by Merry Farmer
“Oh,” she whispered, her lips tingling.
“There’s more where that came from,” Owen whispered. “Come out for a picnic with me after church on Sunday and I’ll show you.”
Millie could only nod in answer. She was too happy for words. Her throat squeezed tight with the strength of the love she felt for Owen. Love that had come over her so quickly, but was truer than any she’d ever felt before. Yes, she owed Bonnie and the others a very long letter of thanks for sending her to Cornwall.
Owen stood and went back to his work with a final wink. Millie sighed, feeling as though she could conquer the world. Even the flicker of embarrassment she felt when she spotted Ginny grinning at her from the other side of the ballroom was nothing to the joy in her heart. She had a friend and she had a man who treated her well. What more could she ask for?
CHAPTER 6
O wen had never really believed his da’s insistence that there came a time in a man’s life when he changed from being a boy to a man. But as he sat in church that Sunday, paying more attention to the back of Millie’s head than the vicar’s sermon, he was convinced his da was right after all. Because instead of dreaming about the things he could buy with the money that being a mine foreman would earn him, or the respect his fellow men would give him, all he could think about was how soon he could afford a house and how many children he wanted.
“And so, let us end our service today with Hymn 74, ‘This is My Father’s World’.” The vicar finished his service, and the congregation stood.
Owen grinned as he imagined the day when he and Millie would sit side by side, closer to the front of the church, instead of with Starcross Castle’s staff, the men separated from the women by a wide aisle and several rows. Thoughts of the future lifted his heart, and so he lifted his voice to match, singing the simple hymn with feeling.
“Was that you I heard singing?” Millie asked several minutes later, as they made their way out of the church and over to the shady tree in the corner of the church yard where he’d left their picnic basket.
“Why?” Owen asked. “Did you like the singing?”
Millie giggled, the blush on her fair cheeks so pretty that Owen wanted to take her face in his hands and kiss her right there, church or no.
“I did like it,” she said. “You have a beautiful voice.”
Owen shrugged, sending her a sly grin. “All Welshmen have fine voices. It’s in the water of the Welsh hills. We take it in with our mother’s milk.”
They reached the tree, and he bent to scoop up the basket that the cook, Mrs. Harmon, had put together for them. Millie picked up the blanket she’d brought, and they strolled back toward the path, where the rest of the congregation was leaving the church and heading home.
“I like the things you say.” Millie’s smile was as bright as the sun. “I’ve never heard a man say anything so pretty before.”
“Ah.” Owen nodded. “That’s because poetry flows through a Welshman’s blood just as music flows through his soul.”
Millie laughed, and Owen puffed with pride that he could make her happy.
At least until her smile faltered. The moment the light left her eyes, he looked around to see what had caused the cloud to pass over her sun. It wasn’t hard to find.
At the edge of the church yard, where the path met the road, Lord William was stepping down from a carriage. It was no surprise that the man hadn’t attended church, but what made Owen uneasy was that he was there at all. Unless it was to find some new and heinous way to torment Millie. It rankled Owen that the blackguard lord had set his sights on Millie, and that there wasn’t much he could do about it. At least, until Lord Dunsford returned from London.
But no, Lord William wasn’t there to single Millie out or try to speak to her. He didn’t even look at her. He merely stood beside his carriage, watching the parishioners leaving church.
“I don’t care if it’s disloyal of me, but I do not like that man,” Owen said under his breath as they passed out onto the main road and started walking away. “Why can’t he mind his own business?”
Millie didn’t answer. She glanced down at her feet as they walked on, as if she knew the answer to his question.
Curiosity burned in Owen’s chest, but that was pushed aside when he spotted Jane at the edge of the church yard. She stood with her arms crossed, a dark look on her face. When Owen met her eyes, she tilted her chin up and walked away.
Toward Lord William.
Frowning, Owen cast one final glance over his shoulder. He could only hope Jane was not truly headed for Lord William, or that, once Lord William moved away from his carriage, he was going to intercept Jane. Hope was all he had, though. He was forced to pay attention to the road as a pair of running children nearly collided with him and Millie.
It was several more minutes of walking before the ominous mood dissipated.
“We shouldn’t let the likes of them bother us,” Owen said, even though neither he nor Millie had admitted outright that Lord William, Jane, and the idea of the two of them in league was worrisome. Neither he nor Millie had to say a thing to know what they were both thinking. “It’s a fine, beautiful day, and we have a picnic to tend to.”
He reached out with his free hand to take Millie’s. That brought the smile back to her face.
“I shouldn’t worry so much,” she said. “Lord William makes me nervous, but I’ve dealt with his like before.”
“Really?” Owen tried to make his tone light. “And I take it you won all of your dealings with those likes?”
Millie let out a laugh that wasn’t entirely humorous. “I’m still alive,” she said, peeking sideways at him with a look beyond her years. “And that’s more than some others can say.”
Owen’s curiosity intensified to a deeper concern. He’d accepted that Millie’s life in America had been unhappy, that she’d come to England to get away from someone, but it hadn’t occurred to him that her life might have been dangerous. Knowing that made him want to fight someone, fight for her.
Instead, he forced himself to take a deep breath. “You’re here now,” he said. “All that is an ocean away. I say that instead of dwelling on the unhappy past, we make the most of this joyful day.”
Millie’s smile brightened like the sun coming out from behind the clouds. “You’re right,” she said. “The past is the past, and the present is now.”
“And the future is right around the corner,” he added with a flicker of his eyebrows.
Millie turned bright pink as he squeezed her hand.
The Cornish countryside was full of picnic spots, but Owen kept walking for more than half an hour. There was a particular spot where he wanted to have his sunny afternoon with Millie—a secluded grove beside the ruins of an ancient house, with a view of the ocean. Millie gasped in surprise and delight as he led her to the soft patch of grass that must have been some medieval squire’s lawn. They spread their blanket and unpacked their picnic with nothing but the distant sound of the ocean and the call of birds to disturb them.
“I’m flattered that you would go to all the trouble to find such a beautiful spot,” Millie said as she took the sandwiches wrapped in paper out of the picnic basket.
“I’d go through a great deal more trouble for you, Millie Horner,” Owen told her, handing her one of the bottles of lemonade from the basket.
“I can’t imagine why,” she said with a vixenish grin.
She was teasing him and fishing for a compliment, so he gave it to her. “It’s because I like you. Quite a bit.” He winked.
Millie laughed and unwrapped her sandwich. As they ate their meal, Owen couldn’t remember a time when he’d been so happy. It sent his thoughts soaring into the future, wondering if he could make this happiness last forever.
“I want to know more about America,” he said when their sandwiches were almost gone. “I’ve never been there, but it’s your home.”
Millie shook her head. “This is my home now.”
; “Fair enough.” Owen nodded. “I’d still like to know about America, though. Especially the ways that American mines work, since I plan to be running a Cornish mine soon.”
Millie’s sunny joy shifted to thoughtfulness. “Well, I spent the last few years living in Haskell, Wyoming. There are no mines there, just ranches.”
“And what is a ranch like?”
“In Wyoming?” Millie glanced across the rolling green landscape to the ocean. “Flat. Very flat. With lots of ugly, black cattle.” She paused, tilting her head to the side. “Although the ranch hands always spoke so fondly of the cattle. They said they were gentle creatures.” She looked back to Owen. “But I’ll tell you a secret. They scare me.”
Owen felt as though someone had poured liquid warmth through him. She was confiding in him. “Why?”
“Because they’re so big,” she explained, then laughed and shook her head. “It seems so silly to be afraid of them now.”
“Not at all.” Owen downed the last of his lemonade, then gestured to her with the bottle. “It’s smart to be anxious of something bigger than you.”
Millie settled back on her elbows and smirked at him. “Are you telling me you’re afraid of things that are bigger than you?”
“I’m concerned about them,” he admitted with a grin, playing along with her teasing. “I’m concerned about whether Lord Dunsford will see his way to hiring me to be the foreman of one of his mines. I’m concerned about doing a good job if I am given the position. And I’m concerned about providing a comfortable life for those who are important to me.”
“And who is important to you?” she asked, her lashes fluttering fetchingly.
He raised an eyebrow. “Lass, I think you know the answer to that.”
She shrugged and blushed and plucked at the grass at the edge of their blanket. “I wouldn’t want to presume.”
“Presume all you’d like.” He set his bottle aside, then moved the picnic basket out from between the two of them so that he could scoot closer to her side. “I’m going to need someone to build a life with, after all.”
Millie’s teasing expression changed to pink-cheeked surprise. “Really?” she whispered, sitting straight.
“Truly,” he answered. As soon as she was upright, he shifted her into his arms. “I’m going to need someone strong and brave to stand by my side. Someone who knows what it’s like to start something new, to move beyond the circumstances of her birth.”
“Oh.” Her voice fluttered, but her gaze was steady as ever.
“You don’t know where I might find someone like that, do you?”
She blinked rapidly, giving him the impression she was fighting tears. But there wasn’t a hint of sadness about her, only joy. She lifted a hand to draw her fingertips across his cheek, studying him. The softness of her touch sent a powerful jolt of need through him that had his body vibrating with desire in seconds. The sensations coursing through him were so strong that his mind warned him to back away before it was too late.
At least, that’s what his mind tried to say until Millie leaned toward him, bringing her lips to his. Fire coursed through him as the scent of her filled him. Her mouth was soft and willing against his, and before he could check himself, he circled his arms around her and drew her into an embrace.
Instead of pulling away and setting him straight, Millie melted against him. She sighed, parting her lips so he could explore her more deeply. Her fingers threaded through his hair as he deepened their kiss. He’d never kissed a woman so passionately, but it was the easiest thing imaginable to let himself go with Millie. She was so open and accepting, and when he inched his hand up her side to cradle the swell of her breast, she hummed as though it felt good to her too.
With each fleeting breath he stole between kisses, the urgent, heated sensations within him grew. Between the glory of Millie’s kisses and the throbbing need that built steadily within him, there was no room for thought. All he could think about was how much he liked the way she felt and how much he loved the woman in his arms. She was everything good and wonderful in the world, so sweet and willing.
He wasn’t sure how or when their positions shifted so that Millie lay on her back, but it felt perfectly right. He could pour more of himself into kissing her that way, and she was able to lift one leg to wrap around his. The urgency inside of him grew heavier and hotter, especially when she tugged his shirt out of his trousers and raked her fingertips across the flesh of his side.
Something inside of him snapped, and what had started as a pleasant bit of fun blossomed into a need that swallowed everything else. He mirrored Millie’s movements, pulling her blouse from her skirt and reaching for the hooks of her corset. She helped him loosen that garment and wriggle out of her blouse and chemise.
His breath caught in his throat as her breasts were bared to him. A shudder passed through him, focusing as intense pressure in his groin. He brushed a hand lightly over one of her breasts, then the other, until her nipples grew hard.
“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered.
She smiled and made a sound that was both happy and inviting. Her hands slid up his chest, nudging him to remove his shirt before bending down to kiss her again. The contact between them, of her soft skin against his muscles, made his trembling more pronounced. He rippled with desire, with the need to be one with her in every way. And as much as the tiny voice of reason in the back of his head told him he should stop, stopping seemed like the last thing Millie wanted to do.
She reached for the waist of his trousers and undid the buttons. He’d already shrugged out of his suspenders when he removed his shirt, so it was all too easy for her to reach for him. He let out a strangled cry as her hands closed around him and stroked. He’d never had a woman touch him so intimately before—in spite of what he’d told Davy and the other footmen late at night when they stayed up, bragging about their conquests. Suddenly, he understood why empires had risen and fallen for the love of a woman. It was all he could do to stop himself from thrusting into Millie’s hands to bring an end to the tormenting pressure building within him.
He must have moved against her with enough desperation for her to know what he was feeling. “It’s okay,” she whispered, pushing his trousers down farther and tugging her skirt up. “I want it. I want you.”
Every part of him was on fire. He dipped down to rain kisses on her neck and shoulders in the hopes that it would distract him from the force of the need he felt to be inside of her, but it only made the feeling more intense. He kissed her breast, flicking his tongue across her nipple before closing his mouth around her and sucking. She gasped and arched into him, and he knew that he was seconds away from coming.
Again, it was almost as if she knew his body better than he did. She’d pulled her skirt all the way up and wriggled to position him between her thighs. He was utterly lost in the sensations swallowing him, but she took hold of his member and guided him to her entrance.
He pushed into her like a dam breaking. They both cried out as he buried himself inside her. He’d never done anything so intimate with a woman, and he never wanted to do it with any other woman for the rest of his life. Instinct took over, and he jerked his hips against her, thrusting fast and hard as the wave grew and grew until it broke over him. Her body squeezed around him and she mewled with pleasure as he burst inside of her. It was the single most amazing thing he’d ever felt, and he found himself devastated that it was over so soon. He wanted the sensations, the emotion between them, to go on and on.
His body had other plans. His energy gave out completely, and he sagged on top of her, too spent even to pull out of her. But she seemed to revel in that, even though he must have been too heavy for her. She wrapped her arms and legs around him, holding him inside of her for a little longer.
“That was wonderful,” she panted. “More wonderful than I ever imagined.”
“It was,” he agreed. He wished they’d removed all of their clothes instead of just some of them. He want
ed to look at her, feel every inch of her smooth skin. And he wanted to show himself to her like he’d never shown anyone before. He was for her and her alone, and she was for him. Only him.
“I think I love you, Millie Horner,” he whispered, so contented he felt he might fall asleep there in her arms.
CHAPTER 7
M illie couldn’t believe how happy she was. It didn’t seem possible, didn’t seem real. The afternoon passed in a beautiful haze. Owen held her in his arms long after the heat and satiety of their lovemaking wore out, long after they’d straightened their clothes and packed away their picnic. For a moment, she Millie had felt guilty about letting things go so far so fast. But as the two of them lay there in their secluded spot, picking out shapes in the clouds above them, listening to the waves rush ashore in the distance, and talking about nothing, that guilt vanished. Right or wrong, she was happy the two of them had made love.
And it wasn’t just a passing bit of fun. It wasn’t just giving up her body as a business transaction. It was the new life she’d come so far to claim.
“I wish I knew when Lord Dunsford was returning,” Owen said as they walked slowly home, hand in hand.
“Oh?” Millie smiled at him, feeling unaccountably shy. She’d shared the most intimate part of herself with him in a way she never had in all her years of darkness.
Owen met her smile with a look so intensely loving that it took Millie’s breath away. “I have much to discuss with him,” he said. “About his mines and about the possibility of becoming a foreman.”
“But his lordship knows you want to be a foreman, doesn’t he?”
“He does.” Owen nodded and glanced ahead, down the winding path that led to Starcross Castle. “But I suddenly feel the need to secure that job as quickly as possible.”
“I see.” She wanted to act as businesslike about the future as Owen was pretending to be, but she couldn’t wipe the broad smile from her face.
