Page 80 of Give Him a Chance

Chapter Fifteen

June 4, 1841

“Oh, Lucy…”

Lucy tried not to combust as Bernard’s words were whispered in her ear, but honestly, would anyone blame her?

The man was, after all, nuzzling her neck as he drifted kisses down it. He was pressing her into the sofa, his wide chest pinning her down in a delicious manner. His hands were on her hips, caressing her through her gown, which was most inconveniently making it impossible for him to touch her bare skin.

What was a lady to do?

“Bernard, we mustn’t—”

“Your brother won’t be back for ages,” came Bernard’s murmur as he delicately kissed her just under her ear.

Lucy shivered. Perhaps so, but she was certain respectable young ladies were not supposed to allow themselves to be ravished on a sofa by their intended before the wedding day.

Not that they had spoken of such details—but they would. When the time was right. She would just have to wait until then and suffer through the continuous ravishing.

It was a hard life.

“I love you, Lucy,” Bernard murmured, lifting his head briefly before pressing a kiss upon her lips.

Lucy eagerly accepted the kiss, acceptedhiskiss, luxuriated in the knowledge she had never been so happy. This man was everything she wanted, everything she needed. Soon, they would have their own home, where they could enjoy ravishing one another on the sofa whenever they wanted. Until then…

Her breath hitched in her throat as Bernard’s fingers tugged up the hem of her skirts. “Bernard, we can’t—not here!”

“I don’t see anyone else using this drawing room,” came his confident and heady reply.

“Bernard,” Lucy whispered, half in chastisement, half as encouragement.

Well. It wasn’t her fault that he was so attentive, so attractive, so dazzlingly—

The door burst open and Bernard jerked away from her. Lucy desperately tried to ascertain whether or not her hair was adequately pinned as she lurched upright, tugging her hem down and hoping to goodness her cheeks didn’t look pink. If her parents, who were due any time now, even guessed—

Her brother smirked. “Hallo, you two. What are you up to?”

“Reading,” Bernard said quickly.

“Just talking,” Lucy said just as quickly.

Oh, bother. They really should have agreed on some sort of explanation for all this.

Percy looked from one of them to the other, a smile on his face. “Oh, really?”

“Talking about what we’d just read,” Lucy said swiftly, giving her brother a brief smile before turning to Bernard and widening her eyes just slightly as she said, “Wordsworth again, wasn’t it, Mr. Dixon?”

“Oh, you don’t have to call him that around me, I know you call him ‘Bernard,’” said Percy with a snort as he stepped fully into the room and dropped onto an armchair. “And why not?Dixon here has become almost like a brother to us, hasn’t he? Truly become a part of the family.”

Lucy did not say anything.No, absolutely not like a brother to me…

“I suppose our parents will be back any moment now,” her brother continued as Bernard attempted to look interested and not cross his legs over—

Lucy stifled a giggle.Oh, dear.

“Their letter was very clear that they were returning today,” Percy said with a sigh. “Goodness knows why. I’m not even sure why Mama and Papa and all the uncles and aunts had to meet at Stanphrey Lacey, anyway.”

Ah, an opportunity for diversion. Excellent.“You never know,” Lucy said seriously, picking up the abandoned embroidery that had been substituted for the far more interesting Bernard Dixon. “Perhaps Papa is considering giving up his title.”