Page 53 of The Searching Songbird

Draven stood, staring up the empty staircase like an idiot. What...how... Wiping a hand over his face, he turned and walked out the door, welcoming the feel of the misty rain as it washed over his skin.

So, she knows. So what? That changes nothing.

He couldn't give her up. Not to the boss, not to the baron, not to anyone. And if that meant betraying her trust by handing over a stranger in her place, well, so be it.Draven clenched and unclenched his fist, wishing for all the world he had someone to lay into.

I need to find the dragon girl.

Lily was dining with the devil that evening, and he'd be damned if he let her go alone and unprotected. He'd follow her, sneak into the mansion, secure the girl while the baron was distracted, and keep an open ear for Lily, should she have need of him.

Then he would only need to hand the dragon girl off to the boss and convince Lily that it was for the best. He shuddered as he imagined her inevitable reaction.

It was going to be a long night.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

It was raining again. Large drops dashed against the window as the luxurious carriage rumbled along, carrying Lily out of the city and up into the wooded hills. Bringing her to Baron Dunlop's estate.

And Fia, she reminded herself. You're doing this for Fia. Slipping her hand inside her skirt pocket, she fingered the small knife there, taking comfort in the cool steel. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing. And, while she would never be a match for Josselyn, Hiram had taken the time to ensure all of his daughters could handle a blade to some degree.

Who are you kidding? You were always rot with knives... Shendri warrior, indeed.

“Steady now,” Suzu's voice interrupted. “There's no reason to get yourself worked up, this is only a reconnaissance mission. You'll smile, converse, eat dinner, and keep an open eye for any sign of Fia. That's all. No heroics. Not yet.”

“Just dinner,” Lily repeated as she leaned toward the window, straining her eyes to make out the rain-blurred mansion looming ahead. “I can do just dinner.”

The carriage pulled to a stop beneath an elaborate porte-cochère, silencing the rain so that all she could hear was the rapid pounding of her heart. Just dinner.

There was a knock just before the carriage door opened, revealing a liveried footman.

“Welcome to Ashdown Park, my lady,” he said, giving her a quick bow before offering his hand for assistance. Lily raised her eyebrows, glancing down at her simple, brown traveling cloak that lay atop an embroidered, white peasant blouse and deep blue skirts and then back up to meet the footman's serious eyes. She smirked. My lady, indeed.

Accepting his hand with the lightest of touches, she hopped down out of the grand carriage with ease. “Thank you, ...” She looked up at the footman.

“Philippe,” he supplied, tipping his hat.

“Thank you, Philippe.”

“It is my pleasure, Lady Delaney.”

She snorted. “It's Miss Delaney, not lady. Although, just Lily would do even better.”

“As much as I would like to put you at ease, the master was most insistent that you were to be treated as a lady.” He looked around before ducking his head and adding in a hushed whisper, “And the master gets what the master wants.”

Lily's stomach clenched at those cryptic words, but she pasted a smile on her face for the footman's benefit. “Well, then, it won't do to keep him waiting. Shall we?”

Was that relief that passed through the man's eyes? Or was it a trick of the light, the result of a setting sun playing with the shadows?

“Right this way, my lady.” The footman swept his arm toward the large, wooden doors, letting Lily precede him as they made their way up the steps. Another footman opened the doors for them, as yet another hurried forward to take her cloak. A wizened, old butler stood sternly attentive as she handed off her things.

“Your ladyship, you honor us with your presence.”

Lily bit down on her lip to keep from correcting him. What was with everyone insisting on giving her a title? She was about as far from nobility as the men who worked the docks. “You're too kind,” she murmured, taking in the large entrance hall and making a mental sketch of it in her mind.

The butler cleared his throat, and she jerked her attention back to where he was standing. He eyed her with barely concealed disdain before gesturing down the long hallway. “If you'll come with me, I will show you to the gold parlor.” Without waiting to see if she followed, he strode down the hallway, his gait surprisingly quick given his years. Lily hurried to catch up, counting doors and noting servants as she went.

The butler stopped outside an open door about halfway down. “If you'll have a seat in here, I will inform his lordship of your arrival.”

Lily stepped into the room and stopped in her tracks as she gazed around the opulent parlor. Light pink settees covered in intricate, gold embroidery sat around a mahogany tea table. Thick, gold drapes hung over the massive floor-to-ceiling windows. A fireplace sat at the end of the room, with a collection of golden figurines decorating its mantle. An ornate, gold chandelier hung from the center of the ceiling, casting a gentle light over the room. But the thing that really caught her attention was the beautiful pianoforte sitting in the corner, with its gold inlaid roses etched across the side.