would soon return and was just teaching him a lesson. He had his butler question the other servants. He checked his mews, but all his horses and carriages were there. Reece waited.
He sent word to Robert’s townhouse asking if he’d seen Lilly. He received a reply that Lord Randall was not in residence and no visitors had come around.
By seven, his face was sweating and his head was pounding. He’d never felt such fear, it was a mixture of nervous anger colored heavily by terror.
Reece had his horse brought around and rode in the nearby park, circling the paths, scanning the area, until he noticed a piece of dark green fabric caught on one of the wooden park benches under a tree. He recognized it at once, Lilly’s traveling gown. He dismounted and took the cloth in his hands and pressed it to his chest. Troubling ideas flooded his mind. Lilly came here and sat, nowhere else to go, what happened? Did she stand suddenly? Was she pulled off this bench? Why was her gown ripped? A sickness formed in his throat and Reece spat into the grass. He closed his mind to the horrible thoughts that tried to enter.
What if he never saw Lilly again? It would not leave, this thought, this dread, it just kept rerunning in his head. What if he never saw Lilly again?
Reece realized nothing mattered but Lilly, nothing.
Just when he feared he must call in a Bow Street Runner, he had a relieving thought.
“Her aunts!” Reece hissed. “She’d go to her aunts.”
Aunt Mary Castleford and Aunt Ellen, Gads, what was her last name? He frantically ran through his list of the peerage in his head until he remembered the name, Lord Winfred Hawken. An elderly balding man, he had a townhouse on Green Street.
……….
CHAPTER SEVEN
Lady Randall
Lord Hawken Town House
Residence of Viscount Hawken
Green Street
London, England
Lady Lilly Randall, the new Countess of Suffolk, was relieved to be safe with her aunts, but she ached for Reece. Lilly wasn’t sure how she could put aside these feelings for her husband. In the four days after their wedding, Lilly had seen another side of Reece. He was gentle with her, kissed her with a fiery passion that seemed real and deep with emotion. He had laid beside her in bed and just stared into her eyes, forming a connection that still burned inside her. Lilly had believed in those moments she had found her grand romance, her shared passionate feelings and love.
Lilly ’s anger diminished. She had a better perspective now. She was married and would be for the rest of her life. It was time to grow up and mature, no longer an unmarried lady, Lilly needed to become a woman. She should not have expected a sudden change from Reece. He had lived a shallow life and she had agreed to become a part of it. He would need time.
On her next encounter with his friends, she would be better prepared. Lilly regretted not pushing herself forward. She would have, if any of his crowd resembled people she cared to know. Did they really push her back, or did she willingly retreat like a coward? Run out the door on her own steam, avoiding something difficult. Not only did Lilly wish Reece had fought for her, but she had fought for him.
Lilly questioned her decision to return to Suffolk.
……….
Reece had never been so a ffected, so changed. The constant ache of Lilly leaving, sick with worry, dread in his heart, he knocked on the front door of Lord Hawken’s townhouse at almost ten in the evening.
What would he do if Lilly was not here? She had to be, had to be, Reece repeated to himself as he secured his tired mount and approached the black door on Green Street.
While h e waited, Reece opened himself and let all of his new emotions in. The love he felt for his wife, the longing to see her, the way she had changed him with her sarcastic wit, showing him how ridiculous he’d become. Reece absorbed every
He sent word to Robert’s townhouse asking if he’d seen Lilly. He received a reply that Lord Randall was not in residence and no visitors had come around.
By seven, his face was sweating and his head was pounding. He’d never felt such fear, it was a mixture of nervous anger colored heavily by terror.
Reece had his horse brought around and rode in the nearby park, circling the paths, scanning the area, until he noticed a piece of dark green fabric caught on one of the wooden park benches under a tree. He recognized it at once, Lilly’s traveling gown. He dismounted and took the cloth in his hands and pressed it to his chest. Troubling ideas flooded his mind. Lilly came here and sat, nowhere else to go, what happened? Did she stand suddenly? Was she pulled off this bench? Why was her gown ripped? A sickness formed in his throat and Reece spat into the grass. He closed his mind to the horrible thoughts that tried to enter.
What if he never saw Lilly again? It would not leave, this thought, this dread, it just kept rerunning in his head. What if he never saw Lilly again?
Reece realized nothing mattered but Lilly, nothing.
Just when he feared he must call in a Bow Street Runner, he had a relieving thought.
“Her aunts!” Reece hissed. “She’d go to her aunts.”
Aunt Mary Castleford and Aunt Ellen, Gads, what was her last name? He frantically ran through his list of the peerage in his head until he remembered the name, Lord Winfred Hawken. An elderly balding man, he had a townhouse on Green Street.
……….
CHAPTER SEVEN
Lady Randall
Lord Hawken Town House
Residence of Viscount Hawken
Green Street
London, England
Lady Lilly Randall, the new Countess of Suffolk, was relieved to be safe with her aunts, but she ached for Reece. Lilly wasn’t sure how she could put aside these feelings for her husband. In the four days after their wedding, Lilly had seen another side of Reece. He was gentle with her, kissed her with a fiery passion that seemed real and deep with emotion. He had laid beside her in bed and just stared into her eyes, forming a connection that still burned inside her. Lilly had believed in those moments she had found her grand romance, her shared passionate feelings and love.
Lilly ’s anger diminished. She had a better perspective now. She was married and would be for the rest of her life. It was time to grow up and mature, no longer an unmarried lady, Lilly needed to become a woman. She should not have expected a sudden change from Reece. He had lived a shallow life and she had agreed to become a part of it. He would need time.
On her next encounter with his friends, she would be better prepared. Lilly regretted not pushing herself forward. She would have, if any of his crowd resembled people she cared to know. Did they really push her back, or did she willingly retreat like a coward? Run out the door on her own steam, avoiding something difficult. Not only did Lilly wish Reece had fought for her, but she had fought for him.
Lilly questioned her decision to return to Suffolk.
……….
Reece had never been so a ffected, so changed. The constant ache of Lilly leaving, sick with worry, dread in his heart, he knocked on the front door of Lord Hawken’s townhouse at almost ten in the evening.
What would he do if Lilly was not here? She had to be, had to be, Reece repeated to himself as he secured his tired mount and approached the black door on Green Street.
While h e waited, Reece opened himself and let all of his new emotions in. The love he felt for his wife, the longing to see her, the way she had changed him with her sarcastic wit, showing him how ridiculous he’d become. Reece absorbed every
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