jacket. "I've got you," he said, dropping the coat over her head. She was about to push the fabric from her face so she could see way to run for the carriage, but before she could, she squealed as he swept her off her feet. She couldn't cling to him as her hands were full but she had no fear that he would drop her. Before she knew it, she was being lifted into a carriage and he was stepping in behind her. While she could stand, he was bent over a bit and she giggled as he shook his head, rather like a wet dog would to rid itself of the rain. Before he seated himself, he took a blanket off one of the seats and then pulled his coat from her, replacing it with the blanket. Tossing his wet coat aside, he sat and pulled her down onto his lap.
"I want you to stay warm," he said. "Oh, and give me your address so I can inform James where he needs to go."
She had no intention of giving him her address. Thinking quickly, she told him the address of the only other place she knew. After repeating it to his driver, the young man shut the carriage door and they were soon rolling down the streets. It had been quite a while since she'd been in a carriage, and never one as nice as this. The seats were a plush burgundy velvet that matched the color of the tassels hanging from the shades at the windows. The interior was lit by a lantern mounted to one side of the door. Her squirming was obviously noticeable when he loosened his hold.
"Are you comfortable? Am I holding you too tightly?"
"No, I-I like the way you hold me, but…" Lilly hesitated, not wishing to reveal her anxiety.
"But what?"
"No, it's-it's silly."
"Lilly, what's silly is for you not to tell me what's bothering you."
"The light… it's shining in my eyes."
"Ah, that is easily remedied," Phillip said, reaching up to turn the knob to extinguish the lantern. "Better?"
"Yes, thank you," she said, relaxing into him.
She felt his arms tighten again as he squeezed her a bit. "I'm very happy to hear that you like sitting on my lap, as I certainly enjoy holding you. I'm very proud of you, Lilly. I know that it was hard for you but you did a beautiful job apologizing to Miss Summers."
"I like her," Lilly said and then giggled. "I really like the fact that she didn't see fit to have me arrested."
"She'd never do that," Phillip said. "At the most, she'd paddle your bottom."
Hearing him confirm her earlier thoughts didn't surprise her. Squirming a bit, she changed the subject. "I also like Rachel."
"I'm glad. And I'm sure you'll come to like Lord Martingham as well, the more you get to know him. I've known him since I was a little boy. How do you feel about Miss Summers' invitation to join them for dinner one evening?"
"Would you mind if we didn't? At least not yet?"
"No, I want you to be comfortable. As long as you agree to continue to have tea with me, I'll be happy."
She snuggled a bit closer and said, "Perhaps Rachel and her papa could join us for tea one day?"
"I'm sure they'd love to," Phillip said, bending to kiss her head. "You just let me know when you are ready."
"I will," she said.
They didn't have much time for further conversation before the carriage pulled to a stop. Phillip bent forward to look out of the window. "You live here?"
"Yes," Lilly said.
"Are you sure?"
"Of course I'm sure. Don't you see the carts? Um, that's where the girls get their flowers to sell."
Phillip did see the carts and yet didn't see a single bloom. "I thought you lost that job."
"Oh, I did," Lilly said, "but that doesn't mean that I can't pay for a room."
"I see. So all the flower girls live here?"
"Not all, but most do."
She managed not to meet his eyes by slipping from his lap and peeling the blanket from around her. "Thank you for a lovely time, Lord Carrington."
"Just a minute," he said, replacing the blanket around her. "It's still raining. I'll carry you to your room."
"No! I mean, you can't," she said. "She doesn't allow men in her house… I mean, in our
"I want you to stay warm," he said. "Oh, and give me your address so I can inform James where he needs to go."
She had no intention of giving him her address. Thinking quickly, she told him the address of the only other place she knew. After repeating it to his driver, the young man shut the carriage door and they were soon rolling down the streets. It had been quite a while since she'd been in a carriage, and never one as nice as this. The seats were a plush burgundy velvet that matched the color of the tassels hanging from the shades at the windows. The interior was lit by a lantern mounted to one side of the door. Her squirming was obviously noticeable when he loosened his hold.
"Are you comfortable? Am I holding you too tightly?"
"No, I-I like the way you hold me, but…" Lilly hesitated, not wishing to reveal her anxiety.
"But what?"
"No, it's-it's silly."
"Lilly, what's silly is for you not to tell me what's bothering you."
"The light… it's shining in my eyes."
"Ah, that is easily remedied," Phillip said, reaching up to turn the knob to extinguish the lantern. "Better?"
"Yes, thank you," she said, relaxing into him.
She felt his arms tighten again as he squeezed her a bit. "I'm very happy to hear that you like sitting on my lap, as I certainly enjoy holding you. I'm very proud of you, Lilly. I know that it was hard for you but you did a beautiful job apologizing to Miss Summers."
"I like her," Lilly said and then giggled. "I really like the fact that she didn't see fit to have me arrested."
"She'd never do that," Phillip said. "At the most, she'd paddle your bottom."
Hearing him confirm her earlier thoughts didn't surprise her. Squirming a bit, she changed the subject. "I also like Rachel."
"I'm glad. And I'm sure you'll come to like Lord Martingham as well, the more you get to know him. I've known him since I was a little boy. How do you feel about Miss Summers' invitation to join them for dinner one evening?"
"Would you mind if we didn't? At least not yet?"
"No, I want you to be comfortable. As long as you agree to continue to have tea with me, I'll be happy."
She snuggled a bit closer and said, "Perhaps Rachel and her papa could join us for tea one day?"
"I'm sure they'd love to," Phillip said, bending to kiss her head. "You just let me know when you are ready."
"I will," she said.
They didn't have much time for further conversation before the carriage pulled to a stop. Phillip bent forward to look out of the window. "You live here?"
"Yes," Lilly said.
"Are you sure?"
"Of course I'm sure. Don't you see the carts? Um, that's where the girls get their flowers to sell."
Phillip did see the carts and yet didn't see a single bloom. "I thought you lost that job."
"Oh, I did," Lilly said, "but that doesn't mean that I can't pay for a room."
"I see. So all the flower girls live here?"
"Not all, but most do."
She managed not to meet his eyes by slipping from his lap and peeling the blanket from around her. "Thank you for a lovely time, Lord Carrington."
"Just a minute," he said, replacing the blanket around her. "It's still raining. I'll carry you to your room."
"No! I mean, you can't," she said. "She doesn't allow men in her house… I mean, in our
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