Scandal In Sydney: Sydney Harbour Hospital: Lily's Scandal

Oh, that smile. She really was her mother’s daughter, she thought, suddenly feeling frantic. If Luke had been the vicar …

She thought suddenly of the vicar, and for some stupid reason the thought made her want to chuckle. And wince. How could her mother fall for someone like the vicar when there were men like Luke in the world? Men who owned bathrobes like this. It must be cashmere, she thought. It was a caress all on its own.

His smile was a caress all on its own.

‘I can’t believe you’re not coming to Teo’s party,’ Ginnie said reproachfully, letting Luke go and regarding him with huge disappointed eyes—and Luke’s expression became a bit hunted.

He always goes to the farm … Lily wasn’t sure what was happening here, but he didn’t look the least bit like he wanted to go to any party. Well, neither did she. She didn’t know what was going on but he’d lent her his bathrobe. He’d lent her his bed. Maybe she could afford to be generous.

He always goes to the farm …

‘I’m not a city girl,’ she told Ginnie. ‘That’s why I’ve only agreed to come and stay here for a month. That’s why Luke and I can’t be … as together as we’d like. But now I’ve been ill I’m—’

‘Pining,’ Luke finished for her, his smile still lurking. ‘For the fjords.’

She cast him a look that was meant to put him in his place. ‘For fresh air,’ she told him. ‘For the smell of … sheep.’

‘Horses,’ Luke said.

It was becoming more difficult to be generous. Especially when he was still smiling.

‘Especially for the smell of horses,’ she amended. ‘Eau de horse will cure me faster than anything.’

‘You like farms?’ Ginnie sounded incredulous.

‘What’s not to love?’

‘Well, horses for a start,’ Ginnie said, and shuddered. ‘They bite.’

‘Not my horses,’ Luke said.

‘Well, we wouldn’t know,’ Ginnie said, suddenly waspish. ‘We’ve been practically next-door neighbours for four years and not one invite. You know we’d all love to see your farm. It’s like you’re keeping it a secret. It’s like you’ve been keeping Lily secret.’

‘It’s because I know you hate horses,’ Luke said blandly. ‘Lily loves horses. She rides ‘em to the manor born.’

Lily blinked. She loved horses?

Actually … she did.

A farm with horses. She thought suddenly … what was being proposed here? A couple of days on a farm with horses.

She might even put up with Luke Williams for that.

‘Well, I think you should stay here,’ Ginnie said crossly. ‘Look at her.’ She motioned to Lily-In-The-Bathrobe. ‘She looks sick.’

‘Gee, thanks.’ But she was wobbly.

‘My car’s lovely,’ Luke said reassuringly. ‘Aston Martin, deep leather seats, pure luxury. And Lily even managed to protect them with her paper bag,’ he told Ginnie. ‘She’s a heroine, my Lily. I’m thinking she can sleep all the way there.’

My Lily. The words hung.

This was getting out of hand, Lily thought, starting to feel hysterical. She’d agreed to this, why?

‘How long have you guys been an item?’ Ginnie demanded of Lily. ‘Have you been to his farm?’

Was now the time to back away? Lily wondered, hysteria growing. Pack and leave for Brisbane?

It’d have to be Brisbane. She couldn’t go back to the Harbour after confessing this lie.

Luke had started the lie. Not her. She glanced at Luke, who glanced right back. Their eyes locked. His gaze was … almost a challenge?

Are you about to tell the truth?

Oh, for heaven’s sake, why should she? she thought. What right did this nosey woman have to the truth?

Whatever, she decided. Go with the flow.

But maybe … not lie unless she had to?

‘Merrylegs is my very favourite horse,’ she said, tangentially.

‘Merrylegs?’ Ginnie blinked.

‘She’s given me years of joy,’ she said and somehow, between Ginnie’s prurient interest and Luke’s bland withdrawal, she found herself remembering her first and one true love. ‘She’s beautiful. I know her so well she’s almost part of me, and I wish I could be riding her now.’

‘She’s on Luke’s farm?’

‘All my horses are on my farm,’ Luke said, sounding suddenly … wicked. ‘Even though Merrylegs is Lily’s favourite, all my horses are her horses.’

‘How long have you two been an item?’ Ginnie demanded.

‘Years,’ Luke said. ‘Like Lily said.’

‘How many years.’

‘Three?’ Luke said. ‘I think. Isn’t that right, dear?’

‘Have you been staying on Luke’s farm for three years?’ Ginnie was almost speechless. ‘That’s not even a year after Hannah died.’

‘I never met Hannah.’ Lily faced Luke’s wickedness head on. What had he called her? Dear. She lowered her voice, talking respectfully about her lover’s deceased wife. ‘Would Hannah have loved Merrylegs?’ she asked Luke. ‘Dear?’

‘Hannah was more a cat person,’ Luke said. The smile behind his eyes was challenging. Dangerous.

She rose to meet it. Challenging right back.

‘You never talk to me about Hannah. I think you should.’ She turned back to Ginnie. ‘He never talks to me about Hannah,’ she said, sounding aggrieved. ‘I think our relationship would be better if he let it all out.’

‘That’s what John says,’ Ginnie managed. ‘So …’