The smile he gave her was utterly beautiful and utterly maddening. “We shall see.”
Lily started to reply but gave a start when a sharp rap sounded on her bedchamber door. Then she froze as Fleur pushed open the door and swept into the room.
The courtesan took one look at Lily’s flushed face and passion-bruised lips and turned to regard the marquess with a baleful eye. “I trust you mean to explain yourself, my lord. Miss Loring is under our protection, and we will not stand for you seducing her!”
Chapter Four
I must be mad to have agreed to his courtship, but the potential benefit to our boarders outweighs the risk to me…or so I sincerely hope.
– Lily to Fanny
Lily was vastly relieved for the interruption, but Lord Claybourne did not look chagrined in the least by Fleur’s irate accusation.
Instead, he gave the courtesan a graceful bow. “How delightful to see you again, Miss Delee. Pray accept my apologies for alarming you, but I did not come here to seduce Miss Loring.”
“No?” Fleur asked with marginally less rancor. “Then what does bring you here, my lord? Fanny would never forgive me if I allowed anything untoward to befall Miss Loring while she is dwelling under this roof.”
“I assure you my intentions toward her are entirely
honorable. I wish to court her.”
Fleur blinked in surprise. “You want to court her? So you can wed her?”
Claybourne glanced at Lily, his eyes assessing her with a tinge of knowing mirth. “Well…perhaps ‘wed’ is premature, since she professes to be so set against marriage, but I hope for the opportunity to determine if we might make a good match.”
“My heavens,” Fleur said with a mix of wonderment and delight. “That does change things, my lord.”
“I thought it might,” he murmured under his breath, so low that only Lily heard him. To Fleur, he said aloud, “I would like to solicit your assistance, if I may. Miss Loring insists on eluding my attempts even to speak to her, but if you would be so kind, you could convince her to at least entertain the idea of my suit.”
In disbelief, Lily stared at the marquess. The nerve of him, using her friends against her.
Fleur, on the other hand, gave him a fond smile. “Yes, indeed, Lord Claybourne. I would be pleased to help. Shall we repair to my sitting room to discuss the matter?”
“Fleur,” Lily said in exasperation as the elder woman turned to leave the bedchamber. “There is nothing to discuss.”
“Certainly there is, darling. I mean to satisfy my curiosity if nothing else.”
Lily’s continued protests fell on deaf ears. Thus, when the marquess accompanied Fleur from the room and down the corridor, Lily trailed after them, not trusting what he might say behind her back.
Fleur chatted graciously with him as she led him down a flight of stairs to the elegant second-floor sitting room she and Chantel claimed for their own. Chantel was lounging on a settee, reading a volume of poetry, but she perked up when she spied their caller. It was rare these days that she received visitors, especially a nobleman so handsome and distinguished as Lord Claybourne.
Chantel flushed becomingly when he bent over her hand to kiss her fingers lightly, but her blue eyes widened when Fleur repeated what he’d told her about wishing to begin a courtship.
“You are a sly puss,” Chantel chided Lily. “You never told us you have a noble suitor.”
“Because it isn’t true,” she insisted.
“But I hope to make it true,” Claybourne said mildly.
“So your intentions are genuinely honorable, my lord?” Fleur asked.
“Completely.”
“Then do please sit down and tell us why you might wish to wed Lily.”
He didn’t take the seat he was offered, however, since Lily resolutely remained standing. But he did explain some of his motivation.
“To begin with, I have never met anyone quite like Miss Loring. I last saw her a full month ago but I couldn’t forget her.”