Page 79 of A Kiss Of Lies

“She’ll be right pleased to see you. Been pining, she has. Hardly ate any of her supper.”

As she removed her cloak, Serena suggested, “Why don’t you fix a tray of food for us both and I’ll try to coax her to eat something.”

“Bless you, my lady.”

Once Mrs. Clarke had put fresh bread and two bowls of delicious stew on a tray, Serena took it upstairs.

Her heart broke as she entered the playroom and glimpsed Lily curled up on the daybed, her eyes red-rimmed and her expression so sad.

“I hear you haven’t been eating, young lady.”

“Serena!” Lily’s face broke into a smile and she raced across the room.

“Mind the tray. I thought I’d have supper with you.”

The smile vanished from Lily’s face, and it crinkled up as if she were going to cry again. “How can you eat when Lord Markham might die tomorrow?”

It was just as well she’d put the tray down on the table or she would have dropped it. How had Lily heard about the duel? She couldn’t turn to hug Lily because the child had wrapped her skinny arms tight around Serena’s waist from behind and was sobbing against her back.

Lily must have overheard something. Surely Christian hadn’t told her about the duel. He wouldn’t be that cruel.

She gently prised Lily’s arms from around her waist and turned round, smoothing her hand over Lily’s hair. “Shh, sweetheart. Crying isn’t going to help Lord Markham. Neither is making yourself ill. Come, let’s eat something and then we’ll have a talk and decide what to do.”

Lily pulled back and wiped the back of her hand across her face, brushing away her tears. “You’re right. We need a plan.”

Serena knew she was only putting off the inevitable as she set the small table in Lily’s playroom.

“I miss you,” Lily said as she buttered her bread and dipped it in the stew.

“I miss you too. I wish it could be different. But . . .”

Lily put the butter knife down. “Lord Markham says that after the duel you’ll marry him. I want that so much, but I feel so guilty too.”

“Guilty? What have you got to feel guilty about?”

Her face turned pink. “I overheard Lord Markham tell Lord Fullerton that he’d marry you once Dennett was dead. I know Dennett is your husband.”

Serena frowned. “Overheard? I hope you have not been eavesdropping, young lady.”

Her flush deepened. “Well, I knew something was wrong. Lord Markham explained why you’d had no choice but to leave us for a short while, and that you were hiding from your husband, who was a very bad man.”

Serena gave her a small smile. “He is a very bad man.”

“Why did you marry him, then?” Lily asked.

She looked into the child’s face and struggled for words. She didn’t want to frighten her, or make her untrusting, but sometimes knowledge was safety. “I didn’t know his true character before I married him. I let his looks blind me to his faults. There is a lesson to be learned there, my girl. A pretty face can hide evil. I didn’t take enough time to get to know him.” She shuddered. “If I had, I would never have married him.”

“I wish you had killed him,” she said in anger. “Then Lord Markham would be safe and we could all stay together. Now I might be left on my own again.” She looked pleadingly into Serena’s eyes. “Whom will I have to love then?”

Whom indeed. Serena could not promise her a home. She’d never take a child into Peter Dennett’s world, and if Christian failed, she would have to run once again. She’d be running forever. . . .

“Lily, darling, I don’t want you to worry. The duel won’t take place. I promise you that. You won’t lose Christian.”

Lily looked somewhat mollified and they continued to eat in silence. However, being a bright child, Lily clearly was working through Serena’s bold statement. “How? How do you know the duel won’t take place?”

Lily’s eyes had narrowed and Serena knew that if she lied, Lily would never trust her again. “Because I’m going to stop it.”

“Howexactly?”

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