The Marquess and The Rose

Chapter 1

She stood before the mirror eyeing the dress that was fashioned for her. She was poked, pulled and squeezed to no end. Until it fit her thin form splendidly. Layers and layers of fabric weighed her down and squeezed her uncomfortably, but it was the way of it, the way of societies fashion. She gloomily sighed as her long beautiful chestnut brown hair was tucked and twisted with pins in place in a ridiculous looking hair do that made her shiver with her bare neck exposed. She sadly stood where Sarah her maid left her staring into the great abyss she was drawn into.

The slight reflection of someone behind her brought her back to reality. There he stood leaning against the door jam ogling her. She detested him so much. Stephen her uncle's stepson stood lazily eyeing her with unmistakable lust and she cringed. If not for his blackguard and slimy ways, she would treat him different but she could only look at him with disdain. Her stomach lurched as he leaned back and looked both ways in the halls to see if anyone comes before he entered unceremoniously. Whirling around her eyes clashed with his.

"Get out" she ordered.

Her meek soft voice couldn't deter or scare a mouse.

Stephen cracked a devious smile that pushed her back.

"Come now sweet one, why so angry." his voice teasingly dangerous neared her.

Looking up into his face, she watched his eyes trail hungrily over her well-formed breasts that hid demurely under her snug-fitting bodice with a floral stitch neckline.

Menacing fingers glided along it before she slapped them away. Quickly he pulled her into a breathless embrace as she clawed at his hands and arms; he trailed kisses along her throat and laughed huskily as she cried out to let her go. With a powerful hand, he grabbed the back of her head and kissed her.

Bile grew in her stomach at the taste of brandy and cigar smoke on his breath. Before he could slip his tongue into her mouth, she bit his lip that he let out a curse and howl.

"You bitch!" he hissed.

With speed, she stepped out of his grasp as he lunged for her and ran for the door before he whirled her around. With lightening speed, the palm of her hand landed with a crude thwack across his cheek. Quickly gaining her footing, he grabbed her. The slight footsteps and chatter of Sarah with another maid stiffened his next move.

"Don't worry my sweet, one day I will have you and I only hope it will be soon," he jeered between his teeth.

With that threat, he planted one more forced kiss on her mouth before shoving her aside and storming out of her room nearly knocking over Sarah.

Large eyes peered through the door as they watched Emilia weakly slump to the floor. Running quickly to her side Sarah and Gertrude helped her up. She was in a state of undoing that she felt faint. Quickly they fanned her and helped her to a nearby stoop.

"That evil man did something to you didn't he milady" she cupped Emilia's pale cheeks that slowly regained their color.

"Look at the poor way he left you Lady Emilia" Gertrude crooned offering her a glass of water.

Shaking her head Emilia worried about the fuss and rejected the idea of telling her uncle as they pleaded with her to do so.

"If I tell it would only create a rift between them," she quietly said wiping away a tear.

Her soft voice explained many things to them they did not agree with. She felt an outsider, unwanted and a burden to her uncle ever since she arrived on his doorstep. Her only next of kin took charge of her with hesitance after her parents died in a coach accident. Her mother's only living brother came forward only for duty but not for love she explained. His distant overbearing authoritive ways sometimes clashed with her free willed wayward and mischievous nature.

Rules were set and firmly abided by in his household. Being a Duke, he had to uphold to societies stature and he expected her to do the same. She ached for the old way of her life where she ran free on her grandparent's lands in the Scottish mountains. The way her bare feet caressed the lush green grass. Her long walks in the open clean air. But, as life so meagerly fixed itself for her, those dreams only but memories toyed with her as she was brought before the Ton and their customs.

The uptight haughty lifestyle had no room for such frivolous dalliances. Here in this life it was about courting, marriage, fashion and other worldly things that pertained to man. She was to be courted and placed within a profitable marriage dutifully according to her station. As if placed on the butchering block the more tender morsels of meat were chosen so therefore, she was the meat.