To Seduce a Bride (Courtship Wars)

Once, she almost fell, and when the water was waist-deep, she stepped on a sharp piece of gravel that cut into her toes. When she let out an exclamation of pain, Heath exhaled in disgust.

“Enough is enough,” he stated, closing the distance between.

Without waiting for her permission, he scooped Lily up in his arms to carry her the rest of the way.

She gave a yelp of protest but was forced to cling to his neck as he plowed through the water, up the sloping bank to the shore’s edge.

“Put me down!” she insisted when the water was knee level.

“Gladly,” he replied. “You weigh as much as a beached whale.”

No sooner had he spoken than he stumbled and went down on one knee. Although he easily kept hold of her while she clutched his neck more tightly, they voiced the same oath at the exact same instant.

The humor of it struck Lily and Heath at the same moment. Laughter echoed from them both as they met each other’s eyes.

When eventually he stood up, holding her safely, their laughter faded to a shared breathless smile.

“It’s damned hard playing the hero with you, sweetheart.”

Lily’s mouth curved with mirth. “Some hero you are. If you hadn’t loosened my bonnet, we would not be in this fix.”

By the time they reached dry land, the small group of spectators had joined them.

Winifred was out of breath, but she spoke first. “How wonderful of you, my lord. You saved her life.”

“You give me far too much credit, my lady,” he answered, his tone dry.

“Yes,” Lily added wryly. “I believe I had something to do with my deliverance.”

He grinned at her while Winifred shook her head. “But it was still quite romantic,” she insisted.

Ignoring her friend’s gushing, Lily instead addressed Heath. “Pray put me down now, my lord. You have been chivalrous enough for one day.”

When he obliged, setting her on her stockinged feet, Lily winced at the feel of the rough ground against her tender soles.

Seeing her pain, Winifred frowned. “Lily, you cannot walk back to the house with no shoes.”

“I don’t plan to return to your house, Winifred. I shall go home to Danvers Hall instead, so I may change out of this sopping gown.”

A light of speculation suddenly entered her ladyship’s eyes. “Yes, of course you must change at home. I don’t have any gowns that would fit you. And you must accompany her, Lord Claybourne. You need dry clothing, and Lord Danvers should have ample choices in his wardrobe.”

Lily wanted to argue, yet they were both dripping wet, and she was beginning to grow chilled.

In any event, Heath took the decision from her. “My carriage will take us to the Hall, Lady Freemantle. We shall go directly to the stables so we needn’t importune your guests.”

Although nodding happily, Winifred cast a measuring glance at Lily’s bedraggled form. “I suppose I should send a footman to fetch some blankets for you…”

“There are carriage rugs in my coach,” Heath assured her. “Please accept our apologies for leaving so precipitously, my lady.”

With a brief bow to their hostess, he picked Lily up again without regard to her sharp inhalation and strode toward the stableyard.

Lily knew protesting would be futile, yet she scolded him all the same once they were out of earshot. “You are taking shameless advantage of Winifred’s scheming.”

“Perhaps, but conventional methods of wooing won’t work on you, so I must act when I have the chance.”

The sound she made was between a scoff and an amused humph. “You cannot possibly consider this farcical comedy romantic, as she does.”

“No, it is hardly romantic. You look like a drowned rat.”