turned with the cloak bundled tight in her arms he
was staring at her unabashedly, an odd expression on his face. “I am sorry, but
it does not seem likely. Biscuit will be unable to carry additional weight
through the drifts and your dog—”
“I can carry him!” Lily cried. Except
she couldn’t, not really, and the look James gave her said as much. He cleared
his throat.
“I will not… I will not do anything
untoward, if that is why you are concerned.”
“It’s not,” she muttered, looking away.
“You can sleep in the bedroom with the
door closed, and I will be quite comfortable in front of the fire. I fear there
is not any food, but hopefully we will be able to leave first thing in the
morning and you will be home before breakfast.”
Lily set her cloak aside and slumped
into one of the kitchen chairs. It wobbled to the right, but held firm.
Perching her elbow on the table, she adopted a scowl all her own. “And then
what?” she challenged.
James’ eyebrows darted together. “What
do you mean?”
“Of course you do not understand. You
are a man , and such things do not
concern you.” Her agitation increased, although whether it was at herself or
him or the male species in general she could not be certain. Stupid , she chided herself. You are so very stupid, Lily, and now you are going to have to pay the consequences for your impulsive
actions. Unless… She straightened in her chair. Unless you really do become
spoiled goods, and the man doing the spoiling is forced to offer marriage.
She was grasping. She knew she was. Not
to mention being quite underhanded, scheming, and devious – three traits
she abhorred above all others. But with the deadline of Christmas breathing
down her neck, what other choice did she have?
Family had always been of utmost
importance to Lily. She would rather die than see her mother and sister be
turned into beggars… Or, in this case, trick a man into marrying her by the
worst means imaginable.
Her fingers began to thrum against the
table. James would hate her in the end, and she would hate herself. But her
mother and Elsa would have a future free from worry, and wasn’t that all that
mattered?
It really wasn’t so different from what
all the other women of her station did, she convinced herself as she watched
James stoke the fire from beneath her lashes. Flocking to eligible men like pigeons to bread crumbs , pecking away until the poor fellow
eventually gave up and gave in. She was simply being more up front about the
whole thing. In a not-quite-telling-the-truth sort of way.
If her plan failed she would be no
better or worse off than before, the only exception being she really would be giving up her virginity, but
then everyone would think she had anyways so really, what was the point of
holding onto it?
With each day passing by quicker than
the last it really was her best chance at securing a husband. Her only chance, if truth be told. Again she wondered at the nuances of fate. What intricate threads of
destiny and happenstance had brought her to this very moment, with this very
man? Would her choices this eve create ripples of consequence that ultimately
destroy her future? Or was this somehow, someway, how things were supposed to
happen? Her fingers increased in tempo, striking the table hard enough to send
little jolts of pain shooting up into her wrist.
“Can you stop that incessant tapping?”
Standing, James turned in a half circle and skewered her with a glare that
would have no doubt brought a weaker female to tears. Lily merely lifted her
chin and stared down her nose at him.
“They are my fingers,” she said, “and I
will do with them what I please.”
“Stubborn wench,” he growled under his
breath.
“Arrogant brute.”
“Spoiled brat.”
Lily sat up a little straighter. Two
could play at this game. “Caper witted bounder.”
“Featherbrained peagoose .”
“Bacon-brained fatwit !”
James choked out a laugh. It
was staring at her unabashedly, an odd expression on his face. “I am sorry, but
it does not seem likely. Biscuit will be unable to carry additional weight
through the drifts and your dog—”
“I can carry him!” Lily cried. Except
she couldn’t, not really, and the look James gave her said as much. He cleared
his throat.
“I will not… I will not do anything
untoward, if that is why you are concerned.”
“It’s not,” she muttered, looking away.
“You can sleep in the bedroom with the
door closed, and I will be quite comfortable in front of the fire. I fear there
is not any food, but hopefully we will be able to leave first thing in the
morning and you will be home before breakfast.”
Lily set her cloak aside and slumped
into one of the kitchen chairs. It wobbled to the right, but held firm.
Perching her elbow on the table, she adopted a scowl all her own. “And then
what?” she challenged.
James’ eyebrows darted together. “What
do you mean?”
“Of course you do not understand. You
are a man , and such things do not
concern you.” Her agitation increased, although whether it was at herself or
him or the male species in general she could not be certain. Stupid , she chided herself. You are so very stupid, Lily, and now you are going to have to pay the consequences for your impulsive
actions. Unless… She straightened in her chair. Unless you really do become
spoiled goods, and the man doing the spoiling is forced to offer marriage.
She was grasping. She knew she was. Not
to mention being quite underhanded, scheming, and devious – three traits
she abhorred above all others. But with the deadline of Christmas breathing
down her neck, what other choice did she have?
Family had always been of utmost
importance to Lily. She would rather die than see her mother and sister be
turned into beggars… Or, in this case, trick a man into marrying her by the
worst means imaginable.
Her fingers began to thrum against the
table. James would hate her in the end, and she would hate herself. But her
mother and Elsa would have a future free from worry, and wasn’t that all that
mattered?
It really wasn’t so different from what
all the other women of her station did, she convinced herself as she watched
James stoke the fire from beneath her lashes. Flocking to eligible men like pigeons to bread crumbs , pecking away until the poor fellow
eventually gave up and gave in. She was simply being more up front about the
whole thing. In a not-quite-telling-the-truth sort of way.
If her plan failed she would be no
better or worse off than before, the only exception being she really would be giving up her virginity, but
then everyone would think she had anyways so really, what was the point of
holding onto it?
With each day passing by quicker than
the last it really was her best chance at securing a husband. Her only chance, if truth be told. Again she wondered at the nuances of fate. What intricate threads of
destiny and happenstance had brought her to this very moment, with this very
man? Would her choices this eve create ripples of consequence that ultimately
destroy her future? Or was this somehow, someway, how things were supposed to
happen? Her fingers increased in tempo, striking the table hard enough to send
little jolts of pain shooting up into her wrist.
“Can you stop that incessant tapping?”
Standing, James turned in a half circle and skewered her with a glare that
would have no doubt brought a weaker female to tears. Lily merely lifted her
chin and stared down her nose at him.
“They are my fingers,” she said, “and I
will do with them what I please.”
“Stubborn wench,” he growled under his
breath.
“Arrogant brute.”
“Spoiled brat.”
Lily sat up a little straighter. Two
could play at this game. “Caper witted bounder.”
“Featherbrained peagoose .”
“Bacon-brained fatwit !”
James choked out a laugh. It
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