The party season was in full swing when Emily, Helen, James, and Edward were invited to a ball at the home of the Duke of Marlborough. The Duke's palace was just outside London and set in some of the most splendid parkland in the country. As their coach approached the palace, Emily hopped in delight as she saw a stag grazing in the middle of a huge group of doe. When the coach pulled up in front of the enormous building, one of the horses neighed as if telling the passengers to get out. Edward jumped down and held out a hand for Emily.
I love you, he whispered to her. He looked around to see no one was within earshot, I want to make love to you this evening, here at this ball. I will find a place. She looked at him in a show of mock disapproval.
They'd been seeing each other since April. It was now June, and they'd become inseparable. They made love whenever they could persuade Helen to turn a blind eye, and Edward had taught Emily things she'd never thought about. When he'd knelt behind her and pulled her bottom up, she'd had no idea he could enter her from such a direction and when he'd lifted her up and made love to her in the standing position she'd become so excited he'd had to put his hand over her mouth.
The ball room was much the same as most of the other ballrooms they had visited since the beginning of May, except it was much larger. The Duke of Marlborough had a large estate and was the second richest man in the country. Emily had never been in such a large crowd and even Edward, who had ten years more experience of the ball circuit than Emily had never been to a ball attended by so many people.
As they walked between the guests, Edward had never been prouder. Emily turned heads wherever they went and this evening she seemed to be turning more that usual. Helen and Emily had taken full advantage of Aunt Beatrice's generosity and visited the dress shop in town several times since April. On one occasion Emily had asked Jane to come along and give advice. When Emily had tried on a pastel green dress with dark green edging and a low decollete, she'd thought it inappropriate, but Jane had persuaded her to take it and wear it to this ball.
You are a beautiful young woman. Time passes quickly, and soon enough you will be married, and nobody will look at you anymore. Take the opportunity now to feel what it's like to be a worshiped. Jane's words had persuaded Emily to be daring. Jane had been right; male adoration was beginning to make her feel like a Goddess.
Who were you talking to? she asked Edward as he returned to her. I mean the tall man with the large nose and exaggerated sideburns.
Oh, that's just someone who pulled me to one side for a moment. Are you going to visit your father soon?
Emily was taken aback. I have booked another coach trip at the end of the month. It's so difficult to get a seat. I asked Aunt Beatrice if her coach could take me, but she told me private coaches weren't allowed within three miles of the prison.
Edward was sorry he'd asked the question. She'd had such a loving expression on her face, and she was plainly enjoying the evening very much, but the mention of the father had changed that. I'm sorry to bring it up now. Let's dance. Dancing restored Emily's mood, and as she circled Edward in her daring dress, his desire began to flow. When he suddenly pulled Emily from the dance floor, she wondered why. Look, he whispered. When she did, what she saw made her giggle. You understand now why I couldn't continue, he said as he tried to pull his jacket closed. She nodded and began to laugh.
What is it? Emily asked when she saw the expression on Edward's face. His murderous expression frightened her. My dear, stay here and talk to Helen and James. I have some business to attend to. I'll be back very soon. She nodded and watched him weave between the guests and stop next to a tall man and a shorter bald man, neither of whom Emily liked the look of.
After twenty minutes of Helen's incessant gossiping, Emily decided to see if Edward was alright. She was worried about him, the expression he'd worn had shocked her, she'd never seen him look that way before. As she walked towards them, she wondered who the two men were. They both looked like rogues, one of them had a nasty scar on his face, and the other had a shaven head.
No, that's not her. That's just some woman from the village I'm friendly with. She's very good in bed, but horrible to talk to. I'm just having some fun with her before I find someone better.
Emily's legs turned to rubber, and she felt a cold sweat flow over her. Had it really been Edward she'd heard uttering these words. How could he? What was he doing? He was using her and didn't love her after all. She turned away and started to walk away from him as quickly as she could. All she thought of was leaving the room before she was sick over someone.
Edward saw her out of the corner of his eye and wanted to run after her, but he was trapped. He'd convinced the two men her name was Mary Cooper, a girl from a village nearby, who he was using to satisfy his sexual urges. If he ran after he now, he would blow it.