Dalliance

Chapter Seven

Pacing back and forth, Holly was a mess of emotions. She had not spoken to Dawson for almost a day by the time she received a knock on her door. With a racing heart, she opened it to find it to be him. When their eyes met, they both exposed longing glances before she heard the sound of heavy boots making their way down the hall. Quickly she pulled him into the room and behind her as another knock came.

"I will be expecting you at dinner in ten minutes-appropriately changed and mannered."

"Of course, my lord."

Hearing his footsteps move away, she turned to find Dawson staring at her with intensity. "You must help me."

"Of course..."

She turned to show she met her corset as he moved back. "I do not think it is best..."

"If I am not down there within a handful of minutes, he will whip me if not worse...please..."

He nodded before pulling the laces through the holes until it fell to the ground. She cleared her throat as he then turned from her before she shuffled through her armoire until she pulled a dress free and threw it towards the bed.

"You must help me change into another."

"I can go fetch one of the women...I do not feel right of this..."

She pulled him towards her as he saw her the most vulnerable he had. She was in nothing but her nightgown and a see-through one at that. He focused on her eyes as he turned him, but it was quite a challenge. "You spoke of always being there for me, please do not prove it wrong, now." He nodded as she wrapped the other corset around her and he took hold of the strings. Carefully, he pulled them as she gave a smirk.

"You do not have to be so kind with it, they are meant to be worn tight."

"I do not want to harm you."

"You must pull with force-" Suddenly she gasped as she fell back against him. For a moment, she felt his heart racing against her back before she moved forward. "Please be quicker!" He nodded as he pulled it tighter until the last one was laced. With his help, she placed the dress over her corset as he buttoned it closed. She lingered in place, hypnotized by his touch before he brought his fingers to her exposed shoulders.

"Did you mean what you spoke of last night?"

"We should not speak of this now..."

"Do you regret speaking it?"

"Not for a second. But I must go...he will grow suspicious..."

He placed his head against hers before resting his lips on her skin. "I am dying...you take everything from me...I have suffered with my feelings for you...do not tease me with them, I beg of you."

"I promise, I will not."

She turned and placed a swift kiss on his cheek before racing down the steps. Dawson was close behind as he was to bring out dinner for the night. Among the guests that night, there were several kingpins for politics and law who exchanged jokes between ale and wine. When dinner was placed upon the table, Dawson made it a point to poke at Holly by entangling his gaze with hers as he moved about the room. Torturing her, he would run his fingers through his hair and smirk before acting straight-laced to the others. In one instance, half way through the night, he slid behind her, brushing his fingers upon her neck, sending chills down her spine. Her body shivered before Nicholas had then foolishly ordered Holly to fetch more wine from the kitchen as her presence was becoming distracting for the other men.

Hurrying, she shuffled to the kitchen to find Dawson with a large smirk near the table.

"You are quite a sight, this evening." He spoke his truth as he moved towards her.