Lady Lilias and the Devil in Plaid - Julie Johnstone Page 0,29
was true or not; Lady Constantine was all but ruined. Of course, Lilias now knew that Kilgore had, in fact, seduced Lady Constantine, and the poor lady had fallen in love with him only to have her heart broken.
But that was all Lilias knew of the matter. Lady Constantine refused to speak more on it, and it was a rule in SLARS that they never made members speak of things they did not wish to. “So has Carrington forgiven Kilgore, then?”
Guinevere nodded. “He has, but he won’t say exactly why. I believe Kilgore made some sort of confession to him, but try as I might, Asher will not divulge what it was or explain what happened. His honor can be tedious at times.” Guinevere grinned.
Lilias felt a pang of jealousy that her friend had gotten her hero, but she buried the useless emotion. She was happy for Guinevere. Her friend had certainly endured her fair share of heartache on her road to true love.
“And why have you borrowed the sleeping aunt?”
They both looked at the woman whose head was still down on her forearm. “I borrowed her for you,” Guinevere pronounced.
Lilias frowned as she looked at her friend. “Whatever do you mean?”
“I overheard some harpies commenting on your lack of chaperone, so…”
Lilias bit her lip. “I had hoped no one would take note.”
Mama had hired chaperones now and again since Papa had died, but they never stayed. Lilias had thought it was because of Mama’s moods, but lately she had begun to wonder if there was something else involved.
Guinevere snorted. “A vain hope in this set of people who long for someone to cut down. Have your family finances worsened?”
Lilias didn’t take offense to the question. Guinevere was her dearest friend, and she knew Guinevere was trying to help. The only person she’d ever admitted it to had been Nash. “No more so than we’ve had for years.”
“Oh, Lil,” Guinevere said, squeezing her hand. “Why didn’t you say something?”
Lilias thought about the question for a moment. “I suppose for several reasons. I was a bit embarrassed, and I suppose not acknowledging the problem almost made it feel like it did not exist. That way I could go on in my fantasy.” She really did need to have a frank talk with her mother.
“About Greybourne being your hero?” Guinevere asked, studying her with concern.
“How long have you known?” Lilias asked.
“Ever since you came to Town and we met, and you told me about meeting him and all about the time you spent with him in the Cotswolds. And then when I told you I knew him from Town and you questioned me for days, it was fairly obvious. What was that? Seven years ago?”
Lilias nodded, feeling more the fool. “I must turn my attention to truly finding a match.”
“Is that why you came to the house yesterday and asked to borrow the gown?”
“No.” She quickly told Guinevere about rushing over to Nash’s after Frederica’s announcement in the SLARS meeting the day before that she’d seen Nash in Town. “I was coming to cry on your shoulder, but then, well, it was all so embarrassing to realize I’d pined for him for seven years and he does not care for me at all. I thought he had not come back to the Cotswolds because he was hurting over what had happened to Owen and blamed himself, and it turned out he had come back and seen Owen, just not me. He didn’t care enough to see me. And I have a horrid suspicion he might have been avoiding me because he suspected I had developed a tendre for him.”
“So the gown is to make him see other men desiring you, which will make him regret what he did?”
Lilias bit her lip. “Yes. It’s foolish and vain, I know. It’s rather smarting to have all your pride stripped from you. I’d like a shred back. I daresay he seemed to be pitying me yesterday. I cannot leave it like that. I cannot allow him to think he has the power to devastate me.” Though he did.
Determination and ire set on her friend’s face, and then a mischievous grin turned up the corners of Guinevere’s mouth. “I know just the man to aid you in showing Greybourne he is already utterly forgotten by you.”
“Who?” Lilias asked. “I don’t want to use any man, so it must be one that—”
“Do not vex yourself,” Guinevere interrupted, waving her hand. “Kilgore has just entered the ballroom, and