The hem of her skirts dragged behind her as her cheeks flushed with color. She reached the other end of the field and touched her bat to the base of the wickets.
“Go back!” Everyone began to yell in unison as both teams cheered her on.
She was almost out of breath by the time she reached her own wickets, and Eleanor let loose with her ball.
A loud crack sounded as the ball hit the wood, knocking the posts over.
“I did it!” Lily screamed, ignoring the fact that Eleanor had bowled her out.
Running toward her, Julian lifted her in the air, swinging her around before placing her back down and kissing the top of her head. The gesture had come so easily to him that he had not even thought about it.
Lily laughed in his arms, pulling back as she looked up at him. “Did you see me? I did it.” She beamed from ear to ear.
“You most certainly did. I could not have been prouder of you.’ He smiled down at her, feeling the urge to press his lips against hers once again. And this time, he did.
The gesture was soft and tender, like the flapping of a butterfly's wings as he pressed his lips against hers and drew back.
The look of astonishment in her eyes made his heart beat faster.
Eleanor cleared her throat from across the field, drawing their attention away from the tender moment. “I might remind you all, but that was just a practice run. If we could all return to our proper positions this time?” She raised an eyebrow, tapping her foot in annoyance.
Lily averted her gaze, yet the tender look remained in her eyes as she stepped away from him.
Julian suddenly felt a cold rush where she had been standing, and he hoped that it would not be the last time that he got to hold her in his arms.
The rest of the game continued with laughter and bright smiles as Eleanor’s team ended up winning. The loss did little to lessen Lily’s joy, and Julian found himself watching her leave as the ladies headed back toward the house.
“The two of you seem to be getting on quite well,” Benedict remarked when they were finally alone.
“We are,” Julian sighed happily as he recalled the brief kiss that had suddenly turned his world upside down.
Pausing with the bats and wickets in his arms, Benedict shot him a strange look. “Are you falling in love with your wife? I mean, I know you are, but have you realized that you are falling in love with her?”
Julian smiled. “You know. I think I am. I never thought that I would allow myself to love again after Anne, but Lily has opened a new world for me. She is like the first breath of spring air after a long and arduous winter.”
Benedict let out a long whistle as he watched his friend. “I never thought that I would see the day when Julian Sinclair fell in love again. Yet I can honestly say that I am glad you have. LadyBarnard is a special woman. I think you should tell her how you feel.”
His nerves suddenly began to fray as Julian thought of the prospect of confessing his feelings. “What if she does not wish to hear that I am falling in love with her? Our marriage is one of convenience after all.”
“Then you make her fall in love with you, just as I have made Miss Arabella Tremaine fall in love with me.” He beamed brightly as he puffed out his chest. “I will be asking her to marry me soon enough, and I just know that she will say yes.”
“That is wonderful news,” Julian clapped him on the back. “Perhaps I shall take a leaf from your book and tell my wife that I am falling in love with her. What could possibly go wrong if I do?”
Chapter 24
The rhythmic beating of the horse’s hooves soothed her racing thoughts as Lily pushed her gray stallion at an even pace. The sky overhead was quickly growing darker, but she judged the clouds far enough away to allow her time to get back.
He kissed me.
Her breath caught in her throat as she recalled the tender gesture. She had wanted to keep her distance from him to protect her heart. Yet each passing day made it harder and harder for her not to like him. He was kind, charming, thoughtful, funny, and even handsome. He was the kind of prince that she had once dreamed of before her life had been turned upside down.
And then there are the letters from Oliver.
Her heart stilled again as she gripped the reins a little tighter, turning her knuckles white. She had needed him to fade into this past, yet his continued persistence to find her kept her up at night as she wondered what he would do. She was not frightened of him but rather of what he would do to take his revenge.
There had been rumors in New York that his father had intimidated men to get his way, but Lily had never thought that Oliver would stoop to such levels.
His alleged involvement with Spain and France had made her second-guess her own views on his character. A man who wouldbetray his country would stop at nothing to achieve his own ends.