CHAPTER 24
Sneaking back into her own bedchamber proved less difficult than Lily imagined. She did so while Devon was still asleep. His tousled dark hair fell across his forehead in a way that made him look positively boyish. She glanced longingly at him as she tossed her wine-stained night rail over her head.
Everything was wine-stained now that she thought on it. Heaven only knew what the Atkinsons’ housemaids would think when they saw the mess. Though given Devon’s reputation, perhaps they wouldn’t be surprised.
She paused by the bedside long enough to trail a tapered fingernail over his cheekbone. There would be time for regrets later. For now, she must return to her own room without being seen.
She cracked open the door and peeked out. No one. She ventured down the hallway and nearly flew across the landing to the other side of the floor where her own bedchamber was. She pounced upon the door to her room and swung inside. No noise came from Annie’s adjoining bedchamber. Thank heavens. Lily closed her eyes and said a brief prayer of thanks for her success. She shucked her night rail, tossed on a new one, and climbed into bed.
Her head ached a bit from her overindulgence of wine, but she snuggled beneath the sheets with a smile on her face, remembering Colton’s big, strong hands on her body and the twinges and welcome aches that still lingered.
Lily pressed the balls of her hands against her eyes. She couldn’t write a pamphlet about what had happened between them last night. She knew that now, but she had finally had her wedding night. The one she was meant to have all along. And my, my, my, hadn’t she been wrong about it all? A wedding night, far from being a frightening nightmare, was more like a dream come true with the right “groom.” Devon Morgan had said he knew exactly how to please a woman.
Such
an understatement. She blushed just thinking about some of the things he’d done to her. Oh, yes, that wedding night had been worth whatever happened next. And besides, the repercussions could wait until morning. Well, later in the morning in any case.
* * *
Lily awoke several hours later to Mary drawing back the curtains in her room.
“What time is it?” Lily asked, rolling over and sitting up against the headboard.
“Eleven o’clock,” Mary replied. “Ye’ve nearly slept away the entire morning.”
Lily pulled up the pillow, hiding her smile behind it.
Mary turned to face her. “The letter ye’ve been waiting for arrived by messenger. Evans ’ad it sent from London.”
Lily sat up straight. “Where is it?”
Mary pulled an envelope from her apron pocket and handed it to Lily. “I’ve been wearing this string ’round me finger all morning so I wouldn’t forget ta give it ta ye.”
Lily ripped open the letter, holding her breath. She hurriedly scanned the page. She shut her eyes and exhaled, pressing the letter to her chest.
“Oh, Mary, it’s good news. Cousin Althea says we all may come. She writes she’s expecting an eighth child and having us there to assist her would be lovely. We’ll leave for Northumberland today.”
Mary clutched her chest. “Oh, me lady. What a relief.”
Lily nodded. “That it is. Where’s Annie?”
“’Aven’t seen ’er all morning. She must ’ave got up with the rooster. I expect she’s down in the drawing room with the rest of the young ladies, sewing.”
Lily sighed. No doubt Annie had told Mary exactly where she was going and the poor woman had forgotten again. But sewing was good. It would keep her sister out of trouble.
Mary bustled into the dressing room. “The men have all gone on a hunt and the matrons are in the breakfast room. Or so I think. I cannot recall.”
Lily stretched. “Breakfast sounds absolutely lovely,” she called. “Help me get my bath, won’t you, Mary?”
There was no reason Lily and Annie couldn’t enjoy the morning before they left for their cousin’s house. After breakfast, she would write Evans and have him and the dogs meet them in Northumberland. She’d have to send along her last bit of money to assist him with their journey. But it would all be all right after all. With a smile on her face, she hopped out of bed.
* * *
Lily was finishing a lovely breakfast when Viscount Medford appeared over her shoulder. “Lily, come for a walk with me.”
She glanced up at her friend. “Why, Medford, I’m surprised to see you. I thought you’d be out on the hunt with the other men.”
“I decided to forgo it,” he said, bowing. “I wanted to speak with you.” Something about the serious look on his face made Lily uneasy. “Just let me get my shawl,” she said, and hurried to her room.
Medford smiled when she met him on the back terrace. He took her hand and led her down the stone steps. They followed a walking path that circled along the Atkinsons’ lovely gardens and led out into the meadow.
Lily breathed in the fresh country breeze and the scent of the bobbing daffodils. So different from London’s stale, coal-filled air. Medford remained silent until they were a good distance from the house.
“Are you enjoying yourself here, Lily?” he asked, his voice oddly solemn.
Lily gulped. She had been enjoying herself actually. Very much. Last night in particular. But she couldn’t even look at Medford and think of that.
“Yes,” she said simply. She paid an inordinate amount of attention to the stones along the path, placing her slippered feet on each one’s center. “How are you enjoying the house party, Medford?”
Medford stopped and took her hand. He swung her around to face him. “I’m not enjoying it at all.”
For an awful moment, Lily thought Medford knew what she’d done last night. She cleared her throat. “Whyever not?” She glanced away from him, averting her eyes.
“I’m worried about you, Lily.”
This time she audibly gulped. “Worried? About me? I don’t understand.”
“Where are you going to live now that you’ve been ousted from your home? What are you going to do?”
Lily put her hand on his sleeve. “You’re so nice to worry for me. And I can’t thank you enough for your hospitality to Evans and the dogs and allowing me to borrow your coach. But I’ve got it all settled now. My cousin Althea is going to take us in. I just received the letter this morning. She lives in Northumberland and—”
Medford’s eyes went wide. “Northumberland! You must be joking. Why, it’s hours away and freezing cold.”
Lily bit her lip. “I must admit it’s not my first choice, but…”
Medford grabbed her by the shoulders. “Listen to me, Lily. Don’t go to Northumberland. Stay in London. Marry me.”
Lily sucked in her breath. She hadn’t expected this. “Oh, Medford, you’re lovely to offer, but you’re not in love with me.”
He raked a hand through his hair. “What does love have to do with marriage? I could list a score of marriages that have been built on less of a foundation than we have. Look, I know you need money. I have plenty of it. I’ll need an heir someday. Say yes, Lily. I swear I’ll make you happy.”
Lily wrapped her shawl more tightly around her shoulders and put her hand on her heart. Time seemed to stop. Here was this man, this nice man, her friend, asking her to marry him with all sincerity. And it would be so easy to say yes. Medford had money. He was handsome and titled and respectable. She couldn’t ask for a better prospect. And there was something else to consider. She had given in to her base instincts last night and made love with Devon. It was certainly possible that she was with child. The thought scared her and thrilled her at the same time.
She looked Medford in the eye and squeezed his hands. But it would be selfish to marry Medford for those reasons. James deserved someone who loved him and was devoted to him.
Truly, there was only one problem with Medford.
He wasn’t Devon Morgan.
No, she couldn’t accept Medford’s proposal. She opened her mouth to tell him so. “I—”
“Me lady! Me lady!” Mary was hurrying toward them down the garden path.
Lily swung around, clutching her shawl to her shoulders. “Yes? What is it?”
Medford squeezed Lily’s hand. “We’ll continue this discussion later,” he said, before turning to face Mary who had stopped a few paces away. The maid was breathing heavily and her face was quite red. “You must come back to the house immediately.”
“What is it, Mary? Tell me. Now.”
“Oh, me lady, it’s Annie. She’s missing!”
CHAPTER 25
Lily blinked at Mary who had just issued such dire news in a near hysterical voice. “No, no, that’s not true,” Lily insisted, hurrying over to calm the maid. “You said Annie went to the sewing party this morning.” She squeezed Mary’s cold hands.
Mary shook her head. “No, me lady, she wasn’t at the sewing party, I went looking for ’er. Seems no one ’as seen ’er.”
Real fear clutched Lily’s heart. “She must be in our rooms,” she whispered more to herself than anyone else, trying to convince herself it must be so. “I’ll find her.” Lily grabbed up her skirts and rushed back toward the house, Medford and Mary both on her heels.
When they reached the back porch, Medford called, “I’ll look around the rest of the house.” He left the two women to go to their rooms alone.
Lily raced through the breakfast room, into the hallway, through the foyer, and up the winding staircase to the second floor. When she reached her bedchamber, breathing heavily, she swung open the door and stopped. Her stomach dropped.
The room was empty. She hurried through the adjoining bedchamber, her heart in her throat. Also empty. She returned to her room to see Mary come in, panting.
“I just remembered something.” The look on the maid’s face told Lily what she didn’t want to know.
Mary slowly walked to the dresser and picked up a note. It hung limply from the maid’s hand.
Lily’s voice shook. “Where is she?”
Tears slipped from Mary’s eyes. “I’m so sorry, me lady. I must ’ave seen this note this morning and forgotten about it.” Mary shook her head and handed the note to Lily. Lily rushed forth to grab it. She quickly unfolded the single sheet of paper and scanned the page. “No, no, no.”
Dear Lily,
Please do not hate me. Arthur and I are going to Gretna Green. We are deeply in love. We must be together. I do hope you’ll understand … someday.
With all of my love,
Anne
“Oh, Annie, no!” Lily crushed the letter in her fist. “Gretna Green? What could she be thinking?” Lily paced the carpet. “Think. Think.”
“What will we do, me lady?” Mary asked, wringing her hands and watching her mistress walk back and forth across the room as if she were watching a game of battledore and shuttlecock.
Lily bit her knuckle. “Does anyone else know about this letter, Mary?”
“No, of course not. I told no one. Miss Conner came looking for Annie earlier and I told her she was not here. That was all.”
Lily closed her eyes tightly. “Good. Good.” She rubbed her temples to dispel the tension that had gathered there. “There’s only one way to stop two people already on their way to Gretna.”
Mary’s eyes were wide. “’Ow, me lady?”
Lily looked the maid in the eye. “Chase them down before they make it across the Scottish border. Mary, pack our bags. We must leave at once and do
not
tell anyone about this letter. Do you understand?”
Mary nodded vigorously, her eyes wide, her cap bobbing madly on her head. “What are we going ta do, me lady?”
“We’re going after her, of course.”
“Not without me.” A deep male voice sounded from the doorway.
Lily swung around. Devon Morgan stood there, a determined look on his face. Lily ignored the spring of happiness in her chest. He looked so handsome and completely refreshed, no bags under his eyes, or any signs of fatigue. Flashes of what had happened between them last night leaped unbidden into her mind. Her cheeks heated.
Yes, he looked perfect as usual. It made it more difficult to face him after spending last night naked, wrapped in his arms.
Lily rushed forward to close the door behind Devon. She glanced into the hall. Thankfully, no one was there. “What do you know about this?” she whispered.
Mary glanced between the two of them, raised her eyebrows, and scurried off into the other room to pack.
Devon was the picture of calm. “Your sister’s taken off for Gretna with Eggleston, hasn’t she?”
Lily pressed her back against the door. “Shh. How do you know?”
Devon took two strides forward. He was standing so close Lily could smell the scent of horse leather and cologne. Why did he have to smell so good?
The look in his eye was serious. “I saw Medford downstairs. He told me you were looking for Annie. I saw Annie and Eggleston together last night, whispering. I didn’t think much of it. Until now.”
Lily turned around to face the door and bit her lip. The fewer people who knew about all of this, the better. The gossip alone would ruin Annie if word got out. “I must go immediately. Please don’t tell anyone about this.”
Devon grabbed Lily by the shoulders and spun her around. His dark eyes searched her face. “Listen to me. The trip to Gretna is long and harsh, not to mention dangerous. It’s no trip for two ladies. Let me go for you.”
Lily squeezed her eyes shut. How had this day turned into such a nightmare? But there was no use pretending with Devon. “Please. I don’t want anyone to know about this.”
“All the more reason to allow me to help you. I promise to retrieve her as inconspicuously as possible. I will circulate the story that Annie left for London this morning because she was not feeling well. I can have my horses put to and I can meet the coach by the side entrance in ten minutes. You and your maid can take the coach you came in, return to London, and await Annie there.”
Lily’s shoulders slumped. She was supposed to be traveling to Northumberland today, not chasing Annie to Gretna Green. And here was Devon, helping her and making everything so easy. And it would be easy, so simple, to allow him to take charge of everything. She’d been in charge for so long. Too long now.
She leaned her head against the solid door. “And what will people think when you leave so suddenly?”