But then she dropped her hand from his arm and her eyes narrowed dangerously. “I suppose it doesn’t matter who ended it, just that it’s done. Thankfully.” She rolled her eyes slightly. “Finally.”
A muscle in his cheek twitched at her callous tone. Clearly she would not be the comfort he’d been hoping for. He turned away with another exasperated sigh, this one aimed at himself for believing for even one second that they could turn back time and he could have his friend back again.
His ally.
That’s what she’d been. Slightly younger than him and her brother, she’d been their compatriot, their lookout, and his confidante.
Until she wasn’t.
“What, you’re just going to walk away without a word?” she called after him.
Her persistence had him shaking his head. “You really haven’t changed at all, do you know that?”
“Thank you.”
He glanced back to see her beaming in triumph. His lips twitched with an absurd desire to laugh at her antics, but his irritation won out. “I did not mean that as a compliment.”
“And yet, I took it as one.”
He nodded toward a passing baron of his acquaintance, not speaking until the other man was out of earshot. “I merely meant you were an exasperating child and you are still just as headstrong today.”
“You say headstrong, I say persistent,” she replied mildly.
Lily had always been tall for a woman, but even so she only came to his shoulder. One would think she’d have an issue matching his stride.
One would be wrong.
As he’d set out to walk away from her and end their conversation, she’d not taken the hint. He wasn’t surprised. Merrick found himself picking up his pace. If she did not cease pestering him, he’d be outright running soon. “You were a pest then and you remain one today,” he said.
“Manners, manners,” she chided, but he could hear the amusement in her voice. “Is that any way to speak to a lady?”
“Perhaps if you ever acted like a lady, I would treat you like one,” he shot back.
He was not proud of himself. He really wasn’t. This right here was why he did his best to steer clear of Miss Laura Upton, now known as Lily. Of all the silly, ridiculous nicknames.
“And if you would ever stand still and speak to me directly for once, I would not have to chase you for answers.”
He groaned, coming to a stop as his pride smarted from the blow. She was right. He was running away from her and her blasted questions. “Why do you not just give up?” he asked, weariness stealing into his voice.
Her smile fell. “Where would be the fun in that?”
He ran a hand over his eyes with a groan. She would be the death of him.
She planted her hands on her hips. “You said it yourself. I have not changed. I am curious about you and Abigail, and you know I never give up when I am curious.”
He ignored that. One thing he did remember about dealing with Lily when she was acting like a dog with a bone—it was best not to play her games. She would outlast him in perseverance and eventually he would either give in or shout at her like a madman. “Laura—” He exhaled loudly at her arched brows. “Lily. I have no idea why you are so proud of the fact that you have refused to change.” He turned to face her head-on. “Change is normal. It’s called growing up.”
She arched one brow, clearly unimpressed. “Mmm, and is that what you did while touring the continent? You grew up?”
There was a challenge there in her tone that he refused to acknowledge. He was tired of her throwing the past in his face, of making him out to be some villain when all he did was court her best friend.
She ought to have been happy for him. For Abigail. If she were even remotely normal, she could have been happy herself.
But no. She’d chosen to be the outcast wallflower instead.
She leaned in closer and for a moment his lungs stalled in his chest as she drew so close he could feel her breath on his chin. She was leaning in as if to tell him a secret, as if to whisper something private.
“Please tell me what happened with Abigail.”
He pulled back with a wave of irrational anger. “You are incorrigible, Lily.”
That was it. He was done holding out hope that she might forgive him for whatever grievance she held against him. And he was definitely finished letting her toy with him or nag him into sharing his confidence. He started to walk away once again, and this time he determinedly ignored her at his side. “You are unbelievable,” he muttered. “This is why I’ve been avoiding you since this house party started.”
She stopped so suddenly he found himself pausing to face her as well.
“You’ve been avoiding me?” Her expression was filled with self-righteous outrage. “That’s a laugh. I have been avoiding you.”
He opened his mouth and clamped it shut, sealing off the childish words that itched to slip out. Given half a chance this interaction could easily devolve into a battle of “have not” and “have to.”
He was not a child anymore. She might behave like one, but he was above that.
He straightened his shoulders. “Fine. Have it your way.”
Her expression fell and her brows drew down in a glower at his admittedly condescending tone.
“Either way, I propose we go back to avoiding one another,” he said as he straightened his cravat.
“Fine,” she snapped.
“Fine.” He turned away first, not looking back to see if she followed.
Thanks to that interaction, he never did get that peace of mind he’d been seeking. Merrick did not even get to rest.
Who could relax when the voice of the world’s most irritating shrew was in one’s head?
But at least he’d gotten it out of the way. He hadn’t truly believed he could make it through an entire house party without some sort of run-in with his best friend’s sister. Like it or not, they still participated in the same circles.
Unlike Sebastian, who was happily married and settled in the countryside, he was still frequenting the tedious events and neverending balls that made up the marriage market.
One had to when one still needed to find a wife. And that was what he was here to do.
His parents had not-so-subtly informed him, with Sebastian soon to wed, it was time for him to do his duty to his family and find a woman of good standing. He was trying to be the son they wanted him to be, though he never quite seemed to measure up to Sebastian. Still, they’d expect him to make the best match a second son could make.
He’d do his best, just as soon as he got his friend Griff settled. It wasn’t like he was avoiding his own marital affairs, just… Well, he was merely putting the decision off for a bit. After Abigail’s betrayal, was it any wonder that he’d be a little more wary this time around? He now knew that finding the right lady to be his wife would not be as easy as he’d once thought.
But he had time. Griff...did not.
Whether his friend realized it or not, Daisy’s family was keen to see her matched and he’d overheard more than one eligible young gentleman asking about her. If the duke wished to make her his wife, he’d need to stop acting like such a blind buffoon and court the girl already.
So no, Merrick would not rush his own suit this very evening, but he would thoroughly enjoy watching his uptight friend make a fool of himself in the name of love.