Ravished

When you are rich and powerful, no one will challenge you to your face or give you a chance to explain yourself. All the whispers are behind your back. You are left with no means of clearing your own name. And after a while you realize there is no point in even attempting to do so. No one wants the truth. All anyone wants is the chance to add more fuel to the fires of gossip. The whispers become so loud that sometimes you think you will drown in them.

Clearly no one knew the socially correct way to deal with a brawl in a ballroom that had been started by a lady.

I saw no reason I could not live out my days in Upper Biddleton as a ruined woman. After all, that sort of reputation would hardly get in the way of my fossil collecting. But St. Justin was most insistent.

My sweet Harriet,” he murmured. “I am delighted to see that you are still unpolished.” She scowled up at him. “I assure you I am working very hard on that project, too, sir.

You are accustomed to going your own way without restraint. You no doubt fear losing some of your precious independence.” “I do not intend to lose any of my independence,” she muttered. “You will adjust to marriage in time.” “Now, see here, Gideon, what is all this talk of adjusting?

I have no particular desire for a man’s guidance. And if you think it will be your duty to guide me after we are wed, then you had better reconsider your role as a husband.

The high-waisted bodice had been cut quite low, much lower than anything she had ever worn before, and she had to resist the temptation to keep yanking it upward. Unfortunately, no one had been able to do much with her hair. It formed a very unfashionable, slightly frizzy halo around her head.

You and your bloody damn fossils," he growled. "Is that all you can think about?

For some reason, perhaps because she was already walking a tightrope as far as her nerves were concerned, Harriet took offense at that comment. She swallowed the tea cake, which tasted like sawdust in her mouth, and managed a cool smile. “Yes, my lord. Quite recovered. I bounce back from ordeals very well, I must say. Why, here it is, only a few hours after finding myself ruined, yet I do not feel any of the remorse and despair one would expect after sacrificing one’s precious virginity to the Beast of Blackthorne Hall.” Effie was horrified. “Harriet.” Harriet smiled sweetly. “Well, it’s not like I was planning to do anything all that interesting with it, anyway. Therefore I am not overly concerned about the loss.

Unfortunately, no one had been able to do much with her hair. It formed a very unfashionable, slightly frizzy halo around her head.