Lily in Bloom (5 page)

“Better, thank you.” Lily stirred her tea. She tried to push her earlier thoughts out of her mind and focus on the day ahead. She did not know how she would find the truth about Eric or if it even mattered. Would he court her?

“Remember, nothing strenuous today. The Sampsons are calling at noon. I have a meeting with Mr. Sampson at one but they would like to check in with you first.”

The spoon Lily had been holding clattered onto her saucer as tea sloshed out of her cup. Her brother’s eyes narrowed but she set the cup down and nodded. Could he get past his love of Caitlin to make room in his heart for her? Did he even want to? Was he the man she saw or the one Isabelle’s friend accused him of? She didn’t know how to get these answers but she knew she was going to try. Lily got up from the table and headed back upstairs to change. She wanted to look her best.

An hour and a half later, Lily waited in the sitting room for her visitors. She sat attempting to embroider with Elise but she could not concentrate on her stitches. She had never enjoyed such tasks to begin with and with her nerves so jumpy, her work looked like a disaster.

“How can you tolerate such mundane activity?” Lily huffed, her nerves raw.

“I don’t know, I kind of like it. We are usually so busy cleaning and shopping and playing with the children it feels like a luxury to just sit and stitch.” Elise continued to work, a small smile on her face.

Lily felt a stab of guilt at her sharp words. “I'm sorry, Elise. I don’t mean to be so abrupt. I am just unused to all this socializing.”

“We socialize all the time at home.” Elise’s smile broadened.

“Elouise Parker and Mabel Grey are not the same thing as gentlemen callers and you know it. We do not dress in our finest and sit around waiting for the ladies of Kennebunk to come calling.” Lily felt herself relaxing and laughed along with Elise.

“You’re right. But you sure do make a pretty picture sitting there.” Elise patted her hand.

“Thank you.” Lily looked down at the soft pink dress she had finally chosen. After looking at several options, she had selected the pink because it brought out the honey color of her hair and creaminess of her skin. It hugged her curves and, she hoped, accentuated her figure.

“Elise, you haven’t asked me about Mark yesterday or Eric today.” Lily made the statement even though she had been dreading the conversation. It was better to just get it over with.

Elise touched her shoulder. “Lily, enjoy this part of your life and, by all means, assess all of your options. Your brother had to do a great deal of convincing for me to decide he was the man I would marry. I know you don’t have all the time in the world to decide but you’ve got a little. Make it count.” Elise gave her hand a squeeze.

Lily leaned over and hugged her sister-in-law, thankful to have her in her life. As she pulled away, the front bell rang signaling the arrival of the Sampsons.

As the butler showed Eric and Toby into the room, Toby grinned at her and pulled from behind his back a bouquet of wild flowers. “These are for you.”

“Thank you so much. Could I get a vase to arrange them in?” Lily turned to her sister-in-law and Elise left to fetch a vase.

“Thank you.” Eric kissed her hand. A shiver ran up her arm and for a moment she held her breath. Then Eric let her hand go. “Toby barely has a scratch and we have you to thank for that. I hope you have fared as well?”

“I have a few bumps and bruises but nothing serious. After a few weeks of moderated activity, I will be back to my usual self.” Lily felt her heart beating quickly but tried to keep her voice calm and steady. Whenever she was around Eric, she forgot all the doubts she had about his feelings for her.

 Eric reached for her hand again, holding it in his own. “I am sorry you were hurt even that much.” The two stared at each other for a few moments, not saying a word. She felt her whole body heating up and excitement coursed through her. How could this man hurt anyone?

She heard Elise’s voice as she entered the room. “Do you think this vase is large enough?”

Eric let go of Lily’s hand and Lily felt her world tilt as she tried to concentrate. “Ah, fine,” was all she could say as she hurriedly began to arrange the flowers.

Elise’s eyebrows shot up but she remained silent. Instead, she turned to Toby. “My son and daughter would love your company if you would like to join them outside. They are looking at flowers in the garden.”

“That would be great!” Toby bounced on the balls of his feet as Elise rang for May to escort the boy.

“He's welcome to stay with the children and their nanny until you are finished your meeting with James.” Eric nodded his thanks and Elise once again assumed her position in the corner.

Lily felt a knot of tension in her stomach at the prospect of uninterrupted conversation with this man. She glanced at him through her eyelashes and he was staring intently at her. It momentarily threw her and she cast about for something to say. “Well, we have told you all about Kennebunk. Where is it you are from?”

Eric seemed to relax. Lily watched as he sat back in his chair, his face relaxing as well. He began to tell her about his home in New York. “I am the oldest of three boys. My father passed away when I was twelve so my mother was shackled with three teenagers. I would say she found it trying.”

Lily cocked one eyebrow. “Trying?”

Eric shrugged, chuckling. “Once my brothers and I tried to swipe horses from a neighbor’s stable for fun. We were caught by the groom. My mother made us clean their stable every morning for a month. We could not leave until it was spotless. It was the cleanest stable for miles.”

Lily laughed. “She must have been furious!”

Eric returned her grin. His eyes danced with a playful wickedness. Lily was drawn to it and felt her pulse rising. “She was, but I learned a valuable lesson. I never tried to steal again! Or break any laws for that matter. She wanted her sons raised right.”

Lily sat stunned. It was like he had heard her thoughts earlier and was answering her concerns. It reaffirmed what she felt in her heart—that he was a good man.

 “What about you? It would seem you have your own childhood adventures.” Eric looked intently at her as she answered.

“I am the youngest of three and a girl at that. My brothers would ride horses bareback on the beaches. They would go clamming for the fun of it. They would row out into the tide. I wanted to be part of their adventures and they absolutely did not want me there. So I would try to follow them, end up stuck or hurt and they would have to rescue me. My father must have made them do it. Lucky for me. You already heard that Mark had to fish me out of a fast-moving river. I came close to drowning.” Lily grimaced a little to remember her foolishness. His fingers ever so slightly brushed hers in comfort but the sensation of it shot through her body.

“When did you stop chasing them?” He leaned forward again, the intensity marking his face once more. They constantly seemed to be dancing, moving closer and then further apart. Lily wondered how it would end.

“Well, Mark left for the army and my older brother for Harvard. I was ten or eleven and my father decided it was time for me to start pursuing more ladylike endeavors. I grudgingly did what was asked of me. When my parents died, I had to become the lady of the house and it left little time to continue exploring outside.” A new sensation was filling Lily. Sharing her feelings and experiences only seemed to draw her closer to Eric. Was she falling in love?

“It must have been difficult.” Eric’s voice was sympathetic. His face still held the desire but his eyes held compassion as well. She wished she could touch his face but dared not.

“It was the most difficult time of my life. But, I had my brothers and soon Elise. I am lucky to have them.” Lily looked into his eyes. She longed to say that she wanted him in her life too.

“Mr. Sampson, it is one o’clock.” Elise interrupted.

Eric momentarily frowned but quickly disguised it, and all of the intimacy of the past moments was erased, as well. His face was once again a polite mask. “Thank you, Mrs. Carter. Miss Carter, it was wonderful to see you again.” He kissed her hand in farewell. Elise rose to escort him to James’s office and he left the room with a final smile. A sharp pang of disappointment filled Lily. The dance had moved him further away again with no promise of another meeting in the near future. She had felt the closeness, she knew she did, but always he pulled away.

Eric walked out of the room and closed his eyes for the briefest of seconds. He had to stop seeing Lily Carter. Every time he was with her he was drawn into her spell. Her beauty, her innocence, their desire for each other wound around him like a spider’s thread. The world thought he was still in love with his first wife. He let them think that. It was easier. But he knew he could not afford to fall in love again. He would keep his distance and he would marry a woman he had no feelings for.

Elise stepped out of the room behind him and smiled as she led the way to James’s office. The door was open and Elise and Eric could hear James talking to another person.

Eric recognized the voice of Mark Summers although he could not see him.

“Are you asking me to marry Lily?” Mark sounded a bit stunned.

“Like I said, don’t answer today but think about it. Get to know her again. The two of you seemed to get along very well at the picnic and, unlike many arranged marriages, I know I can trust you with her happiness. I know it’s a lot to take in but give it some thought.”

Eric clenched his fists. He felt a pang of regret but he pushed it back down. It would be easier to get over his attraction to Lily Carter this way. But the image of her in another man’s arms filled him with anger. His teeth gritted as he waited to hear what Mark would say.

Mark could not answer because Elise pushed open the door and stood in the doorway staring at her husband. “Could I speak with you, please?” Her tone was stiff. Behind her, Eric stood straight as a statue.

Mark shook hands with James then walked out the door as Elise closed it behind him. Mark turned to Eric as he ran his fingers through his hair.

Eric gritted his teeth and crossed his arms over his chest. Although he did not want to marry Lily, it bothered him to think of her with someone else.

Mark seemed to read Eric’s thoughts. Mark cocked one eyebrow. “It is not every day that you get offered the hand of such a beautiful woman. I should consider myself lucky.”

“Indeed, you should. She is not just beautiful but kind and caring. You would be a lucky man.” Eric stated flatly. He felt the absurdity of convincing another man to marry Lily. Jealousy rose in his chest. He thought of his first wife and all that had happened to him. He would not do it again. While he hated to think of Lily with another, he would stay out of it. With that, Elise stepped out and Eric went in to speak with James.

Elise returned to the morning room fifteen minutes later, her face pinched and angry. Lily looked at the other woman in surprise but Elise sat and said nothing. Lily had expected Elise to return immediately to discuss the details of her meeting with Eric Sampson. Instead, Elise sat silently in her chair stabbing at her embroidery.

“Elise, are you all right?” Lily asked tentatively.

Finally, Elise tossed what she was working on down and let out an exasperated sigh. “Your brother can be the most infuriating man! Sometimes I don’t know what to do with him!”

Lily smiled, relieved. Her brother and sister-in-law had gotten into more than one fight and she stayed out of it whenever possible. Things usually smoothed over in a day or two.

“How do you think you feel about Eric Sampson?” Elise’s question took her off guard.

“I have never felt about anyone the way I feel about him. But I worry that he is still…” Lily paused.

“In love with his first wife. I have wondered the same thing. There are other rumors of course.” Elise looked away as she spoke.

“I don’t think I believe them. I have been trying to decide if I just don’t want to believe them but everything I see in him says that he is a good man.” Lily’s voice cracked on the last word. She realized how desperately she wanted this to be true.

Elise took a long, deep breath and stared at Lily. “I don’t think I believe them either. Only you can decide if you want to go forward with a relationship with him.”

Lily nodded her head, “I do.”

“Then I am going to help you. It is clear that he is interested in you, as well, though he is resisting. In the meantime I think it is time you had a crash course on how to make a man beg for mercy.”

“Elise, I am not Amelia. I have tried to employ her techniques. I just am no good at them.” Lily’s brow furrowed.

“I don’t want you to be Amelia. I am sure part of the reason he likes you is because of your straightforward personality, your gentleness. I could see it at dinner. No, we need to teach you how to be you only in a way that brings more attention to yourself. And if we don’t do it soon, you may lose Mr. Sampson. Tom will be arriving tomorrow with your Aunt Clarissa and Amelia. She can give you some additional pointers but you and I are starting right now. I am sure he will be at the Winchester’s ball on Friday night.” Elise sat up straight in her chair. “Lily, there are many men out there who are more infatuated with you than with Amelia. You just never give them any encouragement so they think they don’t have a chance. Now here is the first thing I want you to do…”

“Elise, men do not find me more attractive than Amelia.” Lily looked at her sister-in-law stunned.

“Don’t be ridiculous. Of course they do. All right. The first thing you have to do is laugh when they talk, act interested. It does not have to be a laugh that attracts the whole room…”

“Like Amelia.” The two women smiled at each other.

“Exactly, just enough that he thinks you think he is the most fascinating man there. Like this…” Elise looked up through her lashes and laughing softly, looked adoringly into space.

Lily knew exactly what she meant. Elise did not attract attention from the whole room but would make whomever she was speaking to feel incredibly desired. She leaned forward listening to every word Elise said.