Page 45 of Loving an Earl
Lilly understood what he was asking. “Emmeline introduced me to the Ladies’ Society of Mayfair run by the Duchess of Greenville. We provide goods and services to the poor families living mostly in St. Giles, but we will help anyone less fortunate. Last night, the duchess asked us to assist her physician in delivering a baby. He needed help keeping her other children occupied.” She paused, wiping tears from her eyes as she relived the memories. “I had been present during several births in the country when my papa was vicar. I thought I knew what to expect. It wasn’t until after we arrived that we were informed the baby was breech and couldn’t be delivered. The babe had already died and the mother was following. The doctor tried everything.” Lilly was shocked to find her hands covering her ears. If she closed her eyes, she could hear Annabelle’s screams loud and clear even now. “I’m sorry. This must be hard for you to hear.”
“Please continue.” His voice was barely a whisper. It sounded as though his throat was clogged with unshed tears.
“Annabelle had lost too much blood, and the doctor gave her a large dose of laudanum to make her comfortable. It wasn’t long before she succumbed. Before she died, though, she told me who her father was and that her husband had died a fortnight before in a tavern brawl.”
“Thank you.”
“Do you still love her?” As soon as the words left her lips, she wanted to take them back. Between Annabelle’s rejection, death, and his accident, hadn’t he been through enough? He didn’t need her adding to it by making him say painful words out loud.
“I loved the person she was before she refused my proposal. I don’t know the person Annabelle became, although my heart hurts because of how she ended and for her children.”
“The duchess sent Emmeline a note—her father has her children. He’s going to raise them.”
“That is good. Whenever I was in London, I looked for her. Not for myself. For the baron. He’d gone into a deep, dark place after she left. I felt I owed him. I felt partially responsible for her running away. In my mind, if I hadn’t asked for her hand, she would have stayed home and continued to love her father’s valet in secret.”
“You know that isn’t true. It would not have been secret for long. And if you hadn’t asked for her hand, someone else would have, and the chain of events would have played out the same.”
“I understand, but still . . .”
“Is there anything I can do to make you comfortable?”
“Could you tell Mullens that I would like to clean up?” He rubbed his hand on his jaw with his good arm. “And a shave. When will I be able to go home?”
“The doctor doesn’t want you moved for several weeks. It’s not even been two days. I’m afraid you’re here for the time being.” Lilly exited the room, went down the stairs and asked the butler to pass on the message to Langford’s valet.
*
Lilly dressed forher ride in the park the following afternoon in a lovely cream-and-green day dress with a matching pelisse and a cream bonnet trimmed with pretty green ribbon. The sun hid behind white clouds and there was a chill in the air, but overall the day was pleasant enough for a ride. She waited patiently in the drawing room as the hour to see and be seen in the park arrived. Viscount Redford was prompt. He helped her into his mid-rise phaeton pulled by two horses. When they were both settled, he gave the reins a snap, and they entered the road in the direction of Hyde Park.
“It is a lovely day for a ride. Cloudy but not raining,” Redford said as he handled the horses perfectly.
“Yes,” Lilly replied as they passed several carriages, curricles and other phaetons, the occupants nodding in greeting.
There was a queue to enter the park, and Lilly wasn’t surprised. As long as it wasn’t stormy, people flocked to the park on dry days in open carriages. The ladies and gentlemen could proudly display their fancy wardrobes and hats out in the open for all to see. Lilly always thought it silly to parade in the park in front of one’s peers, each hoping to outshine the next person. Though of course, on reflection, that was also what they did in the evenings when attending one event or another. And tonight they had an intimate dinner affair at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Hadley. They were close acquaintances of Aunt Vivian and no doubt she’d had a hand in the guest list.
“Do you have plans for this evening?” Lilly knew it was forward to ask, but she did anyway. She would rather be prepared if she would be spending time in his company tonight.
“Why yes. I’m attending a dinner party hosted by Mr. and Mrs. Hadley.”
“What a coincidence. So am I, and the Dowager Baroness Connolly and Mrs. Fitzpatrick also.”
He turned his head and smiled without showing his teeth, his silvery blue eyes taking her in. “What a pleasant surprise to know you will be in attendance. I shall hope we are seated next to one another. Perhaps I will have a word with Mrs. Hadley.”
They finally entered the park, and the line of riders, carriages, and open-air vehicles traveled at a snail’s pace. But at least it was preferable to stopping and starting as the jarring caused the back of Lilly’s neck to ache and her stomach to dip.
“I was hoping to have a word with Langford about getting his permission to court you exclusively.”
Was Lilly ready for exclusivity? “You don’t need his permission, but should you prefer it, the best way to communicate with him would be by note. He is not up to visitors as of yet.”
He looked at her and frowned. “I realize he is recovering from serious injuries at Mrs. Fitzpatrick’s home—his accident is all anyone is talking about around town—but is it proper for a single gentleman to reside in a home with three widows? Two of which are young and of marriable age?”
His words and the way he said them annoyed her. “Why ever not? He is confined to bed and a relative—at least by marriage—to all who live there. Besides, the doctor said he cannot be moved for several weeks. When that time comes, he will go and finish his convalescence in his own residence. I will not allow him to be moved and risk him being an invalid for life because his healing leg is damaged beyond repair during an unnecessary move.”
“Forgive me for interfering in family matters.” He sounded sincere, but she could tell he did not like the situation.
“You are forgiven,” she said as they exited the park. Several minutes later, they were pulling up to Emmeline’s townhome. They had ridden the last portion of the journey in uncomfortable silence.
He assisted her down from the carriage, he raised his top hat, bowed, and said, “I look forward to seeing you tonight.”
