tea party, but I promise, there is no possibility that the rain will disturb you as you dine."
The possibility had never occurred to her. In fact, nothing that had happened this day had been like anything she'd expected. Lilly was relieved when Lord Carrington answered for her.
"That sounds lovely and perhaps one day soon, we'll take you up on the invitation."
"Uncle Phillip!"
The girl's cry had all three turning to see Rachel racing down the hall. Lilly got a glimpse of the other side of Miss Summers when she said, "Rachel, young ladies do not run in the house, nor do they interrupt a conversation to which they haven't been invited."
Lilly almost giggled as the girl's arms flailed a bit as she attempted to abort her flight. She watched color spread across Rachel's cheeks when she finally came to a stop. "I'm sorry, Miss Summers."
When another person appeared, Lilly knew that unless she wished to be considered extremely rude, she needed to actually meet the couple she'd seen the week before. Looking up, she saw that Lord Carrington's eyes weren't on his friend or niece, but on her. She gave him a little nod and was rewarded with a smile that had her heart skipping.
"Rachel, Douglas, I'd like you to meet Miss Lilly…" Phillip began.
Lilly gave a little giggle and whispered, "Lancaster."
"Yes, Miss Lilly Lancaster. Lilly, this is my friend, Lord Douglas Martingham and his fiancée, my niece, Miss Rachel Tarton."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Lancaster," Douglas said, giving her a smile and a small bow.
"I'm sorry for interrupting," Rachel said, coming forward when Douglas motioned for her. "Oh, I like your squirrel! It looks so real! What's her name?"
"Thank you." Lilly didn't know what possessed her, but she turned her face to Lord Carrington's. "Maybe it takes a girl to recognize a female squirrel."
He chuckled and nodded. "I think it does. Rachel, may I present Lilly's friend, Miss Bushy?"
When Rachel clapped her hands and said it was a perfect name, Lilly smiled. "I like your dress. It's very pretty."
"Oh, thank you, I do so love pink," Rachel said, her entire face lighting with a smile as she ran her hands down her pink and white striped dress.
"Are you joining us for dinner?" Douglas asked.
"Oh, please do!" Rachel said, practically bouncing on her toes.
Lilly wasn't ready but didn't know how to decline without hurting Rachel's feelings. "I can't, but perhaps Lord Carrington…"
"No, not tonight," Phillip said, retaking her hand. "We've had a rather full day and I promised to get Lilly home so that she can prepare her flowers. Perhaps next time." He chuckled, released her hand again in order to give his niece a one-armed hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Don't pout, your papa likes to see you smile."
"I'll miss you, Uncle Phillip."
"I'll see you soon, honey. Now, we really must take our leave. The storm is only growing in intensity."
Lilly followed him down the hall, no longer too terrified to take in her surroundings. The house might be a school, but it was beautiful. They passed a library that had her wishing she could read one of the hundreds of books that filled floor to ceiling shelves. When they passed another room, she saw a long table set for dinner and a few other girls and men conversing in small groups. Every girl was dressed like Rachel—in beautiful clothing but all meant for girls much younger. Her steps only faltered when a sharp yelp was heard as a man reached out and swatted the bottom of the small woman beside him.
"It's all right," Phillip said, giving her hand a squeeze.
Seeing a woman dressed in a long grey skirt, white blouse, and a crisp white apron told Lilly that not all the women dressed as girls. This almost appeared to be some sort of uniform. The woman smiled as she met them at the door. "Have a safe journey home, Lord Carrington, Miss."
"Thank you, Nanny Margaret."
Before Lilly could assimilate the words he'd used, they were out the door and he was pulling off his
The possibility had never occurred to her. In fact, nothing that had happened this day had been like anything she'd expected. Lilly was relieved when Lord Carrington answered for her.
"That sounds lovely and perhaps one day soon, we'll take you up on the invitation."
"Uncle Phillip!"
The girl's cry had all three turning to see Rachel racing down the hall. Lilly got a glimpse of the other side of Miss Summers when she said, "Rachel, young ladies do not run in the house, nor do they interrupt a conversation to which they haven't been invited."
Lilly almost giggled as the girl's arms flailed a bit as she attempted to abort her flight. She watched color spread across Rachel's cheeks when she finally came to a stop. "I'm sorry, Miss Summers."
When another person appeared, Lilly knew that unless she wished to be considered extremely rude, she needed to actually meet the couple she'd seen the week before. Looking up, she saw that Lord Carrington's eyes weren't on his friend or niece, but on her. She gave him a little nod and was rewarded with a smile that had her heart skipping.
"Rachel, Douglas, I'd like you to meet Miss Lilly…" Phillip began.
Lilly gave a little giggle and whispered, "Lancaster."
"Yes, Miss Lilly Lancaster. Lilly, this is my friend, Lord Douglas Martingham and his fiancée, my niece, Miss Rachel Tarton."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Lancaster," Douglas said, giving her a smile and a small bow.
"I'm sorry for interrupting," Rachel said, coming forward when Douglas motioned for her. "Oh, I like your squirrel! It looks so real! What's her name?"
"Thank you." Lilly didn't know what possessed her, but she turned her face to Lord Carrington's. "Maybe it takes a girl to recognize a female squirrel."
He chuckled and nodded. "I think it does. Rachel, may I present Lilly's friend, Miss Bushy?"
When Rachel clapped her hands and said it was a perfect name, Lilly smiled. "I like your dress. It's very pretty."
"Oh, thank you, I do so love pink," Rachel said, her entire face lighting with a smile as she ran her hands down her pink and white striped dress.
"Are you joining us for dinner?" Douglas asked.
"Oh, please do!" Rachel said, practically bouncing on her toes.
Lilly wasn't ready but didn't know how to decline without hurting Rachel's feelings. "I can't, but perhaps Lord Carrington…"
"No, not tonight," Phillip said, retaking her hand. "We've had a rather full day and I promised to get Lilly home so that she can prepare her flowers. Perhaps next time." He chuckled, released her hand again in order to give his niece a one-armed hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Don't pout, your papa likes to see you smile."
"I'll miss you, Uncle Phillip."
"I'll see you soon, honey. Now, we really must take our leave. The storm is only growing in intensity."
Lilly followed him down the hall, no longer too terrified to take in her surroundings. The house might be a school, but it was beautiful. They passed a library that had her wishing she could read one of the hundreds of books that filled floor to ceiling shelves. When they passed another room, she saw a long table set for dinner and a few other girls and men conversing in small groups. Every girl was dressed like Rachel—in beautiful clothing but all meant for girls much younger. Her steps only faltered when a sharp yelp was heard as a man reached out and swatted the bottom of the small woman beside him.
"It's all right," Phillip said, giving her hand a squeeze.
Seeing a woman dressed in a long grey skirt, white blouse, and a crisp white apron told Lilly that not all the women dressed as girls. This almost appeared to be some sort of uniform. The woman smiled as she met them at the door. "Have a safe journey home, Lord Carrington, Miss."
"Thank you, Nanny Margaret."
Before Lilly could assimilate the words he'd used, they were out the door and he was pulling off his
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