Her Secret Fantasy by Gaelen Foley

she had taken upon walking in the front door of her chaperone’s cozy house in Mayfair, up the stairs to the little bedchamber that she’d been assigned. But none of their efforts located the diamond, and Lily was sure that she had lost it at the masked ball.
    Indeed, her worst fear was that she had lost it at the garden folly—probably as divine punishment for her secret tryst with Derek Knight! She swore to herself that if not for her missing earring, she could make herself forget him in a trice. Unfortunately, now there was actual
evidence
out there somewhere, hard proof that she had been in an un-sanctioned, unchaperoned location making mischief with a man whom she was not even supposed to know. Good God, how could she have courted ruin like this, flirted with disaster? Was she mad?
    She could only pray that the major or somebody else might have found her lost jewel and had turned it in to their hosts of last night, Mr. and Mrs. Brooks. The sentimental value alone made the earring priceless, but even if it were an ordinary diamond, she could never afford to replace it.
    Later today, during decent visiting hours, she would check in with the Brookses to ask if anyone had found the jewel, but the first order of business was her promised visit to Edward’s house to help Mrs. Lundy plan her garden party.
Oh, Lord.
    Lily sighed, staring up at the ceiling, her forearm cast across her brow. She hoped it was easier to face Edward today than it had been last night when she had returned to the ballroom after kissing Derek Knight.
    Her half-mask had been worth its weight in gold at that moment, for she was sure her guilt had been written all over her face. As far as she could tell, Edward hadn’t noticed anything amiss, thanks in part to his indulgence in drink and his distracted mood over the committee hearing.
    Meanwhile, the major must have remained outside with his lady friend, for she did not see him in the ballroom again.
    She hoped that today, visiting Edward’s grand castle-house, it would be easier to act naturally with her beau. All the same, she had better get herself in hand.
    Pushing up from her alcove bed, she crossed her quaint little chamber with its soft pastel wallpaper and light chintz curtains and poured some water from the pitcher into the washing bowl. Then she bent and slowly splashed her face, trying to wake herself up, still musing on all that had occurred.
    How strange it was that she had fancifully wished for a way out of marrying Edward, and Derek Knight had appeared. But she scoffed at herself. No doubt if the major ruined her, that would put an end to her marrying Edward!
    Not exactly what she’d had in mind.
    She reached for a towel and patted her face dry, then frowned at herself in the mirror, noting the dark circles under her eyes. After a night of sleepless worry, she was still in a state of dread over being found out, either by the major himself learning her identity or the insatiable gossips of the ton catching wind of their kiss. What the blazes had come over her last night? How could she have taken such risks, especially knowing how narrowly she had escaped ruin once before?
    Sometimes she felt as if her whole life were a lie, but Derek Knight seemed to see through her. An honest man.
    “Brutally honest, according to my sister.”
    Lily snorted as she recalled his words. They sounded nice, but she didn’t trust him any farther than she could have thrown the big warrior. There was no way she would have taken off her mask last night even if he’d begged her.
    Certainly she had reason to fear that he might still discover who she was, for if he did and was not a gentleman, there were all sorts of horrid ways he could use the knowledge against her. Blackmail her into doing whatever he liked…
    Lily shuddered—not just from dread—and threw the towel aside in self-disgust. What a fool she was! What a wanton fool.
    Kissing Derek Knight, she had dangled her future, her good name, and the