Page 33 of Long Live the Baron
He stared back at her in wonder, light reflecting in his brandy eyes to highlight the gold glints buried in the amber-brown depths. Shaking his head, he chuckled. “I do believe you are telling the truth.”
Lily creased her forehead in admonishment. “I always tell the truth, Mr. Ridley.” She winced. “Except when I exaggerated to the coroner, that is. But that was justified, considering I knew your whereabouts.”
Mama groaned from her other side, clearly quelling an urge to admonish her.
“Shall we?” Mr. Ridley offered an arm, and with a thrill of delight, Lily weaved her arm around his. In unison, they walked to the front door, which Thomas was holding open.
The past few days might have been a nightmare, but she had awakened to a lovely dream and the joy of it was so powerful it bubbled through her veins.
Mr. Ridley led her to his carriage and assisted her up the steps. Inside she found Nancy waiting, huddled in a corner and appearing nonplussed to be taken along for a courtship ritual. Lily settled in while Mr. Ridley sat on the bench across from her. Turning to the open door, she gaped at the sight of Mama standing in the hall. Her parent was allowing her to leave with only the old nurse as accompaniment?
Mr. Ridley’s footman closed the carriage door, and Lily realized that her suffocating Mama was indeed sending her off with only Nancy in attendance. Her heart thudded in her chest, and looking back to Mr. Ridley, she found him smiling at her.
“Where are we off to?”
“It is to be a surprise. You shall have to wait and see.”
Lily bit her lip before scooting toward the window to watch as the carriage pulled into motion.
“I want to apologize, Miss Abbott. Yesterday … was an aberration. The baron has interfered with my marital prospects in the past, so it has long been a sensitive topic. Added to everything that has happened … But I should not have displaced my umbrage on you. You have been extraordinarily generous to me, and I am afraid I behaved reprehensibly.”
Lily turned her head to study him. “It was reprehensible, but I can understand that you have been under great strain. What with everything that has happened, and the shock of it all. Any person could behave poorly when confronted with so many challenges so swiftly.”
“You are too kind.”
Her lips curved into an impish grin, and she shrugged. “The alternative is to be cruel, and where is the fun in that?”
Mr. Ridley chuckled, revealing a slash of pearly teeth, which Lily noticed with fascination. He really was a perfect physical specimen of manhood. It was a wonder that he was yet unmarried.
“I must apologize that we are in my carriage, which requires we bring a chaperone.” Mr. Ridley gestured to Nancy sitting in the corner. “My curricle is being repaired.”
“Nancy? Do not worry about her. She cannot hear a thing, CAN YOU, NANCY?”
“I think the footman’s name was Beasley, not Yancy.”
Lily’s lips twitched. “She will probably nod off soon. Nancy cannot stay awake in carriages.”
“Ah. Your mother had a bit of a spat with Lord Moreland when she suggested Nancy as the chaperone. Apparently, he wished someone else to accompany you.”
Lily’s brows shot up in surprise. “Then I suppose Mama wished for us to have the opportunity to speak freely.”
It would appear her parent was taking steps to stack the deck in Lily’s favor despite the departure from propriety. She could only imagine her father’s chagrin at sending his daughter out without a proper chaperone.
“What did you wish to speak on?” If Mr. Ridley wanted them to be alone, there must be something to declare.
Mr. Ridley shook his head, his chestnut curls swaying. To avoid reaching out to touch the silky locks, Lily carefully sat on her hands. Sometimes they had a mind of their own. “Later. We have something to do before we … discuss the future.”
Lily’s heart leapt in her chest. The gentleman was going to state his offer again, just as Sophia had predicted! She was light-headed with relief at the possibility. Traveling would be a grand adventure, but she would rather do so with a husband at her side and not under a dark cloud of scandal in which everyone she ever knew believed her to be an unchaste young woman.
Turning back to the window, she craned to peer at the homes and shops passing by and tried to calculate their destination from the direction of their travel. After many minutes of watching the traffic passing, she still did not know where they were headed until the carriage slowly turned into a crowded street.
“Berkeley Square!”
“Indeed.”
“We are visiting Gunter’s for ices?”
“Your cousin assured me you would appreciate it.”
