To Seduce a Bride

him across the way, the hint of a smile he sent her held an intimacy that made her feel as if they were the only two people in all the world.

She found it nearly impossible to look away, and just as difficult to keep her greeting to a mere nod when Heath approached her. But she responded in monosyllables when he spoke to her. And as soon as possible, she turned her attention to the other guests, dragging Basil with her.

She spent the next ten minutes quizzing the bridegroom about his plans to visit Arden Castle in Kent for the first leg of his wedding journey with his bride. Afterward the duke would take Roslyn to Paris and then travel on to Brittany to visit the former Lady Loring, where Victoria had settled with her new French husband. Lily was constantly aware of Heath, however, and where he was at any given moment.

Then Marcus’s sister, Lady Eleanor Pierce, arrived, along with her elderly aunt, Lady Beldon. The vivacious raven-haired beauty kissed Marcus affectionately on the cheek before she sought out Heath and gave him the same fond salutation.

It was absurd to feel a sharp twinge of jealousy at the sweet gesture, Lily knew, yet she couldn’t help it. Especially when Lady Eleanor stood there laughing delightedly up at Heath.

Recalling her plan, Lily focused her attention on Basil, pretending to hang on his every word. It dismayed her a little, therefore, when Lady Eleanor brought Heath over to join them and then somehow managed to draw Basil aside, leaving Lily alone with the very man she had earnestly hoped to avoid.

“Will you permit me to take you in to dinner?” was Heath’s first remark.

“That is kind of you, my lord,” Lily said in an offhand manner, “but Basil has already offered. You and I won’t be seated together at dinner, either.”

“I suppose you made certain of the seating arrangements?”

“Well…yes.”

“Then I will settle for sitting beside you during the wedding tomorrow.”

“I have promised to sit beside Basil tomorrow,” Lily hastened to say.

Heath arched an eyebrow. “You have two sides, do you not? I will sit on your right, and he may have the left. I believe I have earned the privilege. Fleur informs me that they have deemed me the winner of our game.”

“Yes, they have,” Lily said despondently.

“It will be our first time to be seen in public together. Somehow it seems fitting that we will be attending a wedding together.”

“We will not be attending together,” she pointed out. “I will be riding to the church with my sisters.”

“As you did for your eldest sister’s wedding. I remember the moment you arrived. You captured my attention with your laughter.” Heath smiled as though it was a pleasurable memory.

“Oh? I don’t particularly recall meeting you then,” Lily lied.

His eyes sparkled with humor. “You wound me, darling. Am I really so forgettable?”

He was no such thing, she thought, trying to ignore the devilish charm dancing in his eyes.

“You cannot say you have forgotten our first kiss in the barn loft, or any of the kisses that followed.”

“My lord!” Lily hissed in a repressive undertone, glancing around to see if he had been overheard.

“Are we back to ‘my lord’ now? What have I done to earn such disdain?”

“You can hardly object to the term,” she retorted. “You know that ‘my lord’ is the proper form of address when we are in polite company.”

“I can accept that as long as you call me by my given name in private.”

Somewhat agitated, Lily looked away, searching for Basil.

“Do you expect Eddowes to come to your rescue?” Heath asked curiously. “What is he now, your protector?”

“Of a sort,” Lily replied, aware of the desperation in her thinking.

“You seem very fond of him.”

“I am indeed. We have known each other since we were in leading strings.”

Heath reached up to touch her chin, bringing her gaze back to his. “I think you have grown a little fond of me, too, Lily.”

She couldn’t issue an honest denial, no matter how much she wanted to. “Against my better judgment,” Lily murmured, finally looking straight at him. “But simply because I hold you in affection doesn’t mean I wish to marry you or spend the rest of my life with you.”

“Do you hold me in affection, sweeting?” Heath asked, his tone a tender tease.

Lily pressed her lips together. “That was a slip of the tongue. I consider you a friend, nothing more.”

“I think we have gone far beyond mere friendship. I have been inside of you, remember?”

“Will you stop that!” Lily demanded in frustration.

Thankfully, she was spared from further provocation when Marcus’s butler, Hobbs, appeared and announced that dinner was served.

Even more thankfully, Heath made no effort to approach her again that evening. Instead, he spent much of the time with Lady Eleanor-an unexpected turn of events that strangely unsettled Lily.

The image of them laughing together stayed with her as she tossed and turned in her solitary bed that night, no matter how much she tried not to think of Heath with the lively, lovely Lady Eleanor.

Lily woke late the following morning, weary and bleary-eyed, but she made a concerted effort to be cheerful when she and Arabella gathered in Roslyn’s bedchamber to help her bathe and dress. It was not too difficult since Roslyn’s high spirits were infectious. Lily couldn’t help but be sad, however, that she was losing her other sister.

Roslyn eventually noticed her melancholy and commented on it. “Lily, I know you would rather I didn’t marry Drew, but I love him dearly. More than I thought it was possible to love anyone.”

“That is quite obvious,” Arabella interjected with a fond smile at Roslyn, “from the way you look at him. And he spent the entire evening gazing adoringly at you. It is frankly remarkable to see the elusive, cynical Duke of Arden wearing his heart on his sleeve for all to see.”

“I don’t object to you marrying him if you are happy, Rose,” Lily said, feeling her throat ache with love for her sister.

“I am happy, truly. I can only wish you the same happiness, Lily, with a man as wonderful as Drew.”

A wonderful man like Heath, Lily found herself thinking. A man who was tender and generous and gentle and strong…

For a fleeting moment, Lily caught herself imagining that she was the one preparing for her wedding day just now, eager to become Heath’s bride. Doubtless, it was her unsteady emotions making her harbor such foolish musings. She should know better.

With a deliberate effort she shrugged off her nonsensical reflections and managed a laugh. “Your idea of happiness and mine are quite different, Rose. I would not be happy as a wife. But I must say that I am highly envious of your trip to Paris and Brittany. That is kind of Arden to take you to see Mama.”

“Indeed. But he realizes how much it means to me after we were estranged from her for so long.” Roslyn shook her head. “We are on much better terms with Mama than Drew is with his mother. And I admit I am very glad that the duchess will be remaining here in London after our wedding.”

Lily understood her sister’s sentiment, since she’d heard how cold and haughty the Duchess of Arden was. “The duke told me last night that you mean to remain at Arden Castle for the first week of your wedding journey.”

“Yes. Drew wants to have his family home to ourselves for a time, so he gave his mother an ultimatum-and she promised to make herself scarce for the duration of our visit to Kent.”

Arabella nodded in sympathy. “And you won’t have to endure the duchess’s company much after you are wed.”

“Fortunately not,” Roslyn agreed. “We will be living here in London most of the year since Drew has so many obligations to Parliament and the government.”

“Well,” Arabella interrupted briskly, “we had best stop chatting and get you dressed, or you will be late. You don’t want to keep your groom waiting at the altar for long. Lily, will you ring for Nan so she can arrange Roslyn’s