For the Love of Lila (16 page)

It took an instant before Lila completely understood, but then her confusion fled. Felicity had sensed the attraction between her and Tristan.
That
accounted for her big grin. Accustomed to keeping the truth concealed, she couldn’t help but feel embarrassed. “You have surmised the nature of...of our relationship?”

“Oh, I think so.” She winked. “You didn’t arrive in France with a maid at all, did you?”

Lila gasped before she reminded herself she was speaking to her cousin—not a prattling society gossip.

“How did you—” She stopped herself, suspecting that even in this case Tristan would not want her to discuss their travel arrangements. “Felicity, it will be better all around if I say nothing further. I hope you can understand why.”

“
Mais oui
. Mum’s the word—about that and Rebecca.” Felicity patted her shoulder. “I shall let you decide the best time to tell Mr. Wyndam, if at all.”

Lila sighed aloud. “I apologize if I appear coy. I don’t mean to be less than frank with you. It’s just—”

“Don’t mention it. I understand how much Mr. Wyndam’s good opinion means to you.” Her cousin gave her another wink. “And speaking of him, we should probably seek him out and see about making a night of it. We would not want him to stumble across this portrait as well.”

Lila tried to smile her answer. That failing, she nodded and led the way back to the drawing room.

* * * *

Tristan nearly gawked when he saw Lila return with her cousin, especially when they proceeded in the direction of him and Mr. Douglas. For a second, he thought she must have confronted Felicity, but they both appeared too serene to have endured a nerve-shattering tete-a-tete. Evidently they had simply met up in the ladies’ withdrawing room.

“I hope you were able to mend your hem,” he said to Lila when she got close enough for speaking.

“Hmm?” she asked, strengthening his suspicion that her excuse had been fabricated. “Oh, my hem. Yes, it’s as good as new, thank you.”

“You had trouble with your gown, Lila?” Felicity asked, substantiating his notion.

“Nothing a couple stitches couldn’t fix.” She stole a peek at Tristan and then looked off across the room.

He got the impression she was hiding something from him—and not simply the fact that her hem had not unraveled. Could it be that she felt embarrassed on her cousin’s account? If so, she had done a quick turnaround. But why else would she shy away from him?

Mr. Douglas gazed beyond the two women to scan the room. “Did either of you happen upon Isabel in your travels? I haven’t seen her this past hour.”

Lila shook her head, and this time Felicity looked away. Tristan got the sense that she knew Mrs. Douglas’ whereabouts but didn’t want to share the intelligence. Judging by what he had seen of the woman’s flirtatious manner—and plunging neckline—he imagined she might be occupying herself much as Mrs. Stark had earlier.

Her husband frowned. “When it comes to parties, or indeed most activities, I simply don’t have the endurance of Isabel. I must confess, I have about had my fill for the evening. I had best have a look for her, or we will end up here till dawn.”

The group exchanged good-byes and while he walked away, Lila said to Tristan, “Actually, Felicity and I were noting we are beginning to tire, too. Do you plan to stay much longer?”

He bowed. “I will be happy to escort you home any time you want to go. Shall I send for the carriage now?”

His gallantry earned him a coquettish grin from Felicity. “Thank you, Mr. Wyndam, but first we will need to fetch Tess. I have no doubt she is ready to leave, but I may have to have a look around the house for her.”

“I’ll get her,” Lila said quickly. “I believe I saw her when we passed through the front hall.”

Tristan found it surprising that she’d rather leave him with her cousin, knowing his mixed feelings about her—than let Felicity go after her own friend. She definitely was hiding something from him.

Before he could think of a polite way to object to her offer, Felicity said, “If she protests at all, explain to her about my, um, headache, love.”

Lila nodded and hurried off without another word.

Swallowing the awkwardness he felt, he turned to her cousin. “I am sorry to hear you are unwell, Mrs. Childers. Can I get you some refreshment before we leave? A lemonade?”

The offer won him another of her smirks. “No, thank you.”

“Then I shall go and bring the carriage around. The sooner we can get you home, the quicker you will recover.”

“No, no, it’s not all that urgent. Have a servant do it.” She promptly stopped a passing footman and gave him the order herself. When he had gone on his way, she looked back to Tristan. “I am glad we have a moment to speak, Mr. Wyndam. I’d like to invite you to a little soiree at my house tomorrow. I know my cousin will want you there.”

Considering Lila’s current behavior, he wouldn’t count on it, but he had no intention of leaving her alone among Felicity’s circle. Not to mention that he simply wanted to be with her every moment that he could.

He bowed. “I am honored. What sort of fete are you planning?”

“The very best sort—an
intimate
one.” She raised her eyebrows as if trying to imply something. “Only our closest friends will be there, which is, of course, why you must come. I know how intimate you and Lila are.”

Her tone had the same insinuating quality as her expression, and the combination made him uneasy. She seemed to imply that she knew some secret about them—perhaps that they had traveled together. Had Lila been foolhardy enough to reveal that? If so, she probably didn’t realize her cousin would presume more had happened than what in fact had.

“You needn’t look wary,” she said. “Naturally, I am the soul of discretion.”

“Naturally.” He tried to erase all expression from his face. She did seem to believe he and Lila were lovers, but he wondered what her purpose could be in flaunting her knowledge to him. Was she threatening him?

Her smile widened. “I imagine that since she has been staying with me, you two have been quite impatient for some time alone. Well, I promise you shall have an excellent opportunity tomorrow evening.”

For an instant, the image she conjured sizzled in his mind...Lila in his arms, under his mouth once again—until he drilled his thoughts back to reality.

Felicity didn’t mean to threaten him, he noted, but to conspire. And the evening she had in mind sounded like a wild one. He wondered if the antics might prove enough to open Lila’s eyes about her cousin.

They just might...especially if he attended and spurred along the sort of carousing he suspected could occur. With the right encouragement, he had no doubt Felicity would expose the all the excesses of her character.

“What time shall I come by?” he asked.

When she smiled this time, he was able to match her expression. His plan excited him—though perhaps part of his exhilaration came from the idea of holding Lila again, still burning in the back of his mind.

He would have to be careful with how far he took his strategies. The trick was to lead the rest of the party into indiscretion without leading Lila–and himself.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Lila took a last nibble of dessert and set down her fork, glad she’d managed to finish without a crumb escaping to her lap. Though she had tried to refrain from borrowing another gown, the purple velvet creation Tess had urged upon her had proved too tempting, especially when her new friend declared the color lent her eyes a violet cast. She had always found her black irises so colorless.

“I see that everyone has finished.” Felicity dropped her napkin on her plate and rose. “Will you gentlemen stay here for your port, or would you care to withdraw with the ladies?”

Lila stood along with the others, pausing to adjust the neckline of her dress. She had never taken much interest in fashion, but she loved the way the velvet cascaded from her shoulders like the drape of a Greek caryatid. The effect even emphasized the moderate curves of her body. She had never before felt so feminine.

“Mr. Wyndam?” Felicity asked.

Lila glanced up to see Tristan direct his gaze away from her and toward her cousin. Apparently she wasn’t the only one taking notice of her new femininity, and the knowledge gave her more pleasure than she would have expected. She had never striven for femininity—being female had so often seemed a disadvantage. But it occurred to her now that in believing so she had played into a false premise, sustained by a male-dominated society.

Starting this moment, she vowed she would let herself enjoy her sexual identity.

“I see no reason to stand on ceremony,” Tristan said. He, too, had dressed to the nines, his bottle-green jacket providing the perfect foil for his chestnut hair.

Lest she be caught staring as well, Lila picked up her champagne and looked into her glass. She truly would miss Tristan when he left Paris, presumably any time now, since he had completed his business here. This evening could be the last she would share with him for a long time.

“Count Goldoni?” Felicity asked, addressing her own dinner partner.

A well dressed Italian with thick, dark hair graying at the temples, Domenico Goldoni smiled at his hostess. “Why would we want to waste a single moment away from such lovely creatures? Pray allow us to take our port with you this evening.”

Her eyes sparkled like emeralds. “How could we deny you?”

Lila looked on with amusement, the warmth she already felt radiating through her body. Romance seemed to be blossoming between the pair, and if her cousin could be happy with this man, she wished them all the best.

“Everyone else agree?” Felicity scanned the others’ faces.

The count paused to translate for his friend, Signore Giuseppe Rapallo, who listened with vigorous nods, while Tess appeared unaware of any question, studying her fingernails.

Lila responded with a grin. “You know how
I
feel about convention.”

“Excellent.” Felicity picked up her drink, and the count moved to her side to escort her. As they started out of the room, she said over her shoulder to the others, “I have a parlor game for us to play, and I cannot wait to begin.”

Signore Rapallo drifted up alongside of Tess, and Lila captured Tristan’s arm, enjoying the firm feel of his arm, even through the woolen sleeve of his jacket.

“Do you know what game we are to play?” he asked her as they followed the rest into the drawing room.

She shrugged. “Perhaps charades or another acting game, so our foreign speakers won’t be disadvantaged.”

Felicity directed them to sit near the hearth on a settee that proved a bit of a squeeze for two people. While Lila secretly savored the sensation of Tristan’s thigh grazing hers, Tess and the signore settled on an adjacent recamier. Felicity and her escort took their places in two armchairs pulled closely into the group. Parson’s tables, complete with inkwells, had been placed by each of the couples’ seats.

“This is cozy,” Lila said, accepting a glass of ratafia from a maid with a tray of drinks.

A footman, borrowed for the evening from the count’s staff, served the men their port, while a second resident maid provided each person present with a sheet of parchment and a quill.

The servants exited and Felicity pressed her palms together with anticipation. “The game I’ve chosen is designed to acquaint us all with each other. Since some of us are complete strangers, while others know each other intimately, I thought this exercise would be particularly helpful in equalizing our relationships.”

Tristan rubbed his chin. “Sounds like a surprisingly productive game.”

His interest surprised Lila. Perhaps he saw this as an opportunity to learn more about her cousin. The idea appealed to her, too. She looked to Felicity. “I think it’s a grand idea. Even you and I are sorrowfully lacking in knowledge of each other. How do we play?”

“It’s quite simple.” Felicity moved her chair closer to the count’s and slid one of the parson’s tables up against their knees. “One of us will pose a question, then we shall all take a moment to consider and write down an answer. Once everyone has had sufficient time, we will work around the circle sharing our thoughts. I know the game sounds as though there is nothing to it, but Tess and I have played before, and the discussions always grow quite intriguing.”

The count offered a quick Italian explanation to his fellow countryman, then looked back to Felicity. “What sort of questions does one pose?”

She gave him a wide grin. “Any sort one likes, Domenico. Perhaps Tess will oblige us by starting.”

“Certainly.” Tess brushed a dark curl back behind one ear, revealing a lobe bedecked with a glittering diamond. “We’ll start with something basic. My question is: What is your all-time favorite literary work?”

Domenico interpreted and everyone picked up their quills, but Lila sat for a moment, trying to decide between several choices. Though
A Vindication of the Rights of Woman
had solidified many of her strongest beliefs, she wouldn’t exactly apply the term “favorite” to such a pensive work. And while she had found the theme of
Frankenstein
fascinating, she feared choosing it might appear suspect, since she had met the author the previous evening. She thought of another novel she had read and loved half a dozen times, but it seemed somehow not significant enough to pick, too romantic.

“Is everyone ready?” Felicity asked.

“In a second.” Lila scribbled down the last title and returned her quill to the table. “That will have to do.”

Her cousin beamed. “Lila, why don’t you go first, since you were the last to finish?”

“Oh, dear.” She grimaced and took a sip of the sweet, almond-tinged ratafia to wash down her shyness. “Well, I daresay I should have picked a more consequential work, but the truth is that I have read this book several times and enjoy it more with each read. I chose Jane Austen’s
Pride and Prejudice
.”

“You did?” Tristan asked, while the women gushed their approval and the Italians worked on translating the title. He looked amused. “Is that not a little...conventional for you? I mean, marriage is a strong theme in the book.”