Chapter 21

Twenty-One

L ily had only just had time to hide the scandal sheets from view, and now she looked up at Maximilian, astonished at his unexpected appearance. She wanted to be angry with him – the news of her father's illness had kindled fresh resentment against the duke, but the smile on Maximilian's face told a different story. Why had he come to her like this? They had not planned to meet, and there was no outward appearance to satisfy. The visit was entirely of his own accord, and now Lily wondered if it was not for his own advantage…

"What are you doing here?" she asked, fearing he might take advantage of her, but to her surprise, he stepped back, looking at her with hopeful expectation.

"I… I just wanted to see you. The dinner tonight…it's been a long time since my family took me seriously. You've brought out the best in me, Lily – in their eyes, at least. I wanted to thank you. I know I shouldn't have come…but I couldn't help myself. I wanted to see you," he said, blushing as Lily smiled.

Despite her earlier feelings of resentment, there was something sweet in his unexpected appearance, and it did not seem he had any ulterior motive in coming to see her. Glancing at the discarded scandal papers on the floor, Lily realized there was nothing she could write against him. He had done nothing but behave as the perfect gentleman, and even his actions now could only be described as romantic, as strange as it seemed to admit so…

"What if we're overheard?" Lily whispered, for Alicia's bedroom was next to hers, and should they be discovered together, Lily herself would become the subject of scandal.

"I won't stay long. I just wanted to thank you. I know it's all a deception, and none of it's real. But for the first time in a long while, my family thinks I'm doing the right thing. My father even suggested I'd turned over a new leaf. It's what I want them to think of me, and you've helped me do so, Lily – in just a few short days, I'm a different person," he said, smiling at Lily, who blushed.

This had not been her intention – quite the opposite, in fact. She had hoped to lure Maximilian into scandal and had assumed he would behave towards her with the same callous attitude he had treated so many other women in the past. But it seemed he really did mean to change, and that meant Lily's hopes of bringing down the dukedom were over…

"I'm…glad to hear it," she stammered, and he took her hands in hers and sighed.

"Oh… I feel…elated," he said.

Lily had been taken by surprise at his appearance – and by the gratitude he had displayed. But now, her mind was racing, and she realized she would need to do something if she was to help her father and see justice served. She had almost felt sympathetic towards Maximilian's family – their philanthropy and desire to do good stood at odds with her perception of them. But she reminded herself sternly why she had come to Lancaster, and that any faltering on her part would mean her father's continued incarceration.

"I'm glad to hear it, but…do you really believe they'll allow the marriage to go ahead?" she asked, dangling the possibility of a problem before him, and hoping he might be swayed into scandalous behavior.

His unexpected arrival at Alicia's house could be used against him, if only he would do something other than stand there thanking her…

"Why wouldn't they? You were a great relief to them. At last, a respectable young lady, and not some…advantage taker from the village. Oh, they'll allow it. I know they will. We can keep up the pretense or…" he said, his words trailing off, as Lily narrowed her eyes.

"I don't understand what you mean," she said, even as she understood entirely…

He really was falling in love with her, and as the astonishing realization came over her, Lily felt quite overwhelmed.

"I mean…well, in time, perhaps we might…oh, I don't know… I've never felt like this before. I'm used to taking what I want and leaving it at that. But couldn't we… I mean, a courtship…" he said.

Lily's eyes grew wide. It was clear Maximilian was not good at this sort of thing. He could be the bravado filled rake, taking what he wanted, and leaving a trail of destruction behind him. But as for actual feelings…

"Oh, but…I'm just the daughter of a merchant. The Duke of Lancaster can't marry the daughter of a merchant," she exclaimed, but Maximilian shook his head.

"I don't care who your father is. He could be anyone – it doesn't matter. But please…think about it, Lily," he said.

"But your parents would. It's an impossible situation," Lily said, but Maximilian shook his head.

"My father isn't like that. He has his faults. But…well, there are things in the past, things better left unspoken. None of that matters now, though. I just want you to think about it," he said.

Lily nodded. She felt thoroughly confused. It was the strangest of feelings. Maximilian had behaved in exactly the opposite way to how she had expected. She had wanted scandal, and to ruin him, and yet, in coming close to him, Lily had discovered another side to him. He wanted to be loved, to be accepted, to leave the past behind. It was as though the scandal sheets had held up a mirror to him, and he had been shocked by his reflection.

"I will," she said, astonished at his words, and yet unable to feel the anger and animosity she willed herself to feel against him.

He raised her hand to his lips. His kiss was gentle, and Lily did not pull away. He looked at her and smiled.

"I'll see you very soon, tomorrow, I hope. But I should go. I'll send a carriage for you in the morning – we're to have a picnic on the moorland. There's an old house out there, Briar Heights. My parents knew it in their younger days. I'd like you to see it," he said, and Lily nodded.

He slipped back over the window ledge, clinging to the ivy and grinning at her.

"Be careful," she whispered, and he nodded.

"I will be. Goodnight, and thank you," he said, and with that, he was gone.

Lily sighed. She felt confused as to what had just passed between them, even as Maximilian's own feelings had seemed certain. It was the strangest of feelings, and she dismissed the idea of any emotional connection to him.

"You hate him," she told herself, and yet she did not hate him – quite the opposite, in fact, and as she lay down to sleep, Lily could not help but wonder what it would be to say yes to the unexpected feelings rising in her heart.

"Lily? Are you awake? Lily?" a voice above her said, and Lily opened her eyes to find Alicia looking down at her.

She sat up with a start, remembering the events of the previous night, and wondering if Alicia suspected anything of her secret liaison.

"Is it…late?" Lily asked, for she did not know how long she had slept.

Alicia rolled her eyes.

"Late enough, yes, and look at the mess – all these papers lying around. You left the window open, a breeze must have caught them," she said, stooping to pick up the discarded scandal papers from the floor.

Lily leaped out of bed, with a sudden realization as to what was about to happen, but she was too late to prevent Alicia from reading the piece of paper she now held in her hand. Her eyes grew wide with astonishment, and she stared at Lily in disbelief.

"But… I don't understand, Lily. It can't be…these are scandal papers? You're the one writing all these things about Maximilian…" she said, and Lily sat back down on the bed with a sigh.

"I am, yes. I didn't want to tell you, in case…well, I knew you'd be angry," she said, as Alicia continued to look through the papers, shaking her head in disbelief.

"But Lily…you came here to do this? Why?" she stammered.

"I was going to tell you the truth – I promise. But I got so caught up in the matter, and then the opportunity for the courtship – it's all fake, of course. I wanted to get close to him," Lily said, and now she told Alicia the story from the start.

She explained how her father had been a land agent for the Duke of Lancaster, and how it was the duke's fault he was now in prison. She told Alicia of her desire for revenge, and how she had brought down many an aristocratic family with her London scandal sheets. Alicia listened in astonishment, and her eyes grew wide with horror when Lily told her how Maximilian had declared his emerging feelings for her the night before.

"He was here?" she exclaimed, and Lily nodded.

"But…nothing happened. That's the problem. He seems to have changed," she said.

Lily was not about to admit her own changing feelings towards Maximilian – it was enough to suggest Maximilian was not entirely the man she had at first believed him to. In her mind, she had a job to do. Her father was counting on her, and despite the unexpected change in Maximilian, Lily knew she could not be deterred from doing what she had set out to do.

"But what will you do now? I confess… I feel…used," Alicia said, but Lily shook her head, taking hold of Alicia's hand in hers.

It had never been her intention to use Alicia for her own gain. They were friends, and it was the fortune of circumstance, rather than deliberate cunning, Lily had taken advantage of.

"I wanted to tell you. But it had to look real. I was going to, I promise," she said, and Alicia sighed.

"But if he really has changed – what then? If there's no scandal to discover, are you just going to string him along and pretend? If you break the courtship, you'll be the one whose name ends up in the mud. And as for your father…" Alicia said.

Lily was all too aware of the risks she was taking. It was supposed to have been so simple – she would get close to Maximilian, win his trust, and see his scandalous behavior firsthand. She had imagined his rakish ways would continue – not only with her, but with other women, too – and that she would have no end of things to write in a final, devastating blow. And yet the dinner with the duke and duchess and Maximilian's unexpected appearance in her bedroom the previous night had only sought to dissuade Lily as to Maximilian's true nature. He had changed, and the possibility of his downfall now lay in tatters.

"I know that, but… I don't know what else to do," Lily admitted.

She was always so sure of herself, but now she felt confused, and when a carriage arrived later that morning to take her on the picnic at Briar Heights, Lily's confusion only remained…

"Isn't it wild out here? I love the moorlands. We used to come out here when I was a child. It's all overgrown, of course, but…there's something romantic about it, don't you think?" Maximilian said.

Lily was standing next to him on a tuft of heather, looking down at the house – Briar Heights – lying in a hollow of trees below. They had driven for some miles by carriage before taking to horseback to complete the journey, arriving at the house a little before noon. Half a dozen servants had accompanied them and were busy erecting a canopy under which they would picnic. The duke and duchess were in the garden below, whilst William and Anne were sitting with William's mother, to whom Lily had been introduced. Her name was Teresa, and the two of them had enjoyed a pleasant conversation during the ride, even as Lily remained distracted by her confused and unexpected thoughts.

"It's a remarkable place," she said, and Maximilian smiled.

"I'm really so very glad to be here with you. I look at William and Anne, and I see…well, I see what might be," he said.

Lily knew she had to put a stop to this. It was all becoming too much…

"Maximilian, I… I'm glad I can help you, but…we really can't be anything more…" she stammered, but he stopped her, raising his hand as he spoke.

"I know you don't think you're good enough – it's your father, I know. It doesn't matter, and I want to prove it to you. I want to tell you something. It's something I've never told anyone before, and in telling you, I'm proving to you my esteem, and more so, my trust," he said.

At this, Lily paused, uncertain of what to say. She knew there was more about Maximilian – about his family and their past. Her father had not revealed it, or perhaps this was something even he was not aware of. She realized what it could mean – the moment she had been waiting for.

"Only if you're sure," she said, and Maximilian nodded.

"I want to prove to you I'm not a rake – that I've changed," he said, clasping her hands in his.

Lily nodded, her heart beating fast at the thought of what he was about to say – a hidden lover? An illegitimate child? A secret sibling? It could all be used for his ruin…

"Then tell me what you want to tell me," she said, and Maximilian glanced over his shoulder, making sure they could not be overheard.

"William's my cousin, born out of wedlock. My uncle died in Corsica – that's why my father inherited the dukedom. But Teresa was carrying him before my father and uncle went off to war. They'd have gotten married if he'd come back. But he didn't. That's why father made William his godson and lavished so much care and attention on him. He set him up in business, gave him the Barony, and treated him as the nephew he was – albeit without revealing the truth," Maximilian said.

Lily gasped. It was an astonishing story, and in it was the possibility of a scandal so great as to bring down the dukedom itself.

"But that means…does he have a claim over you?" she asked, staring at Maximilian in disbelief.

"No, that's all been settled. I'm the heir to the dukedom. But you understand William's place now," he said, and Lily nodded.

She understood it very well, and she understood its possibility, too. Maximilian had trusted her with his darkest secret, and now it was up to Lily to decide what to do with it…