Read Online Then Came You by Lisa Kleypas - Free Book Online

white clouds overhead. “I don’t recognize the carriage,” she murmured.
    A footman dressed in splendid blue and black livery opened the carriage door. Ceremoniously he placed a small rectangular step on the ground for the convenience of the passenger.
    Then she emerged.
    Alex stood as if turned to stone.
    “Lily!” Penelope exclaimed. With a cry of delight she hurried to her sister.
    Laughing exuberantly, Lily reached the ground. “Penny!” She flung her arms around Penelope and hugged her, then held her at arm’s length. “My goodness, what an elegant creature you are! Ravishing! It’s been years since I’ve seen you not since you were little, and now look at you! The most beautiful girl in England.”
    “Oh, no, you’re the beautiful one.”
    Lily laughed and hugged her again. “How nice, to flatter your poor spinsterish sister.”
    “You don’t look at all like a spinster,” Penelope said.
    In spite of Alex’s amazement, his emotions rallying to battle-readiness, he had to agree. Lily was beautifully dressed in a dark blue gown and velvet cloak edged with white ermine. Her hair, unconfined by a ribbon, curled prettily around her temples and lay in wisps in front of her dainty ears. It was difficult to believe she was the same outlandish woman who had dressed in raspberry breeches and straddled a horse like a man. Pink-cheeked and smiling, she looked like a well-to-do young wife on a social call. Or an aristocratic courtesan.
    Lily saw him as she looked over Penelope’s shoulder. Without shame or even a trace of discomposure, she disentangled herself from her sister and walked up to the circular steps to where he stood. Extending a small hand to him, she smiled impudently. “Straight into the enemy camp,” she murmured. The sight of his thunderous scowl caused her dark eyes to gleam in satisfaction.
    Wisely Lily restrained herself from grinning outright. It wouldn’t do to send Raiford into a rage. He was angry, though. Certainly he hadn’t expected her to come sailing up to the door of his country estate. Oh, she hadn’t expected to enjoy this so much! She had never felt such pure delight in provoking a man. By the time she was through with Wolverton, his entire world would be turned upside down.
    She felt no remorse for what she planned to do. It was an outrage, this pairing of Wolverton and her sister. The wrongness of it was evident just in glancing at these two. Penny was as fragile as a white-petaled anemone, her golden hair shining with the soft gleam of a child’s. She had no defense against those who would bully and intimidate her, no recourse except to bend like a delicate reed in the face of a violent storm.
    And Wolverton was ten times worse than Lily had remembered him. His features, so harshly perfect and remote, with those clear, pale eyes, and the stern jut of his chin…there was no compassion, no gentleness in that face. The brutal power of his body, all muscle and sinewed tension, was evident in spite of his civilized attire. He needed a woman who was as cynical as he was, insensitive to his barbs.
    Alex ignored Lily’s hand. He stared at her coldly. “Leave,” he growled. “Now.”
    A chill scattered over her back, but Lily smiled demurely. “My lord, I wish to see my family. It’s been far too long.”
    Before Alex could reply, he heard Totty and George’s exclamations behind him.
    “Wilhemina!”
    “Lily…Good Gad . . .”
    There was silence, all of them forming a frozen tableau. Their gazes centered on Lily’s petite form. Rapidly the cockiness and self-assurance on Lily’s face faded, until she resembled an uncertain little girl. Nervously her white teeth pulled at her delicate lower lip. “Mama?” she asked softly. “Mama, will you try to forgive me?”
    Totty burst into tears and came forward, holding her chubby arms wide. “Wilhemina, you might have come before. I’ve been so afraid I would never see you again!”
    Lily flew to her, laughing and crying.