Page 2 of Romancing A Wallflower
Wrinkling her nose at Lydia, Lilian gave her horse a slight nudge, sending him into a canter. Her hat came off and she felt her hair fall from its pins until her long auburn brown curls were flowing behind her. She did not care. She had Danby, and she was here on this glorious morning. It was all that mattered.
Her sister looked behind them. “Good heavens! Barney is keeping up!” Immodestly, Lydia yelled across the space between them, gesturing with a jerk of her head and obviously goading Lilian to look.
Instead, Lilian sniggered in a rude way and gave Danby another nudge. Her brown gelding ran faster, forcing Lydia and her chestnut to race to catch them. It felt wondrous. The two sisters rode across the crest of the hill for a good while, deftly dodging trees, fences and outcrops of rock—doggedly followed, some distance behind, by their groom. Low shrubs and weathered post-and-rail fencing bordered one edge of the path they followed, and masses of coloured flowers covered the ground, gradually disappearing from sight.
A more wooded area appeared in a bend in the track ahead of them, and as they approached, a loud shot rang out. Danby shied violently sideways and with a shrill squeal of distress, reared high on his back legs.
“Lilian!” Lydia cried out.
Lilian heard her sister’s cry and was dimly aware of her struggles to gain control over Ginger, but her own struggle to maintain her seat was failing. Somehow, her legs loosened from the pommels of her side-saddle when the horse rose, and she fought to keep her balance. Danby lost his footing and as he toppled, the force of him hitting the earth tossed her to the ground. She landed on a stone, or something equally hard, the momentum then rolling her across the rough ground until she thudded into a large rock. She heard her own scream pierce the air.
Lydia and the groom tried to lift her, but she screamed in pain at their touch. Although she could see them speaking to her, their voices sounded distant. Her vision was growing darker and she could barely see; she was viewing their faces and the sky behind them through a small, dark hole which kept shrinking. Her world was growing dark. Her head and her back ached fiercely. Her ears were ringing. She wanted to scream and tried yet could hear nothing. Pain throbbed from every part of her body. She tried to move, to get up, but her feet…what was wrong with her feet?They were not moving. What had she done? Her head pounded, and warm liquid ran down the side of her face. A large warm hand grasped hers and at last she heard voices.
“Lady Lilian, can you hear me?”
“Lilian, please speak to me.” Wet drops hit Lilian’s face. Her sister was crying, it seemed. Whatever had happened to her, it must be bad.
She tried to open her eyes but could see naught but blackness.I am so tired.
“We heard a shot and then saw the horses. We came to help.” A strong, masculine voice penetrated the fog in her head.Who was this?She could hear only snippets of the conversation because of the ringing in her ears.
“Lady Lilian, we must move you…”
“...gown ripped…”
“...back of gown wet with blood.”
Are they talking about me?
Lilian felt herself being lifted and then coming to rest against a warm body. The horse shifted beneath them and was soothed with a soft murmur. She could smell the comforting aroma of its sweat, and shivered. Why was she so cold? She recognized her sister’s voice, but her garbled words were disjointed.
A light scent of bay leaf and bergamot teased her nose. Gentlemen’s and lady’s colognes had been in abundance during her coming out, and had mostly tortured her senses, but this was one she liked. How odd that both scents were conveyed so distinctly.Nothing was making sense. What was happening?She felt helpless and trapped, now unable to see or hear, and fought against the urge to cry out. A rich voice above her calmed her trembling, and she found she could breathe. She could not hear what was being said, but the voice was soothing. Exhausted, Lilian leaned her head into the warm body holding her and gave in to the darkness that beckoned.
Chapter 1
London, England
Early August 1816
“Lilian, you look beautiful in Grandmama’s antique pearls.” Lydia, her twin, stood behind her and secured the clasp as Lilian stared at her reflection. “Grammy would want you to wear them when you meet your Prince Charming,” her sister whispered, adding the matching pearl hair pins in her coiffure.
“Ouch!” Lilian gasped. “Do we have to wear these fripperies?” she challenged, struggling to keep the irritated tone from her voice. “Lydia, you promised not to ask this of me again, as long as I attended this ball—thisoneball. I have your word.” She slightly turned her head and met her sister’s knowing smile. “Lydia, Iinsist. Promise me.”
“Shall we just agree that I will notbadgeryou? I may ask, though.” Her sister grinned mischievously and darted to the door before turning back once more. “I will fetch our wraps and see how far on Mama is. She was close to being ready.You knowshe will expect us to set out the moment she comes down.” Her twin flashed another mischievous grin towards Lilian and quickly left the room, pulling the door shut behind her.
Lilian sighed in frustration and glanced at the door through which her sister had just exited. Her sister meant well, but she wished Lydia would just accept her situation, just as she had done. She hated being dragged to social events and having to watch everything that she could no longer do, such as dancing. She winced at the loss. Dancing at these assemblies had been something she had always loved. She had dreamed about dancing with that special gentleman. Her mind could even summon up that one, special gentleman, not that it mattered. They had never officially met…but that wasbefore the accident—in the past.
Her sister was undeterred in her mission to help Lilian walk again—so much so that every day her sister spent time lifting and massaging Lilian’s lifeless legs. Lydia did not give a fig what others said. In her heart, she said, she knew her sister would walk again. Every day she worked Lilian’s legs back and forth, up and down, and in a circular motion, moving them in a routine, convinced this would allow the muscles to stay intact for when her sister finally walked. Lilian touched her leg, hoping she would feel something. It was true. Her legs had not withered as so many had cautioned, they would.
Perhaps Lydia was right about this, she mused.No.As much as she wanted to believe, she could not. She shook her head.Mayhap it is because we are twins and Lydia feels something will happen when I do not, but this is not guessing the colour of one’s dress. She needs to realize that my legs will never work again.Lilian dabbed away the quick tears from the corner of her eyes and smoothed her hands across her lap, freeing the wrinkles from her dress. She had accepted her circumstance and wished her twin could do the same. Life would be simpler.
A late burst of the evening sun shone through the window, rebounding off the cheval mirror and allowing Lilian to catch her reflection as she sat in the wheel-chair. It was ugly. The tall, hardwood slats of the back dwarfed her and made her look childlike in the centre. Clara had made her a pillow with goose down to help elevate her, but she still looked like a character in a fairy tale. Maybe she should beThumbelina, she thought, unable to raise a smile. Even the carved edges of the black walnut made the vehicle look more imposing.
She sighed and touched the delicate Chantilly lace and pink satin bodice. At least she had a reason to wear one of her dresses from a year ago. Now she was crippled, she no longer belonged.What does it matter what my dress looks like, since I can only grace the wallflowers?This was her favourite dress and, secretly, she was glad to have occasion to wear it once more, although she would never tell Lydia that. Lilian loved the gown, which rested on her upper arms, revealing her shoulders. It boasted four layers of delicate lace and seed pearls over pale pink sarsnet and satin, which formed the bodice. A band of pale pink velvet hugged her upper waistline. The lace overdress hung past the bottom of the gown, giving it a flower-like appearance on the hem. She would never feel the lace flowing on the dance floor. With a huge sigh, she glanced at the Ormolu clock on the mantel, wishing she could move the hands and have this ball behind her.
“Lilian…” Lydia’s excited voice reverberated up the stairs ahead of her footsteps, giving Lilian cause to laugh. Their mother would have an apoplectic fit. As her laughter grew, an unladylike snort escaped her. She could imagine her mother’s reaction.
“We are ready to leave. Winston is here and will carry you downstairs to the coach. Your traveling chair is already attached.”
