Chapter 8

Lilah rolled over and hit a warmth she hadn’t expected. It wasn’t just any warmth, but Henry. She stretched against him and wound her arms around his hard body. What a way to wake up. This was something she could become accustomed to and rather quickly. She already craved the pleasure he had given her.

“Good morning,” he said.

Morning? She bolted upright. It was morning. He had stayed in her bed for the remainder of the night. This was not good. Not good at all. What they’d done… They’d be discovered. She was ruined, but this would only make it all worse. Her father would be even more strict with her. He might not even give her any funds to support herself. What had she been thinking? Clearly she had lost her mind, and to the one man she should not have.

“What is it?” he asked.

“You’re still here,” she said. Panic seized her chest. She did not regret inviting him to her room. He’d given her so much pleasure it might even be enough to last a lifetime. However, she should have insisted he leave hours earlier.

“I know.” He frowned. “I think I understand. It’s morning.”

“Yes,” she said. “It’s morning.”

“And I shouldn’t be in your bedchamber.”

She nodded dumbly. “No. You shouldn’t.”

He smiled and trailed a finger up her spine. It sent shivers all over her and it made her crave even more from him. They had already made love. There was no taking that back. And he was still there. In her bed. They would be discovered. Why not take advantage of his proximity? One last time… No. She couldn’t… That was not true. She most certainly could. But she shouldn’t.

“Love,” he said. “It will be all right. I promise.”

How could it ever be all right? Did he not understand what this all meant? She wasn’t like the duke’s daughter. She had no one that would call him out and force him to wed her. Not even her own father. He wasn’t a young man. He’d die in a duel and she would have an even more scandalous reputation. No one was going to make Henry marry her, and even if they could, she was not so certain that she wanted him that way. It hurt her heart to think he wouldn’t want to marry her on his own. Somewhere in the past fortnight she’d gone and done something foolish. She’d fallen for him. Hard. Lilah had handed over her heart to him and she just knew he was about to break it.

“How can you promise me that?” She nibbled on her bottom lip. “If anyone sees you…”

“It will still be all right,” he said.

“I wish I had your faith,” Lilah told him. “I just don’t.”

He pulled her into his arms and continued to stroke her back. Henry held her and just did his best to soothe her. She loved him all the more for it. “Do you want to know why I know?”

“It would help,” she admitted.

“Because you and I are going to face everything together.” He kissed her forehead. “Whatever they say, it won’t matter. We will be together.”

“We will?” she frowned. Lilah was even more confused than she had been previously. Did he mean to keep her as his mistress? That might be all right for a time. Until the day he did marry. She couldn’t live through that.

“Yes,” he said. “Always. You and me. We’re meant for each other.”

“I would like to agree,” she began. “But I think I need you to explain this better.”

He chuckled softly. “I love you,” he said. “I don’t know when it started. It just feels like it has always been there. I am drawn to you. Perhaps that is why, in my drunken state, I did what I did. I knew I wanted you and hadn’t the faculties to figure out how to make you mine.” He shrugged. “Not the most conventional way of asking you to be mine. But here we are.”

“Here we are…” She frowned. “So, what is it you’re saying?” He loved her? Truly?

“I’m saying,” he said. “That I am going to get a special license and we are going to marry immediately. Before the end of this house party, if I can manage it. I’ll talk to Ardmore. He won’t mind.”

“You want to marry me?” She glanced up at him.

“Of course,” he said, then sighed. “I may have a scandalous reputation of my own, but I’ve never bedded an innocent.” He kissed her lightly on the lips and it sent those shivers all over her again. Lilah tingled with need and she squirmed against him. “I would never have come back to your room if I didn’t have those intentions from the start. I love you. How many ways must I say it for you to believe it?”

“As long as you tell me every day,” she said in a playful tone. “I’m certain I’ll believe you.”

“Then I’ll do that,” he said. Then he kissed her in the way she’d been craving. With passion and need that coiled through her. He caressed her breast and she wrapped her leg around his waist. He slid into her as he continued to kiss her. Their loving burned hot between them as he rocked into her over and over again. He swallowed her cries as she broke apart under his loving. Each touch brought her higher and higher until she crested again, and he followed soon after. It was too quick and equally devastating, and she wanted more. She always wanted more. “I love you,” she told him.

“Thank God,” he said. “Because I was never letting you go. You’re mine. Always mine.” He kissed her hard and claimed her completely.

He groaned. “I don’t want to leave you, but I have to. If we are going to marry, I need to get that license and talk to Ardmore.”

“Then you should dress,” she said. “I’d like to keep you here with me, too. But the good news is that we will have the rest of our lives to stay in bed together if we so wish. After we say those vows.”

“I cannot wait,” he said.

Henry rolled out of the bed and dressed. She followed him out of the bed, but she just pulled on her dressing gown. Lilah wanted a bath and would have to ring for one of the servants. She walked with him to the door. He opened the door and glanced down the hall. “It’s clear,” he said. Then pulled her against him and kissed her deeply.

A gasp echoed down the hall. Henry cursed.

* * *

He should not have stopped to kiss her. That was his mistake. At least they planned on marrying, so whoever had witnessed leaving the bedchamber wouldn’t have any sway over their lives. He just had to get that special license.

“I see you finally got him out of his clothes,” Lady Daisy Allen said from down the hall.

Henry groaned. He really did not like Lady Daisy Allen. She was too full of herself and believed because of her father’s ducal status that made her far superior to everyone else. He’d never liked her, and now she was saying awful things about Lilah. The woman who held his heart.

“Lady Daisy,” he said in an indifferent tone. “It’s not wise to speak ill of my intended.”

“Your intended?” Lady Daisy laughed. “No one is going to believe that lie.”

“It’s not a lie,” he said. His tone was even icier than it had previously been. “I am going to marry Lilah just as soon as I obtain a special license.”

Lady Daisy glared at Lilah and then turned to him. “You cannot marry her. You’re supposed to marry me.”

He snorted. “I’d never marry you.”

“My father will insist upon it. After I tell him you ruined me.” She gave him that haughty look she’d perfected.

“He hasn’t ruined you,” Lilah said. “Why are you telling lies?”

Lady Daisy lifted her head and looked down her nose at Lilah. She was already acting as if Lilah were beneath her. “He never should have come to you. I ensured you would hate him.”

“What the bloody hell does that mean,” Henry demanded. What had Lady Daisy done? He narrowed his gaze. “Explain yourself.”

Lady Daisy shrugged. “I saw how you looked at her that night. I was flirting with you and you were responding. You would have been mine then.”

Henry would never have touched her. He abhorred her. But that made him wonder. There was only one night that she could be referring to. The night he had said all those terrible things about Lady Lilah. But then again… Had he? “What actually happened that night? Tell us the truth, Lady Daisy.”

She grinned and there was something malicious in the curve of her lips. “I knew you didn’t really remember.” Lady Daisy strolled toward them. “It was never Lilah that tried to take off your clothes.” She lifted her hand as if to reach out to him, but considered and decided against it. “That was me. But you pushed me away and when you walked out and saw her.” She glared at Lilah. “You were momentarily dumbstruck.”

“And you decided to have him tell a tale about me instead of you?” Lilah asked.

“It wasn’t how I would have liked that night to end.” Lady Daisy shrugged. “But when he stumbled across his friend and started to tell them about the lady who attempted to ravish him, I was there. I made sure your name was the one spread around instead of mine. I couldn’t have my reputation ruined, you see.”

Henry wanted to throttle her. Her actions ensured that Lilah had been ostracized. She should be the one shunned for scandalous behavior. Not Lilah. Never her. “You are despicable,” he said in disgust.

“And now everyone will know it,” a female said from behind them.

Who now? Henry closed his eyes and curse under his breath. Then he turned and met his sister’s gaze. “Emma?”

“Hello, brother dear.” She grinned and waved at Lilah. “I’m glad things have turned out as they should.”

Lady Victoria Spencer and Selena Brooks walked from the other side of the hall. “Not how I saw this all coming out,” Lady Selena said. She frowned as she stared at all of them gathered in the hallway. “And not when either. The ball should have been when the truth was revealed.”

“You knew?” Lilah said, baffled. “How?”

“I overheard Lady Daisy over there,” Emma waved in the woman’s direction. “Boasting how she intended to trap my brother that night. I had gone off to warn him when I heard that it was a wallflower named Lilah that had accosted him. I was shocked, to say the least, and I had to wonder how much of that was true.” She sighed. “When I met you, I knew there was something off about that tale. That’s when I decided to try this scheme to get all the parties involved here.” She glared at Lady Daisy. “I had a feeling she would reveal her true self here. We’ve been monitoring her every move.”

“We’re sorry,” Lady Victoria said to Lilah. “You couldn’t know or it would not have worked.”

“But we are surprised to find Henry with you.” Emma arched a brow. “That’s not something any of us could have predicted.”

Henry scrubbed his hands over his face. This was all too much. “I don’t even want to begin to discern all the threads of this plot of yours, Emma.” He blew out a breath. “And I don’t intend to. What I am going to do is let you finish whatever this is.” He motioned between all the ladies. “I need to go to London and speak with Ardmore before I depart. I’ll let Lilah explain.”

She grinned. “It’ll be our pleasure to finish this.” Lilah stepped up and pressed her lips to his. “Don’t be long.”

“I won’t be.” He grinned. “I don’t wish to be away from you longer than need be.” He hugged her against him and just savored the feel of her. “I love you.”

“I love you,” she told him.

He grinned and nodded at the ladies. “Take care of my betrothed. I wouldn’t want anything untoward to happen to her while I’m gone.” He left them alone. But when he returned. There would be a wedding, and a happy-ever-after the entire house party would remember.