Had things always been this way between them? Or had it worsened after his marriage? He reasoned with himself that hehad grown used to Lily and her quiet, unassuming ways, but Eleanor seemed utterly oblivious to his lack of participation as she prattled on.
The ride dragged on for Julian before the horses and carriage finally came to a stop in front of his home.
“Are we here already? Did it not seem as if the journey passed in the blink of an eye?” She remarked as he helped her alight from the carriage.
“No, it did not,” Julian grumbled under his breath as she led the way to his front door.
The butler opened the door to greet them and announced that Lily was alone in the parlor, as his mother and aunt had gone to run an errand.
Relief flooded his body when Julian finally set eyes on his wife.
The lime green fabric of her simple dress made the color in her eyes seem greener rather than blue, yet he still thought of her as the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his life.
Lily seemed surprised to see their guest, but took the matter in her stride. “Miss Everet, what a lovely surprise. I did not know that you would be calling on us this afternoon.”
Eleanor sauntered toward her and gave her an unexpected hug. “I hope you do not mind. I bumped into Lord Barnard on the street, and he simply insisted that I come along and pay you avisit. He must think that you need the company.” She turned around and gave Julian a conspiratorial wink.
The gesture made him stiffen again, but he decided to let the matter slide when Lily invited her to take a seat.
“I was just about to ring for some tea, but I will ask them to bring along an extra cup and saucer,” Lily explained before ringing a tiny golden bell.
The housekeeper appeared in the doorway and listened to Lily’s request before swiftly disappearing again.
Julian’s chest swelled with pride when he saw how well his wife handled the situation. They all took a seat with Lily sitting beside Eleanor on what seemed to be her favorite settee. A warm feeling spread across his chest when he realized just how natural and comfortable she looked in his home.
She is a natural.
His former doubts about her abilities all faded away as soon as the tea arrived and Lily stood to pour.
“Would you like me to pour, my lady? I know this must all be so new to you.” Eleanor offered sweetly.
There it was again, that subtle hint of something in her voice that made Julian clench his jaw. He was not certain what it was, but her remarks felt like attacks that grated on his nerves.
Lily seemed blissfully unaware of any of it as she smiled. “Thank you, Miss Everet, but my aunt taught me how to pour tea. It was one of her many lessons on how to become a viscountess.” Gripping the handle of the floral porcelain pot, Lily began to pour the tea with expert precision, and not so much as a drop had been spilled.
“My, you are quite good at that, I must say,” Eleanor remarked with a slight sharpness in her tone.
“Thank you, I am glad to hear that my hours of practice finally paid off.” Lily handed the first cup to Julian and proceeded to pour the next.
Their fingers brushed for the briefest of seconds, and Julian could have sworn that he saw her lips part in a gentle gasp. The thought made his heart slam against his ribs, but he focused on his cup of tea instead and sipped the tea before looking up.
“As a matter of fact, Lady Barnard is shaping up to be one of the finest viscountesses thetonhas ever seen. My mother and Juliette are filled with nothing but praise for her.”
Lily’s cheeks filled with color as she lifted the second cup from the tray, and just like that, her hands began to shake. Large droplets of tea sloshed over the edges before the cup in its entirety toppled over onto the tray.
“Oh, my goodness!” Eleanor remarked before jumping to her feet and quickly ringing the small golden bell.
The housekeeper came rushing in at once and gasped in turn when she saw the mess on the tray.
Lily’s eyes filled with tears as she took a step back, but Julian quickly came to his feet and closed the distance between them.
“Are you hurt?” he asked, puzzled as to what had gone wrong. She had been doing so well until… He quickly shook the thought from his mind. He had thought he saw Eleanor shifting her leg under the table, but she would not have done something so silly and devious as to try and trip his wife.
Her voice trembled slightly, but she quickly blinked back her tears and steadied herself. “I am not certain what happened. It felt like my dress was hooked on something under the table.” She shook her head in disbelief.
The pit of Julian’s stomach clenched as he thought of the slight movement that he had seen out of the corner of his eyes. Yet there was nothing he could do regarding the matter unless he was willing to accuse her, which he was not.
Coming forward, Eleanor lowered her voice so that the housekeeper could not hear. “Do not let this affect you, my lady. It takes time to learn all of these things. Some of us were born into it; I would not have done half as well as you have when I first started my lessons. You will be part of the aristocracy in no time at all.” She lifted a hand and gently rubbed Lily’s back as if she were consoling a child.