Page 66 of Broken

“Of course. The gardens are lovely.”

Barrette excused himself and he left the room.

Giles tried to contain his anxiety as the pair walked outside.

Carrington appeared at his shoulder. “Are you certain she will hold her tongue?”

“Yes.”

“You know, that Barrette fellow gives me an odd feeling. I couldn’t swear under oath, but I don’t think he likes your Lilly. Do you mind if I keep an eye on him?”

Since Giles’ main concern was what Lord Winter planned to do with Lilly, he kept his eyes on the pair outside. “I’d appreciate that.”

Carrington clapped a hand to his shoulder. “Try not to show you’re so interested in the girl. You are usually more discreet than this.”

“Everything with Lilly is different.”

“I can see that plainly. If you’re not careful, Lord Winter will see it too.” Carrington exited the room.

Lord Winter expressed his delight over the miracle of Lilly’s recovery in a physical way, stopping often to stare at her, reaching out to touch her cheek, and even once walking with his arm around her shoulders while Atticus trotted alongside.

Giles wanted to do that, and his chest ached at the lost opportunity. They looked comfortable, but Lord Winter kept Lilly out of doors too long for his liking. With a quiet word to Mrs. Osprey, Giles had Lilly’s wrap brought to him. A presumption on his part, of course, but a wise precaution given the nip in the air.

“Join us inside for luncheon, Lord Winter. My cook is overjoyed at having so many mouths to feed,” Giles asked, settling the wrap about Lilly’s shoulders and giving her shoulder a brief squeeze.

“Of course. Forgive me, Daventry. When one day you have the opportunity to walk around with your daughter on your arm, you will understand my possessiveness.”

Giles coughed and Lilly looked away from him quickly. They gained the terrace and strolled toward the dining room doors.

“Lilly and I were just discussing a return to London. I know it might seem something of a rush, but have proposed that we return to see if any young gentleman catches her eye. She does not seem convinced of her appeal, but I think she will do very well in Town. Don’t you?”

Giles’ hand gripped the door handle tight as he opened it. “A return to London seems a good decision but are you sure you shouldn’t give her more time to adjust to her improved health?” He did not enjoy the image of Lilly surrounded by young men. They would swarm after her like bees.

“No time like the present I always say,” Lord Winter stated brightly.

Giles ground his teeth. Impotence wasn’t an enjoyable situation to be in. “I suppose it will be up to Lilly to choose.”

“We can return to London and lease a townhouse at the best address,” Lord Winter continued, without giving Lilly a chance to respond. “I shall be very proud to launch Lilly on society.”

Giles’ jaw dropped. Lord Winter’s plans for Lilly’s future were very different from his plans of yesterday. The man seemed determined to be rid of her as quickly as possible. But why? It irritated Giles unbearably that Lilly didn’t meet his eyes while her father outlined his plans for her life and gave her no say.

Dump her in the country, or a quick marriage to the first man that offers. The poor woman’s head must be spinning. But Lilly continued to smile her way through lunch, and became reacquainted with her cousin little by little. Barrette seemed over his shock of the morning, and appeared very keen to be friendly with Lilly.

Giles did not like that.

Carrington exchanged a long look with him and his frowns seemed to coincide with Giles’ worried thoughts.

While Barrette played at the pianoforte for their entertainment that afternoon, Giles watched Lilly and Lord Winter from the sidelines. Barrette kept up his smiles for Lilly and the baron eyed the pair with something like speculation in his gaze. Giles decided it had better not be happy speculation.

While Barrette’s face lit with animation as he played a vigorous tune, and Lord Winter’s beat the chair’s armrest, Lilly’s remained still and stiff. If he had to guess, and Giles was getting very good at reading Lilly, she was tired. But of course, she wasn’t going to speak of it in company and be thought weak.

Giles had Dithers announce dinner an hour earlier than usual. Lilly shot him a grateful look. In honor of the guests, the servants had exceeded his instructions on the dishes. That unfortunately meant a longer attendance at the table. By the end of the meal, Lilly was sagging. Giles wanted to say something, to offer Lilly a chance to escape, but how could he?

Lord Winter kept a viselike grip on her arm as they left the table and had barely let her out of his sight all day. It had been a very long day for her. Usually she reclined on the chaise in both the morning and the afternoon. Today she had been on her feet for most of it.

As Giles followed her into the drawing room, he concluded that it was damned inconvenient to be so attuned to another’s suffering and not be able to do anything about it. He couldn’t take much more without speaking out.

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