“Absolutely, I will let the two of you catch up before we join you.” Juliette scampered away.
Lily breathed a sigh of relief. She had been planning on going to her mother, but her presence made the matter so much easier as she made her way to the front of the house. She had felt a little guilty by not telling Julian, and even worse, that Juliette seemed to be taking her into her confidence. Yet that could not be helped when she did not know what needed to be done.
Her mother sat waiting in the mourning room and got to her feet as soon as Lily entered. “My dearest daughter, how does it feel to be a brand-new viscountess?” Her mother beamed, but Lily quickly shut the door behind her.
“Is something the matter?” her mother asked in a worried tone.
Not wanting to waste any time, Lily closed the distance between them and beckoned for her mother to sit as she sat beside her. “I received a letter, Mama. Oliver is here in England. The rumors were true. He said he wants to speak with me, but he did not say where, when, or what the discussion would be regarding.”
Her mother’s face instantly grew more serious as she pursed her lips. “I think we all know why he is here. To cause trouble and nothing more. I curse the day your father ever decided to introduce you to the waste of a man,” she bit out harshly.
“Be that as it may, Mama, I have not told Julian about the letter. I did not wish for things to come between us. Not when we haveonly just been married. I will tell him. I just wanted to tell you first,” Lily explained as quickly as she could. There was no telling how soon it would be before Catherine and Juliette joined them, and she wanted her mother to herself for a little while at least.
Shaking her head quite vigorously, her mother shifted a little closer and took her hands. “Do not tell him, my dearest. Things such as this can only sour matters between a husband and a wife. We have just crossed the finish line; heaven forbid he got the wrong idea and acted rashly. He could have the marriage annulled if he thinks that there is anything between you and Mr. King.”
The words shook Lily to the core as she drew in a breath.
Annulled?
Would Julian do such a thing if he thought her untrue? Her reputation would be left in tatters if that were to happen, but more than that, she would never want to give Julian the wrong impression or make him believe that she had ever wanted to hurt him.
“You must keep this to yourself, my dearest. Mr. King will realize that you have moved on with your life and return to England before too long.” She gave Lily’s hands an encouraging squeeze. “You must focus on your marriage now. You and Julian are the ones who truly matter, and he is a good man.”
“And if Oliver reaches out again?” Lily asked with bated breath, dreading the persistence that she knew resided within him.
“Then you ignore him and the letters. He will eventually get the message and move on with his life.” She waved her hand angrily in the air. “He will move on to whatever scheme he has cooked up next.”
“One can only hope…” Lily turned her head to gaze out the window, praying that Oliver would leave her and Julian alone.
Chapter 15
Leaving White’s, Julian stepped onto the busy London street with a spring in his step. He had hated leaving his wife so early on the first day of their marriage, but the meeting with his solicitor had gone well, and their future looked bright.
Lily’s dowry was more than sufficient for the estate debts to be settled, along with having the house and grounds restored to their former glory. In addition to all of that, Mr. Baker had let him know that there was more than enough money to provide Juliette with a dowry and give Lily an allowance every month.
Things seemed to be looking up for them all as he strolled down the street with renewed hope in his chest.
“My lord!” A voice called to him from across the street.
Stopping in his tracks, Julian turned to see Eleanor crossing the street after a horse-drawn carriage had passed.
“It’s good to see you so soon again, my lord. I thought for certain that our new viscountess would have you locked up for good,” she remarked chirpily before reaching his side.
Something in the way she made the remark made Julian bristle slightly as he stiffened. “I can assure you that Lady Barnard has no such plans, Miss Everet. Now, if you would excuse me, I was just on my way back home. My wife will be waiting for me.” He turned to leave but found himself being stopped once again.
“Oh, do let me come along. I know the two of you will be needing your privacy, but it cannot hurt for me to check in on her, can it? She is such a sweet woman after all. We had such lovely conversations on the day of your wedding regarding her dress.” She fell into step beside him.
Not wanting to appear rude, Julian nodded. “Very well then, I am sure one cup of tea will not hurt.”
As long as it is a quick one.
He regretted his compliance almost instantly as Eleanor chatted all the way to his carriage and even more so once they were alone.
“Has Juliette found a good husband yet? I am sure you must be fighting off the suitors in droves.” Her giggle grated on his nerves as a headache began to form behind his eyes.
“I cannot say, Miss Everet. I would have thought that you knew more about my sister’s suitors than I do, given the fact that you are her friend.” He shut his eyes as he rubbed the nape of his neck in an attempt to ease the tension.
“My lord, you are such a tease!” She continued to laugh, oblivious to the fact that Julian was not interested in her conversation at all.