Chapter 5
The heavy silk gown was pressed to within an inch of its life, and in a sturdy travelling bag were the matching shoes, shawl and jewellery, alongside enough hairbrushes, hairpins and accoutrements to create even the most elaborate coiffure. But better to be safe than sorry.
And talking of coiffures…
Lily patted her own which she taken much too much time over, before she headed downstairs. To her surprise, Evan was waiting for her, looking much too gorgeously windswept from already dropping Mr Brookes and his daughters at the party.
“I figured you’d need a hand carrying things.” He took the bag, his bare fingers briefly brushing hers because she hadn’t put on her gloves and sending an odd ripple up the nerves in her arm in the process.
Outside he stowed the luggage in the big box in the back and then bowed as he opened the door. “Your carriage awaits, my lady.”
The disappointment was instantaneous, and in that moment she realised how much she had been looking forward to this journey. “Oh…”
“Unless you have a masochistic desire to ride up front with me?” He pointed to the early evening sky, darker than usual thanks to the ominous snow clouds still hovering. “Though I’d never say no to some company if you want to share my blanket.”
Common sense told her not to.
He was a handsome and charming rogue, much too sure of himself and cocky, and while she had always had a penchant for such men, the few brief dalliances she had had with them had always ended badly. The last one most of all as she’d believed George had meant it when he said he had wanted to marry her, and had made furious plans and saved for months in anticipation of that happy day, only to discover the lying wretch was too ambitious to settle for a lady’s maid and had promptly run off with an innkeeper’s daughter instead.
Once she’d stitched her broken heart together, she vowed never to be charmed by a handsome, cocky rogue again. But Evan had a lovely smile and a hypnotic pair of green twinkling eyes which apparently had the power to override common sense, because she allowed him to take her hand and lead her to the front despite the threat of snow. And then she allowed him to put his hands on her waist and lift her up onto the footplate. Then to her complete disgust, she found her silly pulse fluttering and her wary heart quickening as he snapped the reins, then found herself smiling at him and meaning it as they drove out of respectable safety in Bedford Place and alone into the night.
****
“Thanks for bringing me home, Evan.”
They’d talked nonstop all the way to the theatre, and again on the purposely slow and convoluted meander on the way back from Mayfair to Bloomsbury. About nothing in particular and everything in general. They still shared a blanket—but Lily had done her best to keep a few inches between them no matter how many sharp corners he took just a little bit too wide. Completely on purpose.
“I think Mrs Brookes would have had something to say if I hadn’t, don’t you.” She was so pretty in the moonlight. The fog of their intermingled breath in the cold night air encasing her in an ethereal haze, as if this was all a dream. A lovely one.
“Have you worked for them long?”
“Forever.” Lily shrugged. “Ten years or so— since I was fourteen. You’d have to be daft to throw away a good job like this one. You’ll be the same.”
“I won’t. I have plans.” Plans he’d been making since the earliest he could remember and all far above his station as far as the Foundling Hospital were concerned. Plans which even seven years of the spirit crushing he’d endured as an indentured apprentice hadn’t dimmed. Plans he was in a hurry to achieve.. He slowed the carriage at the alleyway that led to the servants’ entrance, then hopped off to help her down. She put her hands on his shoulders as his spanned her trim waist, but for some reason, as he lifted her and their eyes locked, something told him to pull her close, and as her feet touched the pavement he lowered his head to hers.
He hesitated, his gaze questioning, wanting to give her the opportunity to say yay or nay, then her eyes fell to his lips and the tip of her tongue moistened hers and he decided to take that as a good sign.
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