Lillian's Light Horseman by Jasmine Hill Page B

downstairs when you’re ready.”
    With the conversation obviously over, Mrs. Thompson bustled back out of the room, leaving Lillian to her breakfast.
    Lillian smiled to herself as she poured some tea and buttered a slice of freshly baked bread. For so long she’d looked after other people—her mother when she was sick, to a certain extent her father, then, after him, her dear aunt. It was nice to be looked after for a change, even if only for a little while. She still felt guilty about being in bed when everyone else was up and about, but she consoled herself with the thought that the longer she stayed in her room, the longer she could put off seeing William and delay what was sure to be an uncomfortable encounter.
    She was finishing her breakfast and preparing to face the day ahead when she was startled by a sharp rap on the door. Before she could say anything, the man whom she’d so recently been distressing over strode casually into the room. Her breath hitched and her heart rate beat in double time when she took in his magnificent physique. He was dressed in fitted jodhpurs and a blue cotton shirt that stretched across the hard muscles of his chest and shoulders.
    Nerves and a rippling current of desire had her hands trembling as she placed the breakfast tray on her bedside table. She sat back in bed and trained her eyes on her lap, trying to regulate her breathing.
    “How are you this morning, Lilly?” he asked.
    His deep voice washed over her like a sensuous caress, pebbling her nipples and sending shivers rippling down her spine.
    “I’m very well,” she muttered, still averting her eyes. She felt him move closer to the bed and she stiffened in alarm. She had no idea how to behave after the intimacy between them the previous evening and a deep flush suffused her cheeks.
    She heard William drag a chair closer to her bedside and settle himself into it, but still she refused to look at him.
    Moments passed in silence, making the air between them heavy and awkward. Lillian picked nervously at a stray thread on her counterpane as she waited for William to say something. When he did, it was so sudden and harsh that it took her breath away.
    “Look at me, Lillian!” he demanded.
    She snapped her head up and her eyes shot to his in surprise.
    “Are you that ashamed of what happened between us last night?” he asked, his eyes narrowed.
    “N-no,” she said breathlessly. “A little embarrassed perhaps. It was very”—she waved a hand in the air, searching desperately for the right word—“intimate.”
    Her face flushed hotly at the admission. She hadn’t ever expected to talk about what they’d shared, but obviously, William had other ideas. She dropped her head once more to stare at her clasped hands.
    William cupped her chin and tilted her head up so that she was looking into his eyes.
    “There is nothing to be embarrassed about, Lilly. If anyone is to be embarrassed, it should be me. I shouldn’t have lost control. I shouldn’t have taken you like that. I can’t regret it, however. You’ve been in my dreams for a long time and last night I selfishly took what I’ve so long desired.”
    Her breath caught in her throat. “I thought that you were ashamed of what we did—of me.”
    He sucked in a sharp breath and his eyes glinted dangerously.
    “Don’t ever think that,” he bit out. “I’ve wanted you for as long as I can remember. I would never feel ashamed of you. I’m ashamed of myself for not taking more care.”
    He was still grasping her chin, refusing to allow her to look away from him.
    “When are your courses due?” he asked quietly.
    If Lillian had felt embarrassment before, she now felt acute mortification. Her body trembled with the sensation and she flushed a deep scarlet.
    “P-pardon me?”
    “I realize that the question seems…indelicate, but I need to know,” he said gently.
    Sudden realization dawned and she was astounded that she hadn’t thought of the possibility