“My favorite chapeau,” Lily said in reply to the chorus of questions, indicating it with a sweep of her small hand. The women protested in annoyance as their escorts disappeared to the bow of the ship, where Lily hung over the railing and stared at some object floating in the water. Grateful for the reprieve from ennui, the gentlemen rushed in the direction of the commotion. “The waves are moving it away from the boat!” “Someone get the deuced thing!” Lily was heard to shout between lilting bursts of laughter. It was only a matter of time, a languid young viscount had been heard to remark, until Miss Lawson would stir things up. That was why, it was said, he had specifically requested the presence of Miss Lily Lawson at the water party. Now the king sought the company of people who would provide laughter and amusement to relieve his sense of isolation. The recent death of his father and a taxing ordeal with gout had taken their toll, leaving him uncharacteristically morose.

Perhaps the gathering would have been more entertaining had the king’s health not been so poor. The guests had all been drinking heavily in order to attain the mild euphoria that would substitute for a real sense of enjoyment. With its brocaded furniture, fine mahogany, chandeliers of clustered crystal droplets, gilt sphinxes, and carved lions poised in every corner, the yacht was a floating pleasure palace. So far the party had been dull but dignified, everyone dutifully complimenting His Majesty’s magnificently fitted yacht. The yacht was anchored in the middle of the Thames, the guests assembled in honor of King George. “Damn, damn…there it goes, the frigging thing!” A stream of curses floated on the gust of wind, shocking the guests at the water party. Knox was helping Giuseppe?” Lily demanded…ġ4 Alex looked up from the newspaper in surprise as Burton…Įpilogue The coolness of autumn blew in from the partially… 1 “Damn, damn…there it goes, the frigging thing!”Ģ The lady’s maid entered the room with an armload of…ģ Upon his arrival at Raiford Park, Alex went to bid…Ĥ “Zachary! Dear, dear, Zachary, how nice of you to…ĥ Lily discovered with consternation that Raiford was…Ħ A parade of cowed-looking servants carried Lily’s…ħ Count Giuseppe Gavazzi had all the striking splendor…Ĩ Alex crossed the threshold of a tiny cove that served as…ĩ After his initial astonishment, there was no expression…ġ0 “Your wife,” Lily repeated dully, turning hot and…ġ1 Rooters stared at Alex as if trying to assess how much…ġ2 Lily continued to stare absently at the crowd.

Then Came You by Lisa Kleypas