Page 28 of Persuasions of an Earl's Daughter

“I’m just a little dirty, Aunt,” Lilly stated. “I had to jump into the river.”

“And you cut yourself.”

“August!” Lilly bit out.

He shrugged. “It’s true.”

“Cut yourself?” Aunt Sarah grabbed Lilly’s hands and pulled her toward her, making her stumble a step. Her aunt paced around her then bent to peer at the tear in her gown. She looked over her shoulder at August. “Was it grave?”

“The lady of this cottage tended to her. So long as there is no infection, she will be well.”

“But you have a lead,” her aunt mused.

A grin threatened to inch across her face. She should have known Aunt Sarah would not scold her for being reckless. If the tales were true, Aunt Sarah had been more rebellious than she and all her sisters and cousins put together in her youth.

“I need to go to Grantham.”

August stepped forward. “We only know this because of what the kidnappers said. It does not mean anything.”

Lilly ignored him. “I want to go to Grantham, Aunt.”

Aunt Sarah glanced at August then back to Lilly and to August again. “I shall slow you down,” she said.

“Aunt--”

“But Lord Blackthorpe has already proved his worth. You two should go together. With any luck, you shall make quick progress and find Icarus before he is sold on.”

Lilly eyed her aunt. It wasn’t exactly unexpected that her aunt would encourage her to do something potentially reckless, however, she hadn’t anticipated her aunt sending her off with a man of August’s reputation.

“You want me to go with him?”

“He has already proven himself and you need protection.”

“But Aunt—”

“You are hardly a young girl, Lilly, and the idea of you having an escort at your age is ridiculous. No one would bat an eye if you were to travel on your own.”

August held up both palms. “Wait a moment, I haven’t agreed—”

“I shall write to your father and explain that we are delayed,” Aunt Sarah said. “Then I shall await news at the inn.”

Lilly looked to her aunt, glanced sideways at August, inhaled deeply, and nodded. She didn’t know the way to Grantham alone and she wasn’t so foolish to think she didn’t need a man at her side. If she returned to the inn to take the driver, she would waste time and that was time Icarus did not have.

“Very well. Lord Blackthorpe and I shall retrieve Icarus.”

Brow furrowed, August’s shoulders dropped. “Fine,” he said tightly. “I have no desire to see Icarus sold on any more than you do. We’ll go to Grantham together.”

∞∞∞

August couldn’t believe he’d let himself be talked into this. Here, he was, the supposed son of a marquis, and he’d let himself be talked into escorting a woman he did not even like.

Alone.

They were going to have to find transport soon. A carriage preferably. Hell, a hay wagon would do or a cart with wobbly wheels. Anything to give August a break from the torture that was having Lilly wrapped about him. Alas, no one in Mrs. Lambert’s village had anything to spare and he was up against two stubborn women who insisted they needed to go forward not back.

There would be something available at the next village, Lilly claimed.

There better be. Because as much as he didn’t like her, there was only so long he could cope with her delicate hands banded about him as they rode, sometimes dropping a little too low and making his breath hiss from between his teeth. Only so long he could handle the thought of perfect, petite breasts pressed against his back. He couldn’t really feel them of course—not through his jacket or the shawl Aunt Sarah had slung over Lilly’s shoulders.

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