“Yes, you have mentioned several times on separate occasions. Yet Lady Barnard has managed to impress one of the highest-ranking ladies of theton,” he said bluntly.
Her face fell instantly as she stared at him.
“Did you not know, Miss Everet? Lady Archibald came to congratulate Lady Barnard on how well she handled the little mix-up at her dinner. She showed her so much grace and understanding that I hope it will serve as a lesson on treating others to all the ladies of theton.” He turned from her, leaving her in the middle of the floor with her mouth slightly agape.
I must find Lily.
He pressed through the throng of guests, not caring if anyone had heard him speaking so coldly to Eleanor. It was about time that she learned her place in his life.
The guests parted for him as they bowed or curtsied in passing. He continued out to the patio and looked around, frowning when he saw no one at all. Eleanor had said that Lily had gone to the gardens, but she had not been a beacon of truth in the past. He was about to give up and go back inside when low voice drifted to his ears. It sounded almost as if two people were having a private discussion.
Not wanting to intrude, but still needing to know where his wife was, Julian crept closer, hoping to catch a glimpse of the speakers before leaving.
Rounding a bunch of neatly trimmed bushes, Julian felt his heart freeze in his chest as he caught sight of the couple.
Lily stood rigid next to a fountain, staring at a man whom Julian had never seen before.
The man was just as tall as Lily with light brown hair and tanned skin. His features were sharp and almost hawk-like as he moved forward and folded his arms around Julian’s wife.
Is that Oliver?
Julian suddenly thought back to the letters that Lily had hidden. She had never given him any reason to doubt her loyalty. He had assumed that Oliver had been a distant relative or even a friend. She did not look comfortable as she placed her hands on his shoulders and pushed the man away.
Sneering, the stranger said something to her, making her cheeks flush with heat.
Something deep within his chest began to ache, creating an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of his stomach. He was about to step forward and confront them when Lily suddenly stepped back and shook her head, muttering something under her breath before leaving.
She did not want to be with him.
Julian reassured himself as he unclenched his fists at his sides and took a step back. If Lily had not wanted to speak to the man,then he would give her the benefit of the doubt and ask her about the encounter later, before he told her that he loved her.
Stepping back, he waited for Lily to disappear before heading back into the ballroom. He still felt a little uneasy by what he had seen, yet his better sense told him to wait and hear what she had to say.
The string quartet was just beginning to lift their instruments and position their bows over their violin strings as he entered the room.
He looked around frantically for Lily, but she was nowhere to be seen. “Where are you?” he whispered just loud enough for himself to hear.
As if he had summoned her, Eleanor suddenly appeared at his side and looped her arm through his, tugging him in the direction of the dance floor. All traces of their previous conversation seemed to have left her.
Julian was about to protest when she looked back and hissed under her breath.
“I am trying to help you, my lord. Lady Barnard is still nowhere to be seen, and you must open the floor!”
A pang of concern clutched at his chest as Julian allowed himself to be led into the middle of the floor, where he joined the line of men opposite their partners.
Eleanor took her place opposite him and smiled, holding out her hand just as the music began to play.
This is not right.
Every fiber of Julian’s being wanted to leave as he stepped forward and accepted her hand, pulling Eleanor closer as they began to sway. There was nothing he could do about the situation without making a scene. He craned his neck around the room at every turn, yet Lily had not yet appeared.
He was beginning to grow more anxious when Eleanor suddenly struck up a conversation.
“Have you any more ideas as to what still needs to be done to the home?” she asked sweetly, as if he had not told her off at all.
“I… I am not certain.” Julian spun her under his arm and pulled her back in just as Lily appeared at the other end of the hall.
Her face was flushed and filled with color as she appeared to be looking around.