“Oh, Michael, I have missed you so!”
This was one of the aspects he loved most about her. Her exuberance for life—her utter lack of forced ennui. She did not play games with him, and yet her innocent sensuality wreaked havoc on his libido.
Michael wrapped his arms around her and couldn’t help smiling. Holding her close, inhaling her scent, and kissing her skin felt like the most natural thing in the world.
“You cannot imagine all the work that needed to be done here.” This was so very inappropriate, he knew. Lying on her bed with the door halfway closed. If anybody were to discover them, she would be thoroughly compromised.
And then he would have to marry her.
Which he intended to do anyway.
“So you were too overwhelmed with the estate to miss me?” she teased.
His answer was to roll her onto her back and kiss her thoroughly.
Being away from her had been torture. He’d never imagined he would feel such need for another person. Lilly Bridge in his home, in his arms, provided him with a feeling of completeness. As though he had been starving and then served the perfect meal. She filled that hollowness he’d carried around since he couldn’t remember when.
“It was either that or turn around and return to London, Lil,” he admitted, reluctantly pulling away from her mouth. “I want everything to be perfect for you. I didn’t want you to come here and be disappointed.” He held her face tenderly and touched his lips softly to hers. Once, twice, again…
“Someone’s coming,” Lilly whispered. Growling in frustration, he pushed himself off the bed and pulled her up to stand.
Turning to the vanity mirror, Lilly smoothed out her dress and then tucked a few wayward strands behind her ears. Michael ran his own hands down the front of his jacket but realized they’d likely not fool anyone.
A few of her hairpins remained on the center of the bed, which was now rumpled as well.
“Knock, knock.” Her mother’s voice sang through the open door as she pushed it open wide. Aunt Eleanor, Miss Crone, and Miss Harris were right behind her. “Lord Danbury gave us instructions to Lilly’s room. We thought we would locate her before finding our way downstairs for tea.”
Both Mrs. Bridge and Lady Eleanor glanced knowingly at the rumpled counterpane, and then Lady Eleanor raised her brows questioningly.
Lilly, who appeared somewhat rumpled as well, flushed under her mother’s scrutiny.
Michael walked across the room and indicated the view outside the window. “This room has one of the best views on the estate.” He’d had to turn away quickly in an attempt to subdue his own arousal. Stealing his thoughts, he imagined himself swimming in very cold water. “If you look beyond the forest, you might get a glimpse of the sea.”
“Captain Redmond, your estate is absolutely divine!” Miss Crone sang.
“After being in the carriage for two days, I cannot wait to walk around and explore,” Miss Harris chimed in as they reached around each other to take in the view.
Michael glanced over his shoulder and saw Mrs. Bridge was sending him a definitively icy stare. “Captain Redmond”—she spoke in a clipped voice—“would you step into the corridor so I might have a word with you?”
It wasn’t a question. It was more of a command.
Even though Michael intended to ask for Lilly’s hand when her father arrived, he realized that now, more than ever, he must defer to her family’s sensibilities. He did not wish to sully their relationship in any way. He also wanted to have a good rapport with his future in-laws.
“Of course, madam.” He followed her out of the room.
Once they had exited into the sparsely decorated hallway, she closed the door and faced him.
“I realize, of course, my husband is not present to do whatever it is men do to defend their daughters. But I assure you that Lilly—Miss Bridge to you, sir—will not be taken advantage of without severe repercussions. She is a gentlewoman, Captain, and I insist you treat her as such. If there are any…any…further improprieties at this house party, than we shall pack up the carriages and depart as quickly as we arrived.” Mrs. Bridge had worked herself into something of a temper. In the past, she had always been quiet and amenable.
Michael quite respected this side of Mrs. Bridge. There were not many women who would take on an army captain so handily.
“Is that understood, Captain Redmond?” she asked firmly.
Michael stared her straight in the eyes and answered in the affirmative. “Please accept my apology, madam. You have every right to expect proper behavior from me. I respect your daughter immensely and would never willingly do anything to tarnish her reputation.” He paused a moment to choose his words. “I would reassure you my intentions are honorable toward your daughter.” Ruefully, he glanced toward Lilly’s chamber. “Despite earlier…evidence…I will admit that it has been…somewhat—” Captain Redmond cleared his throat, which suddenly felt as though it were closing up. “—difficult to not see Li—Miss Bridge…as it were…”
Mrs. Bridge narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
“Honorable intentions?” she asked, expecting more of an explanation.
Michael took her hands in his and affirmed, “Very honorable.”
After contemplating him for a long moment, she nodded, seeming to find his response acceptable. “Well then.” She cleared her throat. “That’s all well and good then.” With that, she turned away and reentered the bedroom.
With Mrs. Bridge gone, Michael discovered his heart was beating rapidly. This surprised him, and yet, he had just declared himself to her mother.
He’d been stupidly reckless to lie upon that bed with Lilly. Admittedly, it had been she who had tackled him in an abandoned display of exuberance and passion. A wry smile twisted his face. Touching one another again had stoked them both into a blazing inferno.
That was no excuse, however. He would need to keep his—and her—impulses under better control.
Overhearing the ladies chatting and laughing within the room, he decided it was a good time to search out Harris and Danbury.
He strode down the hallway with a little extra bounce in his steps.
Lilly was here.
****
The next morning, Lilly appeared delightful and prim in the scarlet riding habit she had told him she’d purchased special for this occasion. Her hat tilted to the side, and a jaunty feather caressed one side of her face.
The younger guests were to venture out on horseback and explore the estate. Lilly, Michael knew, had no experience riding, so he’d acquired a gentle, well-mannered mare for her. He planned to teach her. It was a pleasure of his, and he wished her to share it with him.
Lilly’s hand tucked into his arm as they strolled to the stables, and although she was smiling, she was quiet. Michael, himself, had been more reserved the night before in attempt to quell her mother’s concerns.
“You’re not nervous about riding, are you?” he asked.
“Oh, a little, I suppose. Although I am looking forward to it.”
They continued walking toward the stable, an unusual silence between them.
“You are out of humor with me?” Michael asked, attempting to decipher the cause of this uncommon lack of chatter on her part. Not that Lilly talked more than she ought, but she usually bubbled with enthusiasm. He’d grown used to her gaiety, her normally effervescent personality. “You are unwell?”
Lilly dropped his arm and stepped away from him. She then glanced all around, not wanting to be overheard, took a deep breath and said, “I have been too forward, too loose with you. My mother says I ought to be ashamed. She says if I continue in the manner I have, then—I—you will, well, you will not respect me. You will decide I am—that I am—” Obviously distraught from her mother’s words, she refused to meet his gaze. Instead, she stared off across the fields.
Her mother had chastised her.
She had embraced Michael on a bed.
She had thrown herself o
n him.
He had loved every moment of it!
Michael grasped her shoulders and turned her to look at him. He then spread his legs wide, lowering his height, so he could see directly into her eyes. He massaged her shoulders and then slid his hands down her arms.
Tension emanated from her. She was doing her best to hold back tears.
The last thing in the world he wanted was for her to be unhappy.
“Ah, love”—yes, love—“I love your passion. All of this is new and, in truth, perhaps even…frightening for you. It is for me.” He swallowed hard as he searched for the right words to explain himself. This was uncharted territory. “When I see you, I ache to touch you. I ache to kiss you. I want to do much more than that. You are the first thought in my mind when I wake and the last before I sleep.” He smiled ruefully at her. “Remember? I am your captive…” He tipped her chin up to be sure she listened with her heart. “I think you feel the same for me?” At her nearly imperceptible nod, he continued, “This is love that we share, Lilly. Please don’t be ashamed. Never be ashamed with me.”
Lilly placed one hand along his jaw. “It is love, isn’t it?”
This time Michael nodded.
“But I think,” he said, “we shall have to practice more discretion, especially when your mother is about.”
“It is so very hard.” Lilly sighed. “When I am not with you, all I think of is you. When I am with you, I ache to touch you. And the more I keep myself from touching you, the more I want to!” She paused and then said, “This ‘loving’ business isn’t as easy as one might think!”
Michael laughed. She spoke without airs. What a gift it was to have found a woman who spoke plainly to him. Lilly was never coy. She was merely Lilly.
His Lilly.
He considered asking for her hand that very moment, but propriety demanded he speak to her father first. He would obtain the gentleman’s permission and blessing. Lilly loved her family very much, and he did not wish to create any animosity. He’d already, obviously, given her mother cause for concern.
“Is it uncomfortable for you as well?” Lilly asked him.
Michael thought about the numerous times he’d found himself deuced uncomfortable. “It is, Lilly, for me as well.”
Chapter Ten
Enchantment
After one day riding, Lilly was truly and completely hooked. Sitting high off the ground, flying along the pasture, she experienced a freedom unlike anything she’d imagined. But that was not what enchanted her.
Trusting the horse, talking to her horse—depending upon her so completely—created an experience that seemed to be of another world.
She had never been allowed a pet. Her father believed animals were meant to dwell out of doors. If they did not provide food or labor, they weren’t worth the cost of their keep. Such being the case, Lilly had never experienced the unconditional love an animal has for its master.
Michael had found the perfect mare for her. She was named Willow.
Neither very young nor very old, she had lovely manners and a gentle spirit. As Lilly spent time with Willow, she realized the mare not only allowed herself to be ridden but seemed to enjoy the affectionate pats Lilly placed on her neck. The horse even nuzzled her when she brought carrots to the stables. At one point, Lilly found herself talking to the horse, petting the beautiful creature and placing a kiss on her head while out riding. This new sport was yet another aspect she anticipated while daydreaming about her future with Michael. Only it no longer felt like a daydream. It was beginning to feel more like a plan. Like her and Michael’s plan—both of their dreams—coming together.
And to preserve that dream, they needed to behave.
The last night of the house party, after dinner and a lively game of charades, the older women announced that everybody ought to retire. As they planned to depart early the next morning, a good night’s rest would not go amiss.
Lilly doubted she would sleep at all. Michael was not travelling with them. He needed to stay on for a few days before returning to London. At the thought of being separated, once again, her heart hurt. It physically pained her.
Long after the maid had brushed and braided her hair and then been dismissed for the night, restlessness kept Lilly awake. She tried closing her eyes and imagining the flowers she wished to plant at Edgewater Heights but found that only increased her angst. After grappling with herself for what felt like hours, she donned her dressing gown and tiptoed out of her room.
The moon was full and high that night, shining through the large windows to illuminate her way as she padded down the stairs.
It was a warm evening, and she needed fresh air. Even with windows kept open, the house was yet a little stuffy from the heat of the day.
Yes, this was exactly what she needed.
Hoping the large main door wouldn’t creak, Lilly lifted the latch and slipped outside.
She inhaled the balmy air gratefully and wandered around on the lawn. The gradual slope of the hill might just be steep enough…Oh, surely it was!
She traipsed over the rise of a hill and then lay down in the cool dry grass.
Feeling impulsive and childlike and free, she turned her body sideways. She was going to roll to the bottom. Propelling herself at first, the momentum of the slope gradually increased her speed. For a split second, her heart raced as she rapidly descended.
As one always does, however, upon reaching the bottom of a hill, Lilly lost momentum, and she rolled to a gradual stop.
Oh, that was delightful, she thought, sitting up.
Lilly bounced to her feet and returned to the top of the hill to do it again.
****
Michael had acquired the habit of staying up later than his guests. Sleep did not come easy knowing Lilly slept under the same roof. And it was imperative that they wait.
The first night, he had read up on new agricultural technologies. The next evening, he caught up on correspondence with distant friends with whom he had served in the war. He’d been quite productive, really, over the course of the entire week.
This last night would be no different. In fact, it was bittersweet. For the next time he returned to Edgewater Heights, he planned on bringing a wife—Lilly.
He did not know when that would be.
Would her father require a long engagement? God, Michael hoped not. They would likely travel to Portsmouth for the wedding. He also felt compelled to take Lilly to Summers Park to meet his father and brother.
Michael chuckled to himself.
He actually anticipated making such an introduction. Smiling ruefully at his own enthusiasm, he finished off his port intending to retire for the night.
But as he lifted the candle, it flickered. And the front door squeaked. The latch was old and tended to creak. What the devil?
He closed the study door behind him and went to investigate.
He’d not imagined it. The front door was now unlatched. Testing it, Michael peered outside and, just as he was closing it again, glimpsed a flash of a white nightgown and flaxen hair, illuminated by the moonlight.
He blew out his candle, shut the door behind him, and ambled in the direction she’d disappeared. What the hell was she doing running around in the middle of the night in her nightclothes? She was barefoot as well!
But when he realized what she was doing, he nearly burst out laughing.
Obviously, Lilly experienced sleeplessness as well.
He waited, watched her roll down the hill again, and then ran effortlessly down the hill to catch her.
This time, before she stopped rolling, Michael threw himself onto the ground in her path.
At their collision, she gasped in fright. “Oh, Michael, you scared me to death!” She was breathless, and blades of grass were caught in her hair.
Her eyes shone. Michael was very close to her, their bodies touching, shoulders to toes.
“I scared you?” Michael attempted to be stern. “I look out my front door and see a ghostly ap
parition, resembling my most honored guest, Lilly Bridge, levitating through the grass of my front lawn, and she says I gave her a fright?” He loved looking at her. His gaze touched all the places he’d like to taste.
Lilly stilled. She smiled at him and then grimaced. “I couldn’t sleep. It was so very hot today, and all I could think was we are leaving tomorrow and I have enjoyed this visit more than anything in the entire world. Once outside, the grass felt so cool, and then I lay down. And then I realized I was on the hill and remembered how I wished I could roll down it earlier and so…” She made little swirly motions in the air with her fingers and looked at him smugly. Her eyes danced with merriment. “When guests come to stay, they can entertain themselves by rolling. It will be great fun, and everybody will want to visit us.”
He liked the sound of that. Their guests…
So much so that…“Are you up for an adventure?” He had shown everyone the stream which meandered through the property, but they hadn’t made it to the waterfall and pond.
“Oh, yes, Michael. I could stay up all night. If I did that, then perhaps I will sleep in the coach tomorrow.”
“Come with me then.” He assisted her to her feet.
Stopping at the small groundskeeper’s house nearby, he gathered a few blankets he had stored there and then locked the door behind him. Lilly was curious but did not ask any questions. He tucked the blankets beneath one arm, took her hand with the other, and led her onto a hidden path.
Except the path was laid with crushed rocks.
And Lilly was barefoot. Taking stock of the situation, he handed her the blankets and scooped her into his arms. “Hold tight, love.”
Lilly put one arm around him, and with the blankets tucked on her lap, she reached her other hand over and placed it on his chest.
Before long, the sound of the waterfall grew louder, crescendoing when they reached the edge of the pond.
Keeping hold of her still, Michael lowered her feet to the ground.
“Up for a swim?” He grinned, anxious for her reaction.
Lily’s eyes went wide when she glanced at the pond. Even though the moon was full, the water looked dark and cold.
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