Chapter 28

Giles should have thankedhis friend immediately, but he was too anxious to hold Lilly. He lifted her to her feet, and then kissed the breath out of her.

The sheer terror of the past moments could only be assuaged by the joy of holding her close against his chest, feeling her warmth in his arms. He did not turn away from the spectators. He did not pretend to feel anything but the utter relief of the moment.

Lilly was safe and whole, still here with him. If she had died, Giles did not know what he would have done. Those moments when the pistol barrel was aimed at her chest had almost stopped his heart.

Giles pulled back and breathed deeply, allowing Lilly to do the same. He rested his head against hers and their breath mingled hot between them. He held her up off the ground and Lilly wiggled her legs slightly, rocking them both. “You’re safe. You are safe now.”

He twisted so Lilly would not have to see her cousin’s body removed or see the pain cross Carrington’s features as the truth of his actions slowly registered. The servants, perhaps noticing Carrington’s stricken expression, rallied around him and led him to the house.

Giles pressed his lips to Lilly’s again, gently this time. He tenderly swiped the tip of his tongue across her lower lip, tasting the warm sweetness of her mouth and the gentle response she gave him. Her hand lay against the side of his face and her fingers traced the edge of his ear.

He loved this little bundle of trouble, and the relief of finding the one person he adored above all others sent him a little wild.

“Ahem.”

Giles lifted his head to find his butler waiting.

“The fire is under control,” the butler croaked. “A few of the neighboring families heard the warning bell and arrived in time to see what transpired. They wish to speak with you, and with Lord Winter.”

Giles quickly glanced around, discovered his future-father-in-law had moved to the front steps of the house and appeared to be guzzling spirits again.

“The viscount is badly shaken, milord. You should speak to him soon.”

“I will come directly.” Giles smiled down at Lilly. “We have guests. I suppose I shall have to behave now.”

Here at Cottingstone, they had lived in a fantasy where no one could see what they did. It had allowed Giles to get to know Lilly better and fall in love with her. He did not want to force her into a marriage with him if she hated the idea, but he would have to be far more circumspect now.

After dropping Lilly to her feet, he held out his arm for her to take. After the first few paces, he noticed a limp to her step. Giles slowed so his butler moved past them. “Are you hurt?”

“I fell down the stairs,” she told him. Her prompt response was a nice change from having to pry answers out of her.

“Should you be walking at all? Where exactly does it hurt?”

Lilly tugged on his arm and Giles lowered his head closer to her lips so she could whisper her answer. His eyebrows shot up, and she giggled at his reaction.

“Something to look forward to tending. How delicious.”

Lilly might have blushed at his remark, but he could not tell in the dark.

Dithers waited at the steps and prevented their progress. “The smoke is still very strong throughout the house, milord. There could still be embers burning beneath the rubble of the study. Perhaps the stable would be more comfortable and safer for Miss Winter tonight. At least the air would be fresher. She could be quite comfortable in your traveling carriage.”

“No thank you. No carriages.” Lilly shuddered. “Some hay in the stables will be good enough.”

Giles took a pair of blankets and a lantern from Dithers, then led Lilly toward a clean corner of hay. He swiftly made as soft a bed as he could and lifted her onto it, then draped her with the second blanket.

“Not comfortable enough by far, but it will have to do for one night. Mrs. Osprey is already settling in nearby to keep you company, and I will send your father along in a little while.”

He brushed a few long strands of hair back from her face and pressed a quick kiss to her cheek. She was safe now. There was no longer any threat to her from Barrette.

Lilly clutched his arm. “Will the manor recover?”

“She might be a little scorched on one side, but I am assured the damage can be repaired easily enough. Barrette seemed intent on driving everyone from the house, not burning Cottingstone to the ground. The worst of it was out long before I found you, but I need to ensure the embers are all dug out. I am so sorry you have to sleep out here. Stay warm. If you need anything, ask Mrs. Osprey.”

“I’m sorry.”

Giles frowned. “For what?”

“For my cousin. Tell Carrington I’m sorry too, but grateful for his intervention,” Lilly murmured. “You be careful, too, Giles.”

A thrill raced through him. No one had concerned themselves over his safety in a long time. Maybe in a few hours Lilly might come to reconsider her desire to live in Wales. If that was what she truly wanted he would have no choice but to let her go. He swallowed past the lump in his throat and whispered, “I will,” before he left.

* * *

Giles worked his way through the damaged part of the house with a few staff and Carrington, removing debris and extinguishing any glowing embers that still burned. His neighbors were long gone and he planned to catch a few hours’ sleep somewhere soon.

“Thank you for your assistance tonight,” Giles said, seizing a moment when they were free of the servants’ company to speak to Carrington who’d grown uncharacteristically quiet in the last hour.

Carrington shrugged and continued shoveling.

“She means the world to me and I can never repay you for what you did to save her.”

Carrington shifted another pile of debris to a barrow for removal. “I knew that,” Carrington said, words whispered in a sad rasp of sound. “You love her and would have died for her tonight.”

“I do love her.” It surprised Giles how little those words frightened him. Lilly might have understandable misgivings about marriage to him, but he would promise his fidelity before all of society if she asked him to. “I always will.”

“Can I get you anything, milord?” Dithers stood in the doorway, not quite as prim and straight as usual.

“Dithers, what the devil are you doing still here? Hasn’t Mrs. Osprey tucked you into bed yet?”

“I managed to escape her fussing,” Dithers assured him with a smug smile.

“Why the hell did you do that? You had an opportunity there, old boy. Can’t believe you passed up the chance. Get off to bed,” Giles ordered. “Preferably hers.”

“Sir!” Dithers sounded so shocked that Giles could finally laugh.

“You have been immersed in the country for too long, Dithers. I think you’ve lost your touch. Hurry off to the stables and kiss the woman good night before I sack you both for stupidity.”

Dithers drew himself up, spun on his heel, and left without a word.

Carrington dropped his shovel and leaned against the wall for support. “You’re matchmaking the servants now?”

“They did it to me,” Giles protested and Carrington started to laugh. Giles let him, watching the tension begin to leave his friend at last. “I have every right to strike back at them, don’t I?”

* * *

The fire damage was not as bad as Lilly had feared. The room where the fire had started did not have a chamber directly above it and she could see no lasting damage to the structure of the house, except for the glimpse of blue sky through the missing roof.

The men did not appear worried that the house might collapse, so she let her anxiety fade. A thick layer of ash coated everything else, however, and Cottingstone was in need of a very good cleaning to bring Giles’ home to order again. The men poked around the fire-damaged room, pulling down parts of the wall badly scorched by flames, and churned up more dust in the process. Lilly stepped into the hall and observed from a distance.

Mrs. Osprey approached, eyes fixed on the distant room.

“What is it, Mrs. Osprey?”

“I was wondering what the master would like tackled first, Miss. But I dare not interrupt him. Do you think you could ask for me? I don’t want to be a nuisance.”

Giles was inspecting the damage to the far wall and Lilly decided to be useful for a change. “Perhaps you could start by airing and cleaning the bedchambers. Lord Daventry looks set to collapse at any moment. I don’t know if he has slept since the fire. And they will want to bathe later.”

“Yes, my lady.”

“After the bed chambers, the dining room should be next. The gentlemen will be hungry.”

Mrs. Osprey hurried off to do her bidding.

Lilly’s back ached. She would need to lie down soon, but the couch she usually rested upon had burned to ashes. That meant she would have to tackle the stairs soon and return to her room.

She kept her eyes on Giles and his head lifted and his gaze met hers. Lilly blushed, wondering if Giles had heard her ordering his servants about. He should at least be angry about the damage her family had caused him. But no, here he was, giving her a cheeky grin, as if he was not just gesturing to charred timbers a moment ago. She did not understand his calmness today. His study was a mess, or what was left of it was.

Lilly headed for the stairs and a much-needed rest. She got as far as the bottom step before Giles caught up with her. “Are you off to lie down?”

She nodded and he lifted her into his arms, flowed up the long flight of stairs without any jarring, then set Lilly lightly on her feet. She waited for his kiss and was surprised when he stepped away.

“Enjoy your rest, Ghost.”

He left her standing with her mouth hanging open. She waited for him to come back and kiss her but he continued down the stairs with a cheery wave. He gave her a courtly bow from the base of the stairs before disappearing from view.

Why now of all times did he have to be proper? Such behavior was all wrong for him. At every turn, Giles broke the rules. It amused him to misbehave, she thought. A proper Giles, obeying the dictates of good society, was out of her experience.

Uneasy, she rubbed her hands up and down her arms. Now the danger had passed there was no need to marry Giles. She was still innocent, and if she went to live in Wales he would be free to pursue his normal life of balls and dalliance.

If she did not marry him she’d have a lifetime without his touch.

Dithers and Mrs. Osprey were arguing farther along the corridor. Dithers’ voice sounded dreadful, and Mrs. Osprey kept reminding him that he should be resting rather than telling everyone what to do.

Lilly had to agree with her, Dithers would only cause more damage by speaking. They were such an odd pair. Him so tall and handsome, her so plain. Yet there were times when she caught Dithers watching after Mrs. Osprey strangely, and more than once she suspected something more was brewing beneath the surface.

“Is there a problem, Mrs. Osprey?”

“Yes. Dithers refuses to close his mouth long enough to let his throat heal. I am quite capable of organizing the cleaning of this house. It is my job, after all.” She glared at him, but his jaw clenched.

“Dithers, are you stopping Mrs. Osprey from doing her job? Are you attempting to have her replaced?”

Dithers glanced at Lilly in horror.

She arched her brow and stepped closer to him. “That is what it sounds like to me. Perhaps you should listen to what she suggests for once.”

Dithers’ jaw clenched before he bowed and stalked off. Clearly, he did not appreciate Lilly’s support of the housekeeper.

Mrs. Osprey bit her lip, watching until Dithers disappeared from view. “Can I help you, my lady?”

“Why do you keep calling me that? I’ve not married his lordship yet.”

Mrs. Osprey smiled ruefully. “Just trying to get you used to the idea.”

Lilly snorted, a very unladylike sound. “I need to rest, but the downstairs chaise was burned. Are any of the upper rooms prepared yet?”

“The only room ready so far is the master’s bedchamber. You can rest there until your room is properly aired.”

Lilly squeezed the housekeeper’s hand and turned to check the corridor. Since it was empty, she slipped inside Giles’ room and crawled onto his soft bed.

Giles did not wake her. Mrs. Osprey did.

The magistrate had come and wanted to talk to all the witnesses to the shooting. When Lilly glanced around, she could see no sign that Giles had returned to his room at all. Her stomach fluttered to think he might be avoiding her.

Lilly returned to her own room, and Mrs. Osprey helped her bathe away the grime and change into a fresh gown. She could still smell the scent of smoke beneath her usual perfume and wondered how long the smell would linger.

“Osprey?”

“Yes, my lady?” The little woman seated herself on a chair nearby.

Lilly frowned. “What are you going to do about Dithers?”

Mrs. Osprey blinked and did not say a word.

“Would you care to hear a suggestion?”

When the housekeeper nodded, Lilly leaned in close. “He is a good man. After dinner tonight, why don’t you go find him and talk? I’m sure if you give him the slightest encouragement, he will find a way to take advantage of it.”

“He doesn’t think of me that way, Miss Winter. He doesn’t even realize I’m around unless I bungle something.”

“Oh, I think you will find that he notices much more than that,” Lilly laughed. “He watches you. Now you only have to catch him.”

“What if I can’t?” Mrs. Osprey whispered. “I don’t think I could bear the shame.”

“Then he doesn’t deserve you,” Lilly told her firmly as she stood, ready for her meeting with the magistrate at last.

Lilly’s interview did not take long, since she was the last to be spoken to. Her father sat beside her and held her hand throughout, as she recounted her experiences of last night and spoke of events that had happened so long ago.

The magistrate frowned through it all, but concluded that Lord Carrington had acted correctly to save their lives from a madman. He closed his notebook, hailed Lord Carrington as the hero, and hurried off to arrange the burial.

* * *

Lilly slipped into the library and pushed the door closed behind her. Giles had formally asked for an interview too and she was so nervous her hands were damp with stress. Given that she’d been anxious since Dithers had delivered the invitation on his little silver tray, eyes sparkling with glee, she should be used to the sensation.

After hours of waiting to speak to Giles alone, she was particularly nervous.

Pain lanced down her back as she stepped farther into the room. Pain was good. It distracted her from the choice that was in Giles’ best interests.

He would be better off without her slowing him down. He was full of energy and had great passion. He deserved more for his future, more than a fragile woman for a wife.

Lilly sank onto the chaise, fiddling with the ribbon of her borrowed gown.

“I am going to have to make a decision soon.” Lilly glanced up to find Giles leaning against the door. “It is much too important a matter to put off.”

Lilly inched forward on the chaise. “About what?”

“What color do you think should my study be repainted?” He grinned.

“I beg your pardon?”

“I thought perhaps you might have a favorite color. I should like to paint my study to suit your taste.” He crossed the room to sit opposite Lilly while she tried to gather her wits. That question wasn’t even close to what she expected them to talk about.

“I don’t understand. I thought…” She let her words trail off.

“You thought I was going to ask you to marry me properly, didn’t you?”

Heat flooded her face.

He shook his head, and her mortification grew. “I already know what your answer will be. I overheard your discussion with your father in the garden yesterday. You wish to live in Wales rather than marry me and I can understand why you would,” he said softly. “I’d probably make a terribly improper husband.”

Lilly stared at him. He was upset with her and trying hard to hide it. She looked down at her gown to hide her dismay at having the power to hurt him.

“What is your favorite color, Ghost?”

“Primrose,” she answered, bewildered by his insistence on knowing the color.

“Thank you. Now, about Atticus. I anticipate he will not be happy to be separated from you. He seems to be more your dog than mine. He never listens to me half as well,” Giles frowned. “He should be wherever you are.”

Lilly recoiled in shock. “I cannot take your dog.”

“Of course you will. You don’t want to leave him behind and have him suffering. The poor beast will never understand why he cannot be with the one he loves, will he?” Giles tilted his head and Lilly squirmed as his gaze pierced her calm. “He cannot go to parties and pretend he is happy. He cannot eat a meal alone and understand why it has to be that way. I know I have erred beyond forgiveness, Lilly, but I should not like to see him suffer, too.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I can understand that you want nothing further to do with me.” When she went to protest, he shushed her with his outstretched hand and stood to look down at her, eyes dull with pain. “I refuse to trap you into marriage too so this is farewell.”

Lilly blinked rapidly. He drew closer and her pulse raced.

Giles leaned down. “A kiss to last me a lifetime, Lilly. I won’t ever kiss another soul. I can promise you that for all eternity.” He pressed a kiss to her lips then moved away. His blue eyes were swimming with unshed tears. “I love you.”

The words fell over her skin like rain, and she closed her eyes as unbearable wonder filled her with hope.

She wiped furiously at her eyes to look for him, but she was all alone in the library.

Giles had only asked her here to say goodbye in private. So he could kiss her one last time and then go.

She buried her face in her hands and sobbed, unable to bear the loss of such a good friend. He planned never to see her again. She was sure of it.

He loved her.

Lilly had never known before what hearing those words would do to her resolve. It crumbled to dust.

She’d been so foolish. She’d been afraid she’d be the only one of them in love.

Lilly stood and hurried for the door. She stifled a cry of pain as her body refused to behave with the speed her heart insisted it must.

He’d given her the damned dog too. She brushed her hands over her face to be rid of the tears. The idiot loved her and would still let her go.

A laugh escaped her. He was as much a fool as she. What a perfect pair they made.

Lilly moved as fast as she could to the door—and barreled straight into the butler.

Dithers caught her elbow to keep her upright. “Be careful, my lady, you could do yourself an injury. That would be most disagreeable to all the staff of Cottingstone.”

Lilly gripped the rail for the climb. “Well, if I do, I will be in the right place to be fixed, won’t I?”

“Can I speed your ascent, Miss Winter?”

“No thank you, Dithers. Why don’t you go chase Mrs. Osprey around her office? I think she heads there at this time on most nights,” Lilly confided and started up, grimacing as pain speared down her legs. She ignored it.

“I was aware of that,” Dithers replied carefully.

She glanced down at him in consternation. “And you have never taken advantage of her seclusion before? Shame on you, Dithers. I’d heard you were a rogue.”

“Reformed, as all men in love should be. However, I will remain until you reach the top at least.”

“If you must, Dithers, but you are wasting valuable time,” she warned him.

When she reached the top stair, she heard his rapid footsteps fade away.