“I will not marry Lord Loughton!”
Then she spun on her heel and left the room. And with the lady leaving, it was past time for Lilah to make her exit as well. Instead, she tried one last time to help Lady Clara.
“Truly, my lord, it was meant to look theatrical. There was no real danger. I made sure of it.”
His eyes narrowed as he looked at her. “Those play actors were your idea?”
“I thought it better than having one of the footmen throw cutlery. Best to have an expert than an accidental skewering.”
His lordship snorted, humor coming into his tone. “On that we agree.” He looked back at where his sister had disappeared. “She wanted to use the footmen?”
“She had other ideas as well. Several would have set the house on fire. A few would have required experiments in chemistry. But we talked them through, and she realized this was the best approach.”
“You talked it through,” he said. It was not phrased as a question. “I suspect that you talked her out of her wilder notions.”
Lilah thought it best not to confirm such a thing though he was correct. “Your sister and I became acquainted a week ago.” She bit her lip. “I like her a great deal and would like to continue our friendship.”
He nodded, but didn’t respond and Lilah was left to wonder what he meant by that. Would he bar the door to her? Would he allow Lady Clara to still call upon her? When the clock ticked on with no further response from him, Lilah decided it was time to take the conversation in another direction. Though propriety dictated that she depart immediately, she chose instead to remain for a moment more.
“I am sorry for your loss, my lord. I understand that your father had a difficult time of it.”
He nodded his head sadly. “It’s a terrible thing to watch one’s sire fade away. He was a man who filled a room, but in the end…” His voice trailed away as he looked past her shoulder at nothing in particular.
“My mother died in much the same way,” she said. “It took a year, but the illness destroyed her nonetheless.”
His gaze returned to her face and his expression softened. “I am sorry.”
She wondered for a moment if there were more to his words. Sorry he could not marry her like she’d asked a year ago. Sorry he disappeared for a year. Or was it simple politeness at her loss? Either way, her response was equally vague.
“Thank you,” she said. Then she asked the question that had been burning on her lips since she first realized he’d walked into the room. “Are you back in London then? Do you take up your place in the House of Lords?”
He nodded. “Yes, that’s my plan. I should be in town for a few months at least.” He looked down at his ruined tablecloth. “I was surprised by the magnitude of the work involved in taking the reins of an earldom, but I’m working my way through it.”
Of course, he was. She couldn’t imagine him shirking any responsibility, and that warmed her heart to him. It wasn’t what most women considered dashing, but she lived on the fringes of society. She had a great appreciation for people who didn’t try to weasel out of their promises.
“Your people are lucky to have you,” she said, meaning his servants, his tenants, and especially his family. Unfortunately, the very moment she had the most respect for him was the same moment she recognized the futility of her dreams. A new earl could not marry a by-blow. The very idea was preposterous. So she gave him a wistful smile. “I shall take my leave now, my lord. Pray don’t be so hard on your sister. I believe she is so smart that she is bored with the usual fare in life. My sister Gwen is much like her.”
He nodded. “I missed Lady Gwen’s wedding. I hope it was everything she wanted.”
“Her husband and their shared industry is what she wanted, and she is ecstatically happy.” With that she curtseyed and took her leave. Or so she thought. As she was handed her cloak by the butler, his lordship joined her in the front hallway.
“Is your carriage here already?” he asked.
She felt her eyebrows rise. Did he think that she had her own conveyance? Her mother had command of that. “I shall walk, my lord. It is not that far.”
“It’s far enough,” he said with a frown. “You shouldn’t be out alone after dark. Come, come. I’ll walk you home.”
“It’s not any more respectable for me to walk with a gentleman—” she began.
“But it is a good deal safer,” he interrupted. “I insist.”
He held out his arm to her. What could she do except take it and relish the time they had together? She doubted she would ever have another chance to walk on the arm of an earl.
Chapter Six
They walked insilence for a time as they settled into the rhythm of the night. It wasn’t late. Indeed, she doubted her mother would be home from any of the parties that helped launch the beginning of the Season. And then he spoke, and his words surprised her for their total honesty.
“I have thought about you often after last year’s masquerade. Sayres told me that you helped Lady Gwen throughout last season. Did you enjoy yourself?”