"Simon," his mother's voice rang out from the edge of the garden. "I think I told you to stop treating Miss Rutledge like a harlot."
Simon finally raised his head and looked up at Lily. "Oh, God," he groaned, knocking his forehead gently against her belly in frustration. She smiled down at him and laid one hand on the top of his head.
"Simon," his mother called again.
"What do you want, Mother?" he barked.
"Why, to protect Miss Rutledge's virtue, of course. It's amazing she has any left with you chasing her skirts all day." The duchess motioned to Lily. "Come along, dear. We'll leave the big, bad wolf to sort out his own misery."
Lily extricated herself from his arms and followed his mother down the garden path. What else could possibly go wrong?
***
Alice Westfield linked her arm with her future daughter-in-law's and towed her back toward the manor house. Simon would need some time to recover from his current state, which meant she could get a few uninterrupted minutes alone with Lily Rutledge. Minutes that were sorely needed.
Never, in all her years, had anyone ever considered Alice a fool, and it was in poor form that Simon did so now. He'd obviously compromised the poor girl, which was why he'd sent William on his quest for a special license. It was the honorable thing to do, after all. But did he really think he could keep her from realizing this? Alice wasn't a fool, but Simon, apparently, was.
Lily seemed to care for Simon, which was a relief, especially considering his differences. Considering the sort of women he generally associated with, Alice had been frightened the man wouldn't ever settle down. He had a duty to his title after all, and Alice rather thought Lily would fill the role as his duchess quite nicely.
If Simon was to have a successful marriage, he couldn't keep one of the most important parts of himself a secret from his wife. Doing so was the fastest way to doom their relationship. She wished for the millionth time that Jonathan was still alive. He'd given their sons such excellent direction, and Simon obviously was in need of it now.
She sighed as they neared the back terrace. Men were stubborn enough creatures, but Lycans were very nearly impossible.
"Alice," Lily's voice interrupted her thoughts. "Are you all right?"
Alice smiled at the girl. She was a sweet thing. She was certainly capable of learning the truth about Simon without running into the woods screaming like a bedlamite. At least Alice thought so. It would be best to make sure. "Indeed. I was simply thinking about you, dear."
"Me?"
"Of course, you. Very soon, you'll be my daughterin-law, and if anyone understands the difficulty of dealing with a Westfield man, it's me. I was married to one and raised three."
Lily smiled as they climbed the steps to the terrace. "Is it more difficult than raising a York man, I wonder?"
"I believe it is much the same, dear." Alice couldn't help from smiling back. Oliver York was his father's son in every way. Not only did he look like Daniel, but he'd inherited his father's other abilities as well. She had known that instantly when she laid eyes on him the day before. With his impressive size and irritability, Oliver reminded her at once of Simon, Will, and Ben when they were his age.
It was amazing Lily had done so well with the lad all by herself. That was another reason Alice thought Lily could handle the truth about Simon. No matter how difficult Oliver had become the night before, Lily's love for the child had never wavered.#p#分页标题#e#
She led Lily to a set of table and chairs in the far corner of the terrace. From that position, she could see the grounds and know when Simon was near. Not that she could keep him from overhearing them. She'd learned early in her marriage that Jonathan could hear any word spoken even three or four rooms away. At the moment, she didn't mind. Simon should hear what was on her mind.
"It is obvious how much you love Oliver."
Lily's face lit up. "I adore him. I do wish you'd
seen him before now. He was the sweetest child you'd ever meet."
"He's different now, though," Alice said. The change must have been difficult for her to face, not knowing what was happening. Poor girl.
"Simon and Will say it's natural. I've never raised a boy before, Alice," Lily admitted. "But it doesn't seem natural to me. It feels as if I'm missing something."
Alice patted her hand understandingly. "Lily, what if you're right? What if there is something else going on with Oliver? Something you can't understand. What if he could never be the sweet child you raised ever again?"