“No,” Lily replied. “You are already dreadfully late for your appointment. I’m certain my sister is fine.”
With a faint smile at her friend, Lily gingerly stepped down from the gig. She was exceedingly glad to be home, for several reasons. First, her head was throbbing from her lamentable overindulgence in champagne at the ball the previous evening. Second, her conscience was throbbing just as painfully. She hadn’t slept much last night at Tess’s house; instead she’d been busy tossing and turning and mentally writhing at the memory of the Marquess of Claybourne kissing her witless-and her returning his enthralling kisses like a total wanton.
And finally, this morning they’d learned the dismaying news that her sister Roslyn and her friend Winifred, Lady Freemantle had been the victims of a highway robbery shortly after leaving the ball.
Roslyn had not come to Tess’s last night as planned, but sent a dismaying note this morning explaining her absence. Alarmed, Lily and Tess had immediately driven to Freemantle Park, only to learn that Roslyn had already returned home to Danvers Hall. Winifred proceeded to detail the shocking events and claimed that Roslyn had suffered no lasting effects, but Lily wanted to see her sister for herself.
She went to the boot to unload her valise, not minding that no footmen or butler came out to help her. The household staff was doubtless cleaning up after the massive wedding celebrations.
The bridal couple would have set out on their wedding journey by now, Lily knew. No one intended to tell Arabella and Marcus about the robbery, since they would likely have postponed their trip, and Roslyn was adamant that her troubles not intrude on their hard-won happiness.
Looking up, Lily offered Tess another brief smile. “Thank you for letting me spend the night and for bringing me home.”
“You know you are welcome,” Tess said warmly as she gathered the reins. “I shall return shortly to see Roslyn. Despite Winifred’s reassurances, the experience cannot have been pleasant for her.”
“I will tell her to expect you for luncheon.”
Tess was about to snap the reins at her horse when the sound of a carriage could be heard in the distance. Glancing beyond the gig, Lily spied a team and curricle sweeping up the gravel drive, driven by a lone gentleman garbed in a fashionable frock coat and tall beaver hat.
Her heart suddenly jolted when she recognized those splendid shoulders, and she voiced an oath under her breath. “What the devil is he doing here?”
“That is Lord Claybourne, is it not?” Tess asked.
“Regrettably, yes.”
His lordship was the very last person she wanted to see, Lily thought as she stood there cursing her ill luck. If only she had arrived home five minutes earlier, she could have had the butler deny her presence at home. But now she would have to face Lord Claybourne when she was still flustered by the memory of his brazen kisses. And she was in no mood to do it alone.
“Please, Tess, stay another moment. Don’t leave me here with him.”
Her friend looked puzzled. “Do you not wish to see him?”
But there was no time to answer as the marquess expertly guided his team alongside Lily and brought the curricle to a halt.
Lily took a steadying breath as she locked gazes with him. She was much more herself this morning, in a rational state of mind. Or at least she was sober now. Without her head swimming, she could withstand his appeal.
Except that in the cold light of day, Lord Claybourne was still as devastatingly handsome as he’d been last night. And his slow smile was just as heart-melting as he greeted them both with a bow. “Good morning, ladies.”
Deploring her stomach-tightening awareness, Lily managed a cool smile, although there was a breathless quality to her voice when she spoke. “What brings you here, my lord?”
“Why, I am merely paying you a morning call.”
Her eyebrow rose. “You came all the way from London to call on me?”
He shrugged one powerful shoulder. “With a fast team, it is not much more than a half-hour drive. And these beauties”-he indicated the two grays before him-“are lightning fast.”
His team was indeed magnificent, Lily noted in silent admiration. Obviously high-spirited but trained well enough to stand patiently while waiting for their master’s commands.
But that didn’t explain why Claybourne thought he had to call on her. “You should not have troubled yourself, my lord.”
“It was no trouble. I’ve brought you a basket from my chef.”
She looked at him blankly. “Your chef?”
“A few delicacies for Boots, and a remedy for your headache. I would imagine after last night your skull feels as if a drum took up residence inside.”
Lily couldn’t help but be impressed by his thoughtfulness, yet she was not about to let him know it.
“I imagine you speak from experience?” she said dryly.