Chapter 4

Henry leaned back against the carriage and closed his eyes. He should not have agreed to attend this house party. What had he been thinking? Clearly, he hadn’t been using the intelligence he’d been granted at birth. The last place he should be was a house party where he could easily be led into some sort of trap. That infernal rumor about him being ready for a wife had spread far and wide.

There was no hiding from it. As he didn’t enjoy being confined to his own home, he would have to do something to put those rumors to rest. He just wasn’t certain what it would take. Yet. Perhaps this house party would be the answer to all of his problem. But then again… It could also be the one thing that led to his undoing. He couldn’t be certain.

It seemed nothing he did of late was quite right. Starting with the rumor he’d started about that wallflower. Another sign he had not been thinking clearly. At least that he could blame on drinking to an excess. Otherwise, he would not have been able to explain any of it. Though after meeting Lady Lilah he did wonder if perhaps that had been some sort of dream on his part.

One he’d hoped was indeed a reality… She was a lovely woman, and he didn’t quite understand why she was a wallflower to begin with. All that silky black hair and icy blue eyes… The way she had stared at him with contempt—he shouldn’t find that so bloody attractive, but he’d never been more aroused in his life.

He sighed and glanced out the carriage window. He should have traveled by horseback, but he wanted to relax in the carriage. That had seemed like a splendid idea at the time. Now all he could think about was that single interaction with Lady Lilah Stephens in Hyde Park. For a moment he’d thought she would push him in the Serpentine. She’d been so livid. Not that he blamed her. If someone had done him wrong, he’d have been that angry as well. She had every right to hate him.

But now he couldn’t help desiring her. He was perhaps the most contrary man in all of England. Henry wanted the one woman he couldn’t have. Because surely Lady Lilah would never deign to give him even an inkling of a chance. And if she did? What would he do then? He’d probably muck that up, too. It seemed as if that was all he did. Nothing he ever touched or had contact with turned out as it should. That was part of the reason he acted as if he didn’t care. If no one believed something mattered to him, then they wouldn’t be aware of how much it did when he lost it. He was protecting himself in the only way he knew how.

The carriage turned down the long drive to Ardmore Abbey. The marquess had a fine country seat. Henry had only visited the abbey a few times over the years. He’d been closer to Foxcroft than any of his friends. They all had a certain fondness for each other, but they tended to break off and do things on their own from time to time. Ardmore and Castlebury, with the loftier titles, were often together. That is when Castlebury wasn’t trying to do something to help Thornton. He really wondered if the duke was related to Thornton. Why else would he be so concerned about the man? Were they brothers? He probably would never know.

When the carriage stopped at the entrance, Henry sighed, then exited it. No time like the present to see if he’d made a mistake. He stopped and nodded at the driver. “See that my trunks are unloaded and sent to whatever bedchamber I have been assigned to. Then you may see to the carriage and horses and have the rest of the day to yourself. I doubt I’ll need you for some time. Try to have some fun while you can, but be ready if I wish to leave early.” That was a genuine possibility. He had to see who Ardmore’s sister had invited first before he made any decisions. Henry also wondered if Lady Lilah would be in attendance. Ardmore had suggested that she would be.

“Very well, my lord,” the coachman said. “I’ll see to it.”

Henry nodded and then strolled to the entrance. The door opened before he had a chance to knock. A butler greeted him. He had dark hair with some gray at the sides and light brown eyes with wrinkles at the corners. “Good day, my lord,” he greeted Henry. “Welcome to Ardmore.”

“Good day to you,” he responded. “Is the marquess available?”

“He’s in his study,” the butler informed him. “He said to tell his friends that he would join them in the game room in an hour. There is a full bar and entertainments to be had.”

Did Henry want to go to the game room? He wasn’t certain. “Is my bedchamber ready for me?”

“It is,” the butler said. “I can have a maid show you to the one you’ve been assigned to if you like.”

Henry didn’t know what he would like. He knew little about anything anymore. “I’ll go to the game room for now. When I am ready, I’ll seek out a maid. Am I to presume each maid is aware where every guest has been assigned?”

“You may,” the butler said.

“Thank you,” he told the butler. “I remember the way to the game room.” There wasn’t much he did not recall about Ardmore. He had stayed there an entire summer after university. That was before they had gone on an extended tour of Italy and Greece. It was one of the few times he’d been to the abbey. If he remembered correctly, the conservatory was lush and full of places one could become lost if one so desired. He wanted that now. Something like being outside without the unpleasantness that sometimes could be found there. That was where he would go. He had a full hour before Ardmore would be in the game room.

* * *

Lilah strolled along the path in the conservatory. It wasn’t the Serpentine, but then again, nothing really compared to the lake. She found peace there, and the conservatory was the closest that she could find at Ardmore Castle. She had traveled there with Cora, Selena, and Emma. She’d been surprised that Emma hadn’t come with her brother, but she didn’t ask why. It was better she had come early so they could refine their plans.

Victoria had invited three potential brides they deemed suitable for the viscount. All of them were beautiful, but rotten inside. Their beauty would be enough to convince the ton he’d been willing to seduce them. That had been a crucial aspect they had all agreed on.

Their demeanor was why none of them had secured a match. They had good breeding, large dowries, and beauty to spare; however, they were vain birdbrains. They still had more attention than Lilah at every single ball or soiree she’d attended. She wasn’t a fool. Lilah knew her tiny dowry led to her lack of success. Still, her father was an earl. Even if he was not nearly as rich as some. They were comfortable and wanted for nothing.

But now she’d have next to nothing. She wasn’t even certain her father would allow her the cushion of her dowry to live on. What would she do when she officially became a spinster? Would she have a place to live? When her father died, the title would go to a cousin. She had no brother to depend on. In truth, her future was too uncertain for her liking. Cora was older than her by a year. This was her second season, and she was still unwed. She didn’t like their prospects. Not at all.

Perhaps they would stumble on to some sort of luck. And if only wishes came true… She sighed. Lilah had experienced nothing of the sort in all her life. Their father was disappointed neither of them were born male and had favored his closest friend’s son, the Earl of Thornton. Not a day had gone by that he’d not let them know how he felt. It wasn’t their fault they were females. Their father hadn’t seen it that way, and now she disappointed him even more by becoming the notorious wallflower.

She stopped by the roses. There were a wide variety of shades. She liked the yellow roses best. They reminded her of sunshine and happy summer days. The type of day that, for her, was about to come to a halt. After this house party, she would be expected to return to their father’s country seat. There, he would tell her what he had decided for her. He’d allowed her to stay in London only so Cora could finish the season, and if not for her sister, Lilah would not even have been able to attend this house party. This was her final season and last party of any sort. She had to ensure her revenge was completed before she could not do much else.

“Are the roses that dismal, then?”

Lilah inwardly cursed. She knew that voice, and it was one she would rather not endure. Slowly, she turned to face the viscount. “Lord Harcrest,” she greeted him through gritted teeth. “Surely there is another person willing to endure your company. I beseech you to go find them. It would only prove to benefit us both if you do.”

“I don’t know,” he said in a calm tone. “I rather like you and I aim to give you the opportunity to realize you like me, too.”

She rolled her eyes. Honestly, this man was utterly ridiculous and far too sure of his charms. She didn’t see what other ladies found so appealing in him. “I would rather not have a repeat conversation with you, my lord. If I have any desire where you are concerned, it is to see the last of you.”

“Did you know I’d be attending this house party?” he asked. He studied her as if he could read her mind. It was a damn good thing he couldn’t, or he’d run away and never look back. She needed him at this house party. “Because if you did, then you should have stayed away. That way you could have easily avoided my company.”

She glared at him. How to respond to all of that? He was far too sure of himself, for one thing. The other…well did she want him to know anything of her intentions? What would it serve to tell him any truth? Lilah tilted her head to the side. “If you must know,” she began. “I had to be convinced that my attendance would be beneficial for me.”

That was as much truth as he was going to get out of her. Because it held a hint of truth. This revenge scheme hadn’t been fully her idea. She was a part of it though. She had to be. This was her revenge after all; however, she did concoct most of it. Her fellow wallflowers were the masterminds. She was just one of their pawns on the chessboard. Actually, she was the essential queen. They had rallied behind her, to protect her, and ensure that at the end of it all, she would win.

“And will it be?” His tone held a hint of curiosity.

“That remains to be seen,” she told him. “It has only just begun, has it not?”

“You want to know what I think?” he asked.

“Not at all,” she told him in an imperious tone. “As I think little of you as a whole.”

He sighed. “I will endeavor to change your opinion of me. I promise you that.”

“Doubtful,” she told him truthfully. “And if that is your aim. You have a fortnight. After this party, you will never see me again.” Few would… Once her father sent her away, she might not even see her sister again. God…she really did hate this man.

“Then I shall use this fortnight wisely.” He grinned. “And, as to what I think…”

“Must we discuss that,” she interrupted him. “I’ve already suffered enough for one lifetime.” Probably more than one…

“Yes, we must,” he insisted and stepped toward her. He stared into her eyes and was quiet a moment. She almost liked this different side of him. It seemed…thoughtful. “You like me more than you want to.”

“No,” she stated firmly. “I hate you more than you’re willing to accept.”

“The other side of the coin,” he said. “That fine line between hate and?—”

“Let me stop you there, my lord.” She held up her hand. “Trust me on this. There is no fine line and no other side of the coin. Both sides are the same and will always be the same. You’re the one who is delusional and believes that we can go back. You ensured that my life is ruined. There is no correcting that mistake.”

“Nothing is ever irrevocable.” He leaned a little toward her. Not enough that they would accidentally touch, but enough for her to feel some of the heat of his body. She almost sucked in a breath. She did not like being so close to him. “And I’ll tell you a secret.” Lilah would not ask him what that secret was. She wouldn’t. “While I do not remember telling any tale about you, I wish I did. I’ve imagined what it would be like for you to touch me. I’d like for you to do just that. The very idea of having your hands on me…” He bit his lip as if he was barely under control. “It’s devastating to imagine. I’d like it very much if you tried to do all of those things to me. If it wasn’t so improper, I would invite you to do it all. Just to see if my imagination did any of it justice.”

Her heart beat heavily inside her chest. His voice was seductive, and it almost coaxed her into begging him for that pleasure. She wanted to touch him. God help her. She now knew what it would be like to have this man’s full attention, and she both liked it and abhorred it. Slowly, she drew in a fortifying breath and met his gaze, then boldly stated, “Only in your dreams, my lord.”

The viscount sighed. “The story of my life, my lady. Always wanting what I cannot have.” He bowed and then spun on his heels to leave her alone in the conservatory. What the hell had just happened? Lilah was reeling from it. He’d all but dared her to seduce him.

The horrible part of it all…she’d been tempted. Lilah never got tempted. What was it about that man that made her want to do things she would otherwise never do? This was going to be a long fortnight, and she hoped at the end of it all, it was worth the trouble.