternal smile. “Now you’ve made me
forget why I came up here. Oh, yes! Eloise’s carriage is at our gate.”

“We promised to take Meggie Cameron shopping today,” Lily explained, though only she had promised to take Meggie, but to now reveal that she was Lily would only confuse her mother, who seemed to
have raised confusion to an art form. Not that she was to blame.
Anyone would be attics-to-let trying to manage a household full of Farthingales
for the season. They’d descended on Number 3 Chipping Way from all
over England. Yorkshire Farthingales. Oxfordshire Farthingales. Devonshire Farthingales. Dozens, possibly hundreds, swarming like bees
about John and Sophie Farthingale’s London townhouse.
Honestly, couldn’t they find residences of their own?

Her mother glanced at the box on the bed. “What is your riding
habit doing in that box? Never mind. Make sure Sally brushes the dirt off it. Oh, perhaps she has. It looks new, as though it’s never been worn. Well, hang it up with your other gowns.” She turned on
her heels and hurried out.

“Must I go shopping?” Dillie asked when they were once more alone. “I was going to visit Daisy.”

“I’ll drop you off along the way. Give her a hug for me.” Daisy was due to give birth soon, though the newest addition to the family
wasn’t
expected for another month yet. Which meant Lily and her sisters
would meet at least once more before the baby was born.

She thoroughly enjoyed their monthly meetings. Laurel was to host the next one this coming Thursday, and Lily looked forward to it. Not only did she miss her sisters, but she also wanted to speak to them about Meggie and ask for their help in easing the shy girl into some of the smaller family gatherings.

She could also ply them for gossip. Laurel’s husband, Graelem, was a friend of Ewan’s. Perhaps he knew more about the Cameron family bitterness.

After dropping off Dillie, she directed the driver to take her to Lotheil Court. Meggie stood waiting on the steps. She cast Lily a sweet,
sincere smile, entered Eloise’s carriage, and settled in. “Good
morning, Lily. I hope I haven’t put you out.”

“Not at all. I look forward to shopping with you.”

“I’m so glad.” She nibbled her lip. “You always look so elegant and I know so little about fashion.”

“I’m sure I know even less. My sisters, Rose and Daisy, are far more capable. They helped my mother choose my wardrobe. I asked them to join us, but Rose is busy entertaining her husband’s family
and Daisy is
about to give birth. Laurel knows horses, not clothes, and Dillie
promised to visit Daisy today. So, I’m afraid it’s just the two of us. I hope you don’t mind.”

“No, of course not. It’s just that—”

“You mustn’t fret,” Lily insisted when Meggie began to nibble her lip again. “Madame de Bressard knows what she’s doing. All
you have to do is trust her judgment, and I’ll watch her prices.”

Madame de Bressard greeted Lily and Meggie with exuberance
as they entered her salon, and then with a sharp clap of her hands and some hastily uttered orders in French, she had her staff scrambling for fabric samples. “See, I told you she’d know precisely what to do,” Lily said, watching half a dozen shop girls rush to obey
those orders with the discipline and precision of the elite King’s Guard.

Meggie’s eyes brightened and she managed a genuine smile.
“Oh, Lily! You’re right. This is going to be such fun.” Her trepidation now eased, she allowed Madame de Bressard’s girls to fuss about her. That freed Lily to listen to Madame’s design ideas—shockingly
expensive ideas, all requiring exquisite fabrics—all of which were approved by Lily after a good bit of haggling.

After all, she would not allow Ewan to be duped. He was
generous
with those he loved—or those like her, to whom he felt he owed an obligation—but that didn’t mean she could spend him into the poorhouse.

“Lily, I’ve had such a lovely time,” Meggie whispered hours later as she was being fitted for the last of her gowns, an iridescent green silk that brought out the green in Meggie’s eyes and the reddish-brown of her hair. “I’m so glad Eloise introduced me to you.
I can’t wait to meet the rest of your family. Are they as perfect as you?”

Lily cast her a warm smile. “I’m hardly that. As for my family, I think you’ll like them all, though the Farthingale clan can be quite
overwhelming at times. They’re best taken in small doses, so I’ll have you meet my twin, Dillie, first. She’ll join us tomorrow when we return here to choose fabrics for your riding habit and morning gowns. After that, we’ll stop by my sister Daisy’s house. I’m hoping
Rose and Laurel will be there, so you can meet all my sisters at once. They’re simply wonderful.”

“I can’t wait to meet them. You’re so fortunate to have such a loving family. We were that way once, but now both my parents are gone and my brother is doing his best to fulfill his promise to our
father. Do you know about the promise?”

“Not really. I’ve only heard bits and pieces.”

“Ewan knows more about the family animosities than I do, but
the
situation is bad. Really bad, Lily. I wasn’t exaggerating when I said
that my father’s family wishes Ewan dead.”

Lily didn’t wish Meggie to upset herself, so she quickly returned the topic to her own family. “We have a large family, lots of aunts,
uncles,
and cousins, and many of them are in London for the season. At times, the house feels more like an army barracks. They’re meddlesome and boisterous, but they’re all well-meaning, so Dillie and I endure them. Usually we love them, even when we’re ready to
pull out our hair in frustration. Dillie’s much better at handling the family than I am.”

“They sound delightful. Do they need handling?”

“Every family does to some extent. Dillie is my savior. She keeps them distracted so that I can tend to my studies. I could never have finished a single research paper had she not... well, no point in discussing how she managed it. Though I’d never admit it to her, I think she ended up with the best qualities of us all—she’s smart,
funny, caring. But don’t you dare tell her I said so! I’ll deny it.”

Meggie shook her head and laughed. “I promise you, I won’t. I feel much the same way about Ewan. He’s smart, loyal, and protective, and when he loosens up, he has a brilliant sense of humor.” She laughed again. “Don’t you dare tell him I said that. I’ll
deny it, too.”

Madame de Bressard bustled in and gave her nod of approval over the green silk now beautifully draped over Meggie’s body. As the shop girls helped Meggie to remove the gown, taking extra care so as not to stick her with the pins, Lily made arrangements with Madame for tomorrow’s appointment. Everyone seemed pleased with the progress made.

Madame de Bressard left to mark down the appointment in her calendar. The shop girls slipped out of the fitting room to set aside the gowns for the seamstresses to finish. “Are you and Dillie really identical
twins?” Meggie asked in the quiet of the moment. “Can anyone tell you apart?”

“Your brother can.” He’d proved it when they’d met the other day in the park, though he’d claimed Jasper had given her away. Lily knew his eyes had been trained on her before Jasper had loped to her side. She didn’t wish to think that a stranger could know her
so well in so short a time. Especially not Ewan. The mere memory of his dark, emerald gaze raking over her body shot heat into her cheeks.

Meggie eyed her curiously. “You’re blushing.”

“It’s a little warm in here.”
Blazing hot fires of hell warm.

“Ewan has that devastating impact on all the ladies,” she said with
a knowing grin. “Very little gets past him. He’s the smartest man I
know. He claims that you’re smarter. I think he likes you, even
though you’re a
Sassenach
. I’m glad.”

“I’m sure you’re mistaken on all counts.” She didn’t like Ewan in
that
way. He didn’t like her in
that
way either. He couldn’t possibly. Men always ran from her and her overactive brain. Ran away screaming.

“I hope not. I like you, Lily. You’ve been wonderful to me from the first moment we met. And you’ve been beyond patient with today’s fittings. I’m glad we’re almost done here. I’ve had a grand
time, but I’m getting a bit tired of all the poking and pinning.”

Lily waited in the salon while Meggie returned to the dressing room to don her clothes. Feeling quite pleased, Lily was about to compliment herself for a job well done when the little bell over the
doorway rang to signal more customers entering the shop.

Lily turned toward the door. An exquisitely dressed young woman strolled in followed by an equally striking young man. Both were tall and golden-haired. “Good day,” she said, casting the
attractive couple a smile.

They ignored her.

She shrugged in response and waited for Madame de Bressard to appear through the curtain separating the salon from the fitting rooms. The agile woman did so promptly and with a cheerful
greeting for her new customers.

“Where is the wretched creature?” the female asked, cutting her short.

“We know she’s here,” the man snapped.

“My lord, I don’t know who you mean.” She turned to Lily, obviously seeking help, but Lily was as confused as she.

The man waved his ornate, silver-handled cane in front of her. “Margaret Cameron. The Scottish bitch’s offspring!”

Lily gasped. “Sir!”

She’d heard worse language spoken, but rarely so venomously. Her mind began to race, her first concern being for Meggie’s safety.
She had
to sneak Meggie out of the shop at once. Was there a side entrance?
Who were these awful strangers, anyway?