Richard caught her hand. Lavinia Swire resisted his firm grip but without any success. It only seemed to encourage him.
»Why are you doing that to yourself? You know Matthew only has eyes for Mary. You'll never be happy with him.« Her lips tightened.
»As opposed to you making me happy? You used me...«
»I never used you.« Richard pulled the young woman closer, his eyes resting on her soft lips. It was only yesterday he kissed them, tasted wine in her mouth, while her tongue wandered in his mouth. She calls this using her?
»I...it was a mistake, sir Richard...« His lips was nearing her own faster than she imagined before finally claiming them. She pressed him closer to her with her hands around his neck. However, he broke the kiss.
»After all this you still call me sir Richard?« His thumb caressed her cheek as she blushed. Her face was now as red as a ripe tomato, trying to avoid his piercing blue eyes.
*12 hours earlier*
A family dinner. Worse – Crawley family dinner. Richard hated family dinners. You always end up talking about some distant relative or inheritance or politics. So it was either completely boring or something he deals with 18 hours a day. The upper class dinners also demanded being dressed properly, and those dinner jackets made you even clumsier. He was used to dining something light in the office before catching up on the evening edition of his newspaper.
It's all going to change, and Richard was not sure it was changing for better or worse.
He was pleased to see the usual high class conversation topics bored someone else as well. Across the dining table, Lavinia Swire tried to hide a yawn forming in her mouth. Richard smiled to himself. Finally, someone to talk to after dinner. Lavinia noticed Richard looking at her with a grin on his face. She smiled back politely, sipping some wine. He's been very attentive for most part of the dinner, and she was outraged by herself that it didn't bother her. Despite the presence of her fiancé in the room, Lavinia Swire was not imune to Richard's charm.
And he was indeed charming, as she found out later on while talking to him. Against his expectations of her bringing up Marconi incident, they talked about her father Reggie and how they both missed London.
»I'm not saying, it's a beautiful house and countryside is always a lovely place to go when you're tired of fog in London, but...It is also,« and she whispered the following, »extremely boring.« Richard laughed quietly. She was right. There were no cocktails yet in Yorkshire, no place to go to after dinner, except your bedroom. This peace and quiet was making Richard nervous.
In an hour, most of the house party left the drawing room to change in their night gowns. Richard remained to read his evening edition. He thought he'll be left alone.
Just finishing his last page, he heard someone descending the stairs. Slowly, the door opened.
»Sir Richard, may I join you?« He stood up, making himslef more presentable.
»By all means, miss Swire.« Lavinia sat down on one of the chairs near Richard. She was still wearing her dinner gown.
»I can't sleep. It's far to early for me.« Richard nodded in understanding, pouring her and himself a glass of whisky.
»I usually work at this time.« He offered her a glass. She whispered a thank you. »I must admit, this way of life Crawleys lead, is far too boring for me. I need to work, or else I feel useless.«
He took a sip from the glass. A moment later, Lavinia did the same. She couldn't help herself but noticing Richard's surprisingly soft and tender lips, surrounded by a day's stubble that suited him more than being clean shaven. She wondered how he'd look like wearing a beard. She drank the alcohol beverage far too quickly, afraid her mind might wonder into a dangerous place.
»Well, I think it's best to try and get some sleep. I won't bother you any further.« He stopped her, gently laying his hand on her shoulder.
»No, please, bother me. I'm not tired at all and just finished reading.« He looked at her. »Unless you are tired...« She looked more lively than during dinner, so it came as no surprise she decided to stay. Richard's eyes met hers. She wasn't tired but something was missing from her life.
Joy. Love. Maybe pleasure.
He held her around the waist. All the wine they drank that night kicked in, removing every barrier of decency on the way. Her hands found her way on his shoulders, making their foreheads meet, gently pressing to each other. Lavinia let out a sound of desperation. Richard took the hint and kissed her fiercely. Her tongue pushed its way into his mouth, massaging his own. Now it was his turn to tremble as he guided her to the writing desk, making her to sit on it.
Richard suddenly thought of how indecent and moraly wrong their position is. But instead of shame the thought brought even more excitement. He cupped her breasts, leaving her mouth to give more attention to her neck, kissing it all the way. Lavinia threw her head back in pleasure, wrapping her legs around his waist, pressing him closer to her. She could feel how pleased Richard was with the whole situation. Her hands moved to his back, scratching it through his shirt to compensate the screams his actions caused.
They leaned together on the desk, kissing each other roughly like it's their last day. Richard removed the layers of her gown slightly lower just to uncover her breast, taking them in his mouth. Lavinia couldn't help but moan. He knew his way around.
»Richard...« He grinned, waiting for her to continue her order. »Don't stop.«
He removed his shirt, his mouth remainig on her breasts, pulling her gown further down. He thanked the god London gown makers invented one easier to remove. He was surprised to notice her struggle undoing his trousers so he leaned in to help. Soon they were both naked on Lord Grantham's writing desk, pressing each other closely, craving to feel the other more intimately.
Richard was ready to enter her, slowly at first. Her fingernails left tracks on his back when his manhood pushed further in, making his way untill he was all in her. She needed a couple of seconds to adapt but Richard was never known to be patient in his private life. Moments later he started moving in her, moves becoming thrusts. It was a year from his last such encounter with a woman, and even that one was paid to be with him for an hour. Lavinia wanted him, needed him.
Every thrust was easier because of the growing wettness betwen her tights. She closed her eyes, her hands holding up to the desk as Richard moved faster and rougher. She was affraid she might fall down at some point. Desk made a creeky noise every time a couple moved. Richard's heartbeat became faster and his facial expressions let her know he doesn't have much time left. Lavinia wanted to reach the high point together with him, so she did the unthinkable. Her hands moved lower with Richard looking at it, not knowing what she intends to do. What she did aroused him even more. She started playing with herself, her eyes finding Richard's darkened look and a grin on his face.
The last thrust made even Richard moan as they came together. For a minute one could only hear heavy breathing, both catching breath from intensive exercise. He helped Lavinia dressing up again before they quietly returned to their bedrooms. Just before she opened the door, Richard held her by the waist and kissed her. This time it was a gentle good-night kiss. Lavinia smiled.
»Good night to you to, Richard,« she whispered.