“In all likelihood, he and his unsavory friends saw me with you and thought to gain your attention by accosting me.”
He shook his head and sighed. “Perhaps. It’s logical. But I don’t have enemies either, none that I know of... outside of my own family.” He winced at the dismal state of his family relations. “But neither Desmond nor my grandfather claim to have had a hand in the incident. I believe them.”
“Where does that leave us, Ewan? Was it simply a matter of mistaken identity?”
He took her hand in his, liking the feel of her skin against his. She had small, delicate hands. Innocent hands. “I don’t know. Lily, don’t go off on your own until we’ve figured it out. Will you promise me that? I need to know you’re safe.”
She cast him an indulgent smile, obviously doubting she was in any danger. He doubted it as well, but it couldn’t hurt to be thorough. “I’ll be careful.”
“Good.” He rose and brought her to her feet beside him. “I want you to remain with Meggie and Dillie today. Don’t stay alone anywhere, not even here at Lotheil Court. Not even in this library.”
“Not here?” She seemed disappointed, but reluctantly agreed.
After escorting her into the dining room and depositing her with Meggie and Dillie, he made quick excuses to slip away from Lotheil Court. He cast Lily a concerned glance. “Remember what I said, Lily.”
“It is seared into my brain,” she teased, but he noted a mix of relief and disappointment in her eyes. He understood how she felt. His senses reeled whenever he was around her, and she responded the same way whenever in his presence. He knew it as surely as if she’d spoken the sentiments aloud. All he had to do was look into her beautifully expressive eyes.
He hurried off, forcing his attention to all that needed to be accomplished in the next few hours. Besides the day to day work of putting his father’s estate affairs in order, he had an investigation to conduct. He’d questioned Lily, but merely as a formality. Who would want to harm a nineteen-year-old innocent? No, it wasn’t her these villains were after. Someone wanted to hurt him, possibly kill him. His first call would be on a reliable Bow Street runner by the name of Homer Barrow, a sharp old-timer who came highly recommended by a friend.
In any event, he was glad to be away from Lily just now, couldn’t remain under the same roof with the girl without his senses exploding. He needed distance from her in order to get his mind and body fully under control. The feel of her soft body was still branded on his chest, and her light, rose scent still tickled his nostrils. She’d seen him bare-chested. All he could think about was seeing her bare-chested, running his lips and tongue over her soft, white breasts and worshiping their pink tips. He wanted Lily beneath him, crying his name in ecstasy.
Lord! He was in agony.
Over a bookish, bespectacled innocent, no less!
He had about ten hours to get himself back under control. He knew she would be at the Simmington musicale this evening. Since he, Meggie, and their grandfather planned to attend, he expected to see her there. It was to be one of those small society functions that Eloise had deemed suitable for him and Meggie. A quiet gathering of close friends. Yes, he could manage seeing Lily in a crowd.
Lady Simmington’s father was a Highlander, a proud member of the MacCorkindale clan, so he expected to find several of his own friends and acquaintances there. It was a good way to ease Meggie into the stream of London parties. It was also a good way to distract his thoughts from Lily’s blue eyes and soft, pink lips.
***
Ewan attended to his business affairs, retained Homer Barrow to conduct his investigation, and returned late to Lotheil Court. If he hurried, he could make it to the musicale without missing too much of the music.
Meggie and his grandfather, as expected, were nowhere about when he arrived. They’d surely gone ahead without him. He felt a pang of regret for not being by Meggie’s side, but she’d likely spent the day with Lily and her sister, and would only have been alone with their grandfather for the short carriage ride to the Simmington residence.
“My lord.” Harding met him in the entry hall as he was about to climb the stairs. “Your sister asked that I give this to you.” The butler handed him an envelope. Ewan took it with a nod and continued to his bedchamber, where he opened it, read it, and then paused and laughingly shook his head. Lily had invited Meggie and his grandfather to supper with her family before the musicale. Incredibly, his grandfather had accepted.
He read it again, unable to believe that the old man had accepted a hastily sent invitation from a family of no consequence, from the very upstart he’d just banished from the Royal Society. But this was precisely the sort of generous thing Lily would do, extend an invitation to the old curmudgeon who had treated her unfairly. She’d done it for Meggie.