Read Lady Farquhar's Butterfly for Free Online Page B

smile died
on his lips as he halted once more, putting his hands on her
shoulders to turn her towards him and asking quietly, ‘I really
would like you to come, Olivia.’
    ‘Well, yes, I—
what are you doing?’ For suddenly Max’s manner had become quite
altered, his expression decisive as he caged her hand which had
been lying loosely upon his arm, his footsteps purposeful as he
marched her to the copse of trees which bordered the formal garden.
Olivia had to run to keep up.
    ‘Taking you
deep into the shelter of those trees over there so we will not be
observed from the house, or spied upon by my sister who has
suddenly decided to prune the roses, by the looks of things.’
    ‘Oh,’ said
Olivia, faintly, as she found herself shielded from the house by
the thick trunk of a large elm tree on one side and Max’s solid
broad chest on the other.
    ‘Oh!’ she said
again, as his right hand deftly untied the ribbons of her bonnet.
Tossing it aside, his lips curved in a confident, appreciative
smile as he drew her against him.
    ‘Oh …’ It was
a final murmur of surrender as she melted into him.
    She felt her
legs give way and her heart seemed to liquefy as his lips brushed
hers, his fingers twining in the curls at the nape of her neck.
    It was a soft,
languorous kiss, too quickly over.
    ‘Lovely
Olivia,’ he whispered. He held her away from him, observing her
with tenderness. She didn’t realize she was straining to move back
into his embrace until he laughed, cupping her face and bringing
his mouth back to hers.
    Sighing,
Olivia gave herself up to the unexpected, long-missed pleasure of
being kissed by a man who knew how to stir her senses.
    How many years
since she had last felt desire? She’d forgotten how much she
enjoyed surrendering to a sensuality over which she had no control,
of casting away her inhibitions. His chest felt solid and
dependable pressed against hers, his arms strong and safe around
her, and he smelt good. Of sandalwood soap and horses.
    ‘Darling
Olivia,’ he murmured, kissing her gently once more for good
measure. ‘You have a most extraordinary effect on me.’ He shook his
head as if to clear it.
    ‘Mmm.’ Olivia
smiled and bit her lip, making no move to pull away. She was
disappointed when he released her with a sigh so as to retrieve her
discarded bonnet, but she laughed as he fumbled with the ribbons he
tried tying beneath her chin.
    ‘All thumbs,’
she said, as once again he tucked her hand into the crook of his
arm and stood looking down at her with a proprietary air.
    ‘I suppose
you’re too much the soldier.’
    ‘With a
longing for the comforts of hearth and home. My soldiering days are
well and truly past.’
    She felt a
chill and knew the time was nearly upon her that she must leave
before she revealed too much of what she truly felt.
    However his
tone was light as he added, ‘Though I daresay one can never quite
escape one’s past, can one?’
    ‘I daresay one
can’t,’ Olivia said softly, as she matched her footsteps to his,
her pleasure in the moment gone.
    The pine
needles were soft and slippery underfoot and once Olivia fell
against him. The sloping snow-dusted lawn, now in full sunlight,
lay just ahead of them.
    Max turned and
again took Olivia by the shoulders, his expression pleading.
‘Please say you’ll stay for my very grand entertainment?’ Longing
gripped her, despite her foreboding. For the first time in months
she’d had thoughts other than Julian. She’d fallen asleep in this
man’s arms, revelling in the warmth of his embrace as much as the
happy knowledge that her son lay sleeping nearby.
    And now, once
again, she’d surrendered to her instincts rather than reason and
allowed her weak, fallible body to enjoy the pleasure of the moment
with no thought for the consequences.
    When would she
learn?
    But what could
she say? When he was looking at her in a way that made her heart
feel near to bursting with happiness and she wanted to hurl