A Certain Wolfish Charm(64)

The boy did know how to ruin a perfect day. He'd had Lily under him and planned to do it again before the day was over, but now she was worried about her nephew. She wouldn't stop pacing long enough to look at him, much less let him have his way with her.



Lily wore torment on her face like an uncomfortable mask. "You'll wear a hole in the floor if you keep that up," he said, attempting to lighten the situation.



"Do be quiet, Simon," she snapped, never ceasing her back-and-forth movements across the room. He had to admit he liked the fact she wasn't afraid to stand up to him. She had a strength he would never have expected.



Simon held up his hands in mock surrender.



"Where do you suspect he's gone?" Lily asked, her voice only showing a tiny bit of whininess.



The boy had only lived one place in his whole life. "My guess would be Maberley Hall," Simon answered.#p#分页标题#e#



"But that's so far away, and he's all alone!" Lily cried, her voice finally cracking under the strain.



"Don't worry, love. We'll find him," he assured her. And then he was going to kill the troublesome little wolf.



Luckily, Lily let him wrap his arms around her for comfort. Simon held her close, silently vowing to find the young pup and give him a tongue-lashing he would never forget for upsetting his aunt. "We'll go talk to Dorn and see what he knows."



Lily sniffed and then nodded her head in agreement.



Simon led his bride to the stables, where he grilled the head groom about Oliver's whereabouts.



The color seeping from his face, Dorn looked shocked to learn the young earl had run off. "Honestly, Your Graces, if I'd known 'e was gonna do somethin' like that, I'd've never saddled Erebus for him. I thought he was just goin' for a ride around the property."



Erebus! Simon winced. The gelding was one of the wildest in his stables. He'd like to berate the groom on the spot for giving the unruly beast to the boy, but he didn't want to alert Lily to the danger. She was worried enough as it was.



"How long ago did he leave, Dorn?"

The groom shuffled his feet, looking at the ground. "A couple o' hours. I was just startin' to get worried about the lad."



Simon made a note to have a long conversation with Dorn once he returned to Westfield Hall. In the meantime, he gestured toward the main road. "Prepare Abbadon," he commanded.



The groom nodded at the same time Lily called after him, "And a mount for me as well."



Simon's eyes shot toward his wife, and he shook his head. "Lily love, I'll find the lad and bring him home."



She furrowed her pretty brow. "I have to be there, Simon. I have to know why he would do this."



"And those questions will be answered when I return with Maberley." He had a few things to say to the young pup first, things Lily didn't need to hear.



With a stubborn tilt of her head, Lily glared at him, her hazel eyes boring angry little holes into his skin. "Simon Westfield, I am going. And don't you even think about keeping me from it."



Simon heaved a sigh. At least he could use a coach ride to his advantage. Having Lily beneath him instead of Abbadon did have its merit. "All right, love. Dorn, ready the carriage instead."



Lily's frown deepened. "We can go faster on horseback."



Simon returned her scowl. He wasn't accustomed to someone challenging his every edict, and he didn't enjoy that one bit. "Lily, I am allowing you to go with me, but you'll follow my direction. I believe this very day you vowed to do that exact thing."



A blush pinkened her cheeks at his words, and, for a moment, Simon felt like a cad. But only for a moment.



Once they were under way, Simon put his arm around Lily's shoulders and pulled her to him. She sat stiffly against him, unyielding in her anger. Even the gentle rocking of the coach didn't relax her into his side.



He brushed a lock of hair from the side of her face. "You're beautiful even when you pout, you know?" he taunted her. She rose to the bait, as he'd expected. If there was one thing he was learning about Lily, it was that she didn't back down from a fight.



"I am not pouting," she said, following the comment with a harrumph noise. She crossed her arms beneath her breasts. That only served to push them up where he could better see them. Simon found that he rather liked the display.#p#分页标题#e#



"Oh, yes, you are pouting," he said quietly, his lips touching her cheek briefly. He would tease her out of this mood if it was the last thing he ever did. "But I think it's quite attractive."



"I can't believe he let Oliver take off for God-onlyknows where. He's twelve, Simon. Twelve!" She scooted out from under his arm and across the seat to stare out the coach window.