‘Crystal you’re home!’  Natasha hugged her step sister, who was one year younger than her.  ‘I thought you will only return at the end of the week.’

‘Hello Natasha,’ Crystal smiled self -appreciatingly.  She studied herself in the looking glass, admiring how the satin afternoon dress clung to her tightly corseted breasts.  Crystal was striking like her mamma, Sophie.  She had beautiful long blonde shiny hair, and a very pretty face, expressive eyes and nice cheek bones, unlike Natasha who was just plain.  Crystal was a student at the design academy in London.  She always had to have morning dresses, afternoon dresses and evening gowns on hand just in case an occasion called for it.  Crystal was home now for the summer holiday for six weeks and Natasha would hear all about her escapades tonight, as they shared a bed chamber.

‘You look so beautiful,’ Natasha complimented sincerely.  ‘Did you make that gown?’

‘No darling sister,’ I paid a fortune for it on Bond Street.  Crystal angled her body admiring the way the dress caressed her slim waistline.  Natasha could not understand why Crystal had to spend money on gowns in Bond Street when she was a designer herself.  She could have bought the material and Natasha could have helped her make that at a fraction of the cost.  The style looked simple enough.  Natasha herself could not be bothered with stylish gowns. Whenever she needed a new dress, she just bought the material, and cut her own patterns.  She did not waste money on the expensive materials that Crystal preferred.

‘It’s lovely to have you home again Crystal.’

‘Has anything exciting happened in my absence?’ Crystal asked, turning around again in front of the looking glass.

I met Benedict.

‘No.  Nothing exciting ever happens here in Thor Creek, you know that.’  Natasha was not ready to reveal her secret information about Benedict, just yet.

‘You want to see my exciting gowns?’ Crystal beamed.

‘Do you mind if I see it after supper?  I need to help Cook in the kitchen.’

‘Why do you have to help her? Isn’t that what she gets paid for?  So you don’t have to do it,’ Crystal answered her own question.

‘It’s a bit much for Cook, Crystal, besides I enjoying preparing meals.’

‘You enjoy spring cleaning every day as well,’ Crystal wrinkled her face distastefully, ‘even though there is a servant for that as well.’

Natasha was not going to get into an argument about how many rooms there were in the cottage, and how it was just too much work for one person.  Besides isn’t that why she was not allowed to attend school or go to any fashion school, because she needed to help to cook, clean, sew, be mother to Ben, and manage the purse strings, because her step mother did not understand about managing money.  She just ordered where ever and whenever, irrespective if they had sufficient money for the month or not. She had made it Natasha’s duty to make sure all the bills were paid.

‘Well I’m going to rest for a little while,’ Crystal sighed tiredly.  ‘That was the most uncomfortable four hour journey from London.  I thought that carriage was going to fall apart, it wobbled about so much.’

‘Crystal hello!’ Ben came running into the room.

‘Watch my dress!’ Crystal pushed her hands outwards to stop Ben from throwing his arms around her.

Did you wash your hands Ben?’ Natasha asked softly.

‘Yes,’ he pouted, offended that his step sister just brushed him away like he had leprosy or something.

‘Crystal is tired Ben,’ you can come and talk to her after supper,’ Natasha tried to pacify him.

‘Yes I have something for you, you little urchin,’ Crystal reluctantly admitted, as if it was dragged out of her.

‘Really, what is it?’ his eyes lit up.

‘After supper, go and do your homework or the gardening or something,’ she waved her hand at him.

‘But I don’t have any homework---.’

‘I need help in the pantry Ben,’ Natasha dragged her brother out.

With Crystal back, Natasha would not be able to go for her walk today, more to the point she would not see the marquis if he decided to again spy on a naked girl cavorting in his lake.   Natasha baked the bread for dinner, whilst Cook prepared the chicken and the vegetables.  Once the bread was done she made a tart and filled it with apricot jam for dessert.  Ben was standing in the corner and eyeing the tart. 

‘Go on bring a plate and I’ll let you have a little piece,’ Natasha whispered

‘Thank you Natasha,’ Ben licked his lips.

‘Run outside with it, don’t let Sophie see you.’

‘What have you there?’ Cook questioned.

‘N---nothing,’ Ben hid his plate behind his back.

‘Always spoiling you, is your sister isn’t she,’ Cook ruffled his hair. ‘Best you go outside with it, before the madam sees you,’ Cook ushered him outside.

‘You know the madam is going to fuss when she sees a piece missing Natasha.’

‘I’ll tell her I sampled it, because it did not look right,’ Natasha grinned.

‘Natasha!’ Sophie called from the lounge.

Oh Ben, did you not hide in time?

‘Yes step mother?’  Natasha dusted her hands on her pinafore, fearing the worst.

Sophie detested being called “stepmother.”  She preferred Natasha and Ben to call her “mother” like Crystal did, but Natasha could not get that word through her lips when she looked at Sophie, especially considering the way she treated Ben, but Ben being the docile boy that he was called her “mother” in the hope that one day she’d treat him the way a mother should lovingly treat her son.

‘The hem’s undone in these trousers of your father’s and Mary, that good for nothing maid has just placed it in the drawer,’ Sophie ranted.

‘I’ll see to it right after I’m finished here in the kitchen,’ Natasha took the trousers from her hand. 

‘Crystal brought back some laundry that needs to be washed.  See that Mary does not touch it for she will surely ruin it.  You know your sister’s gowns are extremely expensive.’

‘I’ll wash it myself step mother,’ Natasha turned to walk away. 

There goes tomorrow’s walk as well.

‘Where is that brother of yours?  I hope he is not troubling poor Crystal.  She has had a long tiring journey.’

‘Ben is outside, in the back yard,’ Natasha was barely able to conceal her temper any longer.

‘Papa, look Crystal has brought me a model carriage,’ Ben showed their father excitedly.

‘Thank you Crystal,’ Daniel Grayson, smiled at his step daughter.  ‘You should not have wasted money on gifts.  You need every cent for your fees.’

‘Oh nonsense Daniel,’ Sophie fussed.  ‘You know Crystal loves Ben.

‘Thank you for my ribbons Crystal,’ Natasha smiled.  ‘They are such beautiful colours.’

‘I love lilac and silver,’ Crystal smiled importantly. 

It won’t be long before Crystal would be using those very same ribbons in a dress for herself.

‘I suppose it’s my turn to thank you for the tobacco,’ Daniel smiled pleasantly.  ‘Although Natasha disapproves of my habit,’ he smiled at his big daughter apologetically.

‘Well as long as you are not a chain smoker papa, then you and I won’t be in trouble with Natasha,’ Crystal glared at Natasha. 

Daniel was “papa” to Crystal, even though she was not his biological child.  He treated all three children the same.  Each got an equal allowance every Friday, but Sophie always ensured she gave Crystal a little extra, which Natasha pretended not to notice.  Natasha managed Ben’s allowance.  She pooled both their allowances together, saw to every need of Ben’s first before she spent any coin on herself.  Ben loved candy, she often bought him a treat once a month.

‘My Lord, Her Grace is seeking you,’ the butler informed the marquis the second he walked into his home.

The marquis’s chest constricted the minute the butler finished speaking, but he did not allow his concern to reflect on his face.  He knew his mother would be at his father’s bedside, he rushed to his father’s chamber.

‘Benedict where have you been, son?’ his mother cried.

‘I was out riding mother.  Is it well with father?’  He pressed his palms on his mother’s shoulder.

‘He won’t eat Benedict.  He refused to eat his breakfast as well.’

‘Father?’ Benedict gently touched his father’s chest.

‘No,’ his father shook his head, ‘not hungry,’ he was barely able to whisper.

‘Father you must eat,’ Benedict pleaded, ‘how can you regain your strength, if you refuse your meals?’

‘Nurse is having a tough time with him,’ Victoria Brinley, relayed to her son.

‘Father let me feed you some soup,’ Benedict, very gently lifted his father into a sitting position, and secured his pillows behind his back.

‘Just one more spoon father,’ Benedict urged, as he managed to feed Daniel Brinley half the bowl of soup. 

Victoria smiled at her son appreciatively, ‘try and make him take his medication son.’

Benedict crushed the tablet and fed it with a spoon into his father’s mouth, ‘there you go,’ Benedict smiled happily.  ‘You’ll be able to cut up a nice juicy steak yourself for supper father.’

‘Benedict do not make fun of your father,’ Victoria looked at her son adoringly.

‘Come mamma,’ Benedict took his mother’s hand.  ‘Father is asleep.  You should rest as well.’  ‘Have you taken lunch?’

‘Yes when you were out.  I ate whilst nurse stayed with your father.’

Benedict cursed himself for straying from his father’s side to go looking for the little waif.  As if seeing her was not enough, he had to give her a ride back to her cottage as well.  It still concerned him that she was fearless about the wild dogs and continued to swim in the lake.  A cold shiver ran through his body, as an image of her naked body mauled by wild dogs came to his mind.  He must do something to protect her.  He would instruct his groomsmen to erect a wooden fence around the lake, and also erect a shelter for her to give her privacy to change.  What was wrong with him?  His father was on his death bed and he was thinking about a commoner, that he had no business wasting his time on. 

‘My lord, the Lady Louisa Horton has arrived,’ the butler announced.

Louisa!  What in blazes is she doing here? 

Benedict was irritated at her uninvited presence.  He knew she was impatiently waiting for his ring to be on her finger.  She had hinted at it often enough.  His entire family and hers expected him to be making an offer very soon, and because he had not said anything to the contrary, they all took it for granted that the opportunistic Lady Louisa Horton was his intended bride, but Louisa was no fool, as long as he had not made the official offer to her, she knew the field was open for anybody to become Lady Benedict Brinley.

‘Louisa?’ Benedict greeted her politely, kissing her on each cheek.

‘Darling, I came as quickly as I could,’ she clung to him, when he would have disengaged himself away from her.

‘Whatever are you talking about Louisa?’ he asked, his irritation masked.

‘The Duke---.  I have heard he has taken a turn for the worse.’

‘My father is doing well Louisa.  He is not on his death bed,’ he rasped at her insensitivity.

‘Darling, do not be angry with me,’ she pouted. ‘I just wanted to lend you moral support,’ she twirled her arms around his neck.

Normally he tolerated her wanton ways.  She was an extremely attractive woman, there was no doubt about it, and she knew it too.  He was no saint, and she knew his weakness and exploited it to the fullest.  Louisa cared not for propriety.  A year ago, after they had attended a charity ball together, she had stayed over at his London residence.  In the middle of the night she had ingeniously crept into Benedict’s bed chamber and seduced him.  She had lost her virginity that night in the hope of speeding up the process to the altar, but one year later, she was still waiting. Louisa was wise enough to know she could not call his hand.  He would do so, and only when he was ready.

‘Darling,’ she kissed his mouth,’ I miss you.  You have not visited in three weeks,’ she scolded.  She pressed her body against him, her tongue snaking into his mouth.  She moaned softly as he returned the kiss, but for some reason he drew back, losing interest.

‘Come to me tonight,’ she whispered.  ‘I long for you,’ she breathed heavily against his lips.

Benedict removed her hands from around his neck, ‘I can not promise you anything Louisa.  My mother needs me close by.’

‘Louisa was smart enough to know how to play her cards.  ‘I am so sorry darling.  Is there something I can do for the duchess?’

‘Perhaps you will want to extend that invitation to her Louisa,’ Benedict challenged.  He knew her offer was just lip service.  She cared nothing about his mother or father.  All she wanted was the title that would be bestowed upon her should she become his

     -end chapter three-