Page 23 of The Undesirable Duke
“I can ask you the same question.”
“I did not find you. I live here.”
The gentleman’s eyes widened in shock, and he glanced around the room. “You livehere? In this very house?”
Lillian cocked her head and stared at him in confusion.
“Indeed. You appear surprised.”
“I am. I did not expect to see you here. You are Lord Timothy Colborne’s sister?”
“I am. How did you know?”
“I have known your brother since our days at Oxford. He is a very good friend of mine.”
Lillian’s eyes widened once more, and she stared at him in disbelief.
Never in her life could she have expected that the handsome young man who had come to her aid would be the same man who had been friends with her brother at Oxford. Why had she not heard of him, or seen him, before?
Timothy had attended Oxford over seven years ago, and not once had she been introduced to, or seen, his very close friend.
And why would her mother be so unkind and upset over his presence?
Lillian was rather confused by this and felt as if she did not understand anything anymore. Perhaps she should mind her own business, and stop eavesdropping on her mother’s conversations.
But how else would she know what went on between the walls of Welsford House? Her mother did not allow her to speak freely, nor did she ever engage Lillian in the adult conversations between her mother and father. It was as though her mother shielded her from everything that was not rose-colored and proper.
Frankly, Lillian was fed up with not being included in anything important - she was not included in decision-making, or choosing who would be a suitable husband for her.
“I apologize. I was not aware of this.”
The gentleman stepped closer to her, and immediately, her heart pounded in her chest, and she felt her cheeks flush. His gaze grew intense, his eyes darkening, and his jaw eased. He was much taller than she was, his shoulders broad, and his intoxicating scent filled her nostrils. It reminded her of how she’d felt when he caught her, his strong arms wrapped around her waist, shielding her from hitting the ground in front of her.
She no longer felt embarrassed but was disappointed in herself that she had not asked for his name that day. If she’d known who he was, she would have tracked him down much sooner. Perhaps she would have spoken to her mother about thisgentleman and persuaded her that, out of all the suitors she had met, he was the one she wanted.
If he wanted to have her, of course, but the intensity of his gaze already proved that he did. At least she thought so.
“I wish to thank you for what you did for me. I was certain that I would die of embarrassment and never be able to show my face around town again if I had fallen. If it were not for you, I probably would have.”
“And that would be a terrible fate indeed.”
Lillian was on the verge of swooning over the gentleman and his smooth words that caressed her soul in all the right ways.
“And I must apologize for my mother’s behavior. How she spoke to you was unacceptable. She is rather adamant in her pursuit of finding a suitor for me, and is extremely careful about my reputation.”
“There is no need for you to apologize on her behalf. I am certain that she had her reasons. I will not hold it against her, or you.” The gentleman shifted his weight and stared intently at Lillian. “And why is it that your mother wishes you to be married as soon as possible?”
Lillian tensed at his question.
“I’d rather not answer that.”
As he was on the verge of responding, footsteps were heard in the hallway, growing louder by the second.
“Apologies for the wait, Yarmouth. I had to straighten out a misunderstanding…”
Timothy’s voice trailed off as he entered the drawing room. He stopped abruptly as he noticed that Lillian was also present in the room. Under normal circumstances, it was not proper for a young, unmarried woman to be in the presence of a gentleman without a chaperone, but it was Lillian’s home as well, and perhaps it could be overlooked – although really, sheshould have left the room the moment that he’d entered it, for propriety’s sake.
“Ah, I see that you two have already met,” Timothy said slowly.
