Page 39 of Wild Lily
“Do you always ride this early?” He would keep this light and friendly.
“When I can.” Her clear sky-blue eyes met his and beneath the navy velvet veil of her hat, she appeared fresh as the dew on the grass, not a hint of rouge or powder to her cheeks nor black to her incredibly long dark lashes.
His body tightened with interest. What a rebuke of his intentions to remain neutral toward her.
“Do you?” she asked.
“Do I what?”
“Ride this early always?”
“No.”
“Are you escaping, too?” she asked, smiling as if they shared a secret.
He chuckled. Perhaps it was so early in the morning, she’d not acquired all her ability to stand off. “Indeed I am. I’m doing my social duty, but I find it…”
“Tedious?”
Frustrating.
She tipped her chin, the light of teasing in her eyes. “I would imagine you attend many engagements like this.”
“Not if I can help it,” he told her truthfully. “Shall we walk on?”
“Of course.” She led her mount to his side and they headed down the lane. “I’ve enjoyed visiting with your sister.”
“Elanna’s a dear.” He was grateful for the new topic. “Everyone likes her.”
“She tells me she must marry soon.”
“Does she? Well, it’s so.”
Lily gazed at him with curiosity. “Do I detect you’re shielding her from Lord Carbury?”
“Obvious, am I?” Had Lily also perceived how intrigued he was with her?
She shrugged. “No. Forgive me if I—”
“You noticed my attention to him. That’s fine.”
She searched his eyes as if to see he spoke the truth, then glanced away. “Carbury seems intent on courting her.”
“He is.” Julian had been fretting about it for days. Now at Lily’s mention of it, his worry doubled. “Too much so.”
“Is there some reason why he does not suit?”
“Yes.”
In the morning light, her exquisite counterpoint of her dark hair and her lustrous pale blue eyes struck him like glorious moonlight. She glanced away. “I’m sorry. I seem to have lost my sense of discretion.”
“No. You haven’t. And you asked. Lord Carbury is a fine gentleman. He’s many years older than our Elanna but he has a solid income, a fairly old title and a sizable estate. He’s respected in parliament and known for his prudence in his investments. He doesn’t gamble, drink or…”
She tossed her head and her glorious eyes gleamed. “Dally where he shouldn’t?”
“Exactly.”
“Still you hesitate to approve of him. Why?”
