He’d just finished his story when the door slammed open and Lily flew into the room. Without so much as a glance at Ewan, she threw herself in the arms of her father, then Dillie. Then all three of them were hugging and laughing and crying.
“Lily, my sweet angel! Your mother and I were frantic with worry, but it’s over. You’re safe. You’re—” His joy and relief obviously overwhelming, he began to sob.
“It feels so good to be in your arms,” Lily said, now the one to comfort her father. “And yours too, Dillie! I missed you all. I never want to be parted from you again!”
Dillie hugged her fiercely. “Same here. I promise never to complain about sharing a room with you, or having to put up with your abominable harp playing, or those odd scientific objects you’re constantly sneaking into our room.”
Lily laughed. “I won’t hold you to that promise. I want us back to normal as fast as possible.”
“So do we,” Graelem Dayne said.
Ewan glanced at the brawny brothers-in-law, all of them the sort he would not like to meet in a dark alley. Their eyes were moist as well.
Then Lily took a moment to look at him, one brief, open-hearted glance before returning her attention to her father and sister. Graelem stepped forward and clamped a hand on his shoulder. Big hand. Painful on his shoulder. His good shoulder. He would have been on his knees in agony had he touched the injured one. Gabriel and Julian took positions on each side of him. Bollix. They knew.
How? Lily had barely looked at him. “I’ve already asked her to marry me.” Not that they deserved an explanation, but he had asked her, and it seemed pointless—and would be needlessly painful—to allow them to think otherwise.
Graelem lightened his grip. Still strong. “It’ll be a quick wedding.”
Ewan sighed. “I’ve asked Lily, but she hasn’t given me an answer yet. She isn’t keen to be parted from her family, as you’ve just heard her say. I’m not sure she’ll accept.” In truth, he hadn’t considered that she might decline his offer. She loved him. She’d told him so in a delightfully breathy way.
Graelem scowled at him. “She had better accept.”
“Are you threatening me or her? Because if you set a hand on Lily, I’ll cut out your heart and stuff it—”
He was stopped short by Gabriel’s groaning laugh. “Let him go, Graelem. He isn’t the problem. She is. Daisy will speak to her, find out what she really wants.”
Julian nodded. “They’ll all speak to her. I’ll ask Rose to call one of their sisters meetings and talk it out.” He slapped Ewan on the shoulder, and though his smile was amiable, his next words were not. “You’d better hope she accepts your proposal. We’ll have to cut out your heart if she doesn’t.”
Ewan nodded.
He’d done the deed. He was willing to face the consequences. Did she wish to remain with her family? Or return to the Highlands with him? He’d heard her heartfelt words to her father a few moments ago. I never want to be parted from you again.
A sick feeling rose in Ewan’s gut.
Was he going to lose Lily?
CHAPTER 18
“LILY, ARE YOU CERTAIN?” her sister asked once they were safely back home and her mother assured that she had not been harmed. The gentle warmth of her mother’s embrace, soon followed by her usual fluttering and fussing, lightened Lily’s heart. While her mother had gone off in her usual dither to order tea and Lily’s favorite lemon cake, she and Dillie had returned to the bed-chamber they’d shared for most of their lives. “We can beg out of tonight’s recital.”
Lily flopped onto her bed, wishing her arms were large enough to embrace their entire townhouse and all its inhabitants, even all the inhabitants of Chipping Way, her favorite street in all of London. Not only was it beautifully quaint, but their neighbors were generous and charming. Lady Eloise Dayne had been a wonderful friend to all the Farthingales ever since they’d moved here. Even General Allworthy had been kind to them in his own curmudgeonly way. “No, it’s important that you and I appear together, Dillie. You heard what Mother said about the rumors circulating.”
Dillie frowned. “That you’d eloped with Ashton! I know who started that ugly rumor, and mark my words, if Corky MacCorkstopper dares to rear her ugly head at Lady Finchley’s recital, I’ll knock it clean off her shoulders.”
Lily couldn’t help but laugh. “You needn’t do anything so drastic. I’ll appear, play my harp abominably, and that’s the best way to halt the rumor.” As their moment of merriment died down, she yawned.