Free The Ravenscar Dynasty by Barbara Taylor Bradford Page B

thirteen by the wife of the choirmaster at a Scarborough church: a woman who had instructed him in the pleasurable art of sex in a cave on the beach at Ravenscar, just below the ruined stronghold built by his ancestor, Guy de Ravenel. She had been twenty-five and a beautiful blonde with silver-grey eyes. Lily Overton was thirty-two and justas beautiful as Tabitha had been, another blonde-haired temptress who had truly captivated him and held him in her sexual thrall. He closed his eyes and thought of both women; they intermingled in his mind and he suddenly felt the thrill of unexpected sexual arousal.
    A short time later, the hansom cab jolting to a sudden stop made Edward sit up with a start; glancing out of the window he saw that they had arrived at the small house where Lily Overton lived.
    Opening the door, he jumped out, and looking up at the driver, he said, ‘Wait a moment, please.’
    â€˜I understands, Guv,’ the cabbie said.
    The house was in darkness, but Edward noticed the glimmer of a candle flame in an upstairs window. Lifting the brass knocker, he banged hard on the door.
    Lily did not appear. Once more he lifted the knocker, but before he used it again her voice said, from behind the door, ‘Who’s there?’ She sounded alarmed and he knew he must reassure her at once, using a code they had devised together.
    â€˜Lily? It’s me, Ned. Your brother-in-law. I’ve come to see my brother. Is he at home?’
    â€˜Come to the window,’ she replied in a low voice, ‘so that I can see you, be certain it is my brother-in-law outside at this hour.’
    Stepping over to the window, Edward waited for her to peep through the lace curtains. Once she had done so, he moved back to the front door and waited; within a second Lily was unlocking it. Before he stepped into the house, he called over his shoulder to the driver of the hansom cab, ‘Please wait for me. I won’t be too long.’
    â€˜Righto, Guv’nor,’ came the reply, followed by a quiet chuckle.

    Once he was inside the house, Lily locked the front door and then turned to Edward, looking up at him, her light green eyes questioning, her expression puzzled.
    In the past he had always sent notes to her by messenger, asking if he could visit her, and she had responded by return using the same messenger, either declining or acquiescing to his request to see her. It was usually the latter. His arrival tonight was unannounced, and unexpected, and she was quite obviously surprised, he realized that. He said quickly, ‘Excuse me, Lily, for coming to see you without prior warning, and at this very late hour. I hope I have not inconvenienced you.’
    â€˜No, not at all. Perhaps I misunderstood the letter you posted from Yorkshire…I was expecting you on Friday…before you went back to Oxford the next day.’
    â€˜I did plan that. But I returned to London earlier than I expected—this evening, in fact, and I had such a need to see you, to be in your company, if only for a short while, I just had to come here.’
    He had spoken softly, in a low tone, and there was a seriousness about him tonight which was unusual. She suddenly wondered what was wrong, for surely something was amiss. Lily Overton was not a stupid woman by anybody’s standards, and she detected a strange and unfamiliar sadness in Edward; it seemed to her that sorrow shadowed his brilliant blue eyes, dullingthem, and his demeanour was quiet, reflective almost, which was unlike him.
    Since their first meeting last year she had found him irresistible, and readily succumbed to his charms whenever he wanted to be with her, whatever the circumstances. Even though he was so young, far too young for her, she cared about him deeply and he was the only man who had ever satisfied her sexually.
    Reaching out, instinctively understanding he needed comforting for some reason, she put a hand on his arm and said gently, ‘Hang