Free Persuasion by Owner Page A

quiz her aunt, who had also managed to both flush and blanch with
    great success. Thereafter, Lily had dropped the topic, for it was quite
    obvious that her aunt was terribly discomforted by the whole thing. Although
    why, she did not understand. Surely . . . it was a natural process? Her
    distress had shot Lily's own tension into the sky, for was it so horrid? So
    terrible that it was quite sufficient for a woman of her aunt's age and
    experience to be so horrified by the entire thing?
    Janie had been a little helpful, but more bewildering than anything else.
    There had been a lot of coughs and nervous laughs. “Eh, miss, you shouldn't
    be asking me this,” Janie had oft muttered, flustered with embarrassment.
    There had also been awkward bobbing curtsies and quick, harried escapes
    until she'd had to almost pin her down and ask what seduction entailed and
    again, hardly any information had been imparted and Lily was left feeling
    more confused than ever!
    Thus Lily felt unbearably lacking in knowledge of what she would be taking
    on with this mission of hers. All she knew was that her ultimate fate did not
    appear to be all that fortuitous!
    Having stayed close to her aunt throughout the entire evening, for Millie was
    bound to point out the eligible bachelors in the room at will, her
    steadfastness proved successful for almost out of nowhere, Aunt Millie's fan
    was raised and begun to flutter.
    “Lily,” she hissed behind the fan.
    “Yes?”
    “Look at the fireplace, by the Neville chit.”
    “The Neville chit?”
    Aunt Millie sighed impatiently. “Yes! The Neville chit, in the entirely
    inappropriate brown taffeta! The girl looks like a wren!”
    Feeling very unkind, for Lily's eyes instantly found the 'wren', she winced.
    “Yes, I can see her,” she murmured.
    “Look at the green fireplace, beside it, the blond man.”
    “What about him?”
    “It seems Earl fforbes-Hyde has returned to the ton's bosom!”
    “That is he?” she asked, faintly surprised. Now that he was here, she felt
    both terrified and relieved and her voice reflected that melange of emotion.
    “Yes. He always was a handsome devil! And I must say that he does not
    appear to be too pleased to be here!”
    Now that was quite an understatement. His face was a picture of bored
    disdain. Indeed, disdain was too polite a word to use. He looked completely
    and utterly disinterested by his environs and as though he would rather be
    anywhere else but here.
    In fact, his expression reminded her of herself and her own weariness at the
    ton's seemingly endless events before that evil man had pushed her into this
    ridiculous yet horrifying situation!
    The Earl was surrounded by men she could only assume were his friends.
    Surely, if they were not, they would not be standing with him, not with that
    sourpuss face, at least!
    From her memory, she could easily recall each of the men there and every
    single one of them were below par. Rakes and men that at some point or
    another during the Season her aunt had warned her against seemed to
    make up the entire group!
    A part of her wondered why he had attended the ball if the entertainment
    did not make him happy. But then, it did not make her happy either, yet
    here she was and had been throughout all the other soirees she'd had to
    attend. So Lily supposed that she could not really make an issue out of that
    particular fact!
    As soon as her eyes spotted him and her gaze touched him, Lily instantly
    recalled that the . . . the . . . she resorted to a word her brother used and
    one her parents had scolded him for . . . bastard had told her he would be
    watching her and instantly, she felt as though all eyes were on her. As
    though her every move were being watched and she were currently under
    examination by the horrible devil who had set her this dastardly task.
    Sucking in a breath, once more she was assailed with fear. Fear for the
    unknown and fear for her mother. How was she to proceed? How did one