Page 14 of Loving an Earl
“May I ask a personal question? And forgive me if I overstep, but how did it come about that my uncle married you?”
Now it was Lilly’s turn to step on Langford’s foot. She quickly recovered, and his only concession to acknowledging it was one raised brow. Was this why he’d asked her to dance? To fish for the information he’d never been able to get out of the Langford household?
“I’m sorry. There is nothing to tell. I can’t say why he decided to marry at that time in his life. Only Henry knows. However, he hinted at wanting an heir. Perhaps he wasn’t pleased with you.” She ignored his gasp at her lies. “Why did he choose me? That is also a mystery.” She hoped her words made him think again about asking such intimate questions that were none of his business. What had transpired between Henry and her was their business and no one else’s.
She was saved from future questions when the waltz ended, and he escorted her back to Emmeline and Blackstone, who had not danced. He bowed, his expression serious with a touch of anger. “Please excuse me.” Lilly watched him make his way across the room, nodding to several gentlemen trying to get his attention. He exited the double leaf doors, which she assumed led to a veranda.
“Why did he run off?” Blackstone asked with a knowing smirk.
Lilly wanted to know what Blackstone knew. And why he hinted at things. Had Langford confided in him what transpired between them the day they met? She would have loved to have overheard that conversation. “We had a lovely dance. The man is dark and brooding. Perhaps he needs fresh air to lighten his mood.”
Blackstone threw back his head and laughed, drawing eyes to them. It was the first time Lilly had seen the duke relaxed and unguarded. “You know Langford so well already.” He bowed. “If you’ll excuse me, ladies, I should seek out my friend.”
Emmeline’s eyes followed Blackstone as he swaggered toward the doors to the veranda. Unlike Langford, he didn’t acknowledge those vying for his attention. Perhaps Lilly would think of him as the Haughty Duke of Blackstone.
“Tell me what happened,” Emmeline said, her eyes still following Blackstone.
Lilly humphed. “I now see why you are taken with Blackstone. He is beyond handsome, mysterious, and witty. Although not to you, which I don’t understand unless your mother is correct and he suffers from guilt surrounding Aiden’s death.”
“Many years ago, he was friendly and lighthearted with me,” Emmeline said with a sigh, her eyes still trailing Blackstone as he disappeared outside. “And then Aiden died. He began treating me coldly and kept his distance. He had a hard time the following year. He drank and gambled to excess. From what I heard, his father stepped in, refusing to cover his markers and cut off his allowance.”
“What happened?”
“He went to work with Langford and Caldwell and spent three years on their ships. I heard he amassed enough money to pay his debts and buy into Langford and Caldwell’s shipping empire. From the rumors I hear, the three are now richer than the Crown.” She paused. “Why did Langford stomp off?”
Lilly smiled. “He did, didn’t he? I have no idea why. Well, except that he asked me why Henry married me, and I told him it was because he wanted an heir, perhaps because he was displeased with the one he had.”
Emmeline laughed, then covered her mouth with her gloved hand, the same sapphire shade as her dress. “What a little devil. I didn’t realize you could lie so easily.”
“It wasn’t a total lie. Henry never said he wanted an heir, but it wasn’t beyond possibility.” Perhaps she was a good liar after all.
“Come, I’m hungry. Let’s see what they are serving,” Emmeline said as they strolled arm and arm out of the ballroom, making their way to the drawing room. “As a debutante, I would eat before I came. My mother wouldn’t let me eat at any of the balls or soirees. She was afraid I would spill on my gown or a gentleman would think me a cow for eating too much. I was only allowed to eat at small, intimate gatherings where sit-down dinners were served. Most of the debutantes attending tonight will have stuffed their faces before coming here for the same reason I did.”
“That’s a little harsh.”
“Yes, well, as widows, we can eat to our heart’s content.” Emmeline glanced around. “Unless my mother sees us. We must eat in here so she doesn’t. She might still want to enforce that rule.”
Lilly laughed as she took a small plate from a server. “Then we must eat quickly not to be found out.”
“Exactly.”
“Exactly what?” asked a deep voice belonging to Blackstone.
Emmeline was startled and nearly dropped her plate. “Your Grace, didn’t your mother teach you manners? You should never sneak up on a lady.”
“Forgive me.” He smirked, then looked at Lilly and winked. What a devil he was—one moment glaring at Emmeline, then the next teasing her. If Emmeline managed to snare the duke, her life would never be boring. So far this evening, Lilly hadn’t seen him dance with anyone, even though she had caught several debutantes eyeing him hopefully, and their mamas looking longingly with greed and some with lust, which shocked Lilly.
On the other hand, Langford had danced nearly every dance since they waltzed, or she should say, since he reentered the ballroom after he stomped off in a huff. He plowed through the debutantes like a farmer plowing his fields—not that she was particularly noticing or anything. No, another lie. Enemies they were, but he had magnetism, and she wasn’t immune.
Why couldn’t she be attracted to the duke instead of Langford? Although on reflection, that would be so much worse. Emmeline was in love with him.
As Blackstone escorted both Emmeline and her back into the ballroom, their host, the Duke of Westport approached. “I’ve requested a waltz. I would like to dance with my dear friend Henry’s widow.” He bowed slightly, holding out his arm, clearly expecting Lilly to take it.
Panicking, Lilly’s eyes swung from Emmeline to Blackstone, then to the duke, a man Henry’s age. And as with Henry, he was handsome and fit. They both had aged well, but the similarities ended there. Her entire being shivered. She believed the duke hid some depraved part of himself from the outside world. She could not explain how she knew. She just did. However, believing she had no choice in refusing, she accepted and ignored the chills tingling up her spine.
“It is an honor to dance with you, Your Grace.” Another lie. She was indeed becoming proficient in lying. Not something she was proud of. Ten seconds into the waltz, Lilly regretted her decision. The duke held her too close at every opportunity the dance allowed. Mostly when they twirled around fast and he thought she might stumble. His dark, beady eyes stared down her bodice, and he licked his lips repeatedly as though he wanted to devour her. Or perhaps it was to stop himself from drooling. She had to breathe through her mouth because the heavy, perfumed scent of musk mingled with body odor had her stomach revolting. During the receiving line, she had paid little attention to the duke since the duchess had drawn her in with her smile and chatter. She regretted that now. He was positively repulsive.
Finally, he lifted his eyes from her bosom. The depravity she saw inside them had the chills creeping up her spine, intensifying and confirming what she believed earlier. Her eyes darted around the ballroom, hoping to find a savior. No one noticed his leering or her panic.
