Unchaining Alice

Chapter 1

Chapter One

London

June, 1835

James Alcott rolled over in his bed and stretched his taut muscles. His eyes immediately opened when he came into contact with warm, soft skin. That was when he realised that he wasn't in his bedchamber. He was in the bedchamber of Miss Veronica Harper ... a lady notorious amongst the men of the ton for giving me exactly what they wanted. She was an American, and was wealthy in her own right so she didn't care for keeping a flawless reputation.

Veronica's flaming red hair was strewn across her bare back as she slept soundlessly. She was truly very pretty, and very skilled in the art of seduction.

James climbed out of the bed as quietly as he could and fetched his clothes that were carelessly scattered across her floor. He found his pocket watch inside his waist jacket and nearly swore when he saw the time. It was nearly half past eight on a Sunday - he had but thirty minutes to dress and get home before his family left for church. His mother would not be impressed with him. She wasn't usually impressed with him but he'd built up a rapport with her after everything he'd done to give his younger sister, Little J, an education.

What his mother neglected to understand was that he liked women. He liked their company in public and in private. He just didn't like their ulterior motives. His mother, Emilia, was desperate for him to quit his rakish ways and settle down with a woman, but he couldn't. He couldn't just propose marriage to someone when he knew they would be saying 'yes' to his title and not to him. He was to be the Earl of Ethridge one day, and whomever he married would become the Countess. That would entice a woman more than just marrying him. He'd been courting Sarah Smith for going on a couple of years and he knew she was getting antsy for an engagement. He was tempted to just give it all up. Marry her and carry on with his activities outside the marital bed. He knew Sarah would not care so long as she got a position - but what kind of life was that? James wanted what his parents had. He wanted what his sisters and his aunt and his cousin, and even what his grandmother had once had. He wanted the real thing ... but how could he be sure it was real?

Perhaps there wasn't anyone for him. Maybe he would grow to love Sarah. Hanging his head, he quickly dressed and combed his unkempt, brown hair with his fingers before Veronica's gilded mirror. He was a handsome man, which was what made it so easy to attract woman. He'd always been very tall, just like his father, and he was careful never to indulge on heavy foods so that he could keep a muscular physique. His eyes were dark blue, just like his father's but he had his mother's smile, the smile that gave him slight dimples in his cheeks.

Fixing the final button on his coat closed, he sighed and took his leave from Veronica's grand townhouse.

He knew he wouldn't make it back to Ethridge in time to catch his family so he decided to hire a carriage to take him directly to the church.

His parents could no longer punish him. He was five and twenty, more than an adult, but it didn't stop them lecturing him on all things moral.

He paid the driver when the carriage finally stopped and immediately spied his family standing with his brother - in - law, and they beloved clergyman, Joseph.

One thing that he was happy about not seeing was Sarah. He hoped that she wasn't there. That would mean he'd be roped into spending the day with her. He stopped himself mid thought. Would he ever grow to love her if he didn't really like her? He wasn't sure.

Of one thing he was absolutely positive - nothing was as sure as family.

A smile spread across his face when he caught a family look that his parents exchanged. His parents had been married for a quarter of a century and yet they still looked at each other as if they were newlyweds.