indignantly. "Mama died when we were little, and there was no one else for us to turn to but each other. I should have been equally bereft had she died first. But for you to play upon her grief as you did was shameless!"
Nick remembered the eager, wistful look on Rose's face when she'd first sensed Lily's presence, how her lips had parted breathlessly and her whole face had seemed to glow from within. He'd have had to be made from granite not to have been touched by that, or to wish it hadn't happened.
But it would make what he planned to say next come easier.
Nick slanted his gaze at her, warning enough to those who knew him well. "I'll play upon a good deal more of her, Lily," he said softly, "if you do not agree to leave me alone. As you said yourself, Rose is not as ill-favored as first I judged her. A mite small for my tastes, but fair enough for passing amusement."
Lily gasped, her face frozen in horror. "You wouldn't dare! You wouldn't
dare
! Rose is a sheltered innocent, without the slightest guile or defense against the traps of men like you!"
"Traps of men?" Nick scoffed. "That's a pleasant take on it. Remind me to put the ratsbane beneath my pillow."
"You know well enough what I mean, just as Rose would not!"
"Oh, I'll warrant she may know more than you think. As a younger sibling myself, I recall how desperate my elder brother was to keep me in leading strings beyond my time." He linked his hands behind his head. "Besides, she's agreed to wed this man Graham, hasn't she? Surely even some empty-headed lordling wouldn't offer for a woman without sampling her wares. Likely I'd be but widening Rose's…
experience
. That is, if it's your choice."
Lily practically spit her words. "You are a common and vulgar swine, sir, and if you believe what you say, I cannot begin to fathom how marriages are arranged in your country!"
"Neither can I," said Nick dryly, "for I've kept blessedly clear of the whole marriage carnival. Who would have me, anyway, seeing as I'm so common and vulgar? Not that it will matter with your sister. She doesn't seem to be so besotted with her intended that she'd be averse to my attentions. And marriage wasn't what I had in mind for your dear little Rose."
"You are not behaving at all the way I intended, not at all!" she sputtered. She slammed her fan down on the edge of the table, hard enough to shatter any earthly
brise
, and spun around with a swish of her skirts so that her back was to Nick. She stood there for a long moment, her wings heaving as she struggled to control her anger.
Nick waited, enjoying how he'd turned the tables on her. Lord knows he'd been furious enough at her that he could afford to be patient for once in turn.
"I'm sorry I've disappointed you, sweetheart," he called amicably. "But I have a long history of being contrary."
"Oh, a pox on your history!" she said irritably. "If you could but understand Rose's situation, then you would not even jest at such a thing."
But Nick wasn't jesting, not any longer. "The only situation I give a damn about is my own. You've made a shambles of my life, Lily, and I'd rather you'd have let me die than continue on like this, with my men all whispering about me behind my back and me wondering what mischief you've planned next. I have to be my own master, and with you fluttering about, I'm not. I don't want your help or your happiness or whatever other blessed name you give it. I want you gone."
She turned to face him with her hands outstretched, beseeching. "I cannot leave you, Nick," she said unhappily. "Not now, not yet, not until you've changed yourself for the better."
"So we're back to that, are we? Making me over into a better man?" Unmoved by her appeal, Nick shook his head. He hadn't expected her to call his bluff like this, but it wasn't in his nature to back down, and he wouldn't now. "Well, you wished to make me more contented, and few things content me more than a pretty little wench twisting and sighing with joy
Nick remembered the eager, wistful look on Rose's face when she'd first sensed Lily's presence, how her lips had parted breathlessly and her whole face had seemed to glow from within. He'd have had to be made from granite not to have been touched by that, or to wish it hadn't happened.
But it would make what he planned to say next come easier.
Nick slanted his gaze at her, warning enough to those who knew him well. "I'll play upon a good deal more of her, Lily," he said softly, "if you do not agree to leave me alone. As you said yourself, Rose is not as ill-favored as first I judged her. A mite small for my tastes, but fair enough for passing amusement."
Lily gasped, her face frozen in horror. "You wouldn't dare! You wouldn't
dare
! Rose is a sheltered innocent, without the slightest guile or defense against the traps of men like you!"
"Traps of men?" Nick scoffed. "That's a pleasant take on it. Remind me to put the ratsbane beneath my pillow."
"You know well enough what I mean, just as Rose would not!"
"Oh, I'll warrant she may know more than you think. As a younger sibling myself, I recall how desperate my elder brother was to keep me in leading strings beyond my time." He linked his hands behind his head. "Besides, she's agreed to wed this man Graham, hasn't she? Surely even some empty-headed lordling wouldn't offer for a woman without sampling her wares. Likely I'd be but widening Rose's…
experience
. That is, if it's your choice."
Lily practically spit her words. "You are a common and vulgar swine, sir, and if you believe what you say, I cannot begin to fathom how marriages are arranged in your country!"
"Neither can I," said Nick dryly, "for I've kept blessedly clear of the whole marriage carnival. Who would have me, anyway, seeing as I'm so common and vulgar? Not that it will matter with your sister. She doesn't seem to be so besotted with her intended that she'd be averse to my attentions. And marriage wasn't what I had in mind for your dear little Rose."
"You are not behaving at all the way I intended, not at all!" she sputtered. She slammed her fan down on the edge of the table, hard enough to shatter any earthly
brise
, and spun around with a swish of her skirts so that her back was to Nick. She stood there for a long moment, her wings heaving as she struggled to control her anger.
Nick waited, enjoying how he'd turned the tables on her. Lord knows he'd been furious enough at her that he could afford to be patient for once in turn.
"I'm sorry I've disappointed you, sweetheart," he called amicably. "But I have a long history of being contrary."
"Oh, a pox on your history!" she said irritably. "If you could but understand Rose's situation, then you would not even jest at such a thing."
But Nick wasn't jesting, not any longer. "The only situation I give a damn about is my own. You've made a shambles of my life, Lily, and I'd rather you'd have let me die than continue on like this, with my men all whispering about me behind my back and me wondering what mischief you've planned next. I have to be my own master, and with you fluttering about, I'm not. I don't want your help or your happiness or whatever other blessed name you give it. I want you gone."
She turned to face him with her hands outstretched, beseeching. "I cannot leave you, Nick," she said unhappily. "Not now, not yet, not until you've changed yourself for the better."
"So we're back to that, are we? Making me over into a better man?" Unmoved by her appeal, Nick shook his head. He hadn't expected her to call his bluff like this, but it wasn't in his nature to back down, and he wouldn't now. "Well, you wished to make me more contented, and few things content me more than a pretty little wench twisting and sighing with joy
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