Page 34 of Not Quite a Lady
‘I am still annoyed with you.’ At least, if he thought that, she had an excuse for her pink cheeks. Her pulse was hammering. ‘Where did you get that suit of clothes?’
‘Out of pawn.’
‘They are very fine, and really quite modish,’ Lily observed, attempting to keep the rallying note in her voice.
‘Thank you. I thought them a necessity for London and then realised almost immediately that the money would be of more use, so I popped them.’
‘Popped?’
‘Pawned. I can see you have never had to make the acquaintance of your friendly local pawnbroker, Lily.’
‘But had you the money to redeem them?’ she worried.
‘I risked it on the expectation of your hundred guineas.’
‘You know perfectly well, we never agreed that,’ she retorted. ‘How much was it?’
‘I am not going to tell you, and I can perfectly well afford it.’ He was watching her with a smile in his eyes which seemed almost affectionate.
‘I was teasing you, Lily. You bristle so charmingly. Now that I am here, how do you want me to act? Shall I flirt with you?’
Oh yes please...
‘Or do you want me to stand beside you looking possessive?’
Even better.
‘Oh…just pretend to flirt – a little,’ she added hastily. ‘And frighten off unsuitable men.’
‘How will I know them as unsuitable? Will they come with labels?Titled, amiable, gentlemanly behaviouror,Merely a baronet, amorous rogue.’
Lily smothered a laugh, suddenly at her ease with him again. ‘I will signal to you if I need rescuing,’ she promised. ‘Now come and let me introduce you to some of the other guests.’
Jack is perfect at this,she thought as they circulated.Heseems to have put on a Society gloss along with the clothes. Where has he learned it? Or perhaps he is simply very observant and a good actor.
She watched him chatting easily to a group of Army men and the thought came to her, that of all the civilian men in the room, he was the one who could best stand comparison with the bearing and air of command that sat so easily on the senior officers.
He is strong, and he is confident and he is...beautiful.Lily swallowed as a wave of pure longing swept over her. She unfurled her fan and took refuge behind it in the hope of hiding her blushes. He made her feel so wanton, it was outrageous.
In the hope of regaining some composure Lily turned away and went to exchange smiling insults with Miss Shillington, an adder-tongued young woman who, for some reason, Lily found amusing, whereas most of her critics merely made her furious.
‘My dear Miss France,whata stunning gown. How brave of you to venture out with quite such a weight of beaded trimming. A marvel that you can move at all.’
‘I have the advantage of height to carry it off.’ She smiled at Miss Shillington, a good five inches shorter than she. ‘And what an unusual colour your gown is. So challenging to the complexion.’
‘I am fortunate that I have not a hint of red in either my hair or my skin,’ Miss Shillington riposted. ‘It is simple for me to maintain a ladylike pallor at all times, whatever colour I wear.’
Refreshed by their encounter the two bowed and passed on. Lily was still smiling when the orchestra struck up for the dancing to begin and she found, much to her surprise, that her hand was being solicited for a flattering number of dances.
‘But not the waltzes,’ a voice at her shoulder said as she was consulting her dance card in response to a pressing enquiry by Lord Wolverton. ‘You recall you have promised me two waltzes,Miss France?’
‘Onewaltz, Mr Lovell,’ she said with mock reproof, while the temptation to demand that he dance all of them with her beat at her self-control.
‘The last then.’
‘Very well.’ She pencilled it in, conscious that her hand was shaking, and was whisked away by Lord Wolverton into the quadrille.
Concentrating on her steps, maintaining an easy flow of conversation, all helped keep her mind off Jack, although she was aware that he was not dancing, simply standing with one shoulder propped against a pillar, watching her. Which was highly gratifying.
