party.”
Eloise cast her an indulgent smile. “We won’t know for certain unless we try. In the meanwhile, you’ll have a reason to be at Lotheil Court quite often. I count on you to befriend Meggie. She’s a timid girl, and I’ll need your assistance to make her London visit a little less frightening for her.”
“Timid? Then she’s nothing like her brother.”
Eloise sighed. “Ewan can be a bit headstrong, but he’s a good man. What do you think of him?”
Lily pursed her lips as she gave the question some thought. “I don’t know. He’s blunt, unimpressed by society. Clearly hasn’t spent any time going about in society. But he’s kind to his dog and was very kind to me yesterday. He bought me a bouquet of violets.”
Eloise’s ears perked. “Did he?”
“Ah, your eyes have lit up like fireflies on a summer’s eve. Please don’t make too much of it. He saw that I had been treated cruelly by certain members of the Royal Society and took pity on me. That’s all. It was a small bouquet. Tell me more about his sister.”
“I haven’t seen her in a while, so I don’t know much more than I’ve already told you. I’m certain you and Meggie will become fast friends.”
“I look forward to meeting her.”
“Good. Then it’s settled. You’ll join me at Lotheil Court. Did you know the duke has one of the finest libraries in England?”
She nodded. “I’m eager to see it. Do you think he’ll allow me a view of it?”
“Ewan will give you a tour if his grandfather won’t. Run along and ready yourself, child. We haven’t much time.”
Within the hour, she and Eloise were in the Dayne carriage on their way to the duke’s imposing residence. Lily had known the place would be impressive, but she wasn’t prepared for its palatial size or splendor. Built in the style of a Grecian temple, Lotheil Court had soaring marble columns and an enormous fountain in the center of the circular drive. The duke stood at the top of the porticoed steps, staring down at them with arms folded across his chest.
His thick head of white hair matched the color of those soaring portico columns, and he looked every bit as grand as his home. So did Ewan, who stole Lily’s breath away as she gazed at him standing at the foot of the steps, his arms folded across his broad chest and his brow furrowed in that same look of determination his grandfather had on his face.
She imagined the two men would be appalled to realize how closely they resembled each other. They looked like a matched pair of fire irons—stiff, unbendable—and both had the same, stubborn set to their jaws.
A young woman stood beside Ewan. Her long hair was a shade redder than her brother’s. Her eyes were a lighter green than his, more of a sea green, and showed signs of crying recently.
“That’s Meggie,” Eloise told Lily. “She’s a sweet-looking girl. Poor thing, she looks as out of place here as a donkey in a henhouse.”
Lily agreed.
The footmen lining the steps were more finely dressed than either Ewan or Meggie, she noted. Indeed, even the duke’s gardener went about his work in more stylish clothes.
Ewan strode toward the carriage to greet Eloise and help her down.
He smiled as he turned to Lily. “Glad ye made it, lass. What do ye think of the place? A braw paffle, is it no’?” He took her by the waist and lifted her into the air as though she weighed no more than a feather.
She grabbed his shoulders for support, not surprised to find them hard and muscled. “Oh, yes. Quite braw and extremely paffled.”
Chuckling, he set her down beside him but didn’t release her.
She had to admit, this was an excellent way to descend from a carriage.
“Come, Lily. I’d like you to meet Meggie.” His warm breath tickled her ear and his fingers lingered at her waist, his touch light and at the same time possessive. Little tingles of heat ran up her body and shot down to her toes before racing upward again. A delightful flutter
Eloise cast her an indulgent smile. “We won’t know for certain unless we try. In the meanwhile, you’ll have a reason to be at Lotheil Court quite often. I count on you to befriend Meggie. She’s a timid girl, and I’ll need your assistance to make her London visit a little less frightening for her.”
“Timid? Then she’s nothing like her brother.”
Eloise sighed. “Ewan can be a bit headstrong, but he’s a good man. What do you think of him?”
Lily pursed her lips as she gave the question some thought. “I don’t know. He’s blunt, unimpressed by society. Clearly hasn’t spent any time going about in society. But he’s kind to his dog and was very kind to me yesterday. He bought me a bouquet of violets.”
Eloise’s ears perked. “Did he?”
“Ah, your eyes have lit up like fireflies on a summer’s eve. Please don’t make too much of it. He saw that I had been treated cruelly by certain members of the Royal Society and took pity on me. That’s all. It was a small bouquet. Tell me more about his sister.”
“I haven’t seen her in a while, so I don’t know much more than I’ve already told you. I’m certain you and Meggie will become fast friends.”
“I look forward to meeting her.”
“Good. Then it’s settled. You’ll join me at Lotheil Court. Did you know the duke has one of the finest libraries in England?”
She nodded. “I’m eager to see it. Do you think he’ll allow me a view of it?”
“Ewan will give you a tour if his grandfather won’t. Run along and ready yourself, child. We haven’t much time.”
Within the hour, she and Eloise were in the Dayne carriage on their way to the duke’s imposing residence. Lily had known the place would be impressive, but she wasn’t prepared for its palatial size or splendor. Built in the style of a Grecian temple, Lotheil Court had soaring marble columns and an enormous fountain in the center of the circular drive. The duke stood at the top of the porticoed steps, staring down at them with arms folded across his chest.
His thick head of white hair matched the color of those soaring portico columns, and he looked every bit as grand as his home. So did Ewan, who stole Lily’s breath away as she gazed at him standing at the foot of the steps, his arms folded across his broad chest and his brow furrowed in that same look of determination his grandfather had on his face.
She imagined the two men would be appalled to realize how closely they resembled each other. They looked like a matched pair of fire irons—stiff, unbendable—and both had the same, stubborn set to their jaws.
A young woman stood beside Ewan. Her long hair was a shade redder than her brother’s. Her eyes were a lighter green than his, more of a sea green, and showed signs of crying recently.
“That’s Meggie,” Eloise told Lily. “She’s a sweet-looking girl. Poor thing, she looks as out of place here as a donkey in a henhouse.”
Lily agreed.
The footmen lining the steps were more finely dressed than either Ewan or Meggie, she noted. Indeed, even the duke’s gardener went about his work in more stylish clothes.
Ewan strode toward the carriage to greet Eloise and help her down.
He smiled as he turned to Lily. “Glad ye made it, lass. What do ye think of the place? A braw paffle, is it no’?” He took her by the waist and lifted her into the air as though she weighed no more than a feather.
She grabbed his shoulders for support, not surprised to find them hard and muscled. “Oh, yes. Quite braw and extremely paffled.”
Chuckling, he set her down beside him but didn’t release her.
She had to admit, this was an excellent way to descend from a carriage.
“Come, Lily. I’d like you to meet Meggie.” His warm breath tickled her ear and his fingers lingered at her waist, his touch light and at the same time possessive. Little tingles of heat ran up her body and shot down to her toes before racing upward again. A delightful flutter
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