tidied the family suites and the private parlors. Now she intended to try her luck searching them.
She stifled a yawn.
Curse Stratford,
she thought for the umpteenth time this morning. Her fatigue could be laid squarely at his arrogant, self-righteous feet. After their little encounter, she’d hardly slept a wink. She tried the first door handle but found it locked.
What a blasted fool she was. How could she blurt her true feelings about not wanting a husband? Stratford had given her the perfect excuse for her presence, both in his library and at Somerton Park, when he’d accused her of setting out to trap him. Why hadn’t she leapt on it?
Liliana released a tight breath as she tried the next door handle to no avail.
Because I don’t think well on my feet.
She preferred things to go as planned, and when they did not, she needed time to process.
And then she’d gone and drawn more attention to herself because she couldn’t bear to see the man sufferingon her account. Yet an entire sleepless night spent evaluating her actions—and his—left her more troubled than resolved. He’d seemed awfully sincere in his belief that she was just one of the many females out to land him. Perhaps he hadn’t connected her to her father. Perhaps he didn’t suspect her true motives at all.
Liliana groaned. If he hadn’t before, he very well might now. Considering their disastrous encounter it had become imperative to avoid him at all costs.
A scuffling sound drew Liliana’s attention. Her muscles tensed and she held her breath, listening. A rhythmic scraping, like slippers on wood, raced up the stairs at a hurried pace. A loud creak sounded from one of the upper steps. Drat—if she were caught again, she’d certainly be exposed!
Liliana shot down the hall, hoping to make it around the corner before a maid or housekeeper emerged. She jerked left into a tiny nook and jiggled the door handles on either side, but neither would give.
Blast. But she wasn’t caught yet. She tucked herself as tightly into the corner as she could manage, praying the servant had no reason to venture this far.
The footsteps persisted, getting closer, and Liliana stopped breathing.
“Psssst.” The harsh whisper sounded familiar. “Lily, are you up here?”
Relief poured through Liliana. “Penelope?” The stricture in her throat eased. She stepped around the corner to see her cousin looking quite out of sorts. A blond ringlet had slipped from Penelope’s normally perfect coiffure, and she struggled to catch her breath from the quick upward flight.
“There you are!” Penelope gasped. “I’ve been searching for you everywhere.” She rushed forward, grasped Liliana’s hand and started tugging her back toward the stairs.
“Why?” Liliana asked, allowing herself to be pulled along. “And where are we going in such a hurry?”
“Back to our room,” Penelope answered over her shoulder. “I just hope we’re not too late. I know I promised to cover for you should you be missed, but even I can’t help you now.”
Had Stratford told Aunt Eliza about last night? That was the only reason for Penelope to be so upset.
“Too late for what?” Liliana demanded, her chest tight.
“Mother is on her way up to our room right now to fetch you.”
“Fetch me?”
“Yes. Now that Mother knows Stratford is interested in you, she won’t let you alone for a moment,” Penelope said. “And if you’re not in your bed, sick,
like I told her you were
, there will be a lot of explaining to do.”
“What?” Liliana asked, confused. She jerked to a stop, her grip on Penelope’s hand pulling Pen up short as well. “What are you talking about?”
“Stratford,” Penelope snapped, as if it were Liliana’s fault she didn’t understand. “He came up to Mother and me after the morning festivities. He asked about you. He seemed particularly concerned with
She stifled a yawn.
Curse Stratford,
she thought for the umpteenth time this morning. Her fatigue could be laid squarely at his arrogant, self-righteous feet. After their little encounter, she’d hardly slept a wink. She tried the first door handle but found it locked.
What a blasted fool she was. How could she blurt her true feelings about not wanting a husband? Stratford had given her the perfect excuse for her presence, both in his library and at Somerton Park, when he’d accused her of setting out to trap him. Why hadn’t she leapt on it?
Liliana released a tight breath as she tried the next door handle to no avail.
Because I don’t think well on my feet.
She preferred things to go as planned, and when they did not, she needed time to process.
And then she’d gone and drawn more attention to herself because she couldn’t bear to see the man sufferingon her account. Yet an entire sleepless night spent evaluating her actions—and his—left her more troubled than resolved. He’d seemed awfully sincere in his belief that she was just one of the many females out to land him. Perhaps he hadn’t connected her to her father. Perhaps he didn’t suspect her true motives at all.
Liliana groaned. If he hadn’t before, he very well might now. Considering their disastrous encounter it had become imperative to avoid him at all costs.
A scuffling sound drew Liliana’s attention. Her muscles tensed and she held her breath, listening. A rhythmic scraping, like slippers on wood, raced up the stairs at a hurried pace. A loud creak sounded from one of the upper steps. Drat—if she were caught again, she’d certainly be exposed!
Liliana shot down the hall, hoping to make it around the corner before a maid or housekeeper emerged. She jerked left into a tiny nook and jiggled the door handles on either side, but neither would give.
Blast. But she wasn’t caught yet. She tucked herself as tightly into the corner as she could manage, praying the servant had no reason to venture this far.
The footsteps persisted, getting closer, and Liliana stopped breathing.
“Psssst.” The harsh whisper sounded familiar. “Lily, are you up here?”
Relief poured through Liliana. “Penelope?” The stricture in her throat eased. She stepped around the corner to see her cousin looking quite out of sorts. A blond ringlet had slipped from Penelope’s normally perfect coiffure, and she struggled to catch her breath from the quick upward flight.
“There you are!” Penelope gasped. “I’ve been searching for you everywhere.” She rushed forward, grasped Liliana’s hand and started tugging her back toward the stairs.
“Why?” Liliana asked, allowing herself to be pulled along. “And where are we going in such a hurry?”
“Back to our room,” Penelope answered over her shoulder. “I just hope we’re not too late. I know I promised to cover for you should you be missed, but even I can’t help you now.”
Had Stratford told Aunt Eliza about last night? That was the only reason for Penelope to be so upset.
“Too late for what?” Liliana demanded, her chest tight.
“Mother is on her way up to our room right now to fetch you.”
“Fetch me?”
“Yes. Now that Mother knows Stratford is interested in you, she won’t let you alone for a moment,” Penelope said. “And if you’re not in your bed, sick,
like I told her you were
, there will be a lot of explaining to do.”
“What?” Liliana asked, confused. She jerked to a stop, her grip on Penelope’s hand pulling Pen up short as well. “What are you talking about?”
“Stratford,” Penelope snapped, as if it were Liliana’s fault she didn’t understand. “He came up to Mother and me after the morning festivities. He asked about you. He seemed particularly concerned with
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