“And may I ask whom we have here?” Lily’s mother came up beside her and gently touched Lily’s arm in a discreet show of support.
“This is Miss Arabella Tremaine, Mama. We have only just met.” Lily made the introductions.
Beaming with joy, Lily’s mother smiled. “Yes, of course, I have just met your mother, Lady Tremaine. She was saying that we should all have tea once we are done here with the dresses.”
Arabella’s eyes widened even further as she stepped toward Lily and took her hand. “Oh, please say that you will join us. I would love to hear all about the place you grew up and how different you find things here in London. It must be such a tremendous change for you.”
Lily almost took a step back, slightly overwhelmed by Arabella’s enthusiasm.
“Clam yourself, Arabella, you have only just met Miss Prescott, allow her some time to breathe,” A kind, older woman came forward, smiling at Lily.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Prescott. I am Lady Tremaine, Arabella’s mother. You must forgive my daughter. She can never temper her excitement when she meets someone she likes,” she explained, her dark brown eyes wrinkling ever slightly at thesides as she smiled. She was at least a head shorter than her daughter, and a great deal plumper, yet her pale skin was just as freckled, while her hair was dark.
Taking a step back, Arabella blushed, causing her freckles to become even more prominent. “My apologies, Miss Prescott. I sometimes forget myself.” She let go of Lily’s hand.
Warming instantly to the breath of fresh air that was Arabella Trimaine, Lily smiled. “There is no need to apologize, Miss Tremaine, and please, call me Lily.”
Arabella sucked in a sharp breath as she beamed. “That would be such an honor, would you call me Arabella?”
Lily simply nodded, feeling as if she had found a friend at last.
The mothers exchanged a smile before Lady Tremaine spoke again. “We would be delighted if you both would join us for the masked ball that I shall be hosting at the start of the season. It is always a good place to meet new people.”
Something in Lily’s chest clenched, but she pushed it aside. She would not have to be alone at the ball with her mother and aunt if she and Arabella could become friends.
“Oh, say you will! We could also go riding tomorrow morning. That is, if you like riding?” Arabella directed her full attentionto Lily again as their mothers walked off in the direction of the newer fabrics.
Allowing Arabella to slip her arm through Lily’s, they followed their mother as Arabella began to chat about all of the things she would like to do with Lily.
The atmosphere was light and pleasant, adding a small amount of reprieve to Lily’s troubled thoughts. She turned her head to look at the window again, but the man who had been there before was gone, along with the carriage and two women.
Did I imagine him?
Lily could feel her heart thudding again as she took a deep breath. Men like him were dangerous. They lured young women in with promises of love and honor, but ultimately, it always ended the same.
With heartache and tears.
Chapter 3
Music from the string quartet drifted in the air, filling the rare moments of silence with atmospheric delights. The masked ball had only just begun, and Julian had already regretted his decision to chaperone his mother and sister.
Lords and Ladies of thetonmilled about, chatting behind their fans or whispering to people that they knew. The masked faces made it difficult for anyone to recognize others beyond their immediate circle, but Julian found himself enjoying the anonymity the covering provided.
“Did you enjoy your first session of Parliament?” Benedict asked from beside him, drawing his attention back to their conversation. His black mask matched the hue of his mourning coat and tails.
Reaching up, Julian secured his own blue mask in place, feeling more like an intruder with every moment that passed. His mother had insisted on him getting into the spirit of things. Which meant a brand new hairstyle that hid his curls, a navy coat accompanied by his war medals, and even new boots and breeches he had insisted he did not need. “Truth be told, I felt rather like a fish out of water. People talk about how stiff and proper sitting in the House of Lords can be, but the reality is far more boring than that.”
Lifting the glass of brandy to his lips, Benedict took a sip before chuckling. “I do not envy your position. I would have been bored from the first hand I was forced to shake.”
Julian tugged at his white cravat, hoping to afford himself some room to breathe. “Trust me, it is not a position I would wish on anyone, but alas, there is not much I can do to change the matter,” he grumbled. “I am doomed to a life of boredom while old men with titles make important decisions.”
“So, I take that you have resigned yourself to being Lord Barnard?” Benedict asked with one eyebrow raised in question.
Shifting his gaze across the crowded ballroom to where his mother and sister were standing in their deep purple and emerald costumes, Julian smiled. Or at least, the corner of his mouth hooked into a slight gesture that could have been mistaken for a smile. “I have. I may as well make the best of the opportunity that has been presented to me.”
Even if it is not for me.
Benedict followed his gaze, watching as a group of suitors approached Juliette with offers to fill in her dance card.