her. A man like that would never marry so far beneath him—and Lizzie did not think herself capable of an affair. Still, she could imagine what it would be like. And suddenly he was with her in her bed, running his hands up and down her legs, her waist and then her breasts. Lizzie turned to him for his kiss….
But he was not there and her lips brushed her pillow,instead. She flopped onto her back, trembling. There was not going to be an affair, even if she was amoral enough to want one! He was too much of a gentleman to toy with a young, well-bred lady like herself. The most she could have hoped for were a few heated kisses at the masque.
Suddenly Anna whimpered in her sleep.
Lizzie sat up with some concern. “Anna? Are you dreaming?”
She thrashed and murmured to herself, and it almost sounded as if she were speaking to someone. It was the custom in the Fitzgerald household to sleep in after the de Warenne ball. Still, Lizzie reached over and tugged on her arm. “Anna? You are having a bad dream,” she said.
Anna’s eyes flew open and for one moment, she did not seem to see her sister. Even disheveled from sleep, her hair in a simple braid, Anna was gloriously lovely.
“Anna? It is only a dream,” Lizzie soothed.
Anna blinked and finally saw her sister, attempting a slight smile. “Oh, dear. Thank you, Lizzie. I was having a nightmare.”
Lizzie decided to get up. “What were you dreaming about?” She walked over to the bureau, beginning to unbraid her hair.
“I don’t recall.” Anna pulled the covers up to her chin. “I danced all night—I am exhausted, ” she said. And she closed her eyes, effectively ending the conversation.
Lizzie gave up and slipped from the bedroom. After using the privy, she bumped into Georgie in the hall, who was fully dressed, her hair pulled severely back. “Good morning,” she smiled.
Georgie smiled back at her. She was wearing a plain, pale blue gown with no adornment whatsoever, not even a cameo pin. “You left before we had a chance to discuss the evening,” she exclaimed.
And suddenly Lizzie had to tell all. “Let me dress, then meet me downstairs!”
She had never dressed with more speed. As she raced downstairs, her hair still unbound, she tried to imagine Georgie’s reaction to the events of the previous night. Georgie was already sipping tea and nibbling on toast at the dining table when Lizzie raced breathlessly in. “You will simply not believe it—and I fear I have missed the opportunity of a lifetime!”
Georgie raised her elegant brows. “Did you meet someone?”
Lizzie hesitated as she sat down, thanking the maid, who also served as cook and laundress, as she handed her a plate of toast. Pushing the plate aside, she said, “Did you have any luck in finding a new suitor?”
Georgie smiled in a rather self-deprecating manner. “Who am I fooling, Lizzie? It’s not just my height. I am too political for my own good. No man wants a wife who can debate the Catholic question or the issues associated with the Corn Laws, the tithe or the union. No, I had no luck.”
And Lizzie hesitated. Then she reached out and gripped her sister’s hand. “You are the most loyal, sincere person I know. I want you to be happy, Georgie. Please do not settle for a toad like Peter Harold.”
Georgie grimaced at her. “We shall see.”
Lizzie had a dreadful feeling then.
“But you are bursting with news.”
Lizzie could not contain her smile and she proceeded to tell Georgie almost every detail of her encounter with Tyrell de Warenne. “And he insisted I meet him in the gardens at midnight,” she ended breathlessly.
Georgie gaped at her, stunned. It was a moment before she could speak. “I think he must have been taken with you!”
Lizzie shook her head. “He was taken with Maid Marian—a daring wench who flirted shamelessly with him!”
“But that was you,” Georgie said, clearly making an effort to remain calm, her gaze wide.
“I don’t know
But he was not there and her lips brushed her pillow,instead. She flopped onto her back, trembling. There was not going to be an affair, even if she was amoral enough to want one! He was too much of a gentleman to toy with a young, well-bred lady like herself. The most she could have hoped for were a few heated kisses at the masque.
Suddenly Anna whimpered in her sleep.
Lizzie sat up with some concern. “Anna? Are you dreaming?”
She thrashed and murmured to herself, and it almost sounded as if she were speaking to someone. It was the custom in the Fitzgerald household to sleep in after the de Warenne ball. Still, Lizzie reached over and tugged on her arm. “Anna? You are having a bad dream,” she said.
Anna’s eyes flew open and for one moment, she did not seem to see her sister. Even disheveled from sleep, her hair in a simple braid, Anna was gloriously lovely.
“Anna? It is only a dream,” Lizzie soothed.
Anna blinked and finally saw her sister, attempting a slight smile. “Oh, dear. Thank you, Lizzie. I was having a nightmare.”
Lizzie decided to get up. “What were you dreaming about?” She walked over to the bureau, beginning to unbraid her hair.
“I don’t recall.” Anna pulled the covers up to her chin. “I danced all night—I am exhausted, ” she said. And she closed her eyes, effectively ending the conversation.
Lizzie gave up and slipped from the bedroom. After using the privy, she bumped into Georgie in the hall, who was fully dressed, her hair pulled severely back. “Good morning,” she smiled.
Georgie smiled back at her. She was wearing a plain, pale blue gown with no adornment whatsoever, not even a cameo pin. “You left before we had a chance to discuss the evening,” she exclaimed.
And suddenly Lizzie had to tell all. “Let me dress, then meet me downstairs!”
She had never dressed with more speed. As she raced downstairs, her hair still unbound, she tried to imagine Georgie’s reaction to the events of the previous night. Georgie was already sipping tea and nibbling on toast at the dining table when Lizzie raced breathlessly in. “You will simply not believe it—and I fear I have missed the opportunity of a lifetime!”
Georgie raised her elegant brows. “Did you meet someone?”
Lizzie hesitated as she sat down, thanking the maid, who also served as cook and laundress, as she handed her a plate of toast. Pushing the plate aside, she said, “Did you have any luck in finding a new suitor?”
Georgie smiled in a rather self-deprecating manner. “Who am I fooling, Lizzie? It’s not just my height. I am too political for my own good. No man wants a wife who can debate the Catholic question or the issues associated with the Corn Laws, the tithe or the union. No, I had no luck.”
And Lizzie hesitated. Then she reached out and gripped her sister’s hand. “You are the most loyal, sincere person I know. I want you to be happy, Georgie. Please do not settle for a toad like Peter Harold.”
Georgie grimaced at her. “We shall see.”
Lizzie had a dreadful feeling then.
“But you are bursting with news.”
Lizzie could not contain her smile and she proceeded to tell Georgie almost every detail of her encounter with Tyrell de Warenne. “And he insisted I meet him in the gardens at midnight,” she ended breathlessly.
Georgie gaped at her, stunned. It was a moment before she could speak. “I think he must have been taken with you!”
Lizzie shook her head. “He was taken with Maid Marian—a daring wench who flirted shamelessly with him!”
“But that was you,” Georgie said, clearly making an effort to remain calm, her gaze wide.
“I don’t know
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