Page 62 of Long Live the Baron
Lily was curled beneath Wesley in a mild state of shock. She had heard a blast, but she did not know what it had been. The footman appeared to be insensate above her. She struggled, trying to push him off her.
Seconds later, the dead weight was lifted, and she inhaled with relief, flopping onto her back.
“Lily, are you hurt?”
It was Brendan. He was leaning over her and frantically exploring her body with warm hands that reminded her of their night of passion.
“My throat feels bruised and my knees are rather banged up. And I think I strained my wrist when I landed on it. I have quite forgotten how to breathe, and I have never been so petrified in my life, but I am thrilled that …” She raised her hands before dropping them once more, not knowing what she was thrilled about, or what had just happened.Not a great time to babble, Lily Billy!
“What happened?” she continued. Brendan gathered her up in a hard embrace, which felt heavenly after the strain of being subdued by the demonic Wesley whom she had believed to be kind.
“And what are you doing here?” she ended.
Brendan shook his head against her neck, continuing their embrace for what seemed an eternity before raising his head.
“What the hell, Michaels?”
The butler’s response was stated in his usual dry tone. “I was protecting the baroness.”
“With a firearm? What if you had missed?”
Lily heard Michaels tut behind her, but she was ecstatic to be in Brendan’s arms so she did not look about.
“I know that runner of yours must have informed you that my father was the gamekeeper, so I hardly need to state that I know my way around a rifle. Not to mention, her ladyship is a good foot shorter than this beast.”
There was a soft thud behind her. Had the butler kicked something?
Rifle! Michaels shot Wesley?
Her husband’s face returned to rest against her neck. “Thank you.”
“It is my pleasure, milord. Shall I send someone to summon Briggs?”
“Yes.” Brendan was wrapped so tight around her she could scarcely breathe, but unlike when Wesley had held her captive, Lily was happy to allow it. Her hand stole around Brendan’s waist. She realized he was pressing kisses into her hair just as he cupped her chin, his warm lips finding hers. Lily sighed in happiness, kissing him back and feeling weightless as Brendan lifted her in his arms to stride from the small drawing room.
“John, find a sheet to cover the body until the coroner arrives and meet us in the drawing room at the top of the stairs.”
Ridley House was running out of rooms for them to use, Lily mused in a haze as she snuggled into her husband’s broad chest.
Brendan carried her down the hall, up the stairs, and into the bigger drawing room on the next floor. Striding over to the windows which faced the street, he sank into the faded navy settee and held her close, not saying a word as he lowered his cheek to the crown of her head.
Lily did not mind, not even a little bit. She found herself in a befuddled state after everything … whatever … had happened downstairs, and she was blissfully giddy to be held in his arms. Perhaps she was just giddy after the assault by Wesley, not to mention the difficulty breathing when the footman had choked her. Nevertheless, she was blissful at being reunited with Brendan when she had believed she might never feel his embrace again. She refused to allow her thoughts to wander to what had just happened, just soaking in the joy of being alive after the terror of staring death in the face.
They sat in silence for a while until Lily’s pulse returned to normal and her chest eased while she slowly gathered some of her wits together to make sense of what had just happened. “Michaels shot Wesley?”
“He did.”
“Is he … dead?”
Brendan said nothing, bobbing his head in assent. Lily quelled the burst of revulsion, nauseated at the thought that she had been buried beneath a dead man. The lassitude she had been feeling since hitting the floor was beginning to wear off. “That is … horrifying.”
“God, I have never been so terrified in my life. I thought I was going to lose you.”
Lily kept her ear pressed to his chest, enjoying the steadiness of his heartbeat. “Would that have been a bad thing?”
Brendan squeezed her tighter. “A very bad thing, Lily Ridley.”
“Why—”
