"Hush my dear." George tucked in his shirt, pulled on his coat, and then brushed a tear from Caroline's cheek. "The young buck doesn't know what's going to hit him. He might think he has enough evidence of our true relationship; however, I have a plan in progress. A way to get rid of him for good. No one will stand in the way of our William's future."

"What... what have you planned?" Caroline sucked back a breath and peered into her husband's eyes.

"Never you mind. The less you know the better. I've had a watch on that upstart for months. I know what he does with his time, and his time is coming to an end, believe me." He kissed her forehead and put on his hat. "I'll be back in a week. By then all our troubles will be over."

George patted her cheek a little harder than was necessary. "I need you to pull yourself together. If you don't, you could put our plan in jeopardy, and we don't want that now, do we?"

"No. I'm, I'm sorry, my love." Caroline gasped and lifted her head. She glanced at the strap which was now hung on the back of his door as she straightened her dress and hurried to lace up her bodice.

George gripped her wrist and pushed the fabric aside to expose one breast. "We need to work harder on getting you pregnant again, before the old man's body has rotted too long. I like you better with bigger tits." He spun her around and reached for the lash. "Lift your hems woman and bend over the chaise."

"But... you've just," Caroline whimpered but she did as he instructed.

"Shush! Stop your snivelling you enjoy this as much as I do." He flogged her across the back of her thighs.

"Please... George. No... lately you have been too rough." She bit down on her bottom lip as the whip struck her already red and swollen backside.

George grabbed a clump of hair at the back of her head, and growled in her ear, "You can blame your stepson for that. I do everything you ask of me and all I get in return is a whinging frigid bitch." He shoved her over the settee once more. "You will relieve my urges whenever I desire. Do you understand me?"

Caroline clamped down her retort and nodded her head franticly. This was not the time to confront him. Better to let him think he was in control.

"What was that? I. Didn't. Hear. You," George snarled as he brought the strap down.

"Yes. I understand." Her hand clenched on the fabric of her skirt as he hit her again.

"And!"

"Please... I want you to... take me." Caroline felt bile surge up her throat as she said the last two words. "Please, George. Now..." She'd play the game his way today but never again. "Please. Take. Me. Before. You. Leave."

*

When he left, Caroline paced the floor boards. George was becoming more and more unbearable, driven by the want of money and power. Haliford's youngest son, was making life harder for her. She was going to have to rein him in. Caroline hoped once Samuel Denyer was out of the way, the flame of hate which burned inside of George, would wither and his incessant need to beat her, so he could become aroused would die.

*

George hadn't considered that Samuel Denyer would have such dogged determination when he'd manipulated Haliford into marrying Caroline. Even if that marriage was invalid due to her real marriage to him. His plan had worked perfectly. Caroline played the grieving widow well, but it had been much harder to get Haliford drunk, so he'd drugged one of Haliford's drinks at the Ascot races. Between the two of them they had managed to get the duke into their carriage and into Caroline's bed where he woke up with her naked beside him. George, had waited an eternity for movement in the room, and then stormed into the chamber just as Haliford was climbing out of the bed.

The swindle went well. Haliford immediately agreed to marry her, or his pious name would be turned to mud in the eyes of the ton. George had hoped the child would be born with her light brown hair but as if God was testing them, he'd blessed them with William, whose colouring was so much like his sire's that it was obvious Haliford was not the father.

Musing on all this, George kicked his horse harder and screamed at the night, "Fuck you Haliford for having a fucking pigheaded son who can't leave well enough alone!" The stupid boy had caused his father's death by planting the seed of doubt.

When Haliford confronted them after the earl's visit George took months to devise a plan. There would be a riding accident, but Haliford caught them in bed together, so that plan had to be changed and quickly.

George pinned Haliford to his bed that night, while she smothered him. If only the duke's youngest son had been blessed with the weak character of the older Frederick. He had not accepted their story or his father's death as being attributed to his heart.

So, the truth is revealed. I guess their scam could have worked if it wasn't for Samuel's interference.

Photo taken from Pinterest