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 Iamwith you, Iache 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.”
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 acquiredthe 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.
