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“No. Thank you. I want to do this.” She was stretching the truth. In a different situation, she certainly would not be getting married today, but she was living with the circumstances she had been given. Fate had hemmed her in and cut off any honorable route for escape. With things the way they were, she knew this was the best option for her family.
Hopefully, it would not turn out to be a personal disaster for her.
Nodding, her father escorted her down the aisle. He trusted she would tell him the truth. They had always been a very frank family. Perhaps she should feel bad about not being entirely truthful, but the world was not made up of black-and-white truths but of shades of grey.
Finally reaching the end of the aisle, her father placed her hand in Captain Jones’. Looking into his face to see his dark eyes blazing back at her with desire, she felt as if she had been more truthful than she’d realized. Perhaps this was not the man she would have chosen, but if not for the possibility of his family being involved in treason, he was not a bad option.
* * *
Nathan
Wondering what Lily and her father said to each other halfway up the aisle, Nathan took his bride’s hand in his. Even through their gloves, the touch was electric. There was no denying the attraction between them anymore. It had only grown since their night in the cottage.
Which was not the worst thing to base a marriage on.
The ceremony sped by in a flash, ending with a touch of his lips to hers—he held back and gave them a mere brush, not wanting to make a fool of himself in front of their gathered audience. Everyone knew this marriage was out of necessity. Doing more than a brush of lips would show far too much of his hand.
For all that their wedding brunch had been hastily put together, there was no sign of it. The food was delicious and the decorations beautiful. If only his bride had any interest in talking to him instead of Elijah, who was seated on her other side, it would be just about the perfect wedding brunch.
“Are you staying here in the capital?” Lady Stuart asked. Elijah’s new wife, as well as being one of Lily’s close friends, was seated next to Nathan. A vivacious blonde beauty, she had given Elijah a run for his money this past Season, before and after they married.
“Yes, for now. I would like to return to Brentwood Manor when I can, but there are still things I need to do for my brother here.” Truthfully, he had completed the most urgent of Sebastian’s requests and had planned to help more with the hunt for the traitor. Now that they all had been attacked and his own marriage arranged because of it, he was more determined than ever to find out who was behind the schemes.
Looking at Miss Stuart, he was reminded her marriage had also been the result of one of the traitor’s schemes. She’d been set up for scandal, meant to serve as a distraction for the spymaster. The attacks this time had been deadly… well, they must have touched a nerve with their recent investigations.
Most of which had pointed to the Russians, despite Nathan’s deeper suspicions of the French. He would need to spend some time thinking over the implications. Everything had moved like a whirlwind, and he had not had the time to re-evaluate the situation.
“Lily loves the countryside.” Lady Stuart sighed. “But I will miss her.”
“I am sure we can arrange visits between us. Perhaps we can have a house party. I will ask… Lily.” It felt odd to use her Christian name. The idea was sound, and it would be good for his brother to see people. Sebastian would have enjoyed the Season far more than Nathan had. It seemed a cruel irony that the brother whose presence was needed on the estates was the more social of the two, and the one who could travel to London was the one who would prefer a more secluded existence.
Though, he had enjoyed his time with the Society of Sin while he was in London.
Lady Stuart snorted.
“I am sure Lily will enjoy setting up a house party,” she replied, but the solemn expression and twinkle in her blue eyes indicated the exact opposite. “She does so love social events. I am sure she would be delighted to host one.”
Ah. Yes. Well. Perhaps since it would be a social event of their friends. He would allow her to choose the guest list. Everyone he might invite was either already at their wedding or part of the Society, although he doubted too many of the latter would be welcome. Not unless it was an eventforthe Society, and he did not know how she would feel about those activities.
When they had more time alone, he would have to ask her how much her friends might have told her about the Society.
* * *
Lily
Sitting between her new husband and Elijah, Lily found she was uncommonly nervous. Despite having spent a night alone together in the cottage, she had no idea what to say to the man she had married. Whatdidone say in such a situation? They hardly knew each other, which was not uncommon among theton. With the number of matches arranged between families, there was not a guidebook about how to muddle along once the deed was done.
She could not stop thinking about her fantasies from the night before, could not stop looking at his hands and wondering what tonight would have in store for her, which did nothing to help settle her nerves.
So, she concentrated on talking with Elijah instead, choosing the familiar over the unknown. Captain Jones… no, she should call him by his Christian name now that they were wed, no matter how odd it felt to think of him as ‘Nathan.’ Nathan seemed content to talk to Josie, thankfully. She was still acutely aware of him by her side, his large body taking up her peripheral vision, but talking to Elijah, she could distract herself.
A little.
“Has Evie said how long she will be staying at Camden house?” Lily asked, her gaze straying to her friend. It felt odd not to have to sneak off to the retiring room to see her, the way they all had for Mary’s and Josie’s weddings.
“While my father recovers is what she said,” Elijah replied, turning his head so his gaze followed hers. “I mean to see she stays after as well. It’s time for her to return to the family.”
“Does that mean including her in the family business?” The reason Evie had disappeared was her uncle and cousins had tried to keep her out of the search for the traitor. Evie had not appreciated being left out, so she’d left and initiated her own hunt, using her friends.
