Virginia Henley Read Online Free PDF

Stop playing with your food! Julia, why is it you and Patrick are always giving orders and demanding your own way?”
    “Because if we didn’t, you’d bully us the way you bully Barbara. I hope you haven’t forgotten the Leavers are coming for dinner tonight.”
    “That’s good. Maybe you’ll watch that sharp tongue of yours!” he shouted.
    “You’ll dominate the conversation and I won’t be able to get a word in edgewise,” she said and laughed.
    He looked at Barbara. “It wouldn’t hurt you to try to take part in the conversation at dinner tonight, instead of sitting there like you’re posing for Lipton’s pickle jars.” He looked at Julia. “What do you mean, I bully her?” he demanded aggressively.
    “Oh, why don’t you go for a drive this afternoon? It’s such a lovely day, it will soothe your nerves. But stay away from the mills.”
    Jonathan O’Reilly got dressed up and walked over to the stables. He ordered the carriage. He directed his driver to take him through town, and he sat back enjoying the fine afternoon. He felt good and his spirits rose as the carriage made its way through the center of town. He called to his driver to stop outside Ward’s Florists, where he descended and bought an impressive bouquet of roses, carnations and snapdragons, then gave the driver an address he called up out of the past. He ascended the flight of stairs after confidently dismissing the carriage, with orders to return in two hours, and knocked on the door. “Hello, Dolly. Remember me?” he said and smiled.
    “Why, Mr. O’Reilly,” she said and smiled hesitantly. “I haven’t seen you in ages.”
    “It must be nearly two years, eh, Dolly? These are for you, my dear.”
    “Won’t you come in?” she asked a little apprehensively. She wondered if he had found out about her and Patrick and had come to make trouble. She smelled the flowers and opened the little card that came with them. Inside were fifteen pounds and it was suddenly very clear what he had come for. She had most of her bills paid for her and received many presents, but it wasn’t too often that she received cold cash, and the temptation was too great to refuse. She smiled provocatively at him and said, “Come and make yourself comfortable, Johnny.”
    “It’s rather warm today,” he said as he divested himself of his coat and sat down.
    “Would you care for a cold drink?”
    “Some brandy would suit me better, lass,” he said and winked.
    “Help yourself then, Johnny. I’ll just change into something a little cooler,” she said suggestively.
    Before he had finished his drink, she came back in a loose wrapper and as she sat down beside him on the sofa, the wrapper fell apart to reveal her long legs. He reached for her and gave her a deep kiss, then reached up and parted the top of her wrapper. “My, you have a fine pair of breasts, Dolly. They always did excite me.”
    She laughed throatily and removed his hands, which were squeezing her painfully.
    He licked his lips and his breathing quickened considerably.
    “I think we’d be more comfortable in the bedroom,” she whispered. She took his hand and he trotted after her eagerly. He took off his waistcoat and she knelt in front of him and unbuttoned his shirt and slipped it off. She repressed a smile at the sight of his undervest on such a warm day, and lifted it over his head. She bent to remove his boots and her wrapper again parted to reveal her breasts. Jonathan quickly stripped the wrapper from her completely and put his mouth to her nipples. As she divested him of his pants, she noted that he was indeed ready for business; however, she knew that older men often lost their erections, so she didn’t want to delay the action with too many preliminaries. She positioned herself under him and he began thrusting vigorously. As he did so, his face became an alarming shade of crimson with overtones of purple, and his breathing became labored.
    “Johnny, are you all right?