Seeds of Love: Prequel to Lily in Bloom (12 page)
Read Seeds of Love: Prequel to Lily in Bloom Online
Authors: Tammy Andresen
“Too late.” Elise cut him off. “This gorgeous creature is about to be unleashed on Boston society. God help them all!”
Their purchasing done, the Carter’s left the dress shop to return to their Commonwealth Avenue home. James stepped away to retrieve their carriage while Elise and Lily waited.
Lily took a deep breath of the fresh spring air and looked around. The dressmaker had a dress that fit her almost perfectly and had allowed her to wear it out of the shop. It felt wonderful to be in new clothing. A nearby dogwood was putting out its blooms. By the beginning of May large flowers would cover the tree. It would be wonderful to see greenery again after a long cold winter in Maine. It was wonderful to be in Boston with all the promise a new season held. Could it possibly hold romance for her? Lily was so caught up that she did not notice the two boys or the ball that were heading straight for her.
“Toby, look out!” A deep voice pulled her out of her reverie but not in time. A boy of four or five came barreling into her, causing her to lose her balance. As she tried to right herself, she took a step back. Unfortunately, Elise had set down the hat boxes there and she tripped, tumbling to the ground. She felt her head bang an iron fence behind her and pain shot through her body. She saw stars but somehow maintained consciousness.
“Toby! What did I tell you about running when you’re not looking.” She heard a sharp male voice.
“I was looking. I was looking at the ball.” The little boy responded. If her head hadn't been swimming, she would have laughed.
“Are you all right?” His deep voice pierced through her haze but it took Lily a moment to realize that the question had been directed at her. As she forced her eyes to focus she saw Elise bent down above her. Next to her was the boy who had run into her a moment before. He looked very frightened. She tried to speak but somehow couldn’t form the words.
“It’s all right. Don’t try to talk, just rest for a second.” Lily turned to the baritone voice that was coming from her right. Her breath stopped in her throat. Above her was the most gorgeous man she had ever met, Eric Sampson. She had met Eric four years earlier during her first official season in Boston.
He had been, and still was, the most handsome man she had ever laid eyes on. When they were introduced, Lily had blushed and stuttered through their introduction. It had been exhilarating an embarrassing all in the same moment.
Strong hands reached down and slid under her back, bringing Lily sharply back to the present. Shivers raced up and down her spine that had nothing to do with her fall. One look into the dark pools of his eyes made her tingle all over. He had wavy dark hair, a straight nose and strong jaw. His lips were full and seemed to curve in the smallest of smiles. Eric’s broad shoulders and muscular body made him look as though he spent his time at sea rather than behind a desk. His muscles rippled underneath her. Desire crackled through Lily like lightening but she closed her eyes to gain control and block out his face. Eric Sampson had been and still was married.
His wife Caitlin was everything that Lily as not. Tall with dark red hair, Caitlin had a commanding physical presence. To a shy girl of fifteen Eric’s wife had seemed to know everyone. Caitlin subtly flirted with the men and conspired with the women. That season had been Lily’s first lessons in love and heartbreak.
Eric gently lifted her into the sitting position Lily swallowed hard and forced the butterflies in her stomach down. How could she still react this way after four years? She looked at the only man she had ever desired in her life. He seemed older or harder. She wasn’t sure what it was but he looked different. No less attractive, but not the rake she had met. As she was about to speak, Toby jumped in.
“I'm real sorry I ran into you like that,” he looked down at the ground.
Lily glanced at Eric’s son. He was the spitting image of his father at five years old. Large dark eyes sparkled from under unruly waves of dark hair. His nose was more upturned than his father’s, the only hint of his mother. He was sure to break hearts. Lily’s melted instantly. She could not stand to see this little boy look so sad over an accident.
“Apology accepted. Accidents happen to everyone.” She smiled at him as he looked at her in surprise.
“Do you mean it?” He returned her smile, looking relieved.
“Don’t look too happy, Toby. I have not forgiven you and you will be in trouble when we get home.” Eric spoke sternly to his son but he turned and smiled his thanks to her.
“Are you ready to get to your feet?” Eric once again looked at Lily and the butterflies flew up in her chest but she nodded her head. He slowly lifted her from the ground as if she weighed no more than a feather and lightly set her on her feet. She felt slightly dizzy but was afraid to speak. What was happening to her?
As he removed his hands, she began to sway and he once again placed his arms around her, pulling her closer to steady her. She felt hot and her body was tingling everywhere it was touching his, which only made her head swim more. She could not help herself, she tilted her head back and looked up into his handsome face.
Recognition and what Lily thought might be desire crossed over Eric's face as he looked down at her and Lily almost forgot to breath. She felt her arms traveling up around his neck and she had no power to stop them. His face seemed to be moving closer to hers, slowly but surely, and Lily felt her eyes flutter closed.
“What the devil is going on here?” An angry voice interrupted the moment and Eric’s head snapped up. Lily turned to see her brother striding toward them.
James reached the group on the sidewalk. His face was set in hard lines, fists clenched at his sides. “I knew I should not have allowed you to buy those dresses. Five minutes in one of them—”
“James, calm down.” Elise stepped between James and Eric. “Lily fell and hit her head. This man was only helping her.”
James stopped abruptly. His look turned from anger to concern. “Are you all right? Should I call a doctor?”
“I’m fine. Just a little dizzy.” Lily tried to speak normally but Eric was still holding her and she was having trouble concentrating.
“Perhaps we should see if you can stand on your own now.” Eric slowly let her go. Even in her dizziness she thought she felt his fingers graze down her back. Lily managed to steady herself. She still felt off balance but now that she wasn’t so close to Eric she felt like she could breathe again. A slow throb was building in the back of her head and working its way to her temples.
“Thank you for your help. We are in your debt. I must apologize for my outburst…” James shook Eric’s hand.
“No need for apologies. I understand completely,” Eric replied.
“I’m James Carter, this is my wife Elise and my sister Lillian.” Lily blinked. How could her brother not recognize the man she dreamed of so often?
“Eric Sampson, I believe we have met. This is my son Toby. I am afraid that I can take no such offer since it was my son that knocked her over in the first place. Your sister was most gracious. I would like to make this up to you in some way.”
“Eric Sampson? Of course. You own a few of our ships.” James seemed delighted now, his anger completely forgotten. Lily could have rolled her eyes. Lately James thought of little else besides his ship building business. It was one of the reasons her family had travelled to Boston for this season.
“Your ships were of excellent quality. We are still using them. I have been planning on contacting you for a new contract. Would you consider coming to my home this Friday for dinner? I would like to show Miss Carter my gratitude and perhaps discuss some business with you.” Eric smiled and Lily felt her head throb again.
James smiled back, looking ecstatic. “We would be delighted. Tell your wife we look forward to seeing her again as well.”
“Thank you for the thought but my wife passed away two years ago.” Eric looked at his feet, his face tightening.
“How horrible,” Elise murmured.
Lily, who had been focusing all of her energy on remaining standing, looked up suddenly. The movement caused the blood to rush from her head the world begin to go dark. She tried to grab at air but she couldn’t seem to balance. For the second time in minutes, she fell to the ground.
Lily opened her eyes to the sight of blue sky before her and tried to figure out why on earth she would be looking at the sky in the middle of the day. Slowly, the sounds around her began to penetrate her mind.
“Lily…Lily, can you hear me?” Lily turned to see the faces of her brother and sister-in-law staring down at her.
“What?” Confusion clouded her mind.
“James, I will get her into a hired carriage, you go fetch the doctor with ours. She must have hit her head worse than we thought.”
“Did I hit my head again?” Lily asked, feeling very confused.
“No, I caught you this time,” a deep gentle voice whispered in her ear. Reality slowly returned. She was cradled in Eric’s arms, his hand subtly stroking her back. If she hadn’t been so dizzy, the intimacy would have taken her breath away.
“Mr. Sampson, would you be so kind as to help me get her into the buggy?” Elise hailed the carriage over as Eric gently picked her up off the ground.
The driver got down off the seat to open the door as Eric carried her over.
“Where can I take you folks?” he asked with concern.
“Eight-twenty Commonwealth Avenue, please.” Elise stepped out of the way as Eric climbed in. He set her gently down on the seat. His eyes locked with hers as he gave her hand a squeeze. Gently, he brought her hand to his lips and gave it a light kiss. Lily’s heart beat in her chest and she looked away for a moment unsure of what to do or say. The moment was broken. Eric dropped her hand and stepped back out.
“I can follow you to help you when you arrive home,” Eric offered to Elise as she climbed in.
“Thank you but we should be fine. It was nice to meet you. We look forward to seeing you on Friday.” Elise motioned to the driver and Lily lifted her head briefly to see Eric, holding his son, watching the carriage drive away.
~~END OF EXCERPT~~
You can find Lily on Amazon:
http://amzn.to/1S1Q152
More about Lily in Bloom:
“While the relationship between Lily and Eric is the primary focus of this story, the mystery/suspense factor is what kept this from being JUST a historical romance. Lily in Bloom was a fast-paced, romantic read that I absolutely LOVED. Even if you don't normally read "historical romances", PICK THIS BOOK UP!!” – Alysse Novak
ABOUT TAMMY ANDRESEN
Tammy Andresen lives with her husband and three children just outside of Boston, Massachusetts. She grew up on the Seacoast of Maine, where she spent countless days dreaming up stories in blueberry fields and among the scrub pines that line the coast. Her mother loved to spin a yarn and Tammy filled many hours listening to her mother retell the classics. It was inevitable that at the age of 18, she headed off to Simmons College, where she studied English literature and education. She never left Massachusetts but some of her heart still resides in Maine and her family visits often.
Seeds of Love is the Prequel to Lily in Bloom. You can find Lily on Amazon:
http://amzn.to/1S1Q152
Find out more about Tammy:
https://www.facebook.com/authortammyandresen/
https://twitter.com/TammyAndresen
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