Page 18 of The Hellion and the Captain
After a few minutes of awkward silence while Emmaline searched for something appropriate to say to Lily that wouldn’t make her friend respond with anything untoward, Rhys took a sip of his drink, staring down into it as he spoke, causing curiosity to rise within Emmaline.
“Where’s your friend tonight, Lily?”
“My friend? Do you mean Emmaline?” she said, risking a wide-eyed glance at Emmaline.
“Miss Whitmore usually isn’t far from your side.”
“I am not certain where she is,” she said, and Emmaline wished she would stop looking at her. “I thought the two of you were always at odds with one another,” she said to Rhys, peering closely at him. “Do you miss the banter?”
He shrugged. “She’s good for some entertainment.”
Entertainment! Emmaline scoffed as Lily tried desperately to hide the smile that was attempting to grow on her cheeks. If she could, she would tell Rhys exactly what he could do with his “entertainment” comment. She was good for a lot more than that except, of course, it was all that anyone had ever thought of her. That she was a good time, enough for some fun but too much for anything more than that.
“You do know that Emmaline is the daughter of a baron, do you not?”
“I do. Doesn’t seem to stop her from spending time at The King’s Head.”
“No,” Lily mused, “it does not.”
“You’re wondering about Emmaline?” Colin said as he rejoined them and placed Lily’s drink in front of her. “That’s a good question. We haven’t seen her much lately.”
“Oh,” Lily said, her lips curling in that feline smile of hers, “I am sure she will be here in due time.”
Emmaline whirled upon Lily with a glare. How could she say such a thing?
“If you’ll excuse me,” Lily said, ignoring Emmaline, “I must use the lady’s necessary.”
“I’ll escort you,” Colin said, but Lily waved him away.
“No need,” she said, and with a parting glance at Emmaline, she took off. Understanding Lily’s unspoken request, Emmaline waited a few minutes before excusing herself as well. She had just rounded the corner to the back hallway when a pair of hands grabbed her, and soon enough she was stumbling into the lady’s room.
It was decorated much more exquisitely than Emmaline would have guessed for a tavern, with floral wallpaper, worn as it was. A large vanity took up one side of the room, empty but for a bowl of water, while a small window let in a soft glow from the setting sun. She could imagine it was the perfect place for a tryst.
Not that she had time to consider that right now.
“Lily! Why would you say such a thing? I cannot be two people in the same place at the same time.”
“I had no choice. They were going to start questioning why you hadn’t been around more. Emmaline, it seems to me Rhys has a particular fondness for you.”
“He does not! He hates me.”
“I beg to differ. Perhaps he is disguising his fondness as hate.” Lily studied Emmaline closely for a moment and sighed. “I can hardly take you seriously when you look like that.”
“My costume is working just fine, thank you very much.”
“If Colin ever finds out, I cannot wait to tell himwhat an idiot he is for not seeing beyond your disguise. Tommy too, for that matter.”
Emmaline rolled her eyes. “You must quit being so obvious. Someone is going to suspect something.”
“I—”
They both stopped when a knock sounded on the door. “Lily? Is everything all right in there?”
“Colin,” Lily whispered to Emmaline. “I’m fine!” she said more loudly. “I’ll be out in a moment.”
She returned to her whisper. “You have to change back to Emmaline and return to the pub.”
“I have no clothing, and I am not travelling all the way to Ellesmere Park.”
