Must Love Dukes (20 page)

She slipped from the room, walking straight for the door without a backwards glance and leaving Devon in the middle of a group of clamoring servants. She didn’t take a breath until she had accepted a glass of lemonade from a passing footman and mixed back into the crowd on the lawn.

A few minutes later, she saw Devon emerge from the house and stride across the terrace. He gave a nod in her direction and disappeared around the corner toward his carriage. The only thing for her to do now was wait and hope his plot worked. Until tomorrow night’s charity ball, their scheme could still go horribly awry.

Lady Heyward was busy greeting a new guest to her charity ball. While her back was turned, Devon slipped the sealed letter from his pocket, stepping closer to the table at the foot of the stairs.

He took a sip of his drink, considering who else might be watching him. With a quick flick of his wrist, he dropped the letter into the glass bowl set out for charitable donations and turned away.

“Thornwood, good to see you again,” the Marquess of Elandor offered with a nod of his head.

“Elandor, it’s a nice evening to be charitable, isn’t it?” Devon asked, wondering how much the man had seen as he walked up beside the table for donations.

“Certainly. Although I must admit I’m here more to see a friend and less to take the orphaned children of London under my wing.” He gave what could be considered a chuckle for such a serious gentleman. “Have you given further consideration to joining His Majesty’s Treasury?”

“The Treasury? Oh yes, of course. Funding for foreign endeavors.”

“Among other things. I truly could use your assistance, Thornwood.” He clapped Devon on the back. “Think about it. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I see someone I need to speak with.”

“Yes, I’ll let you know soon.” Devon watched Elandor walk to the edge of the dance floor to greet Lily’s brother Nathaniel. What business could they have together? The thought slipped away as he watched Lily sweep by as she danced with Erdway.

Devon stepped closer, watching them with narrowed eyes. The dance was ending and Erdway was leading Lily back to Nathaniel’s side. Devon heard him say, “If I’m to be honest, dancing with you was the only reason I attended this evening.” He smiled as he added, “I see no benefit to charity. The street urchins should be put away somewhere so their presence doesn’t interfere with the view out one’s carriage window.”

“Well, that is an interesting idea, Lord Erdway,” Lily responded with a tight smile. “Thank you for the dance.”

“Yes, I would like to dance again, perhaps later in the evening.”

“Yes, I look forward to later this evening,” Lily offered as she stepped away from him.

Erdway bowed and walked away as Devon closed the gap between him and Lily. As he reached her, she smiled. It wasn’t the tight-lipped smile she had given Erdway. Instead, it was a special smile and all his. It held untold secrets and was wrapped in excitement.

She wore a pale rose gown. It clung to her tall, willowy frame and dipped low in the front to reveal an expanse of pale skin. Her hair was swept up in the same loose style she had worn the day they met. His throat closed as his eyes slid over her, and a smile crept across his face. “Lily, you look lovely this evening.”

“Thank you. You look quite dashing as well.” She blushed. “Now tell me, is it done?” she asked in a low voice. “Did you…you know?”

“Fret not. We are waiting for the letter to be delivered. It’s out of our hands.”

“Fret not? How can I fret not?” She ran a finger over her necklace in a gesture that grew from her nervousness, he had discovered.

He needed to distract her, or she would spend the remainder of the evening standing here looking guilty. “Would you care to dance to pass the time?”

“Oh. Well, certainly.”

Devon held his arm out to her, enjoying the feel of her slender fingers wrapped around his forearm. He led her toward the floor. However, before they could move forward to take their places for the quadrille, they heard the dinging sound of a spoon on crystal. He glanced over his shoulder to see Lady Heyward practically bouncing where she stood on the staircase above the ballroom, a large grin covering her face.

“Ah, and now for the show,” he whispered to Lily. Devon laid a hand over hers as he guided her back into the gathering crowd at the foot of the stairs.

“What if it doesn’t work?” Lily asked through teeth clenched in a smile.

“Shh,” he implored, rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand. “All will be fine.” He only hoped his words of comfort were true. If his plan didn’t work… He couldn’t think about that now. It must work. It simply must. For Lily. He squeezed her hand briefly before letting it go.

“Ladies and gentlemen, if I may have your attention for a moment,” Lady Heyward chirped from her elevated perch on the stairs. “I have just received word of a most generous donation to our cause. Lord Erdway? Has anyone seen Lord Erdway? Ah, there he is. Would you be so kind as to join me while I make this announcement?” She beckoned and there was a small scuffle as Erdway went to the base of the stairs and took one step up to join Lady Heyward. A baffled look creased his brow into a deep vee.

Ha! The letter had fooled the lady. Thievery, forgery…he was becoming quite the deviant, Devon realized. All for Lily, which was fitting, really. Devon smiled as he waited for the culmination of his work to be made evident to all of London society.

“Lord Erdway has generously bestowed on our charity the use of his home on the River Severn. He wants it to be used as a home for disadvantaged boys and girls. And he will be overseeing renovations to the property at his own expense to make it fit for the new use!”

There was a round of applause that died suddenly at the sound of Erdway’s “What?”

“Oh, now, Lord Erdway, there’s no need to be modest. We are all so grateful for your donation. Just think of all the beautiful children this will benefit! Join me in congratulating Lord Erdway this evening for, as his letter stated, he will be leaving tomorrow morning to begin his work. So enthusiastic, Lord Erdway! If there are any more donations, please seek me out here at the donations table over the course of the evening.” She turned with a smile, signaling the orchestra to begin the music once again.

“You did it! I don’t know why I doubted you,” Lily said at his side. Her hand slipped around his arm, giving him a tug toward the dance floor. “Your Grace, I do believe you owe me a dance.”

“I wouldn’t want to disappoint,” he returned, glancing back over his shoulder to see Erdway push a footman from his path and storm off down the hallway uttering a rain of curses. There were shocked gasps as those in his vicinity moved away from him. Devon grinned. The man wouldn’t be pursuing Lily anytime soon.

The first few notes of a waltz filled the ballroom around them as he led Lily to the floor. His hand slid so naturally around her back to guide her through the steps. It felt like a dream. It was as if the past year had never occurred and the Lily he’d met in that tavern had never fled. His anger with her had disappeared, replaced by some tender feeling he would rather not define.

Her eyes shone with untold happiness as she gazed at him. Did she feel the same? He pulled her with him through the steps of the dance. She laughed as they rounded the corner of the floor, almost careening into another couple. His heart clenched at the sight of her smiling in his arms. He tightened his hold on her. He never wanted to let her go.
My
Lily.

When the music ended, as all music eventually does, he released her. They stood there trapped in one another’s gaze for a moment before he shook himself and led her to the side of the room. “Would you like something to drink, m’lady?”

“Yes, that sounds lovely,” she returned, her clear blue eyes shining in the light of the ballroom.

He took only one step away from her before he noticed Lord Harrow scowling at them from across the room. That man had only brought trouble into Devon’s life for years, and there was something in the deep set of his eyes this evening that signaled more was to come. Did this have to do with the shipping routes for which they were in constant competition? But as the man’s eyes drifted to Lily with a smirk, Devon knew there was more to this than competition on the high seas. Turning back to Lily, he said, “On second thought, why don’t you walk with me to the refreshment room?”

***

Solomon twisted the letter opener in his hand, spinning it on the wooden surface of his desk. Harrow was late. His lip curled in disgust. The very idea of waiting for some undeserving, overfunded lord to sweep into his office and deign to meet with him was revolting. Yet he must wait. For this particular lord held the key to his success. Hingsworth, Amberstall, Erdway…he was glad nothing had come from his proposed alliances there. Harrow’s deal put them all to shame.

Solomon’s eyes flashed in anticipation as he leaned back in his chair. He was pleased with his own cunning in this situation. He drummed his fingers on the arm of his chair. He truly was a genius in matters of business. And there were those who sought to stop him? Ha!

Now, he was one signature away from attaining his goals. One signature, and riches would be his. One signature, and he would become the primary shipbuilder for the Crown. He grinned. It had a rather nice ring to it.

The door to his small office on the London docks opened and Lord Harrow was escorted inside.

“Mr. Phillips,” he nodded in greeting, moving to the chair opposite Solomon’s desk.

“Lord Harrow, I’m pleased you could join me this morning.” Even if it’s almost afternoon now, Solomon finished silently.

“Yes, but was it necessary to meet this early? I had a rather late night of it, you know.” Harrow slouched in his chair and crossed his legs, his reddened eyes showing the truth of his statement.

“Ah, and how was the charity ball last night? I regret I couldn’t attend. Charity is not my particular interest. Although I heard it was quite interesting.”

“It was unusual, to say the least. You’ve heard the news, then? Erdway donating his estate on the Welsh border?”

“Yes. I wasn’t aware of his interest in charitable endeavors.” He suspected Lillian was behind Erdway’s change of plans, but thanks to this business deal, none of that mattered now.

“Quite. And there was another curiosity at the ball last evening,” Harrow offered with a wry smile.

“What would that be?” If Lillian had done anything else of report, he would throttle her!

Harrow leaned forward in his chair. “The Mad Duke of Thornwood spent most of the evening in the company of your sister…again. I told you I noticed them together at the Geddings’ event.”

“It seems our arrangement is quite timely.” It was good he was around to keep her from making foolish decisions.

“Indeed. I’m pleased with the arrangement we’ve come to,” Harrow said, drumming his fingers on the arm of his chair.

The corners of Solomon’s mouth turned up in a slight smile. “As am I, Harrow. As am I.”

“Very good. Did you have the documents drafted as I requested?” Harrow asked while rubbing his unshaven chin.

“Yes, everything is in order.” Solomon slid the parchment across the table toward Harrow. “It is as we discussed.”

“Including the bit with Thornwood’s ships?” Harrow asked, taking the document.

“Yes, all should be in place.” Solomon watched him, not daring to move. It was finally happening!

Harrow’s eyes drifted over the document. He lifted the quill from the corner of the desk and signed the bottom. Solomon had done it! Wealth from a prospering business was within his grasp! Now, to send for Josiah. He smiled as he stood to shake Harrow’s hand. “I trust I will see you tomorrow evening.”

“I wouldn’t miss it.”

***

“Good morning, Your Grace,” Lillian said while dipping in a curtsy. Her eyes paused on Nathaniel’s butler as he turned and left the parlor. Taking a step forward, she dropped her voice to say, “Devon, I wasn’t expecting you this morning.”

“I know, but I thought perhaps you would like to go for a ride with me in the park.”

“It’s only nine o’clock in the morning. Isn’t the fashionable hour for a ride this afternoon?”

“It is. If you would rather sit in carriage traffic on a dusty path with the rest of society, I can return later.”

“When put that way, an afternoon ride does sound appealing, but I think I’ll just get my hat and gloves now.”

“I was hoping you’d say that.”

“I’m going for a ride in the park,” she called out to the butler as she picked up her things from the table by the door.

Devon followed her out through the garden. Indeed, it was a perfect summer day. She paused on the path, looking up into the morning sunlight and allowing the warmth to settle on her cheeks. Devon tugged her arm to pull her through the open gate. Laughing, she followed him to a black phaeton harnessed to a matching pair of coal-black horses waiting on the street.

“My lady,” he said with outstretched arms ready to offer her up into the conveyance.

As his strong hands slipped around her waist, her heart did an odd sort of flip. His stormy eyes lingered on hers as he lifted her high into his vehicle. She paused before climbing in, allowing the warmth of his hands to sink through her pale-blue day dress. She offered him a smile and slid onto the bench seat high above Nathaniel’s garden gate.

“I’m glad you were at home and without plans for the morning,” he mused, taking the reins from a young boy in livery and settling on the seat beside her a minute later. Once the boy jumped on the back of the vehicle, Devon set it in motion.

“There was a book I had intended on finishing, but it can wait,” she returned as the phaeton rolled down the street. Glancing at Devon’s profile as he concentrated on maneuvering through the morning traffic, she wondered why she felt so safe at his side even though they sat so far above the ground. She could feel the solid, muscular brush of his thigh against hers as he rounded a corner. Her heart flipped once more.

“I recently finished a guide to the behaviors of wild game in the Americas. It was fascinating, if you would like to borrow it,” he offered as he turned into the park’s entrance.

“That does sound interesting. I saw a bit of your book collection while taking tea with your mother on Tuesday.” She smiled, thinking of the room filled with his artifacts and belongings.

Devon looked sideways at her before returning his eyes to the path ahead. “Tea with my mother? Don’t tell me she has taken to hosting teas in my private library now.” He looked truly disgusted by the idea of anyone in his home.

She hadn’t meant to offend him. “Oh no, it was only the two of us,” she said in a rush of words. “She gave me a tour of your gallery. It was nice to finally see it.” She blushed as she spoke, looking away at the buildings they passed so he wouldn’t notice.