Lydia Dare - A Certain Wolfish Charm

"You will be perfect," he said, looking into the amber depths of her eyes.

"Who will make a beautiful duchess?" Oliver asked as he breezed into the room. He stopped and looked at the pair of them, his stance one of supreme bullheadedness. He stomped like a horse as he walked toward them and plopped into a chair.

"Really, Oliver," Lily said. "Mind your manners."

Oliver had the nerve to smirk at her. "Why?" He looked at her with the utmost disrespect, reminding Simon of a young pup who's just learned he has teeth but hasn't yet learned how to use them to his advantage.

"Because an earl is expected to behave properly." Lily's eyebrows scrunched together.

"Aunt Lily," Oliver said. "My manners are certainly not the only thing that's improper about me. If you only knew…"

"Enough!" Simon barked, worried the boy would reveal too much.

Oliver snapped his mouth shut and sat up straight. That was much better, Simon thought. He really didn't want to take the pup to heel. Not again. Not today.

"So, who is going to be a duchess?" Oliver asked again.

"It appears as though I am," Lily sighed. Simon's eyes sought hers. She sounded as if she had just said

"I'll be going to the gallows tomorrow"

or

"I have three days

left to live."

"Well, that was fast," Oliver said. "You met a duke last night? And he has already offered for you? It's that dowry, isn't it? I had a feeling…" he trailed off when Simon shot a look at him.

"No, Oliver," Simon began, adjusting his stance to lean casually against the door frame. If he wanted the boy to be less of a peacock, he might try by setting an example, so he attempted an air of relaxation. "Your Aunt Lily has agreed to marry me." Before he could even attempt a smile at the lad, the boy was up and stomping across the room.

But what tipped his hand was when he grabbed Lily's upper arms and shook her slightly. "Are you daft, Aunt Lily? You simply cannot agree to marry a man like

him

."

Simon fought the beast to maintain control when he pulled the boy away from Lily. It was difficult but not impossible. He picked the lad up by the scruff of the neck, grasping his shirt tightly, and set him away from Lily.

She already had red marks appearing on her upper arms, and she reached to rub them, a scowl on her face. "What is

wrong

with you, Oliver?" she demanded.

Simon wanted an answer to that, too. So, he stood between them, waiting for Oliver to speak.

"You don't know what he is," Oliver snarled.

Lily rolled her eyes, a movement Simon found to be quite endearing simply because it was so improper. "I know all about him, Oliver." Simon's heart expanded as she slipped her tiny hand into his. "I have read every scandal sheet, every rumor posted in

The Times." She me

t Simon's eyes. "And there were a lot of them." His heart hurt with that last statement. "But people change."

"Oh, he does

change

, Aunt Lily. You don't know the half of it," Oliver said, reaching for her again.

"Out, Lily!" Simon ordered before the boy could hurt her. She looked as though she was going to hesitate. "Now," he barked.

Billings appeared in the doorway, as if he'd been summoned. "This way, Miss," Simon thought he heard him say. Though he honestly couldn't hear anything over the roaring in his own ears.

Twenty

Lily refused to take one more step away from the morning room where Simon was behind closed doors with Oliver. She heard a crash and reached for the doorknob, only to have Billings brush her hand away. The old man was surprisingly fast. Sometimes he seemed to appear from nowhere. She assumed that was a trait of a good butler. Unless it kept her from her goals. Then it was a nuisance.

"Miss Rutledge, His Grace will not be happy…" Billings' voice trailed off as he saw the look on her face.

"I am not terribly concerned with anyone's happiness at the moment," Lily snapped. "I am simply concerned about my nephew's safety." Another bump sounded from the room.

Billings cleared his throat, and Lily leveled her iciest glare at him. "You are excused, Billings."

After the butler grudgingly departed from the corridor, Lily frowned at the door. If she went back in, her presence might make matters worse. She'd have to talk to Simon alone once he finished with her nephew. She paced a circle in front of the door until the noise slowed and then stopped. She could just imagine the disarray caused by the altercation. She remembered how easily Simon had flipped the furniture in his study when he was simply playing with her. And wondered what in the world was happening in the breakfast room.

She heard words every now and then like

change

and

unnatural

. Then she heard part of a sentence in which Oliver said something about something not being fair to her.

What

were

they talking about? Lily placed her ear next to the door, straining to hear better.

"Tsk, tsk," Will's voice came from behind her. She nearly jumped out of her slippers at being caught eavesdropping. "Listening at doors, Lily?" he asked.

She stepped away from the door, her cheeks on fire. "I'm worried about Oliver. For some reason, he thinks Simon is unnatural."

Will draped his arm over Lily's shoulders, steering her toward the blue parlor. "Our brother, Benjamin, has the same complaint."

She blinked up at him.

Grinning, Will chucked her chin. "I'm teasing you. Of course, Oliver thinks Simon's unnatural. He's his guardian. I always thought my father was unnatural, too. It's the way of men, Lily dear. Think nothing of it."

Reaching the parlor, Will directed her inside. "Oliver wasn't always this…" She searched for the right word. "…insolent, Will. It's very disconcerting."

They sat together on the settee, and Will squeezed

her hands. "Every boy goes through an adjustment when he starts becoming a man, Lily."

She scrunched up her face. Oliver's changes seemed so… different.

"So, tell me," Will began charmingly. "Are congratulations in order?"

Her betrothal. Lily bit her bottom lip. "You knew. That's why you left."

He winked at her. "Seemed the thing to do. Are you happy?"

Was she happy? Yes and no. "He doesn't want this, Will. I feel terrible this has been forced on him."

"Perhaps it's all for the best. He's been known to be a bit stubborn in the past. He might not ever have made the decision on his own."

"I wish he had," she said softly.

Someone cleared his throat in the doorway, and Lily's eyes flashed to find Billings, looking stoic as usual, standing sentry. "Miss Hawthorne has arrived to see you, Miss Rutledge."

Will tensed beside her, grumbling something unintelligible.

"Oh, do show her in, Billings." As soon as the butler departed, she frowned at Will. "Be nice to her."

"It's not me you need to worry about," Will replied.

"Ah, Lily!" Prisca's cheerful voice came from the doorway, causing Will to stand and bow slightly.

"Prisca."

She barely spared him a glance, focusing her attention on Lily. "You left so suddenly last night. I wanted to make certain you were all right." She crossed the floor and sat in a chintz chair near them.

"Should you really be visiting the home of a bachelor alone, Miss Hawthorne?" Will asked, irritation in his voice. "Highly dangerous."

Lily's face flushed. Why would he say something like that in light of her predicament? "Will!"

Prisca simply beamed at him. "Don't mind him, Lily. I don't intend to." Then she pierced Lily with her beautiful violet eyes. "Do tell me you're all right. I worried all night."

Will snorted.

Lily folded her arms across her chest. "As Prisca came to see me, perhaps you should go busy yourself somewhere else."