FOREWORD
Celebration at the Mackenzie Earls mansion.
May 4, 1810.
When Charlotte saw at the end of the dark corridor, the figure of Gerald her fiancé, she was excited to reach him.
"Gerald, dear." They see that my parents want to leave the party. She said to him before reaching him, as she lifted the skirts of her red muslin dress, to walk with leaps and bounds.
But Gerald did not answer her, indeed, he seemed to have been startled by her call.
"Why don't you want to answer me, love?" Charlotte asked in an offended tone.
Silence again.
This made her snort.
Why didn't Gerald want to talk to him?
What the hell was he doing in that dark corner?
Would he be mad at her?
Yes, maybe he was, since a misplaced person had been flirting with her while they danced.
Curse...
"Well, she knew how to please him," she thought walking towards him and when he was in front of him, she threw herself into his arms and searched his mouth like a beast.
Gerald after the initial impression that her action caused him, he kissed her as he had never done before.
"How had he ever done it?" An alarming voice said in her head, but she decided to ignore it because she felt floating in his arms, so she let herself be passionately kissed for a long time until ... until Gerald put his one hand on the buttocks!
"Oh my God, this was not her boyfriend," she realized with horror and immediately took her mouth away from this man who would know who he was.
"My love, why do you stop kissing me, if you're liking the way I kiss you?" The stranger demanded in a hoarse and excited voice that raised her hair.
"Please let me go!" She begged him scared.
"But if you were the one who started it, my dear," the stranger argued mockingly. "Now why are you backing down?"
-No! I did not know ... I did not know that it was someone else ... "she stammered between terrified and ashamed" I ... I thought ... I thought it was my ... promise ...
She couldn't finish what she was going to say, because her mouth was covered by the man's mouth.
She tried to fight ... but the wretch put his tongue in her mouth, causing her to feel weak and strangely aroused.
But this couldn't go on, she thought, so drawing strength from where she didn't have it, she wrinkled her face and this made him release her violently.
-Why did you do that? He demanded in pain.
"I'm not going to let you take advantage of me, you idiot." She answered him and started to run. But it was useless to escape, because he reached her in a place in the corridor where there was lighting and that was when she realized with terror who her executioner was.
It was James Hamilton, the Earl of Bedford.
A dangerous man about whom the worst atrocities were said in London.
An anecdote that the ladies always commented confidentially, was that he slept with seven whores at the same time and that he put them into such immoral practices that they could not be repeated in detail.
Oh God. How did she fall into the clutches of that bastard? She wondered really scared, looking at the grip he had on her arm.
"Let go of me." She begged him trying to stay calm.
But Bedford did not listen to her and pulled her close to his strong, broad chest.
"I'm not going to let you go, precious," he whispered, pressing his mouth to her ear, "come stay with me tonight."
"Let me go degenerate!" Charlotte repeated through clenched teeth, fighting back the urge to scream.
She did not do it because if someone saw them it would be her end, Gerald would no longer marry her and her reputation would be greatly compromised because of this rake who, obviously, would not marry her to save her honor.
No God, she thought, trembling.
"I'll make you very happy, little one," the scoundrel kept saying seductively, not caring that she was throwing her face back, refusing all contact, "come on, let's escape to my house." I promise to take care of you and see that you lack nothing.
Charlotte felt very indignant when she realized that he was asking her to be lovers, so with infinite contempt she answered.
"Look Lord Bedford, I don't think anyone can be happy being the lover of a man like you."
Charlotte had the impression that he had been hurt by the expression she saw, but the cheeky man deserved it, so he wasn't going to apologize.
-Just give me a chance. He told her, in a strange pleading tone.
Charlotee laughed dryly.
-Chance? ... Never! Can you hear me? Never, let go of me now, "Charlotte said and when he didn't let go, she burst out saying. "For God's sake let me go!" I do not like you! Not a bad thought inspires me! Besides, I love my fiancé and would never have anything to do with you.
What Charlotte said to the Count seemed to work for him because he abruptly released her, but not without telling her first.
—That fool will never make you feel the passion that I made you feel today ... you'll see ...
She froze at his sentence, so she said nothing when furious she saw him leave.
Charlotte, later when she calmed down a bit, returned to the Mackenzie party and there she found Gerald with her parents who told her that they had been looking for her everywhere.
Luckily they didn't find her, she thought, hugging herself.
Then her mind played a trick on her and she remembered Bedford's kisses shuddering.
No, she should forget what had happened and hopefully that man would not speak because she would not know what to do if this reached the ears of society.
She wanted to marry Gerald, did not want to lose him because of this wicked man who had taken advantage of her mistake to corner her.
