Ewan arched an eyebrow in surprise. “He doesn’t know me that well.”
“You’ve come to our home once or twice. Anyway, Lily’s told him all about you. Though I’m still sworn to secrecy, I can say that Pruitt likes what he’s heard about you.”
Great, just what he needed. A snooping butler.
He slipped out of the salon, into the garden, and over the wall with ease. He landed in the Farthingale’s side garden and immediately realized their parlor overlooked it. Conveniently, there were two large windows dominating the room. It would have been easy to creep to one of those windows and peer in, but he didn’t wish to frighten the children if they were still playing in there.
Instead, he avoided the windows and went around to the front. He didn’t have long to wait before Pruitt opened the door to let him in.
The thin, gray-haired man with kindly eyes cracked the tiniest smile, so small one might not have noticed it unless carefully watching. “You’ve caused quite a stir, m’lord. Miss Lily’s in the parlor. Tread carefully,” he said, and Ewan wasn’t certain if the warning was for the marbles likely littering the floor, or for Lily’s heart.
Probably both.
The sconces were brightly lit, allowing him to easily make out the contents of the elegant room. Blue silk fabric covered the chairs and settees that stood upon a carpet of Oriental design. Blue silk drapes were drawn back to frame the windows. The soft blue matched the color of Lily’s eyes.
At first he saw no one, but then noticed Lily’s dark curls bobbing just above the back support of the settee that faced the large fireplace. He heard her sweet voice as she read a story to her young cousins, just finishing it as he entered. “Lily,” he said quietly, not wishing to disturb her or the boys who were nestled beside her and appeared to have fallen asleep on her lap.
She gasped, and then gently shifted the boys so she could rise to face him. “What are you doing here? You startled me.” She wore a casual, tea rose gown and her hair was loosely drawn back with a matching ribbon of tea rose velvet. Her dark hair fell below her waist and the ends curled becomingly about her slender hips. She wasn’t wearing her spectacles since her twin had them.
His breath caught at the sparkling beauty of her blue eyes. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to.”
She glanced toward the windows. “Was that you I saw watching me from the garden earlier? Why didn’t you come in sooner? You startled me,” she repeated, as though she had been quite spooked by a face in the window. Except he hadn’t gone close to the window. His shadow must have swept across it.
“Sorry, lass. Truly, it wasn’t my intent to frighten you. Your sister suggested I hop over the wall, so I did.”
She frowned. “What else did she say?”
“Nothing. You’ve sworn her to that sacred, double secret oath that applies between twins, though I don’t know what secret is so important that it must be kept from me. Have I offended you in any way?”
“No. You’ve been wonderful.” She forced a smile, and his heart tightened at the pain so obviously reflected in her eyes. “You look wonderful, too. Quite fashionable in your very proper evening clothes.”
He arched an eyebrow. “Every bit the London dandy.”
“Not at all.” She moved a little closer. “The black jacket emphasizes your broad shoulders, and the cut of it perfectly tapers at your waist. You’ve cut your hair and shaved off your beard, but you still have the bold look of a Highlander. Stubborn. Defiant. Proud.”
“Stubborn to a fault,” he admitted.
She glanced at the angelic, sleeping boys before turning back to him. “We all have a little bit of that in my family. Stubborn, impulsive, and a host of other faults, but none so terrible as to cause any serious rift among our loved ones. I had better take the boys upstairs to bed. Well, thank you for stopping by. I’m sure you’ll be missed at the party. Simply everyone is bound to be there.”
“I won’t be dismissed quite that easily, lass. Besides, you can’t carry them up on your own. Where are their nannies?”
“Two quit this morning. It happens fairly often in this upside-down household. Only one remains, though we’ll hire more tomorrow. In the meantime, the lone surviving nanny is exhausted and roundly snoring in her bed. I don’t have the heart to wake her.”
He made up the remaining distance between them. “I’ll take the boys.” He lifted the oldest child into his arms first, settled him over one shoulder, and then scooped up little Harry in his free arm and rested his pink-cheeked face on his other shoulder. They were so small and trusting, not even stirring as he picked them up. Harry’s pudgy fingers curled on the lapel of his evening jacket, and though he merely tugged at the lapel, Ewan also felt a sweet tug at his heart.