Tempting His Mistress (15 page)

The woman lifted her head. “You are in luck, my dear. The wonders of modern society means I have many ready-to-wear dresses at my store. I shall have them sent by train. But I must insist on a few custom gowns.”

“I cannot wait,” Lilly said.

“Nor I,” Evan commented, a hint of a smile on his lips. She almost groaned at the devilish glint in his eyes. She hoped he didn’t intend to destroy any of her new gowns.

“Are you to show me around then, cousin?”

Lilly glanced at Henry across the breakfast table. He insisted on behaving as if he were visiting with friends rather than with the man to whom he owed a debt and his mistress—the woman who had sold herself to pay off that debt. Somehow his persistently genial manners made the whole situation worse.

“The countryside around here is very beautiful,” he remarked. “A little more flat than Hampshire perhaps but very charming.”

A grumbling sound of irritation came from behind the newspaper Evan was holding. Lilly clasped her hands together under the table and stopped herself from kicking Evan in the shin. He had been unbearable since Henry intruded on their solitude. The man really didn’t do well in company and she suspected he resented that they did not have the freedom of the previous week. With Evan planning to return to London at the end of the week, they might get very little time together.

Henry might have only been with them for a day but Lilly already missed Evan’s visits to her bed. If only he would agree to stay for a whole night. Waking alone never failed to remind her of the disgrace of her situation. Every morning she felt dirty and used until he whispered some heated words or gave her an intense look, and then it would all be forgotten and she failed to stay annoyed with him.

“We can go out on horseback if you wish. There is a delightful stream and copse that is worth visiting.”

Evan lowered his paper. “It promises to rain today.”

Henry placed his cup of tea down and looked to the window as if surprised by the observation. “It shall hold off long enough surely?”

“If we head out straight away, we shall miss it,” Lilly agreed.

They might not but she could no longer bear the stifling atmosphere in the house. Tension simmered between the two men and though Henry appeared determined to remain affable, she saw the occasional tightness of his jaw and the odd glint in his eye. She didn’t know her cousin well enough to know if he had a temper—the few times they had seen each other he had always been pleasant to her—but she didn’t wish to wait around and see if he did have one.

“You shall get wet,” Evan said to no one in particular.

“I shall have the horses made ready,” she said, ignoring him.

“Excellent.” Henry grinned, his cheeks almost as red as his hair. “I have a hankering for a decent ride. Carriage travel is well enough, but it does make one rather tired and stiff.”

“You shall get ill if you get wet.” Evan had lifted his paper again but his words were clear enough.

Lilly managed not to roll her eyes and stood. “Come then, Henry. Let us get some fresh air. It is somewhat stifling in here,” she said pointedly.

A grumbling sound came from behind the paper but Evan said no more. Good. Let him sulk. Just because he was a marquess didn’t mean he should behave so abominably.

Henry bid Evan good day and was rewarded with a gruff response while Lilly asked Anne to get John, the stable hand, to ready two horses.

“I shall fetch my riding jacket,” she said to Henry and hurried upstairs to put it on, along with her new favourite riding hat.

The vibrant red colour made her feel slightly scandalous but in an exciting way. What a shame no one was here to see it. With her hat on at a jaunty angle, she eyed herself in the mirror and conceded that if one did not know of her station in life, she could well pass for a marquess’s wife. A heavy weight settled on her heart. She should not be having such thoughts. It would never happen and why should she wish to be a wife to such a disagreeable man? Yes, he could be kind and sweet but for the most part, he was determined to stay unlikable.

Henry was upon the horse and ready to go by the time she stepped outside. His green frock coat clashed with his red hair and made Lilly want to shake her head. John brought over the steps and aided her onto her own pale mare.

She peered at the sky and grimaced. The heavy clouds had darkened and Evan’s premonition looked to be correct. They were likely to get rained on. Maybe if they made it to the copse before it started, they could shelter while it passed. However, that would mean more time in the company of her cousin, and she still had little idea what to say to the man. She supposed a few awkward moments with her cousin would probably be preferable to the uncomfortable tension between him and Evan.

Lilly led Henry to the stream first and hoped she had timed it well that the weather might break once they found shelter. Henry proved a pleasant enough companion—not considering to remark on her situation which relieved her—though tension still coiled tight in her stomach and she suspected it would remain like that until Henry left. Visiting with someone’s mistress was really not the done thing, family or not.

“This reminds me a little of Marshgate.”

Lilly twisted her head to view her cousin. “You have been to the cottage?”

“Yes, well, the staff needed instructing while you are gone and I needed to ready it for the next tenants. It was all very sudden, your decision to join Lord Hawksley here.”

Her heart panged at the thought of the servants and her pretty home. Ever since her mother had died, she had run the house. For her, it was a place of comfort and the servants eased her solitude. She found herself content enough in her own company—unlike here. Was that because she craved Evan’s company or because she wasn’t comfortable here yet?

“Are they all well?”

“Very well, Lilly.”

An odd expression distorted Henry’s face for the briefest flash. Annoyance, perhaps. She could not be certain. She had never seen Henry anything but charmingly pleasant—even if it did aggravate at times.

“Shall we continue on?” she suggested.

“Indeed, let us give these beasts some exercise.”

They continued on at a fair pace, though Lilly could not keep up with Henry’s pace on her side saddle. He had spotted the woods and reached them several minutes ahead of her. By the time she had arrived, grey clouds had darkened the skies and wind whipped over the tops of the trees, making the branches sway ominously. Lilly shuddered. A little rain never harmed anyone, she reminded herself. She never got sick.

Fat drops began to fall around her as she dismounted and guided her horse under the trees. Henry grinned at her, droplets gathering on the brim of his hat as he took the reins from her.

“Allow me to tie these up for a moment in case they get skittish. Though I don’t think we shall be treated to any storms, thankfully.”

“Of course.”

Lilly waited while Henry led the animals to a slightly open spot and tied the horses to a sturdy tree while she peered in the direction of the house. Even though the land around the house was indeed flatter than many areas, it remained hidden by a hill, some way off. In this weather, they would end up soaked to the skin if they attempted to return. Evan was right. He would be insufferable now.

In spite of the shelter of the trees, the rain began to steadily seep through the leaves and drip down the back of her hat and onto her neck. Lilly suppressed a shudder as a droplet found its way under her jacket and dress and worked down her back.

“Perhaps we should consider returning?” Henry suggested. “I don’t think it will ease and either way, we shall end up quite wet.”

Lilly pursed her lips. Attempt the ride or stay and probably get wet anyway? She didn’t relish being trapped here any longer and the thought of a warm drink and dry clothes enticed.

“Yes, let us return. There is no sense in us being outside any longer than necessary.”

“Right you are then.” Henry collected the horses and brought them over.

He aided Lilly onto the saddle and the horse shifted a little. Lilly grabbed the reins and steadied the horse with a frown. Was the weather making her skittish?

“I shall keep pace with you,” Henry said. “I wouldn’t want you to take a tumble in this weather.”

Lilly nodded her thanks and they set off at a more careful pace though Lilly pushed her horse as fast as she could manage. Her teeth began to chatter while the rain soaked through her clothes to her undergarments. Lord, Evan really would enjoy gloating.

The mare took a few steps sideways, forcing Lilly to clutch the reins. “Come on, girl,” she urged, hoping the horse would hold out for the rest of the journey. Lilly shifted in the saddle and grimaced at the slippery leather beneath her skirts. The horse jerked and almost tore the reins from her hands. She tried to reassure the horse, but the animal was having none of it and her movements grew more aggressive. Before Lilly was aware of what had happened, the animal reared and she found herself thrown to the ground.

A sharp pain cracked through her skull, and she screamed as the animal reared again, her hooves bearing down on her. Henry sprinted up and tried to control the animal before it could trample her, but his shouting only aggravated the horse. The mare dropped her hooves mere inches away from Lilly before turning and galloping off.

Lilly fell back to the ground fully, fear clutching tight at her chest while an excruciating ache pounded through her head.

Henry leaned over her. “Cousin, are you well?”

“My head,” she told him over the patter of the rain.

He eyed her ankle. “You have likely knocked it. I shall ride back and send for a doctor,” he declared.

Lilly’s head had grown thick. She opened her mouth to protest being left in the rain, but no words came out and Henry had mounted his horse before she could summon the strength to lift her head and call for him.

The thud of hooves on the ground rattled her skull and Lilly had no choice but to remain on the muddy ground, trapped by her aching head and the confusion in her mind while the rain continued to soak through her clothing. She closed her eyes, willed the pain to fade, and found herself falling into an enticing blackness.

Evan paced across the drawing room and paused to peer out of the window for at least the twentieth time since the rain had started. Foolish woman, why could she not listen to him? And that damned fool of a cousin was no better. What had he been thinking, demanding to see the area with the threat of rain? Why had he even come to see them? Who in their right mind would come and stay with a man and his mistress? He could only conclude the man was a halfwit.

His heart jolted as a figure split the sheeting rain. Henry. Evan paused and peered at the man. Where in the devil was Lilly? She would be a slower rider but surely her cousin wouldn’t ride ahead in such weather?

Evan raced to the door and flung it open just as Henry was dismounting.

“Where is she?” he demanded.

Henry paused to catch his breath once he had handed over the horse to John. “She fell. Hurt herself. We need to get a doctor out to her.”

“You left her?” Evan growled. His skin grew hot, his nostrils flared. Both hands curled into fists, he drew himself up to his full height and glowered down at the man.

“She insisted, my lord. You know what Lilly is like. She said she couldn’t ride so I had little choice but to come back for help.”

Evan shook his head. “You shouldn’t have left her, you damned fool. I don’t care what she said. John,” he called to the stable hand, “will the horse cope with another ride?”

The fair-haired man shook his head. “I fear you’ll end up in a pickle too, my lord, if you try to push her.”

“Damn and blast.” He turned to Henry. “Have the doctor sent for. If he is not here by the time I return, I swear to you, you shall regret it. Where did you leave her?”

Henry’s throat worked. “Not far from the woods. You couldn’t miss her in that red riding habit.”

Evan didn’t grace him with a response and flew out of the door, tearing his jacket off as he ran and flinging it to the muddy ground. Every fibre of his being screamed at him to get to Lilly. She had to be about a mile away. Thank goodness he was in good shape.

Rain soaked through his shirt and dripped down his face, but he barely registered it. He felt numb. He surveyed the fields for any sign of her red dress but to no avail. What if she was more badly injured than Henry had supposed? What if she was dead? God’s bones, if he had only spent more time with her. He should have taken her into his bed and spent every waking—and sleeping—moment with her. What had he been thinking trying to keep his distance from his own
mistress
?

The rain eased up and he had a clear view of the outline of the woods. His lungs were raw and legs aching, but he refused to stop until he had found her. Evan slowed only briefly to take a look around the lush green fields. The weather now a light drizzle, the fresh scent of wet grass imbued the air.

A flash of colour caught his eye and his heart leapt into his throat. He stumbled to a stop and peered intently at the spot. Sure enough, a flicker of red revealed itself amongst the long, swishing grass. Without another moment’s hesitation, he sprinted over and came to a skidding halt by her side, dropping to his knees.

“Lilly?” His voice shook.

Thrusting a hand under her head, her hat tumbled off. Eyes closed, she remained still and her skin was too pale. Her riding habit was wet and caked in mud. He drew her onto his lap and pressed a finger to her neck, releasing a long breath when he felt her pulse.

“Lilly?” he urged again and was rewarded with the flutter of lashes.

It seemed to take a great deal of effort to peel open her eyes. When she did, her pale eyes were unfocused. Evan pushed aside the wet curls that clung to her face and rubbed her cheek. The cold, clammy feel of her skin sent bile into his throat.

“Evan?” she said weakly and he saw her gaze snap onto his face.

“I’m here. Come, we must get you home. Wrap your arms around my neck.”

She did so with great effort, and Evan stood. She might not weigh much but with her wet habit and his quaking arms, lifting her was harder than he anticipated and he groaned. Her small fingers clutched his neck and she shook from head to toe as he began the walk back.

Evan kept his pace as fast as possible. She needed warmth and rest. “You should never have gone out in the rain,” he scolded, but the severity of the words were lost with his panting breaths.

“Little rain... never hurt anyone...” she murmured.

“Nonsense. It could hurt you. You may still succumb to illness, and what am I to do if you get ill?” He bit his tongue to prevent any more foolish words.

The truth was, he feared desperately she might still fall ill and leave him. Then what would he do? Already, he had grown used to her company. How strange such a vexing woman offered an odd sort of comfort to his daily routine. Working on his business affairs didn’t seem nearly so tiresome when he knew he would see Lilly at breakfast or the evening meal. Nothing was onerous when there was a warm, willing, beautiful woman with which to climb into bed. And not just any woman. Lilly Claremont.

Damnation. He shook away the thoughts and glanced at her. She kept her gaze on him, a small furrow in her brow. “What were you thinking?” he snapped in an attempt to distract himself from the pounding tension working its way through his body.

“I didn’t mean to fall.” Her voice was light and wispy and guilt knifed through him. “I never get ill,” she added and winced. “My head hurts.”

Evan scowled. That damned idiotic Henry had never mentioned that. “Did you hit it?”

“I don’t know. I think so. I cannot...” Intense shivers overcame her, forcing Evan to clutch her tightly.

“Shhh, we shall worry about that when we return. Though you must stay awake, do you understand?”

She nodded and remained silent for the rest of the journey. The house sat tantalisingly in the distance once they had walked over the slight hill in front of it. Evan’s arms and legs shook with exertion but the bundle in his arms forced him forward. Nothing would prevent him from getting her home and warm.

He nearly collapsed at the door way of the house. Mrs Hargreaves came over, fussing and he gruffly commanded her to get out of the way and prepare some warm tea. She huffed but retreated to the kitchen only to be replaced by Henry. It took all Evan’s willpower not to raise a fist to the man as he questioned his cousin’s state of health.

“She will survive, no thanks to you—if she does not fall ill.”

Henry blustered but Evan ignored him, shoving past and carrying Lilly up the stairs on juddering legs. He made light work of taking her to his bed, the proximity of his end goal infusing him with energy. He laid her on the bed and peeled off her soaking clothes. She didn’t even have the energy to protest and lay inert as he cursed and fumbled with her corset.

Naked and pale, she tried to curl up, but Evan moved her around like a doll until he had her buried under the covers. He swiftly removed his shirt and wet trousers before slipping in beside her and drawing her into his hold. Her icy skin made him shudder and his teeth grind. The exertion of carrying her had made his skin warm and the contrast between them made it feel as though he were holding an ice block, but he had to be grateful for his own body warmth. There was nothing like skin to skin contact to warm a person.

Using vigorous movements, he rubbed up and down her back and then her arms, all the while keeping her pressed against him. She mumbled incoherently, her eyelids at half-mast. Evan drew back long enough to debate her. He saw no sign of the head injury but she might have hit the back of her head. He coaxed her to briefly turn so he could view the back of her head but there was no blood. When he pressed his fingers to her skull, she released a yelp and he found a lump. Had her cousin really thought it wise to leave her there? Why did the silly chit send the man away? And what sort of a man abandoned a helpless woman? Evan clamped Lilly to him once more.

When her skin had warmed beneath him and her shaking ceased, he pried himself away and dressed before ringing for tea. Mrs Hargreaves must have been waiting practically outside the door, as she entered swiftly with a tray of tea and laid it on the side table.

She paused to eye Lilly, buried under his blankets with only her ghostly face and damp curls peeking out. “Poor dear.”

Evan might have been amused at his housekeeper’s oddly soft tone, but he was too taken with the sight of her in his bed—even if ill. This was where she belonged. He would have to keep her here, he decided, ill or not. No more sleeping apart. He only had a year with the woman and he would damn well make the most of it.

“Can you send John to the village for the doctor please, Mrs Hargreaves?”

“Mr Claremont mentioned something about the doctor but was not clear at all.” Her eyes widened. “Is she harmed?”

“A hit to the head, I believe. I don’t think it serious as she was quite vocal earlier, but it seems to have muddled her thoughts somewhat.”

“Of course, my lord. Can I get you anything else? Some extra blankets perhaps?”

“Yes, that sounds like an idea. Let me know when the doctor arrives.” Mrs Hargreaves shut the door, and he propped his hands on his hips and studied the fragile woman in his large bed. Dwarfed by the carved wood and rich red bedding, she looked oddly perfect.

Too perfect, indeed, for the thought of her leaving began to eat at him. How was he ever to part with such woman?

***

When Lilly woke, it was dark. She peered through the darkness and it took several moments for her eyes to adjust. She grimaced as her head pounded and almost jolted upright, until the pain forced her to remain still, when she realised she was in Evan’s bedroom. One strong arm sat across her bare waist and she rolled, just able to make out his silhouette in the darkened room. His gentle breaths rasped into the night, and Lilly longed to be able to see him sleeping.

If only her head and body did not ache so much, she would have climbed out of the bed and drawn back the heavy curtains to see his relaxed face and mussed hair. In sleep, Evan was perfection. His scowls vanished and his hard words were silenced.

He mumbled when she brushed a hand through his hair and down one bare shoulder. His smooth skin, so warm and firm, set a flutter of need low in her belly. If only she did not ache like the devil or else she might have woken him by straddling him and taking him deep inside like he had taught her.

“Lilly?” he said, voice gritty from sleep.

“Yes.”

“How do you feel?”

“My head hurts,” she admitted.

Both his arms came around her and drew her into the crook of his arm. She let a hand linger on his chest and relished the steady rise and fall of it and the thud of his heart.

“Are you ailing?” He nuzzled into her hair, and her breath hitched at the tender gesture.

“No, aside from an aching head and body, I don’t feel ill. I told you,” she whispered, “I do not get ill.” She braced herself for a scolding or to be told she was foolish but none came.

“An aching head and body? No, not ill at all,” he teased. A warm palm settled on her cheek and held her to him. “The doctor came earlier but you were not very responsive. You struck your head but he says you have done no permanent damage, just that you need rest.”

Lilly yawned and burrowed into his side. She couldn’t fathom his sudden tenderness, but she liked it and was determined to enjoy it while it lasted. “Rest...” she yawned again, “I can do.”

He cleared his throat. “You should sleep in my bed for the next few days, until we are sure you are well, at least. Maybe... maybe longer.”

To think she had ever thought this man capable of harming anyone. She smiled. Evan might be gruff and downright rude at times, but he was not evil and he was so frank, such underhanded dealings were beneath him. He wanted her in his bed... for good hopefully. Her smile dropped. For the year anyway.

“I should like that.”

“You would?”

“Yes.”

Oh, how she loved to hear the uncertainty in his voice. This strong, powerful man revealing his vulnerabilities to her, sent warmth spiralling down to her stomach. If only he would not close up on her all of the time.

“The doctor said you were to rest. Do you remember anything now?”

“All I remember is the horse being skittish. I don’t know why. She was fine before. Perhaps it was the weather.”

“Perhaps,” he said, but he did not sound as though he agreed.

“You think it was something else.”

“I don’t trust your cousin.”

“He is not a horse whisperer, Evan. What could he have possibly done?”

“Maybe nothing,” he admitted, “but he is a damn fool. He should never have left you even if you were insistent you were fine.”

“I said that?”

“Apparently so.”

Lilly shook her head. “No, Henry is not capable of doing anything underhanded.”

“Considering he was prepared to throw you out of your house, you are quick to come to his defence.”

“Come now, Evan, he is one of the few members of my family who will even acknowledge me. Why should he try to harm me? What good could come of it? I already agreed to move out of the house. I didn’t wish to see my father’s hard work thrown to the wind any more than he did.”