Lily and the Duke (Regency Spinsters Alliance #1)

Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

Gabriel was easily able to discern the complete shock, followed by an expression of wariness, on the face of Lady Lily Tremayne. A young lady whom he knew to be a close friend of his daughter, Chloe.

He had not realized quite how close until he overheard the reason for six young ladies having decided to hold a meeting today in his library.

Upon hearing that reason, he had initially been too taken aback to even think of making them aware of his presence. Then, once the conversation began, he had been too intrigued as those young ladies began to thrash out the rules—excuse him, guidelines —for this new association they had formed.

It was his secretary Jacobson’s day off, and Gabriel had fully intended to take advantage of the younger man’s absence to enjoy a leisurely morning at home before lunching at his club with his friend, Hellsmere.

Jacobson’s position as Gabriel’s secretary required he live at St. Albans House. But that young man had announced this morning that he intended to spend the day with friends and would return later this evening.

Gabriel suspected one of those “friends” was actually a young lady, but he preferred not to intrude by asking. Jacobson was an employee, not an acquaintance.

When Hellsmere had sent word he was unable to join him for luncheon after all, Gabriel had decided to remain at home quietly reading a book in his library.

What had become immediately obvious, from the reasons his daughter had given to the other young ladies for gathering in the library rather than her private parlor, was that Chloe had been completely unaware Gabriel had changed his plans.

With hindsight, Gabriel should most certainly have immediately made his presence known.

Instead, those first few minutes of surprise had passed, and by the time Gabriel had gathered his wits again, it had been too late to alert the ladies.

So, he had remained hidden in his wing-backed armchair and listened unashamedly to his daughter and five of her friends as they formed an alliance which excluded marriage and a husband from any of their futures.

As Chloe was only nineteen, and as achingly beautiful as her mother had once been, Gabriel considered that alliance to be the height of folly.

Her silly friends could do as they wished, but he would not countenance having Chloe’s emotions shackled by what he believed to be a recklessly conceived association.

His nostrils flared as he now stalked between the bookcases either side of him, knowing by the way Lily Tremayne’s pale green eyes widened the closer he came that she was fully aware of the displeasure no doubt revealed in his rigid demeanor and scowling countenance.

Lady Tremayne was, Gabriel realized as he drew closer, lovelier than any of his previous uninterested glances in her direction had revealed to his critical gaze. Uninterested because she was only a year older than his own daughter. Admittedly, he had become father to Chloe when he was himself only nineteen, but he still thought Lily Tremayne too young for him to ever think of being attracted to, in a physical sense or otherwise.

Somewhat to his surprise, he realized his assessment of her now was fully that of a single man taking an interest in a beautiful woman.

Her hair was dark and looked silky, styled in an upward sweep and secured at her crown, with several loose tendrils at her temples and nape. As was currently fashionable. She had equally dark brows over translucent sea-green eyes. Her skin was smooth and unblemished, her cheekbones high, her nose short, and her chin slightly pointed. Her lips were full and wide above it, and slightly turned up at the corners, as if, despite not doing so now, she smiled often. The top lip was shaped into a cupid’s bow and was lush in proportion to her bottom lip.

At least eight or so inches shorter than his own height of six feet and four inches, she wore a fashionable pale green gown that revealed the tops of her creamy breasts, the high-waisted style hinting at rather than emphasizing the slender curves beneath.

On closer inspection, Gabriel could see signs, in the stitching of the rounded neckline and the addition of the pale green lace cap sleeves, of the gown having been recently altered.

He was not well acquainted with Lily’s father, the Earl of Truro, but he did know the older man, along with many others, had lost a fortune on ’Change during the years of war against Napoleon.

An unfortunate occurrence, which obviously meant there was now very little money in the Truro family coffers which might be spent on frivolities such as new gowns for his unmarried daughter’s coming Season.

The fact Lily Tremayne was a full year older than Chloe meant this could not be Lily’s first, or even her second, Season. Although, Gabriel did not recall having noticed her before she became friends with Chloe the previous year.

It might seem to his daughter’s close circle of friends that he was unaware of their existence. The opposite was true. Anyone who came into contact with his beloved daughter was summarily investigated to ensure they were no danger to Chloe or her continued safety.

His daughter was too precious and too deeply loved by him for Gabriel to ever take the risk of losing her. Indeed, he was going to suffer the pains of hell when it came time for him to give her away to another gentleman in marriage.

Something that would not happen if Chloe and her five friends continued with this farce of an alliance in which they had agreed never to marry. Much as Gabriel would hate the day Chloe moved out of St. Albans House and into a new home to live with her husband, the thought of her not marrying at all or having a family of her own and enjoying a full and happy life with her husband and children, was totally unacceptable to him.

In the meantime, Gabriel would ensure Chloe’s warm nature was not taken advantage of in any way. Another reason he insisted an investigation be made into any and all of Chloe’s new friends or acquaintances.

None of the young ladies who had gathered in his home today had been found to be of any deep concern. There was the fact of the secret elopement of the youngest Tremayne daughter two years ago and several other less-than-desirable aspects to one or two of Chloe’s other friends. But none of them had been serious enough for Gabriel to consider them a threat to Chloe’s future or happiness.

But he could not have known of the ridiculous alliance the six young ladies would decide to form only a year after those friendships were made.

If Gabriel’s assessment of the alterations to Lily’s gown was correct, then it had also been very inconsiderate of Chloe to have spoken so eagerly of any new gowns she might have made and would wear this upcoming Season.

And he, Gabriel realized, was allowing his thoughts to wander to matters, starting with the Earl of Truro’s financial circumstances and the hardship it was obviously causing his daughter, which were none of his concern.

He deliberately looked down the length of his nose at Lily Tremayne. “I fully accept it to be the choice of you individual ladies as to what you wish to have and do in your own futures. What I do not appreciate nor approve of was Chloe’s inclusion in the foolhardy alliance I heard the six of you forming today.”

Lily Tremayne slowly closed her eyes before opening them again, revealing a spark of anger in their pale green depths. “I believe that to be the point of our alliance, in that it is for Chloe to make that decision, not you.”

Her words sounded confident, but Gabriel could see the slight trembling of her hands before she clasped them tightly together in front of her.

His jaw tightened at this attempt at dismissing him and what he considered was best for Chloe. “She is aged only nineteen, and I am her father.”

Her smile lacked humor. “I believe all in Society are well aware of who Chloe’s father is.”

“What do you mean by that remark?” he bit out from between clenched teeth.

Yes, exactly what had she meant by that, Lily inwardly chastised herself.

The fact Gabriel Lord had been present and listening during the whole of their discussion of the Spinsters’ Alliance, was embarrassing enough. It would not do for Lily to add to that awkwardness by insulting this very powerful and influential gentleman.

That may be so—Lily knew it was so!—but, wisely or unwisely, his words had stung, and she refused to cower in the face of his disapproval.

Which, she admitted, might have been easier for her to do if she was not constantly breathing in his tempting scent: a combination of citrus and cedarwood, with an undertone of male musk she realized must be uniquely the duke’s own.

Nor should he be allowed to look so heart-poundingly handsome and distinguished in a fitted black superfine and gray pantaloons. He also wore a gray brocade waistcoat buttoned over a snowy white shirt. There was a diamond pin visible amongst the folds of his perfectly tied neckcloth.

The darkness of his hair was liberally sprinkled with gray, as might be expected of a gentleman aged eight and thirty. But somehow, on this autocratic gentleman, it only succeeded in rendering him even more breathtakingly handsome and distinguished.

Those looks were added to by the intelligence visible in his pale blue eyes. He had sharp cheekbones either side of a long slash of a nose, and Lily knew that his lips, when they were not thinned in disapproval as they were now, had a fullness that hinted at what might, on any other gentleman, have been a sensual nature.

Lily immediately halted her wayward thoughts to again inwardly berate herself for indulging in such flights of fancy.

Gabriel Lord, the Duke of St. Albans, whilst being extremely handsome, gave no indication of having a sensual bone in his body. Indeed, his having remained unmarried since the death of his wife, nor ever taken a mistress amongst the married ladies in Society, implied that he felt no burning need to regularly indulge in the desires of the flesh.

Lily did not know whether to feel happy or sad about that fact.

Happy, because her attraction to this gentleman was so deep, it would actually hurt her to know the identity of any woman who regularly had shared or did share his bed.

Sad, because if the beautiful and accomplished ladies of the ton , married or otherwise, had not succeeded in seducing him into a relationship or remarriage, then it meant there was absolutely no possibility of him ever considering someone as young and inexperienced—with a potentially scandalous family—as Lily, to be of any interest.

And the duke, she realized, was still waiting for her answer!

She straightened with purpose. “You should, in all good conscience, have made your presence known to us the moment you realized our discussion was a private one,” she accused rather than answered his question.

“Should I?”

“Yes!” She glared.

“Why?”

“Because— Well, because—”

“Because you did not wish me to hear Chloe describe me as being an angel, immediately followed by the total astonishment of the other five ladies in the room for having heard me described in such glowing terms?” he derided.

Lily felt the burn of embarrassment in her cheeks. “Listeners never hear anything good about themselves.”

“Yet I did. From my daughter, at least,” the duke said dryly. “And young ladies who do not wish their conversations to be overheard should be more aware of their surroundings and the people within them.”

“I will ensure we do not make that mistake again.” Lily fully intended to do so by making sure the members of the alliance never again met in the home Chloe shared with her father. The very opinionated Duke of St. Albans.

“I do not approve of Chloe being involved with a coven of misandrists.” He did not hesitate to voice that opinion now.

“We are not witches, so we have not formed a coven. We are merely young ladies who are tired of having their needs and desires dismissed as being unimportant to the gentlemen in their lives—if they are considered at all. Of being forced to marry whom we do not love. Nor do I personally have a dislike of men,” she added with a frown.

St. Albans lifted one eyebrow. “You know the meaning of that word?”

“I know the meaning of many words, Your Grace,” she scorned. “Indeed, my many governesses ensured that I am well versed in literature and politics as well as music, needlework, and the running of a home.”

“The conversation I overheard today between you and your friends implied a lack of respect for men as much as an aversion to marrying any of them.”

Lily inwardly conceded that Georgiana seemed to feel that way, and Lily knew part of the reason for that was the disinterest of her own father, the Earl of Shefford.

But the remainder of her friends simply did not wish to be bullied into marrying someone they did not love. “Then I believe you misunderstood our conversation,” Lily snapped and then instantly winced as she realized exactly whom she was snapping at .

Not only did she risk making an adversary of the powerful Duke of St. Albans, but he was also known to be a very close friend of the Prince Regent. The one gentleman who might banish her from society altogether if he so chose or was asked to do so by his very close friend. Much as Lily found society tedious on occasion, she would not wish to be completely cut off from it or her friends.

“I believe,” the duke continued haughtily, “that if you would care to read those rules again now, you will see how I could be forgiven for believing otherwise.”

Lily had no reason to read them again. She knew exactly what those rules entailed. “My friends and I simply do not wish to be a part of the practice of arranged marriages, invariably with gentlemen with whom we have usually not previously been well acquainted, let alone fallen in love with.”

“Most of those gentlemen will not have been acquainted with you until the proposal either,” he reasoned.

“Which is why the practice should be stopped.” Lily became more heated in her protest.

“It is the way it has always been.”

“That does not mean it should continue.”

St. Albans studied her for several long seconds. “A strong opinion, when I doubt you have ever been kissed?”

“I do not see what that has to do with anything.” Her cheeks had bloomed with heat. “Especially when the marriage bed involves far more intimacy than kissing!”

“Yes,” he acknowledged.

“Then you see our dilemma,” Lily prompted eagerly.

“Not completely,” St. Albans answered slowly.

She glared her frustration. “Why not?”

“Because I believe there is a category missing from the second rule of your alliance.”

A category missing? Georgiana would be most displeased to learn of it.

The duke quirked those haughty brows. “Perhaps you would care to read it to me so that we might both refresh our memories, and then perhaps you will realize what that category might be.”

Lily looked down at the papers she still held before finding, and then reading out that second agreed-upon rule. “‘Neither father, brother, nor any other male relative, fiancé, or husband shall ever come between our friendship for each other.’ That all seems self-explanatory to me.” She looked up to eye St. Albans curiously.

“Except you omitted one other category of gentleman, which, considering your other rules, could be of great significance,” he added huskily.

“Which category is that?”

“You missed lover from your long list of men who shall not be allowed to sway you from the affection held by you and your friends for each other,” he explained softly.

Lily stared, sure she must have misheard him. That she could not possibly be having this conversation with the man she had previously only known, despite her unrequited crush on him this past year, as the cold and distant Duke of St. Albans.

“I beg your pardon?” she prompted warily.

St. Albans gave a shrug. “If none of you intends to marry, then I can only assume that it is your intention to acquire a series of lovers instead of a husband,” he drawled. “Am I wrong in that assessment?”