as never there before. Her cheeks ached and her lips felt numb from all the smiling

ing herself. But not Beth, who had had her fill, as with Lucy by her side, they convinced Aunt Marrily and Uncle Fitzwilliam to listen to their pleas and leave early. Throu

at her feet then the corset, and every other underwear. She wore her night garment, wrapped

too, one with sincerity. She had seen it in his eyes, when he had kissed her knuckles at the end of their dance. He could very much become her husband, she thought,

of Eric's death. Beth had, since her eighteenth birthday, refused to celebrate another. It was fitting that no one wo

oon quietened down as everyone was tired, but pleased. She had closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep as she didn't want to be involved in the conversations an

nearly six hours, the gentlemen she danced with and those she never wanted to speak to ever again. She thought of

e gossips by the window could be held accountable. The Dowager Duchess had gifted them a

bring, she was jealous because the lady had a prospect; a husband and it was all she could think of. She gave a silent congrat

s inter

er life without demons of the past chasing frantically after her. She was sheltered and protected b

y was int

Marrily would not be pleased, neither would Beth. With reluctance, she walked over to pick them up, and as she did, a paper fell

te from Lor

he put it there? He asked for a rendezvous for the next day and was already sending her notes? She al

nfold

r

hat accompanied it. You are an interesting

led sin

tomorrow. I shall wait for you there. I trust you are a woman of smartn

dezvous of illicit thoughts and deeds! Was that all he saw in her? Her body? Had they not shared a great conversation at the dance? Did he not

ith the covers. Had she been born to be a mistress? She questioned. To continually receive unholy prepositions

Hot and uncontroll

ith a note from Carlisle Crest. She was being invited to breakfast. Gwen cried again. She

be espoused to som

her life

nger must s

n the stars for her, she thought. It was an earnest possibility for there was no other explanati

l her luck staying alive and wanting more was simply chasing after waterfalls. She should have die

ly and exhaled j

ld have provided the right words, words of comfort, of hope, wo

ed to teach her to fight when she was grown enough. Gwen sniffed again. She would be eighteen soon

heir mother. it would kill them, but if she kept it to herself, she

loss, Gwen ran to Beth's room

luttered, warring with sleep. "Is

elf find comfort and solace in her embrace. Beth wrapped her hands around

to understand the pain of always being seen as a mistress? Of the dread that one d

d Beth did n

she made an earnest prayer: that her husband would suddenly appear, swee