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“I didn’t. I told Aunt Lucy to keep it the same as last night.”
“You have to do something, Daniel. I won’t let that bitch get her claws into my brother.”
“Lily,” he said calmly. “There isn’t anything I can do right now. Knowing Am…er…Lady Gregory, she will make a horrendous scene if I try to change her seat in front of all the guests. It will completely disrupt the meal. But I’ll take care of it tomorrow. It won’t happen again, I promise you.”
“You said you’d do anything for me! Look at Emma! She can’t even move her arms because Ludley is so…rotund. He’ll probably drool all over her crumpets, and then try to squeeze her thigh under the table. And Amelia will…oh, I can’t bear having her for a sister-in-law!”
“Lily,” Daniel whispered, “you need to lower your voice. It’s just dinner. Your brother has more sense than to make Lady Gregory your sister-in-law.”
“You didn’t have enough sense to stay away from her. What makes you think Thomas will? He’s a man after all, who does the majority of his thinking with his—”
“What do you mean I didn’t have enough sense to stay away from her?”
She didn’t want to tell him about her conversation with Amelia, so she resorted to rumor. “Good Lord, Daniel, everyone knows.” She looked quickly over her shoulder. “Emma is already dodging Ludley. My God, he’ll use every tactic to try to grab her breast. He’s been doing it to me for years.”
“Lily, Lady Gregory never meant anything— He’s been doing what?”
“What? Oh, Ludley. Yes, I’ve been diverting his roaming hands forever. I wasn’t so successful the first time. I was not but fourteen, and—”
“Fourteen?” Daniel’s voice lowered, his teeth clenched. “That sick bastard. I’ll pummel him. By God, I’m going to boot him off this estate.”
“Oh, for goodness’ sake, don’t bother.” Ludley and his meandering hands were the least of Lily’s concerns at the moment. “Just take care of this seating problem. Please.”
“Lily, I can’t. My mother would never
forgive me. She would be incredibly embarrassed to have her dinner interrupted with such a trivial—”
“It is not trivial!”
“Not to you, love, but to her. I’m so sorry. I’ll make this up to you.”
“Daniel, this is the absolutely worst thing in the world!” Lily whispered urgently.
Daniel caressed her thigh under the table. “Please calm down. I’m sorry this has you so upset. But don’t you think you’re being a bit melodramatic? Your brother and Emma are fond of each other. That won’t change because of an unfortunate seating choice. Why don’t you talk to Emma after dinner. If she says Ludley acted inappropriately in any way, you have my word he will be sent packing.”
“Melodramatic? How could you…” Daniel’s caress under the table did feel good. Lily started to relax. “Yes, I will talk to Emma, and I don’t expect we’ll be seeing Ludley on the morrow. As for Amelia Gregory, if she so much as touches my brother—”
“Jameson can take care of himself, Lily. He wouldn’t appreciate your interference anyway. I’m right, aren’t I?”
“I suppose so, but I don’t care. I’ll burn in hell before that little doxy gets hold of him.” She took a few deep breaths, the tension in her leg subsiding a bit. A little bit.
“Are you all right now?” Daniel asked.
“Yes, I’ll be fine. Where’s my wine?”
“Allow me.” He filled her glass and handed it to her. “My, all that surliness, Lily. You’re so worked up. Your skin is rosy all over. It makes me want to…”
Lily tried to stay angry, but she couldn’t help smiling. “Later,” she said. “And you’re going to pay for this incident.” She took a sip of wine.
He beamed. “I can’t wait.”
* * *
Thomas was disappointed not to be seated next to Emma. He had grown quite fond of the lithe blonde and was beginning to believe Lily was right about finding a woman of intelligence. As the daughter of a banker, Emma was well versed in the world of finance and had listened to his tales of estate matters with interest, even offering her opinion from time to time.
The current seating was even more bizarre due to the fact that everyone else at the table, in fact at all the tables, seemed to be in the exact same position as the previous evening, except for Emma and his current dinner companion, Lady Amelia Gregory. Thomas knew little about Lady Gregory, except that she was the former Amelia Scott, a commoner, and the second wife of Frederic, Earl Gregory, twenty-five years her senior, who had passed away within the first year of their marriage. There were ruminations about the earl’s untimely death, but nothing had been proven.
Lady Gregory had been linked to many men of import by way of illicit affairs since then, including Lord Daniel Farnsworth himself, before he became the Duke of Lybrook. Lady Gregory seemed pleasant enough and was very pretty. Thomas was chivalrous to a fault, so he filled her wine glass and saw to her other needs, despite the fact that he wished she were Emma.
