Is she looking for me?
His heart almost leaped into his chest as he felt like leaving the dance right then and there. If she needed him, then he did not care what kind of scene was made or who gossiped about his actions. He was just about to let go of Eleanor’s hand when Lily suddenly hurried toward Arabella. The two hurried off to one side and began to whisper.
Julian’s heart fell again, filling with disappointment as he watched the two speak. She had been looking for her best friend and not him.
Eleanor’s voice suddenly drew his attention back to their dance as it sliced through his thoughts. “It is admirable how devoted you are to your wife, my lord,” she said smoothly. “You can hardly keep your eyes from her. It is a wonder that you did not care about her past. You are an admirable man. Any other man would have refused to marry her or, at least, been threatened.”
Snapping his head back in her direction, Julian furrowed his brow. “And what past are you speaking of, Miss Everet?”
Her lips curved into an uncertain smile. “Do you truly not know, my lord?”
He spun her under his arm again and pulled her back in along with the rest of the couples. “No, I do not know what you are referring to, Miss Everet. Perhaps you would care to enlighten me?” His voice was stiff and set along with his jaw.
“Oh dear, I can see that I have troubled you, but since I am your friend, I shall tell you the truth. Lady Barnard was engaged to be married before she left America. She quarreled with the man and left to find another husband, but he still has her heart. One can hardly blame her; true love only happens once in a lifetime. It is hard to forget a match that was forged in love…”
Her words trailed off as she gazed longingly into his eyes.
Love?
The room around Julian began to fade as the music suddenly disappeared into the background of his thoughts. He had told Lily that he had been in love once before, yet she had said nothing in response. “And how do you know this gossip to be true?” he snapped.
Eleanor seemed hurt at first but quickly recovered. “It is not gossip, my lord. Lady Barnard herself confided in me at the cottage. I am sorry if I am betraying her confidence, but I thought you ought to know. She will never be able to love another man, not truly, and not how she loved her former betrothed.”
Betrothed?
The word hit his chest like a ton of bricks as Julian looked back to where Lily had been standing. She was nowhere to be seen, nor was Arabella or the man who had been with her in the garden. It did not seem possible that she had been promised to another before she had agreed to the marriage.
A sudden wave of clarity washed over him as he recalled her words on the day he had proposed. Had she not said to him that their marriage would be one of convenience alone without any love? His blood began to run cold just as the song came to an end.
The couples stepped apart, bowing and curtsying to one another in parting. When Julian looked up again, what he saw in Eleanor’s eyes made him stiffen.
Is she telling the truth?
His heart stilled along with his thoughts as she held her gaze, unblinking and sure. Eleanor had not been truthful in the past, but that did not mean that she was incapable of telling the truth.
The letters from Oliver, her lies upon receiving them, and the sighting in the garden all fueled the anger swelling in his chest. He was not sure whom he could trust, or even who he could ask.
The guests erupted in applause just as the couples began to make their way from the floor.
Julian headed directly toward the staircase and stopped only when his mother crossed his path.
“Julian, dearest,” she whispered under her breath. “Why on earth did you open the dancefloor with Miss Everet and not your wife?” She laughed nervously and looked around, making certain that nobody was listening to them.
Shaking his head, Julian clenched his jaw, feeling his anger begin to rise. “If you have not noticed, Mother, your daughter-in-law is nowhere to be seen. Miss Everet did me a favor by taking her place.” His voice was stiff as she pushed past his mother, who seemed flustered and shocked.
“But Julian, where are you going?” she called to him, low enough that only he could hear.
“To my study, and I do not wish to be disturbed, not for the rest of the evening!” he muttered back, taking the steps two at a time as soon as he reached them.
Reaching the top of the stairs, he paused for a moment, looking back down at the throng of guests. He had half been expecting to see Lily again, yet she was still out of sight.
Perhaps she has gone back to him.
An aching feeling of numbness suddenly set in as he turned away from the guests and headed in the direction of his study. Once inside, he shut the door behind him and latched the lock.
“I cannot believe this is happening,” he whispered to the empty room. He did not feel as if it were possible that he had gotten himself into the same situation again.
Lily is in lovewith another.