Lily in Bloom Read Online Free PDF Page A

would have happened to my son if it had not been you in the carriage with him. Toby seems completely unharmed.” He lightly touched her arm and she felt her pulse race.
    “Anyone would have done the same.” She could feel herself blushing again.
    “I'm not sure that is true. Thank you.” He looked in her eyes and an understanding passed between them. She knew how grateful he was and he knew that she had done it without a thought to herself.
    A third rider pulled up to the scene. “Sorry I am late. Apparently, I wasn’t your rescuer this time.” Mark flashed her a devilish smile.
    Lily turned to him and he swooped off his horse to take her hand.
    Lily smiled weakly at him but she had the vague sensation that it was Eric who should be holding her hand.
     
    Lily walked gingerly to James’s horse. She felt sure she never wanted to look at a wagon again. Mark tied his mount to the back of the wagon and climbed into the driver’s seat while Eric and Toby mounted together.
    As Lily looked at the horse she was about to mount, it occurred to her that they hadn’t arrived to the picnic on horseback.
    “Where did you get the horses? I don’t remember seeing a stable,” Lily asked the group at large.
    James looked slightly sheepish, but answered, “We, uh, borrowed them from a few passersby.”
    “More like commandeered,” Mark added with a grin.
    Lily smiled at him. “Well, I appreciate you acquiring these fine animals when you did. A few more minutes and I would have turned to jelly.”
    “Thank goodness you didn’t.” James squeezed her shoulder with a smile. “The good doctor will still be making a return trip to the house tonight. We may as well have him move in!”
    Lily laughed and then felt a sharp pain in her side. She gritted her teeth but her sudden silence caught the attention of all three men.
    “Is everything all right?” Mark asked, his voice full of concern as he jumped into the seat of the wagon.
    “Fine. Just a little pain in my side.” Lily waved them off but the group did not resume.
    “Perhaps you should ride in the back of the wagon, rather than sitting up on the horse,” James said, looking concerned.
    “I would rather die than step back into that wagon.” Lily sat more erectly on the horse to show them she was fine.
    Eric chuckled. “I admire your strength, but your brother is right. I am sure you will be fine in the wagon, perhaps you should…”
    “I am not arriving at the picnic in the back of that wagon. It will make the situation look much worse than it is and I am already going to be on the tongue of every gossip in town. Laid out in a wagon, they will be singing my death march.”
    “Lily don’t be stubborn, it would be best…” James did not get a chance to finish.
    “I am either riding on this horse or walking. I will not step into that wagon.”
    “You are as stubborn as I am, you know that?” James smiled at his sister.
    Mark again started the team of horses moving and Eric and James followed suit.
    Mark leaned over to Lily and smiled. “I don't know when I have ever seen a woman look more beautiful than you do right now.”
    “Oh, Mark, you must be teasing. I am a mess.” Lily laughed a little nervously.
    “I have to agree with you on this one, Mr. Summers,” Eric called from the back of the group and Lily blushed again.
     
    As they pulled up to the picnickers a crowd of people rushed around them all firing questions.
    “What happened?”
    “Were you hurt?”
    “Where did you go?”
    Lily felt her head begin to pound. James dismounted to disassemble the crowd as Mark returned the wagon to its driver. Elise came running over, Isabelle hot on her heels.
    “I can’t believe you are all right! You are all right, aren’t you?” Elise began touching her legs to feel for breaks as Lily still sat on the horse.
    “Can’t you see she is fine?” Isabelle added in a huff. “Why is everyone so concerned about her?” Isabelle took a breath and looked ready to