Page 42 of Long Live the Baron
Lily hissed, drawing back, and Brendan quelled his alarm. Was she horrified by this revelation?
CHAPTER11
“Supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting.”
Sun Tzu, L’Art de la Guerre (The Art of War)
* * *
Lily had thought that her new husband might have been thinking about kissing her. His gaze had centered on her mouth, and his brandy eyes had grown languid when he had suddenly made the shocking statement. She had wanted the kiss, to feel his firm, sculpted lips against her own and discover what it was to have a man desire her. Not just any man, but her husband.
His announcement wiped these thoughts away. Lily gaped at him, aghast. “What?”
“My mother was betrothed to his older brother, Lord John Ridley, who died just weeks before their wedding. My uncle stepped in and married her to deflect the scandal.”
Lily’s forehead creased in distress, despite Mama’s perpetual warnings that she would develop lines. “That is awful. Your father died before you were born? How did you cope with that situation?”
Brendan was studying his hands, his profile not revealing his thoughts, but he appeared to be peering into the past. “I did not know. I only learned the truth a few years ago, so I believed the baron was my father for my entire youth.”
Lily had recently mulled over the pressure of adulthood, of no longer being shielded from the pains of the world. Their discussion was a lot to comprehend, but she felt somehow encouraged that she was sitting with her husband and having a serious conversation about their lives. It felt more … genuine … than sipping tea and discussing pointlesson-ditswith Mama’s friends and their daughters. This was real. This meant something. How she responded would help to set the tone for their marriage.
Shifting closer, she laid her hand over his on the sofa, enjoying the largeness of it as heat seeped in to warm her. “Thank you for discussing these matters with me. You made mention of us being friends, and this has certainly demonstrated your commitment to forging a strong partnership.”
Brendan turned to look down at her, and he appeared relieved by her reaction. “I am committed. We must make the best of this situation.”
“As am I,” Lily responded, watching with fascination as his gaze once more moved to her mouth.
She scarcely dared to breathe as he lowered his head and his lips brushed against hers, her eyes closing in anticipation. It was fleeting, and she thought her first encounter was over, but then she felt his lips brush hers once more, before settling against her. His powerful arms banded around her, one wrapping around her waist while he raised his hand to cup her head and he deepened their kiss.
It began with a fluttering tingle in her lower belly, but as his warm lips pressed against hers, the tingle ignited into flames and Lily moaned, pressing back as if they could attain even closer proximity. As her lips parted, she felt his silky tongue lick, causing her to jump slightly before parting her mouth to allow him entry. Sophia had explained the intricacies of making love to a man, so Lily was aware this type of kissing existed, but knowing it in theory and experiencing it firsthand were decidedly different.
As his tongue explored her mouth, she moaned once more. Curving her arms up to clutch him by the shoulders, she tugged him even closer. He resisted for just a moment, before pulling her even closer, her breasts now pressed against his chest as he twisted his body to accommodate. He emitted a low growl, mumbling something about honey as their kiss continued, before he trailed his mouth against her jaw. Lily thought she might have felt the swipe of his tongue once more as he reached her earlobe and suckled, provoking her into bucking against him and keening at the sweet sensation spreading out in every direct?—
They let go at the same time and shot back to stare at each other, both flushed and breathless.
“Did you hear that?”
Brendan nodded, springing to his feet to race across the creaking floor and throw open the door, their moment of heated passion forgotten as they tried to make sense of what they had heard out in the hall.
Lily craned her neck, but beyond the door there was only darkness. Ridley House was a home caught in the mists of history, a brooding château lifted from the pages of an Ann Radcliffe novel, and a sense of foreboding crept up Lily’s spine. That a murder had occurred a week earlier did nothing to dispel the dread icing her veins.
Michaels stepped out of the shadows, peered down his nose at her new husband, and made a decorous announcement in his dour tone. “Lady Filminster’s room is ready.”
* * *
Michaels had summoned Wesley,who was leading her up the steep staircase. Apparently, the house had been operating with a reduced staff, just enough to maintain it and take care of her husband, who likely had not entertained. Which meant there was currently no housekeeper at Ridley House, Michaels directing the maids himself.
Reaching a landing on the second floor, the footman veered down a poorly lit hall. Dour portraits of Ridley ancestors stared down at Lily in stony disapproval, while their cold eyes seemed to follow her as she hurried to keep up with the much taller servant.
Wesley must have noticed her haste, adjusting his stride for her much shorter legs, and Lily smiled up at him in gratitude. “Ridley House is much bigger than it appears from the outside.”
“I believe the darkness exaggerates the size, milady.”
“It is very dark in here. The house has not been used much, by its appearance.”
“Until now, Mr. Rid—Lord Filminster is the only one who has used the house in years. Many of the rooms have been shrouded, but Mr. Michaels directed us to open them up when we received news that Baron Filminster was coming to London for the coronation.”
Lily listened to this with great interest. The question she wished to ask was about Brendan. Had his paramours visited him at Ridley House? Had Lady Slight ever spent the night?
