A Certain Wolfish Charm(67)

Simon winced. This really could be going better. "Teresa, it wasn't like that. What we had together was quite enjoyable and—"#p#分页标题#e#



"What we had together." Teresa leaned forward, giving him quite the view of her charms. Reflexively, his gaze lowered to her cleavage, though he was surprised to find it didn't have the effect it used to. "I hope you don't mean it's over. Is that what you're trying to say, Simon?"



Yes, but apparently he was doing a very poor job of it. "Teresa, I'm married now."



"And I was married when you seduced me. So I don't see what that has to do with anything."



Teresa had a point. She had been well and truly married to her husband when he'd invited her to visit with him. But she'd readily accepted. He hadn't even had to work to sway her decision. That conquest was easily won.



At that moment, Lily re-entered the taproom, and Simon leapt back to his feet. "It has everything to do with everything, Teresa. We need to keep our distance."



"Distance?" she whispered vehemently. Her eyes narrowed on him. She smiled a vindictive little smile, which should have been his first clue that she was up to no good. She held out her hand to him. As he clasped her fingers in his, he felt the hard, cold metal of her room key pressed into his palm. He nearly hung his head in defeat.



On the other side of the room, Lily folded her arms across her chest. There was no easy way to return the key to Teresa without Lily noticing.



"I had planned to stay the night and come to you tomorrow," Teresa said quietly. "But you're a smart man. You can find a way to come to me," she breathed, before she turned on her heel and walked away.



Simon swallowed hard and pocketed the key, unsure how he was going to explain any of this to his wife, and still he had to find that irritant Oliver. He started toward the innkeeper. Before he and Lily returned to his coach, they needed sustenance.



***





The door to their private dining room closed, and Lily stared across the room at her husband. For the first time ever, he looked a bit nervous.



Simon shrugged out of his coat and draped it over a nearby chair. Lily allowed him to pull her seat out before she dropped daintily into it, and he sat across from her.



"Lily, I can explain," he started, as he closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead, his elbows resting on the table between them.



"Explain what, Simon?" She lifted her wine glass to her mouth and took a sip. She fought for control. And lost.



Simon began to speak, but she cut him off. "Explain how you married me when you already had a woman traveling from London to come and spend time with you. Alone. It's fairly obvious what kind of relationship you had."



"That was before," he started.



Lily fought the urge to bury her head in her hands and cry. Instead, she allowed the anger that roiled just below the surface to overflow. She stood up to face him. He rose from his seat quickly as she approached. Even with her height, he still towered above her.



"I never asked to be married," she said quietly, tilting her head back to look into his eyes. She poked her finger into his chest. "I never asked to be ruined," she continued, jabbing once again with her finger, her voice rising in anger.



He reached to take her hand, but she jerked it from his grasp.



"I never asked for you to make love to me," her voice cracked on those last few words, and she turned away from him to wipe the tear that fell down her cheek.#p#分页标题#e#



"Lily," he said.



She spun quickly to face him. "Don't 'Lily' me, Simon. The only thing I asked was for you to help me with Oliver. And that's the only thing I didn't get." She began to tick items off on her fingers. "I was ruined. I was forced to marry. I was made love to." That one was certainly a lie. "But, in all of that, I never did get the one thing I wanted. And that was help for Oliver," she said again.



Lily turned her back on him. He pressed a hand to her shoulder. She shrugged him off. "Perhaps you should ask for the carriage to be prepared. I am ready to leave."



Without a word, he turned and stepped out of the dining room. The door closed quietly behind him.



Then, and only then, did she allow herself to collapse. She sank into his chair and dropped her head in her hands. She was much too proud to sob, but she did brush a tear or two from her face.



Lily berated herself for falling so completely and totally under his spell. He had never really guaranteed faithfulness. So, wishing he would be loyal was her first mistake. The second mistake was falling in love with him, when it was so obvious he didn't return the sentiment. Lily reached into Simon's pocket and tugged the handkerchief she knew he'd have there. She flipped it open to wipe her nose and try to compose herself before he returned.