My Fair Lily (27 page)

She’d been referred to as brilliant before, but usually with
disdain. Women weren’t supposed to be brilliant. They were supposed to smile and simper, and look as though they needed help to manage
the easiest chores. But Ewan wasn’t like others. He admired her for
who
she was, a bluestocking who frightened away most men and
understood very little about social etiquette, but did understand the importance of love and family.

She returned his smile with a warm one of her own. “Will you help
me find Dillie?”

He laughed. “Ah, the spectacles switch.” He craned his neck and scanned the room, his height a decided advantage. “There she is, in the corner speaking to the Duke of Edgeware.”

Him again?

“Him again,” Ewan said, frowning as he echoed her thought. “I wonder if he thinks he’s speaking to you? I noticed him seated
beside you at the Simmingtons’ musicale.”

Holy crumpets!
Was he jealous? He couldn’t be. But a subtle change had come over him, a slight tension in his stance, and he’d
puffed out his chest as a baboon would have done when preparing to challenge an interloper.

Fascinating!

He still held her possessively by the elbow, a sure sign he was marking his territory. “I’ll walk you over there.”

Dominant males within the animal kingdom would establish the boundaries of their territory by lifting their leg and emitting a spray at each corner. It not only warned away interlopers but also attracted females willing to mate.

No wonder she found him so appealing. He had all the characteristics of the dominant male. Good looks, arrogance, and a fiercely protective
nature. He was a rugged Highlander who refused to be civilized, who looked dangerous even when wearing fashionable clothes, and who
refused to bend to his grandfather’s wishes.

His gaze shot to hers as they made their way through the elegant crowd. “Lily, why are you looking at me that way?”

She blushed. “No reason.”

“I’m not one of your male baboons.” He arched an eyebrow, as though waiting for her to agree, and then chuckled when she didn’t. “Come on, let’s get you to your sister.”

Lily approached her twin carefully, even though she sensed that Edgeware had not been fooled by the spectacles. Not wishing to give away their ruse, she decided to take her cues from Dillie on the chance that she had guessed wrong.

“We’re safe. He knows and won’t tell,” Dillie said, making quick introductions. She took off the spectacles and handed them to Lily. “Thank goodness, I can see again. Do I look cross-eyed?”

“No, you look perfect,” she and Edgeware answered at the same moment.

Lily stared at him. Edgeware stared at Ewan. Ewan once again arched an eyebrow as he stared back. In the animal kingdom, two
males staring each other down was extremely aggressive behavior.
Would they spray their territories next? Apparently, it was not
necessary. Edgeware realized that Ewan had no amorous intentions toward Dillie. At the same time, Ewan was satisfied that Edgeware had no such intentions toward her.

Crumpets! This was most interesting.

Edgeware and Dillie? Though not nearly old enough to be considered a confirmed bachelor, the duke had made no secret of his intention never to marry.

And what of Ewan? Despite Pruitt’s assessment, Lily doubted that Ewan had marriage in mind. He had to settle his family matters before considering a bride. Hopefully, he’d dismiss Callie as a
prospect. She
knew he would if his head were clear, but at the moment it was crammed
with deathbed promises and a general dislike for all things English. He
was proud and stubborn and on terrible terms with his grandfather, and his grandfather was just as proud and stubborn. She hoped he would not goad Ewan into making a stupid decision,
but she knew the old duke was just the sort to goad and poke at festering family wounds.

How would Ewan respond? By poking back at his grandfather and marrying Callie MacCorkindale to spite him?

Ewan tipped a finger under her chin and forced her gaze to his. “Lass, I’m not one of your baboons.”

“What?”

“Your head’s in the clouds again. Have you heard a word we’ve said?”

“Sorry. I didn’t.”

He grinned. “I have a few matters that require my attention. I’ll escort you to your uncle. He’s still entertaining Meggie and Evangeline.”

“I think I can keep my head out of the clouds long enough to make my own way into the dining room.” She turned to the crush of guests merrily chatting in the overheated room. “I know a shortcut across the terrace. I’ll avoid the crowd entirely.”

***

Ewan was about to insist on accompanying Lily, but his
grandfather
was making his way toward him with a scowl as dark as
thunderclouds.
Callie, also scowling and with claws bared, was approaching from
the other direction. “Go straight to your uncle. Promise me, Lily.”

She eyed him curiously. “I will. Are you always this demanding?”

“No. Sorry, lass.” He didn’t know why he had such a bad feeling about letting her out of his sight. The little hairs at the nape of his
neck were on end and stiff as iron spikes. No doubt because he was about to face his grandfather—who would be furious that he’d
brought Evangeline to the party, and furious that she was having a nice time
with the Farthingales. No doubt because he was also about to tell Callie to find someone else to marry (and make miserable)—and
she’d be
furious and ready to lash out at anyone who got in her way.
Couldn’t have Lily standing beside him when that happened. “I’ll meet you in the dining room. I won’t be long.”

He was about to ask Dillie and Edgeware to accompany her, but the pair were now distracted by Rupert Farthingale, one of the many
Farthingale uncles, who was decidedly in his cups and mistaking Dillie for her twin, although Dillie had already handed off the spectacles. Edgeware was helping to steady the man, who seemed about to tip over.

Ewan stepped away, knowing Edgeware and Dillie had the matter well in hand. He started toward the terrace, then stopped himself. He was being overly protective. And hadn’t Homer Barrow,
the Bow Street runner he’d retained, put a man on to watch Lily?

So why were those little hairs still on end?

Callie reached him first, the old duke having been delayed by Eloise, who’d called him over for more questions about his birthday
party. He’d have to thank her afterward, for Eloise had surely done it on purpose, drummed up some excuse to divert the old bastard from spewing his venom at Ewan during her party. Ewan knew him
better than that. The appearance of civility and proper English manners was too important to his grandfather. Likely all he would have done this evening was quietly threaten Ewan. He’d proceed to the task of destroying him, Meggie, and Evangeline once the party was over. Lovable old fellow.

Callie clamped a cold, bony hand on his forearm to gain his attention.
“Who do you think you are? You can’t make a fool of me. We had an understanding.”

“We’ve been friends a long time, Callie. But you and I know we
never had any such arrangement. If there had been one, I would
have
honored it.” He doubted she would have, though. When looking back, Callie had never been a sappy, moon-eyed girl. She used people, treating most as though they were some small, inconsequential trinket such as a comb or hair ribbon to be used until
something newer and
shinier came along. Then the old trinket would be tossed into the dustbin and forgotten. She was that way with men as well, tossing over one suitor when bored for the next who happened to catch her fancy.

“We’re alike, Ewan. We suit each other.”

He hoped not. “I’m not that same man I was a year ago. However, I value our friendship and am sorry if I ever gave you hope it might turn
into something more.” He met her gaze, looking for a spark of
anything
other than the anger that now marred her beautiful face. Nothing. No pain of lost love, no gleam of hopefulness, no trace of affection.
Had she ever cared for anyone other than herself?

Lily was so different, a delightful mix of logic and warmth. She genuinely cared for others. He’d seen the pain, the ache of love in her eyes, and cursed himself a fool for failing to appreciate how
important
she’d become to him. She could add meaning and wonder to his life. So why was he desperate to keep her out of his heart? Instead of reciting reasons why he and Lily could never work, he should have been counting his blessings. To be sure, there were problems to
overcome, but Lily was worth the effort.

“I know what’s troubling you.” Callie’s voice was now a kittenish purr that he found surprisingly unappealing for its lack of sincerity. “You’re hurt that we never shared that bit of
something
more. I was willing. You were always such a prude about it, Ewan.”

“It was never my style to seduce virgins.”

“You worried needlessly. I was never the sweet, innocent sort. I can prove it to you now, if you’ll let me.”

He arched an eyebrow, not particularly eager to indulge in the sexual pleasures she was offering. “This isn’t the time or place to speak of such matters.”

“Join me in the garden and I’ll show you what you’ve been
missing.” Her hand still felt like a clamp about his forearm, not soft or caressing as Lily’s had been. She leaned close and brushed her breasts against his tense body. Her nipples were hard, and her skin lightly pink with
arousal. “I know how to please a man. I’m wet for you, Ewan. So hot
and wet, aching to take you inside of me.” She gazed at his crotch as she
ran her tongue slowly across her lips. “I’ll make you forget the
Sassenach
virgin. Wait a few minutes and then follow me into the garden. I’ll meet you beside the lilac trees.”

She licked her lips again. Looked at his crotch again. Then was gone.

All he felt was relief. However, no sooner had Callie left his side than his grandfather approached. “You brought Evangeline.” That was it, just three words, but they were laden with menace.

He wanted to curl his hands into fists and pummel the old man. “It seemed the right thing to do.”

“She ought to have known better than to accept a ride from you.”

“Why? You weren’t going to offer. She’s your granddaughter, yet you treat her worse than a pair of old boots. All she wants is for
you to love her. She has only you and Desmond. She’d give you her heart if you opened up yours just a crack, but you’ll never do it. Your only desire is to control and manipulate. You treat her worse than the old rag that’s used to clean your old boots.”

“Don’t you talk to me that way. I’m still your grandfather.”

“As well as Evie’s and Desmond’s. Start acting like it. They’re
your family, not some marionettes to be pulled by your strings.”

His grandfather’s eyes were now blazing and his hands, like Ewan’s, were flexing at his sides to fight the temptation to curl them
into fists. “You’re quick to defend them, yet you haven’t any notion of their true natures. You’ve been here less than a month. What do you know about them? You haven’t experienced firsthand the extent of their greed.”

“What have they done to make you think they only covet your wealth?” He didn’t necessarily disagree with the statement, for he didn’t know his cousins at all, but the little he’d seen of them and of their home did not give him that impression.

He’d seen desolation, not avarice, in Evie’s eyes. Not that he was an expert with women. Quite the opposite, they confounded him at every turn. Lily especially. He still didn’t understand why his heart leapt into his throat and his blood turned fiery whenever he saw her. It just did.

He missed her, even though they’d only been apart a short while.

“You’ll find out for yourself,” his grandfather said, answering his question after a long moment’s pause. “They’ll pretend to like you, but don’t be fooled. They’ll hate you as they hate me. They blame me for the death of their father.”

“Do they have reason?”

“No. Damn you, Ewan. I loved my sons, both of them. I’m no monster.”

He’d humiliated Evie and banned Lily from the thing she loved
most. If he wasn’t a monster, he came fairly close. But this wasn’t a discussion to be pursued amid a party. Though he and his grandfather were on their own in a corner, they were drawing notice. Ewan
resolved to renew their conversation later at Lotheil Court.

Right now, he was eager to see Lily again. He’d find her with Evie and Meggie, no doubt putting both of them at ease, because it was her nature to calm and comfort. Not that he was ever comfortable around Lily. He wasn’t. But it was a good discomfort. A hot, melt-the-butter-on-your-biscuits desire that he always felt
around her.

He noticed Callie walking in from the garden and felt her presence like a splash of cold water. Bollix. He’d forgotten about her,
kept her waiting by the damned lilacs. He had no intention of taking her up on her offer of sex. She wasn’t remotely tempting.

Still, he shouldn’t have dismissed her from his thoughts the moment she’d walked away. An angry, ignored woman was always trouble.