Wild Lilly (26 page)

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Cìarán watched them from the shadows, jealousy burning in his heart. Once he had a love like theirs, a consuming flame that was his entire world. He had strolled in a park not unlike this one with his wife, slipping off the path to steal moments of pleasure. Then she was gone in a brutal instant, her life stolen by a killer’s blade.

He felt a flash of guilt about what he was about to do to their little world. Viciously, he squashed the flicker of remorse. He had a job to do. The excitement of the hunt was the only thing that brought him joy, though this job was starting to leave a bitter taste in his mouth. Lilly didn’t deserve the kind of trouble he was going to bring her. As far as he could tell, she was an innocent. He couldn’t give up the job. If he didn’t do it, they’d find someone else who wouldn’t be so concerned about returning her unharmed.

Snapping the pocket watch shut, Cìarán stared at the retreating backs of Lilly and her fiancé. She cuddled her head into his shoulder as he curled an arm around her waist.

Cìarán left the park and returned to his hotel with an uneasy heart. Opening the door to his suite, he drew the gun out from his shoulder holster and pointed it at the voluptuous chest of a stunningly beautiful raven-haired woman. Her soft pink lips curled into a circle of shock.

“Mr. Thomas sent me,” she whispered in a thick Spanish accent.

Arching a brow, he scanned her from head to toe. Small and very curvy, she wore the tight mint-green dress like a second skin. Even standing still, she was the most sensual creature he had ever seen. Could this really be the partner Thomas had mentioned?

Closing the door behind him, Cìarán lowered his pistol and shoved it back into its holster. They eyed each other from across the room, and the woman took a hesitant step forward. Even that small step put a sway in her lush hips, making his cock twitch with interest. When he met her dark eyes, he saw fear in them, but also determination.

“My name is Estrella.”

“Cìarán,” he said and nodded his head. If she wasn’t going to give a last name, neither would he. Something about her struck him as off. The way she held herself, the trepidation in her eyes. If she were a professional assassin, he was a pastry chef.

He purposely gave her his back and took a seat on the sofa against the wall, across from the four-poster bed. Relaxing back onto the red velvet sofa, he spread his arms across the back and gestured to the chair across from him. “Why are you here?”

“I know Paul McGregor and Lilly Brooks. I can help you find them.”

Dark eyes held his gaze as she said this, but the pulse at her neck throbbed, and she held her hands clutched together in her lap. She was a good at bluffing, but he was better.

“I’ve already found Miss Brooks,” he said in a low voice. Her full breasts pressed against the fabric of her bodice as she blew out a deep breath, and he wished with all his heart that a button would fly off. Blinking, he returned his gaze to hers and found her smirking at him. Maybe she was better at bluffing than he thought.

“Good. Then you can get her and we can return to Kansas and Mr. Krisp.” The way she said his name caught his attention, with hate bordering on rage and her whole body tense. Why would she hate her employer? And who would be foolish enough to send a woman who hated him all the way out here?

Nodding, he changed his plans. Estrella, if that was her name, intrigued him far more than a simple kidnapping. He would stretch this out for a few days and figure out what was really going on.

Chapter Eighteen

Lady Sutherland

The carriage rounded a turn and its glossy, dark blue wheels turned over the pristine white gravel of the winding drive. Before them stood Sutherland House a three-story high limestone with conical turrets, steep gables, picturesque dormers and decorated chimneys. Lilly ran her gaze over the magnificent brickwork, taking in the details of the stone gargoyles perched atop the slate roof. Everything about it was utterly overwhelming.

“Your sister lives here?” She leaned out of the carriage as they rode past, looking at the elaborate stables. They were huge, and glorious horses ran through the emerald green fields beside the buildings.

Sleeping Bear tried hard not to look impressed, and the animation left his face to the point where he appeared bored. Lilly found that the more uncomfortable Sleeping Bear became, the more he tried to hide it with indifference.

Paul laughed at her shocked tone and stroked a hand over her glove. “Yes. She inherited it from her late husband. The estates in England returned to his family, but this house and a boutique in London remain in her possession.”

Lilly fiddled with the green ribbons of her bonnet. This morning, her gold and blue dress had seemed like the perfect thing to wear for meeting her future sister-in-law. Now she wished she had bought that peach gown in Hartford, and borrowed her mother’s jewels.

Paul grew more tense as they rode toward the mansion. She hoped it wasn’t because he was ashamed of her. While they had a wonderful time together in Hartford, she would get the feeling every now and then that Paul was hiding something. He would look at her and his expression would shift between anger and sadness.

Sleeping Bear’s warning about Paul only wanting her for her land haunted her, but she tried not to let it spoil their trip. Everything was going so well between them. She saw no reason to ruin it with silly and hurtful accusations.

Noticing her nervous movements, Paul said, “Don’t worry, Lilly. She’s still the same girl that busted broncos and mucked stalls on the ranch.”

“Somehow, I find that impossible to believe,” Lilly said in a dry voice as the carriage rounded the front drive. The main doors gleamed with handsome bronzework. An intricate stained-glass window glowed in the sunlight above the doors.

The carriage stopped and the footmen helped Lilly down. The footman’s unflappable expression faded into wide-eyed shock as Sleeping Bear stepped out next to her. She was almost used to the stir that Sleeping Bear caused everywhere they went, but it didn’t look like Sleeping Bear would ever get used to the scrutiny. His broad shoulders were stiff and he didn’t meet anyone’s gaze except hers and Paul’s.

Lilly leaned on her tiptoes to whisper into his ear. “You look very handsome.”

Sleeping Bear wore a charcoal-black suit with a red velvet waistcoat. It was a gift from her grand-mère as a thank you for posing for her. Colette painted two pictures and drew one sketch of Sleeping Bear, none of which Lilly had looked at. No need to expose herself to that temptation, again.

Sleeping Bear’s dark eyes thawed and he gave her a small smile. It vanished when Paul took her hand and led them up the marble steps.

The bronze doors opened, held by two butlers in grey and blue livery. “Please, come in. The Lady Sutherland is on her way down,” the butler on the right intoned with a stiff English accent.

“Thank you,” Paul said with a charming smile.

Lilly’s eyes grew wide at the impossible splendor of the mansion. A grand Siena marble staircase led to a spacious landing. At the landing, the staircase split before a mammoth stained-glass window displaying a ship bearing the English flag. It sailed through waters full of leaping fish, mermaids, and other exotic sea creatures.

“Paul!” A woman’s lovely voice rang down from the balcony of the second floor.

Catherine, Lady Sutherland, descended the stairs with an elegance and grace that made Lilly feel like a clumsy oaf. She still wore the black of mourning, and her fair skin looked pale in the light streaming through the windows. She had cinnamon-brown hair done in an elaborate braided up-do, and the familiar McGregor faded blue eyes. Tall and regal, it was hard to imagine this woman ever getting her boots dirty, let alone breaking horses and shoveling manure.

Catherine rushed down the stairs, lifting the heavy black crepe skirts just above her shiny black boots.

“Oh, Paul. I’ve missed you so much.” Tears sparkled in her eyes as she hugged her brother tight.

“I’ve missed you too, Cat. I haven’t seen you since....”

“Since the funeral. It’s all right, Paul, you can say it.” Her smile took on a brittle quality.

Paul pulled Lilly forward by her hand, and she smiled shyly at Catherine. Was she supposed to curtsey?

Catherine took both her hands and placed a gentle kiss on each cheek. “I am so pleased to meet you, Lilly. My brother, Owen, sent me a letter about his new teacher. He was very complimentary. Though he didn’t mention that Paul was just as charmed by you.”

Lilly felt heat flood her cheeks. “Owen is a dear. I am very pleased to meet you as well. Paul has told me so much about you.”

Catherine laughed and gave Paul a mock glare. Lilly could see more of Paul in her when she let her guard down. “Oh, has he? I will have to hear what he has told you. If it’s anything too scandalous, I’ll have to tell you some stories about Paul that will burn your ears.”

“Really? Well, he hasn’t told me anything that bad...but I’m sure I can make something up.”

Paul grimaced at her and tugged her closer to his side. Catherine watched them, her smile dropping a bit as sadness filled her eyes.

Lilly cleared her throat. “This is our business partner, Sleeping Bear.”

Catherine turned and looked at Sleeping Bear closely for the first time. Her perfectly arched eyebrows rose slightly as she gazed from the tips of his boots to the top of his head. Sleeping Bear returned her inspection with one of his own.

“Welcome to my home, Sleeping Bear.” Catherine’s face became a polite mask.

“Thank you, little Cat.” Sleeping Bear’s voice rumbled out, his face as closed as that of the grand lady opposite him.

She blinked at him, her cool facade cracking a bit.

Lilly exchanged a questioning look with Paul, who shrugged his shoulders and spoke into the growing silence. “Cat, do you think we can take a look at your stables after you settle in? I want to bring some new breeding stock to the ranch, and you mentioned in your last letter that you have a couple Morgan mares that I can have.”

Catherine tore her eyes away from Sleeping Bear. “Of course. Let’s get you settled in first.” She turned her head ever so slightly and the butlers came to her side and bowed. “Take my guests upstairs and show them their rooms.”

Paul muttered, “You better have Lilly and I in the same room.”

Full of wide-eyed innocence, Catherine said, “Why Paul, of course you’re in separate rooms. It would be an insult to Lilly to put you together. You are, of course, waiting for marriage.”

Paul clenched his jaw and stared at his sister, who calmly looked back at him. “Still haven’t forgiven me for telling Daniel I would shoot him if you didn’t come to your wedding a virgin, ’eh?”

Catherine fluttered her lashes at him and Lilly hid a laugh behind her hand. Sleeping Bear continued to watch Catherine with an inscrutable expression. She noticed Paul’s sister had been avoiding looking at Sleeping Bear, even as her body turned toward him.

“Let’s get changed and meet in the stables. There’s a devil of a stallion I’d like to show you.”

The sweet smell of hay and sawdust filled the air of the elaborate stables. Two rows of stalls ran the length of the limestone building, and grooms trailed after them through the clean sawdust filling the aisle.

“Where did you find that skirt?” Lilly asked, eyeing Catherine’s clothes with ill-concealed envy.

“It’s called a split riding skirt. Wonderful invention. It allows me to sit astride rather than in that ridiculous side saddle.” Catherine paused to stroke the black velvet nose of one of the horses. “Whoever invented the side saddle obviously never had to rope a stray filly.”

A barn cat meandered by, ignoring everyone but Sleeping Bull. The orange tabby curled around his ankles and meowed plaintively. One of the grooms tried to shoo it away, but Sleeping Bear picked the cat up and scratched its ears. Lilly watched as Catherine almost looked at Sleeping Bear, then turned and walked back down the aisle. Her black divided skirt swished with her movements.

Paul broke the uncomfortable moment. “You have some wonderful horses here, Cat. How’s the breeding going?”

“Excellent. We have three pregnant mares right now. I’ve been working with a stable down in Virginia to start a Morgan breeding program here. They aren’t an officially recognized breed yet, but they’re wonderful creatures.”

Catherine led them outside to a packed-dirt-and-sawdust corral. In the center of the wide circle, a chestnut stallion tossed his head and watched them approach. Two grooms stood on the fence nearby with a saddle and bridle.

“This is my problem child, Merlin.” Catherine’s voice had a fond tone to it.

Lilly moved next to her and sighed. “What a lovely animal. He really does have an expressive face.”

“Yeah. Right now he is telling us that if we think he is going to let us ride him, we’re crazy.” Paul put his arms around Lilly and rocked her against his chest.

Lilly noticed Catherine’s eyes tighten and gently untangled herself from Paul’s arms. Sleeping Bear stayed silent behind them. He seemed focused on the horse in front of them, but Lilly caught him watching the Lady when she wasn’t looking.

Catherine motioned to the grooms and they cautiously entered the corral, moving around the chestnut stallion as he pranced away from them with an arrogant flick of his tail.