by Jasmine Hill
Clara grinned and turned her head for a kiss.
“And hello to you, Master Edward,” Lillian greeted the little boy with mock seriousness.
“We missed you,” Edward said, allowing his father to swing him onto the back of Victory.
Tears gathered in Lillian’s eyes. “I missed you too.” She couldn’t believe she’d willingly left these sweet little children. She felt particularly guilty given that they’d lost their mother not too long ago. William had assured her that the children thought she’d gone to visit a friend and that he had left to retrieve her, but still she felt incredibly remorseful.
They set off once more down the drive toward the house, the children chattering happily and informing them of everything that had occurred in their absence.
When they approached the homestead, Mrs. Thompson was waiting on the front verandah. Lillian felt a spark of anxiety at seeing the housekeeper. What would she think of her abrupt departure? Would she be disappointed in her for causing William so much distress? Did she know what had happened, why she’d left? Lillian studied the older woman as they drew closer and was relieved to see no obvious look of ill will in her expression.
“I have a hearty lamb stew simmering. You must both be famished,” Mrs. Thompson, informed them when they were within hearing distance.
William leaped easily from his saddle and helped the children down from each horse. “Thank you, Millie. I’ll have Stan come and look after the horses. We’ll be in, in a moment.”
The housekeeper scurried inside with Edward and Clara close on her heels as William assisted Lillian from her horse. He grasped her around the waist and swung her from the saddle, allowing her body to slide slowly down his.
“Welcome home,” he whispered in her ear.
Lillian melted against him, relief and happiness coursing through her. “It’s so good to be back. William, I’m sorry for…”
He touched a finger to her lips. “Hush. Don’t apologize anymore. What’s done is done and thankfully we have you back now, where you belong.”
“Is Mrs. Thompson aware of why I left?”
“She doesn’t know the details, but she doesn’t judge. She loves you and she’ll understand that something must have happened to send you away. I’ll tell her what she should know and keep the sordid specifics out of it.”
Lillian breathed a sigh of relief. She loved and respected the housekeeper and would hate to think that the cruel story concocted by the Dawsons would interfere with their relationship.
After freshening up, they enjoyed a lovely meal of lamb stew. Once the children were in bed, William explained to Mrs. Thompson the basic details behind Lillian’s leaving. Understandably the housekeeper was shocked, then furious to the point of demanding to confront the Dawsons herself.
“That won’t be necessary, Millie,” William replied grimly. “Although I do appreciate the sentiment. Lillian and I will be heading over there first thing in the morning. I’m determined to get to the bottom of it, so we can move on with no threat of unwelcome repercussions.”
William turned toward Lillian and took her hand in his. “We’ll be moving on together, Millie. Lillian belongs here. This is her home, if she’ll accept it—and me.”
Mrs. Thompson clapped her hands and shrieked in glee, immediately jumping from her chair and enfolding Lillian in a close embrace. “I’m so happy for you both,” she said through tears of joy. “I can’t imagine two people better suited to be together.”
Lillian laughed and hugged her back, pleased beyond words that the older woman would accept her so readily into their family.
“Now,” William announced. “I think Lillian needs to bathe and sleep in a comfortable bed. We’ll be leaving early tomorrow.”
They said their goodnights and William escorted Lillian to her room. “You need to rest tonight, sweetheart,” he advised and kissed her chastely on the cheek. “Sleep well and I’ll see you in the morning.”
Alone in her room, Lillian contemplated the events of the past few days and couldn’t quite believe that she was back. Her heart warmed at the feeling of belonging and love that radiated from everyone. But there was one thing that confused and worried her. While William had intimated in every way possible that he loved her and wanted to be with her, he hadn’t actually asked her anything. He’d basically told Mrs. Thompson that Lillian would be staying and that this was her home but he hadn’t officially asked her to marry him. He hadn’t yet asked her to become Mrs. Cartwright and she was unsure if he ever would.
Chapter Forty
Lillian had relished the opportunity of washing the red earth from her hair and body. She’d been tired the previous evening but hadn’t been able to stand the thought of going to bed coated liberally in the outback, so she’d taken the time to give herself a thorough sponge bath.
Earlier that morning, she’d slipped downstairs and shampooed her hair over the tub in the washroom, ensuring to lather and scrub her scalp liberally, determined to rid herself of the ocher-colored dust that had permeated her very being. Now, for the first time in days, she actually felt clean.
“Lilly, are you awake?”
She opened the door to William and smiled. He was freshly shaven and smelled deliciously masculine—a combination of spice and the outdoors. He’d dressed in a crisp blue linen shirt, left open at the neck, and dark gray trousers. It wasn’t his usual working attire but it was more casual than a suit and made him look dashing yet restrained.
Unsure what to wear to an outing like the one they were just about to embark upon, Lillian had decided on a light cotton and lace dress in a pale floral print that hung to her calves. She’d pinned her damp hair into a mass of curls atop her head and powdered her face lightly, applying a pale pink shade to her lips.
“You look beautiful,” William murmured, raking his gaze over her body appreciatively.
“Thank you, but I don’t know if it’s exactly appropriate for our visit this morning.”
He grimaced. “I’m hoping that the unpleasantness will be over and done with quickly. Then I have a surprise for you.”
She raised an eyebrow in inquiry. “A surprise?”
“Just wait and see.” He smiled mysteriously and held his hand out for her. “Come.”
* * * *
As the Dawson property came into sight, Lillian’s belly quivered with nervous tension. She glanced at William and the hard set of his jaw told her that he wasn’t looking forward to the impending confrontation any more than she was.
William turned onto the long driveway and slowed down, coming to a stop not far from the house’s entrance.
Apart from the dinner dance she’d attended not long after she arrived in Australia, this was the first time she’d been to the property. She looked around, unsurprised that the house and the immediate surroundings were not dissimilar to those of Mulga Creek.
William opened his door and stepped around the front of the automobile to open hers too and assist her from the vehicle. Lillian removed her headscarf and checked her reflection in her compact. It was silly, she supposed, but she didn’t want to confront Margaret Dawson looking less than her best.
William took her arm, led her to the front door and rapped the knocker abruptly. A moment later, Margaret Dawson opened it, surprise and anxiety suffusing her features when she realized who had come calling.
“Hello, Margaret,” William greeted her. “May we come in?”
Margaret looked at them, indecision in her eyes, but William pushed past her. “Thank you,” he said, pulling Lillian along with him.
“Who is it, Margaret?” George Dawson appeared in the hallway and stopped dead in his tracks, his face turning an alarming shade of red when he caught sight of them. “Cartwright,” he sneered. “You have the audacity to come back into my home and bring your whore with you?”
Lillian gasped in shock as William growled and stepped forward.
“You’re lucky that I’m not in the habit of beating on weaker men, otherw
ise you’d be a dead man for that insult.”
Dawson paled and took a step back.
William glowered menacingly and Lillian laid her hand on his arm in an effort to calm him.
“William,” she implored quietly.
He took a deep breath and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her close to his side. “We need to talk, Dawson. I want some answers. Surely you’re not surprised that I’m here?”
George Dawson gave a curt nod and led them down the hallway to a drawing room. He entered and poured himself a whiskey from a decanter on a drink trolley, motioning with his glass for them to take a seat.
William led Lillian to an armchair but he remained standing. Margaret Dawson entered the room cautiously and took a seat to Lillian’s left, looking warily between the two men.
George Dawson finished his Scotch in one gulp and turned to face them, looking directly at Lillian. “I’m surprised at you, young lady. I thought we were of the same opinion…that you and I agreed it’s for the best for my daughter, William and their unborn baby that you leave.”
Before Lillian could respond, William slammed his fist on a nearby table making them all jump in alarm. “That’s a lie, Dawson,” he roared. “I’ve never been intimate with your daughter. These lies have to stop. Now!”
Lillian was quickly reassessing their decision to confront the Dawsons. She glanced at Margaret and found her studying her lap intently. She wondered at the woman’s apparently calm demeanor.
William’s jaw was clenched tight and Lillian knew he was working hard to maintain control of his temper. When he next spoke, he kept his voice modulated and his words were addressed to Margaret Dawson. “Does your father know the truth? Is he in on this façade in an attempt to gain control of my land?”
The young woman looked up from her lap and stared at him, her bottom lip quivering.
“Answer me!”
When she finally spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper. “I told him that you were the father.”
Lillian looked quickly at William. His eyes were blazing and boring a hole into Margaret Dawson, ordering her silently to continue with her explanation.
Her voice trembled. “I knew that my father wanted a connection between us. He thought that it would be beneficial to join the two properties. He spoke about it often and I knew his hope was that we’d be married.” She looked up and met William’s stare. “It was my hope too,” she finished quietly.
George Dawson blustered from the other side of the room, “Margaret. Don’t let him intimidate you. He needs to own up to his responsibilities—”
William cut him off with a glare and a growl.
“He can’t be fooled, Papa,” she cried. “He’s right. There is no possible way that he could be the father. I lied to you!”
A deafening silence fell on the room. Up until that point, they hadn’t even been sure that Margaret was pregnant.
Lillian looked at William and noted the expression of utter relief on his face. She understood now why he’d been so determined to have the truth exposed. It worried him that in the back of her mind Lillian would always have a level of uncertainty. She understood it, because until that moment, she suddenly realized, she had harbored a flicker of doubt.
Margaret Dawson was speaking again, her voice low. “I couldn’t keep the pretext up any longer. I knew really, when you spurned my advances, that it wouldn’t be possible. I guess it was just wishful thinking that you may have come to my rescue and claimed the baby as yours. It was silly and irresponsible. I’m sorry.”
Lillian couldn’t find it within herself to be completely unsympathetic. Obviously, the woman thought herself to be in love with William and had clearly gotten herself into trouble with another man. It was an unenviable situation and she found herself feeling sad for her.
“Who the hell is the father?” George Dawson snarled at his daughter. He was now a livid shade of purple and obviously not nearly as comfortable with this new status of his daughter’s condition.
Lillian stood quickly, not wanting to be privy to a discussion about Margaret Dawson’s intimate liaisons.
“We’ll take our leave,” William said quietly, grasping her elbow and guiding her to the door.
Neither of them spoke until they were ensconced in William’s automobile and heading up the driveway. William exhaled a long breath and grasped Lillian’s hand, raising his voice to be heard above the engine noise. “Well, that was awkward. I can’t say that I’m unhappy that Margaret Dawson finally admitted the truth, although I wouldn’t want to be in her shoes at the moment.”
“The poor girl. I feel for her,” Lillian said, her voice ripe with sympathy.
William looked at her askance. “Are you serious, Lilly? Her actions and those of her father caused you to leave. I know you thought that you were doing the right thing at the time, but you could have been killed or badly injured.” He shook his head. “No. It was a self-serving thing for her to do. At no time did she think about the consequences of her actions and her father was so besotted with the idea that he might get his hands on my land that he didn’t even question her.”
“I think it was much more than the lure of your land, William. You are a respected member of the community, a decorated war veteran and successful in your own right. Any man would be proud to have you as a son-in-law.”
He glanced her way and gave her hand a soft squeeze. “Your opinion of me warms my heart, my love, as does your sweet disposition.” He brought her hand to his lips and kissed her palm. “I’ll try to see matters through your eyes. At any rate, George Dawson has been served his due. No doubt the father of Margaret’s baby is one of the property workmen. It would be next to impossible for her to have been…indiscreet with anyone else.”
Lillian scanned their surroundings and wondered where they were going. She said as much to William.
“Remember I told you that I have a surprise for you?”
She smiled. “Yes. I’ve been wondering what that is all about.”
He pulled off the main road and onto a dirt track. “Well, we’re nearly there.”
Lillian had no idea where they could be going. On either side of the vehicle was thick brush. They bumped along the road for a few miles, the noise making any further conversation impossible. Then William stopped the vehicle.
“We’re here.” He opened his door and walked around to her side. He assisted her out of the automobile before collecting a blanket and a basket from the back seat. William took her hand in his. “Come.”
They wandered a short way through the bushland until they came to a lovely clear billabong. Tree branches swayed and hovered over the water and fat lizards sat sunning themselves on the rocky ledges.
“William, it’s lovely,” she breathed.
He smiled. “It is, isn’t it? It’s not full all year round, but we’ve been lucky, weather-wise.”
He led her over to a shady clearing and laid the blanket down. He sat and tugged her to sit next to him. “We have a picnic lunch,” he announced, unpacking the basket with a flourish. “We have cheese, eggs, cold lamb, fresh bread and wine.”
“A veritable feast,” Lillian laughed, delighted.
She was famished and ate ravenously, enjoying the fabulous food and their peaceful surroundings. They chatted amiably, both of them avoiding the subject of the Dawsons. Lillian had taken off her shoes and stockings and relished the freedom of fresh air circulating around her legs and feet.
William had grown quiet. She turned her head to look at him and her breath caught in her throat. He was kneeling before her on one bended knee, a box open in his palm.
“Lillian, my love, will you please do me the honor of becoming my wife? I love you more than life itself. I’ll do anything for you and I can’t imagine my life without you in it. Please marry me?”
A lump formed in Lillian’s throat and her pulse soared in exhilaration. For so long her heart had ached for this man before her, ached for a love lost. Then when she’d
found him again, fate had thrown so many challenges in their direction that she’d almost lost hope that they’d ever be together.
A sob worked its way up her throat and she held a trembling hand out to him. “Yes,” she whispered. “Yes, I will marry you.”
She looked into his eyes and saw such tenderness and adoration that it took her breath away. He steadied her trembling and slid a beautiful diamond solitaire onto her ring finger. She looked down at her hand and fluttered her fingers, allowing the diamond to catch the light and sparkle magnificently. It was elegant and lovely and exquisite in its simplicity. “William, it’s beautiful,” she said reverently. “I love it.”
He smiled. “I’m glad. I’m beyond ecstatic that I’m finally able to put it on your finger.”
She raised an eyebrow questioningly. “Oh?”
“I bought it for you ten years ago.” He caressed her face. “I’ve kept it ever since. I could never bring myself to part with it, even though you and I were separated. It felt like, however small, I had a piece of you with me.”
Tears filled her eyes and her heart swelled in her chest. How she loved this man! “I’m the luckiest woman in the world,” she told him, tears of happiness trailing down her cheeks.
He grasped her around the waist and lowered her gently to the blanket, resting his weight on his arms. His thick arousal nestled between her thighs and her pulse rate spiked in anticipation.
“Thank you, my darling,” he said, his voice thick. “You can’t know how happy you’ve made me.”
“I do know, William,” she breathed. “I feel the same way.”
He groaned and took her in a possessive kiss, his tongue tangling with hers as their mouths connected desperately. He nipped at her, sucking, nibbling and bruising her lips in his urgency.
His solid erection throbbed deliciously against her sex. She whimpered into his mouth and gripped his shoulders, thrusting her hips up shamelessly and grinding them against him, using his hard cock and the seam of his trousers for friction.