2
LILY
A frisson of excitement went through me at his words. They were roughly voiced, tinged with a touch of dark carnality that no man had ever directed my way before. I knew men propositioned women all the time, swapping coin in exchange for s****l favors on the second floor of the saloon, or even in a dark alleyway. I’d seen the latter by random chance once and scurried off. I most certainly didn’t look like a lady of the night, my dress being the latest cut of fashion, yet simple and very modest. Even in the heat, the lace at the end of my sleeves covered even the barest hint of my wrists. The high collar seemed stifling and overly snug all of a sudden and with my free hand, I tucked two fingers into the cotton and gave a small tug.
I couldn’t believe the last few minutes. A horse
