sounded
rusty, as though he hadn’t laughed at anything in a very, very long time.
“Bacon-brained fatwit ?” he repeated, tilting his head
to the side.
Lily shrugged. “It was the only thing I
could think of.”
“Are you not in the habit of slinging
insults?”
“No,” she said, biting back a smile.
“Not precisely. I fear you bring out the worst in me.” In more ways than you can possibly imagine , she added silently.
Guilt weighed heavily on her shoulders, but she shoved it aside. She
could not afford to feel guilty. Not if she wanted to do what needed to be
done.
But how? Planning on losing her virginity was far different than
actually doing the deed. Lily was accustomed to doing things herself, but she
feared this was one of the few things she would be unable to accomplish solely
on her own. She would need James’ cooperation – his willing cooperation – if she wanted to set her plan in
motion. Which meant she needed to stop insulting the man and start seducing
him. Resolving herself to go through with the dirty deed, she did a quick
glance around the room, taking stock of her surroundings.
Mr. Betram was curled up beneath the kitchen table, his soft rhythmic snores indicating he
was sound asleep. Outside the small, cozy confines of the cottage snow
continued to fall, banking up against the door and windows. There was no doubt
about it. They would be stranded here for the remainder of the day and night…
with no hope of leaving until morning.
“I am cold,” she said abruptly.
Lifting up one of the heavy wing
chairs, James positioned it until it sat directly in front of the hearth.
“Sit,” he said, gesturing with his arm before he stepped back. “I have to go
find more firewood. There is not enough to get us through the night.”
Lily froze halfway to the chair. “You
are leaving ?” she asked
incredulously.
“I should not be gone long. I noticed a
shed not far from here on our ride in. It most likely is part of the same
estate this cottage belongs to, and may have wood inside it. I will not be gone
long,” he repeated, frowning at her expression. “You needn’t be afraid.”
“I am not afraid . I… Well, I…” But of course she couldn’t give voice to the
real reason she wanted James to stay – just imagining it forced a
horrified chuckle past her lips. Excuse
me, but you cannot go anywhere because I need to seduce you. Why? Well, because
I need you to take my virginity. Why? So you will feel obliged to marry me and
my inheritance stays with my mother and sister instead of going to horrible
Cousin Eustace. Oh, and by the by, all of this needs to be done before
Christmas. Pressing the back of her hand to her mouth, Lily sank into the
wing chair and stared blindly into the fire. Another bubble of panicked
laughter threatened, but she swallowed it down. Out of the corner of her eye
she saw James hesitate at the door, twin lines of concern digging grooves into
the corners of his chin.
“Go on,” she said with a flippant wave
of her hand. “Mr. Betram and I will be fine.”
“Do not go outside,” he said sternly.
Lily twisted in her chair to face him,
digging her fingers into the dusty upholstery. “Outside?” she echoed. She
forced a smile. “I fear only bacon-brained fatwits would dare go outside in this weather.”
The walls of the cottage reverberated
as James slammed the door behind him.
CHAPTER EIGHT
James struck out blindly into the snow,
squinting into the wall of white and doing his best to forge a straight line.
He kept an old decaying oak tree on his left. A short, fanned out mulberry on his right. Sucking in the cold, clear air by the
mouthful he doubled over a short distance from the cottage, bracing his forearm
across his knees and drawing a ragged breath.
There was no wood to gather. A box
built into the wall next to the hearth housed more firewood than could be
burned all winter. It had been an excuse. An excuse
rusty, as though he hadn’t laughed at anything in a very, very long time.
“Bacon-brained fatwit ?” he repeated, tilting his head
to the side.
Lily shrugged. “It was the only thing I
could think of.”
“Are you not in the habit of slinging
insults?”
“No,” she said, biting back a smile.
“Not precisely. I fear you bring out the worst in me.” In more ways than you can possibly imagine , she added silently.
Guilt weighed heavily on her shoulders, but she shoved it aside. She
could not afford to feel guilty. Not if she wanted to do what needed to be
done.
But how? Planning on losing her virginity was far different than
actually doing the deed. Lily was accustomed to doing things herself, but she
feared this was one of the few things she would be unable to accomplish solely
on her own. She would need James’ cooperation – his willing cooperation – if she wanted to set her plan in
motion. Which meant she needed to stop insulting the man and start seducing
him. Resolving herself to go through with the dirty deed, she did a quick
glance around the room, taking stock of her surroundings.
Mr. Betram was curled up beneath the kitchen table, his soft rhythmic snores indicating he
was sound asleep. Outside the small, cozy confines of the cottage snow
continued to fall, banking up against the door and windows. There was no doubt
about it. They would be stranded here for the remainder of the day and night…
with no hope of leaving until morning.
“I am cold,” she said abruptly.
Lifting up one of the heavy wing
chairs, James positioned it until it sat directly in front of the hearth.
“Sit,” he said, gesturing with his arm before he stepped back. “I have to go
find more firewood. There is not enough to get us through the night.”
Lily froze halfway to the chair. “You
are leaving ?” she asked
incredulously.
“I should not be gone long. I noticed a
shed not far from here on our ride in. It most likely is part of the same
estate this cottage belongs to, and may have wood inside it. I will not be gone
long,” he repeated, frowning at her expression. “You needn’t be afraid.”
“I am not afraid . I… Well, I…” But of course she couldn’t give voice to the
real reason she wanted James to stay – just imagining it forced a
horrified chuckle past her lips. Excuse
me, but you cannot go anywhere because I need to seduce you. Why? Well, because
I need you to take my virginity. Why? So you will feel obliged to marry me and
my inheritance stays with my mother and sister instead of going to horrible
Cousin Eustace. Oh, and by the by, all of this needs to be done before
Christmas. Pressing the back of her hand to her mouth, Lily sank into the
wing chair and stared blindly into the fire. Another bubble of panicked
laughter threatened, but she swallowed it down. Out of the corner of her eye
she saw James hesitate at the door, twin lines of concern digging grooves into
the corners of his chin.
“Go on,” she said with a flippant wave
of her hand. “Mr. Betram and I will be fine.”
“Do not go outside,” he said sternly.
Lily twisted in her chair to face him,
digging her fingers into the dusty upholstery. “Outside?” she echoed. She
forced a smile. “I fear only bacon-brained fatwits would dare go outside in this weather.”
The walls of the cottage reverberated
as James slammed the door behind him.
CHAPTER EIGHT
James struck out blindly into the snow,
squinting into the wall of white and doing his best to forge a straight line.
He kept an old decaying oak tree on his left. A short, fanned out mulberry on his right. Sucking in the cold, clear air by the
mouthful he doubled over a short distance from the cottage, bracing his forearm
across his knees and drawing a ragged breath.
There was no wood to gather. A box
built into the wall next to the hearth housed more firewood than could be
burned all winter. It had been an excuse. An excuse
Similar Books
