Lillian's Light Horseman (6 page)

He steered them in the direction of George Dawson’s group with the intention of introducing Lillian. He looked around as they traversed the room, furiously noting the attention she was receiving from all the men in the gathering. He gritted his teeth and pretended not to notice when a young man deliberately brushed against her. He tried hard to look impassive when other men stooped low to bow to her in awed admiration and, no doubt, he thought, to get an eyeful of her bountiful bosom. He looked down at Lillian to gauge her reaction at all the attention she was receiving and was pleased to note her blushing with such a self-effacing attitude as to make her even more appealing.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, they reached Dawson.

“Sir, thank you for hosting the dinner dance this evening,” William stated and bowed in greeting. “Please allow me to introduce Miss Lillian Hamilton, my children’s new governess.”

Lillian took Mr. Dawson’s extended hand as he murmured a welcome. She didn’t miss the fact that his eyes seemed glued to her décolletage and for the first time, she wondered if her dress was too daring for the likes of an outback dinner dance. She straightened and pulled her shawl tighter around her shoulders, noting William’s scowl in George Dawson’s direction. William tugged her closer to his side and introduced her to the other guests in the circle. Something in his voice made Lillian glance at him when he made the introduction to Miss Margaret Dawson and she couldn’t miss the young lady’s blush and averted gaze when William looked upon her.

She was very pretty—plump and vivacious with a sleek cap of blonde hair cut into a fashionable bob, which was no doubt considered highly irregular in the outback community. It was a cut that Lillian had considered, but she hadn’t had the time or the inclination to indulge in a new hairstyle while her aunt had been so sick.

Could it be possible that William and this Miss Dawson had some sort of connection? She hoped fervently that she was mistaken but she planned to study the pair some more during the course of the evening to determine if there was any affection between them.

She was pondering the question when a young man materialized before her, introduced himself as Mr. John Steele and asked her to dance. She glanced to her side and noticed that William was deep in conversation with Margaret and Mr. Dawson. Seeing that she wouldn’t be missed and glad of the diversion, she accepted. Smiling, the young man escorted her onto the dance floor and whirled her into a fast-paced waltz.

Lillian exhilarated in the music and the dancing. It had been a long time since she’d been able to enjoy herself. Her aunt had been sick for so long, and afterward, she’d had the worry and responsibility of managing the will and discharging her father’s debts so she couldn’t remember when last she’d been able to relax. And young John Steele was an enjoyable dance partner. He was enthusiastic and danced with a practiced confidence that made Lillian all the more at ease with her own ability.

He looked down at her and twirled her effortlessly around the floor. “So I hear that you’re Cartwright’s new governess. Do you know the family well?”

“I knew them a long time ago, before my family moved to England. “

“How well do you know William Cartwright?”

The question surprised Lillian and she wondered if there was more to his inquiry. She decided that she’d play down her previous association. “We were childhood friends but as I said, we’ve not seen each other for ten years.”

She looked up at him and wondered at the play of emotions crossing his features.

“We served together as Light Horsemen, which was quite common, given that we’re all excellent horsemen here in the bush,” he said with a self-effacing laugh. “He was an officer in my regiment, a good military man.” He grimaced. “He was well decorated but you wouldn’t want to get on the wrong side of him.”

Lillian frowned in puzzlement. She hadn’t known William ever to display a particularly bad disposition but then everyone knew that the war could change people.

“I hate to mention anything—what happens away, stays away and all that—but I just think that you should be careful around him. He has quite a temper. Let me just say that his boxing skills are legendary and there has been more than one man on the receiving end of his fists.”

Lillian stiffened at his allegations of William’s violence. She wondered what it was all about but dismissed it as inconsequential. She wouldn’t take anything that this stranger said at face value. “Thank you for your concern, Mr. Steele, but I can look after myself,” she said coolly, effectively drawing a close to the topic of conversation.

Chapter Seven

William listened to George Dawson as he watched John Steele twirl Lillian elegantly onto the dance floor and hold her too closely for William’s liking. He excused himself politely from Dawson’s presence and cursed under his breath at the unfamiliar stirrings of jealousy.

He ran a hand through his hair in frustration and strode to the bar, trying unsuccessfully to divert his attention away from Lillian and Steele. He couldn’t have chosen a worse dance partner for her if he’d tried. He had history with Steele but he couldn’t cause a scene by yanking Lillian from the man’s embrace.

He had to get a hold of himself
and
his emotions. Lillian had been gone for ten years and his feelings toward her should have diminished to fond sentiment. Instead, he was being reduced to acting like a jealous, overbearing paramour.

How had he expected that the sight of Lillian in another man’s arms would not disturb him, particularly a thug like Steele? The vision of her being whirled around in his tight embrace had him practically wanting to beat the other man to a pulp.

His restless pacing brought him into the path of Miss Dawson, who curtsied prettily to him. This was what he needed—a distraction only a pretty woman could provide. He bowed briefly and offered her his hand to dance. Two could play at this game, he thought grimly, as he placed his palm in the small of Miss Dawson’s back and pulled her to his chest.

He looked down into her upturned face and didn’t miss the flirtatious fluttering of her eyelashes as she gazed up at him. She was very attractive and he’d thought so for quite some time. She had that rounded plumpness that was appealing to hold, and her face, while not beautiful, was charmingly pretty.

Perhaps Miss Dawson was the diversion he wanted. He pulled her body tighter against his. He knew her father would be more than pleased if he and Margaret formed a connection and William had been visiting the Dawson property with that thought in the back of his mind. But Lillian’s reappearance had altered things considerably and while he was attracted to Margaret, he didn’t feel anything like the passion and lust he felt when he looked at Lillian. Those feelings, however, had given him nothing but heartache in the past so it was best to harden himself against them.

Perhaps if he tried harder with Margaret, he would, over time, develop similar feelings for her. He gritted his teeth as another bout of anger swept through him at Lillian’s untimely and irritating return to his life.

He smiled down at the young woman in his arms and tried to work up some enthusiasm for the dance, but perhaps some quiet time was what they really required, time away from the crowd of people where they could talk.

When the band ended the music with a flourish and the couples started clapping politely, he grasped Margaret by the hand and pulled her in the direction of the door.

Lillian watched William lead Margaret Dawson outside and away from the party revelers. She wanted to follow them and, taking her hand from Mr. Steele’s, she asked if they could get some fresh air. The young man was obviously delighted with the prospect of being alone with her and complied with alacrity, unwittingly following William and his lady friend, as he steered Lillian outside.

The evening had grown quite chilly and the young man wrapped an arm about Lillian’s shoulders as they strolled. She knew she should shrug off his attentions but she was cold and wanted the comfort of his proximity. They walked and chatted about the dance. She was trying to calculate the direction that William would have taken when she heard a woman’s giggle and a man’s deep voice. Her chaperone, also having heard the couple, drew up short of a building and pulled Lillian close as they peered around the corner.

There, bathed in the moonlight, stood William and Miss Dawson. She was leaning back against a wooden fence, gazing up into William’s face and laughing at something he’d said. Lillian’s breath caught and her heart rate thumped a tattoo in her chest. It was clear that Miss Dawson obviously felt some attraction to William, but William’s feelings toward the woman were less obvious. She couldn’t bear to watch anymore, in case she was to witness William kiss her. She couldn’t believe he would so brazenly seek out this young lady after what he’d done with her only two evenings before. She felt terribly betrayed by him yet again. He was obviously nothing but an exploitative cad.

Lillian whirled around and started back toward the wool shed. She’d forget about William Cartwright and any feelings she had once had for him. As she reached the door, Mr. Steele caught up with her and, grasping her around the waist, he turned her to face him.

“Where are you going?” he breathed in her ear.

“I’m sorry but I’d like to return inside,” Lillian muttered, pushing against the man’s weight.

“Don’t I get a kiss?” He cupped her chin to hold her head in place. “After all, I thought that was why you wanted to take a stroll outside.”

She could have kicked herself for her stupidity. In her haste to spy on William, she hadn’t thought about the consequences of stepping out of doors at night with a strange gentleman.

She tried once again, unsuccessfully, to struggle out of his grasp and raised her voice, not giving him any room for misinterpretation. “Please, let me go.”

Suddenly William was there and Steele’s body weight lifted off her. William grasped him by the throat, spun him around and pushed him hard up against the wall.

“It’s not polite to force a lady’s hand, Steele,” he snarled. “Leave, now, before I’m forced to do something that you and I may regret!”

Lillian watched in apprehension as Steele flexed his fists by his sides and glowered at William, weighing whether to retaliate.

Anticipating Steele’s actions, William spoke again. “Don’t try anything. You know who the loser will be.”

She watched Steele struggle with his decision then he abruptly pushed William away. He turned toward Lillian, gave her a slight bow and a tight smile, then whirled on his heel and stalked inside.

William turned his murderous gaze on Lillian. “What do you think you were doing out here with a man you’ve just met this evening?”

“I wonder that you think to question me, Mr. Cartwright,” she jeered. “When I noticed you with a young lady of your own.”

“Miss Dawson and I have long been acquainted,” he replied sharply. “And I’m not about to manhandle her as John Steele was about to do to you. I know him, Lillian, and I know that his intentions toward you would be less than honorable.”

“Well, I thank you for your concern but I’m quite able to take care of myself,” she said stiffly then turned to make her way back to the party.

William remained outside, trying to rein in his temper. The sight of that young prick pushing Lillian against the wall had sent him into a murderous rage. Steele was lucky that he’d maintained enough control to keep from punching him in the jaw. It was appalling behavior toward a lady—behavior he wouldn’t tolerate.

He looked at his watch and decided it was time to leave. He’d had enough of watching all the men in the gathering slobbering and simpering over his governess. He would think twice before inviting her to such a function again. If he did, he would personally inspect her intended outfit before he would allow her to step one foot out of doors.

Chapter Eight

Lillian was happy that there were no lessons for the children the day following the dinner dance. They’d played games in the morning and done some painting before they’d stopped for lunch. Now Clara was taking her nap and Lillian had left Edward struggling sleepily with the novel
Robinson Crusoe
.

She’d decided to do some exploring in the afternoon. It had been too long since she’d investigated the delights of the Australian outback and its many flora and fauna. A long walk would give her some much-needed exercise and clear her head.

She was annoyed with herself for acting so sillily the previous evening when she’d seen William with Margaret Dawson. What had she expected? Of course women would be interested in William—he was not only handsome but also an extremely prosperous catch. It hurt her to acknowledge it, but she had no right to be jealous or upset by his attentions to other women. She needed to remember that she was just his employee and to act with a cool and professional approach to all things. It was much easier said than done, however.

She changed into an old dress and sensible shoes and tied a sun hat on her head. She wrapped some biscuits in a handkerchief and found a leather canteen in the kitchen pantry that she filled with water. She informed Mrs. Thompson that she was off to do some exploring around the station and set off along one of the many dirt tracks that wound around the extensive property.

She’d been walking for half an hour when she caught sight of a joey. It was a delightful creature and thoroughly enchanted her as it hopped along, nibbling the underbrush. She was overjoyed at once again experiencing the local wildlife and decided to follow the creature in the hopes that it would lead her to the adult female. She didn’t think that a kangaroo that young would stray far from its mother.

She’d been following the little animal for quite a way, relishing its antics and playfulness. It had to be aware that Lillian was nearby but it had displayed no fear or concern at her presence. The joey rounded a tree and a large female came into view. Lillian stopped in her tracks, not wanting to antagonize the mother, and watched as the joey bounded over to nuzzle at its mother’s pouch, requesting access. There were several other large adult kangaroos grazing and lazing in the shade of the trees. Lillian observed them for a moment longer then turned to find her way back to the dirt trail she’d been following, thinking that it was high time she made her way back to the homestead.