He turned over in bed. By rights he should be out celebrating the success of his new venture, but he knew that the only person he wanted to celebrate with was Briony. He was nineteen years old, soon to be a man of real wealth and property. He had worked all his young life with these goals in mind and they had been put within his reach by a little girl called Briony Cavanagh. He knew now that he loved her, really loved her. He turned over in the bed again. The pillow felt as if it was stuffed with stones and he was too hot. As tired as he was, he couldn’t find it in him to sleep.

He had moved into Briony’s house a few months previously, because with all the preparations to be made, they could not be parted for any length of time. They had spent long evenings together discussing everything from the decor to the clientele. During this time he had consciously endeared himself to Mrs Horlock and Briony’s mother Molly. Cissy, he was aware, was half in love with him so she liked him no matter what he did. It was Briony he wanted, though. Briony with her outrageous hair and her deep green eyes. He had fallen asleep many times in the last few months with the picture of her milky naked body lying beside him, his large rough hands caressing the tiny breasts. He turned once more in the bed.

As he closed his eyes tightly and tried to sleep, he heard the creak of the door opening. He sat up in bed as Briony, in a white nightdress, her red hair unbound, crept into his room with a candle in her hand.

‘Are you asleep, Tommy?’

He was too astounded for speech.

Briony walked towards him and placed the candle on the night table. In the flickering light she smiled at him. He watched with fascination as she took the hem of her nightdress in both hands and pulled the garment over her head, revealing her body slowly and tantalisingly to him. She dropped the garment on to the floor and he pulled back the covers of his bed so she could slip in beside him.

He made love to her gently and firmly, taking in every part of her body with his hands and his tongue. It was like a dream come true to him. She had walked out of his mind and into his bed.

Briony for her part enjoyed the petting and the feel of him near her. She had needed someone after the events of the evening. She had needed strong arms around her and had got them the only way she knew how.