1796: THE DIARY OF LOVE

MARCH 1796-Trip to Georgia: The Beginning.

1st of January, 1796: “But Father!” I was arguing with Father over my trip to Georgia, America for a business dealing with yellow sapphire. My Father, Sir Jagdish Inderjit Raj, was a renowned dealer of sapphires in Oxfordshire, Great Britain. My name was Nanthini Asha Raj and I was the only daughter of Sir Jagdish Inderjit Raj. I had turned nineteen years old that year. My mother, the late Gaurika Yamini Raj had passed away after giving birth to me with complications during labor. Since then, Father had taken the dual role of a father and a mother in my life. He would be loving as a mother and would be strict as a father as and when his dual roles were required of him.  I had not, any complaint against Father because I had tasted every bit of love and luxury while growing up by his side. My trip to Georgia, America was in contention at that moment. Father was unable to make the trip by himself at that time due to an appointment that collided with the date of the trip he had scheduled to Georgia and the appointment was requested by His Majesty, King George III.

Father intended to send my acquaintance, Adrian John Conway Seymour who was the only son of Sir Francis Charles Seymour, the 3rd Marquess of Hertford. Father’s friendship with Sir Francis dated back to before I was born and they were inseparable. Adrian, as I loved to address Sir Francis’s only son had been my childhood friend since I was four years old and Adrian was seven years old. Adrian was sent to a boarding school when he turned ten years old. He had recently joined Father in his dealings of sapphire and Adrian was usually assigned to complete the deals with foreign dealers from other countries in the absence of Father when the need called for it. Adrian was a jeweler himself and he owned jewel shops in Oxfordshire, Yorkshire, and Nottinghamshire and due to the influence of Sir Francis Charles Seymour, Adrian was often preferred over other jewelers in England to design jewels for the Royal family for special occasions. At that time, Adrian was in Paris to sign a deal as the designer of Jewels for the famous Jeweler in Paris known as Comte de Chanteloup, Jean Antoine Chaptal and, was about to return after being in Paris for seven years with the Comte de Chanteloup.

Father was hesitating to send me to Georgia with Adrian because of my age. Father, although having resided in Oxfordshire for a long time, was still traditional. That being said, since I was a nineteen-year-old lady, Father found it hard to send a young Indian woman alone with a full-grown Adrian although he had known Adrian all his life. Father said “Nanthini, you know that you are not a child anymore and Adrian is not as well. What would people say if they hear that I have sent you together with Adrian to a foreign country? You know that the ladies who come to visit our shop are all nosy. By the time both of you return from Georgia, the rumor of both of you traveling together to Georgia would take a different form to indicate that both of you have eloped to Georgia and the whole of Oxfordshire would be busy talking about this.” I could not help smiling at the thought. Father could be dramatic at times. I replied,“ I understand, Father.” “But have I ever been this adamant when it comes to the other countries you have sent Adrian to?” I asked Father. Father gave me a curious look. “Why do you want to go to Georgia so much?” Father asked. At last! Father was willing to listen to my reasoning. That was my chance to lay my plan of a newfound trade on the table and I was going to convince Father to allow me to start the trading of cotton as an additional chain of trade besides jewels. I replied, “The reason why I want to visit America is that I have read about cotton trading which is the popular item in trade in America and Georgia is famous for the number of cotton farms evolved by the farmers there. I am thinking of starting a franchise of silk beds for noble families and my idea of a bed would be cotton beds made out of silk materials to provide comfort to the purchasers.”

Father raised his eyebrow at the mention of my plan. Father said, “I did not in the least expect that you had such a plan. This is rather surprising for a nineteen-year-old lady. You are very much like your grandmother who is also of business mind.” I was delighted that I had left an impression on Father’s mind as to my plan. “Now, may I have your permission to accompany Adrian, Father?”, I asked Father. “Yet, who will you be meeting in terms of the supply of cotton? Do you have anyone in mind?”, Father asked. I replied, “Adrian told me during our previous meeting that Mr. Stephen Duncan, who will be having the sapphire dealing with you owns a large company that produces cotton and that he is supplying cotton to large companies in America. I was planning to also have an agreement signed with Mr. Stephen Duncan to supply us with cotton in exchange for the supply of yellow sapphires. I have mentioned this to Adrian and he thinks that my idea is worthwhile but that I should consult you about it before I could make such a deal with Mr. Stephen Duncan.”

Father was quiet for a while. I could see that my idea had caught his attention and that he was thinking about the viability of my plan. A smile crept on Father’s face. He said, “Very well, my dear. I think this should be a fair term of trade. I will send a letter to Mr. Stephen and inform him about your visit with Adrian and also about the cotton deal so that Mr. Stephen would be well informed before you arrive in Georgia.” My heart jumped with joy. I stood from my chair and quickly hugged Father from behind and left a kiss on his unshaven right cheek. “Oh! Thank you, Father. I promise to behave and not bother Adrian so much.” Father laughed and said, “I will let Adrian know that you will accompany him. Now, go ahead and purchase the necessities and start packing before you forget something.” “Alright. Thank you once again, Father,” I said before I walked out of the study room with Father smiling proudly while watching me.

21st of February  1796: It was a sunny morning and I laid in bed while thinking about the attires which I should be purchasing in case of the change in weather in Georgia. Father had told me the night before to purchase everything necessary for the trip and he had also given me a handsome sum of money to spend on my attires. I got out of the bed and washed to be ready for breakfast with Father. After washing and grooming myself, I went to the dining room. Father was already at the table drinking coffee and reading the newspaper. “Good morning, Father,” I greeted Father. “Aah, I was just waiting for you, my dear.” I sat next to Father and the servant started to pour a cup of coffee for me while I reached out for the bread and butter. “So, have you decided on where to shop for your necessities, my dear?” Father asked. “Yes, Father. I have asked Emily to accompany me to the shop to purchase the clothes for the summer season. It is rather hot in Georgia and Emily said that I should be properly dressed so that I will not be having a heatstroke.” I replied. “That is very thoughtful of Emily. Very well, then. I am having a meeting with Adrian after breakfast about dealing with Mr. Stephen Duncan and the terms of the dealing. I will inform Adrian about the cotton deal which you have suggested as well so that Adrian is well informed before the terms are negotiated in Georgia.” “Alright, Father,” I replied.

Mr. Jack Wolvermont, the butler, knocked on the door and opened it while announcing the arrival of Adrian. At that moment, Adrian entered. I looked up from my plate of bread with neatly swiped butter on it. Seven years it had been since Adrian left for France. Adrian, is a 6-footer with a muscular body, was dressed in a riding dress, wherein his snug leather breeches have a tie and buttons at the knee and a fall front whereas his white waistcoat was double-breasted. Adrian had his hat and his gloves in his right hand. That style of dressing was the trend of the Frenchmen at that time and I had noticed how the French dressing style had influenced the minds of young noblemen of marriageable age at that time. Adrian was no exception. However, his attire matched his straight dark brown hair, moss green eyes, and sharp facial features. Simply flawless.

Adrian greeted Father, “Mr. Raj, good morning to you. How have you been, Sir? It has been a while. You look rather handsome as always, Sir.” Father smiled and replied, “I am feeling rather fine these days since our business is running so well that I have nothing to complain about.” Adrian then turned to look at me. I saw his eyes softening at the very sight of me. He said, “And you, my dear. How are you? Did you miss me at all? From the way you look, I think my absence has not affected you one bit.” I laughed and replied, “I have been rather happy, as you can see since the one who loves to play a prank on me at every opportunity he gets has not been around to frighten me. I am beginning to feel a little uncomfortable now that the prankster is back.” Adrian laughed out loud. It was so good to hear his laughter once again. That had always been the way we greeted each other since we were children. Father, who had been observing us as we joked with each other, interrupted our jests and said to Adrian, “Adrian, we have to discuss your trip to Georgia. This time, Nanthini will accompany you to Georgia. I understand from Nanthini that Mr. Stephen is a cotton trader as well. Nanthini has discussed with me about her intention to exchange our sapphire supply with cotton supply. What do you think about this?” Adrian thought about this for a second before replying, “I think that this would be an excellent exchange deal to wrap with Mr. Stephen. I have also come across the information on the types of trades Mr. Stephen has been handling and cotton seems to be the most profitable one for Mr. Stephen.”

Father was rather pleased with Adrian’s reply and turned to me and said, “Well, it is decided then. Get yourself well-prepared for the trip, my dear.” Then he turned to Adrian, “She will be your responsibility now, my boy. Please look out for her while both of you are in Georgia.” Adrian nodded in agreement and smiled at me with a look of mischief in his eyes. I, on the other hand, rolled my eyes at him which made Father laugh and shake his head with amusement.

That evening, Emily came to visit me and we left town to make our purchases of the necessities for the trip to Georgia for a month. I purchased long coats and boots as suggested by Emily to keep me warm during the cold season. I was usually dressed in my traditional Indian costume known as a saree. Most Englishwomen loved to see me in my saree draping because I had various styles of draping for different occasions. Those Englishwomen often wondered how a 9-foot cloth was draped in various styles. I had started a class on how to drape sarees and I had mostly middle-aged Englishwomen who needed excitement in their rather boring lives attending my class of saree draping methods. They were usually happy to learn a new style of saree draping although mastering the draping style had never been easy for them. I had dressed in evening gowns as and when there were strict dress codes for particular functions which required Father’s attendance since Father was the head of the class of the business world in England. That being said, I, as the offspring of a nobleman who had a distinguished reputation in England would often be observed closely by other noblemen in terms of my standard of mannerism. However, Father had never imposed strict rules on me because he was still an Indian by heart and he had always prioritized the standard of mannerism as an Indian over that of an Englishman. I had not misused Father’s confidence in me.

After shopping for all the necessities, Emily and I retired to our homes accordingly and I had a carriage booked to load all the purchases made for the day. Once the purchases arrived at our Raj Mansion, I had the servants to pack the necessities into my suitcases. I had two large suitcases and one hand luggage ready for the one-month trip to Georgia. After packing, I joined Father and Adrian at the study room and we had tea while discussing the trip to Georgia. Father had prepared our transportation services in England and America as early as January and there was nothing much for Adrian and me to prepare. Adrian was also informed about the reply received from Mr. Stephen by Father through the Marquess of Hertford himself while Adrian was still in Paris. Adrian was not informed in detail as to the terms of the agreement which would be discussed between Mr. Stephen and Adrian because Father had reserved the details to discuss with Adrian in person when he returned to Oxfordshire.

1st of March, 1796: The day to travel to Georgia had arrived. Adrian and I were to travel by ship which was leaving for America. Father joined us at the harbor. Father looked at me which much softness in his eyes and said, “Be very careful when you are in Georgia. Do not leave Adrian’s side and do not give a hard time for Adrian as well, knowing you.” I pouted playfully and smiled. I said to Father in a comforting tone, “You should take good care of yourself in my absence, Papa. I promise to behave while I am there and I promise to not cause Adrian any problem as well.” I had always addressed Father as “Papa” whenever I felt nostalgic and Father seemed to love it each time I addressed him in that manner. Father smiled lovingly and hugged me so tightly before releasing me. Father was never good at expressing himself by words and had always shown his love for me through his actions. The tight hug told me how much he would miss me. I would miss him too. Father then turned to Adrian and said, “Adrian, I am entrusting my precious in your good hands and I am having high hopes on you in protecting my precious until you return. Please return her to me unscratched.” Adrian almost went into tears at Father’s words. He said, “Of course, Sir. I will protect Asha with my life. Don’t you worry and be rest assured that she will return without any harm. I will do my best in having this agreement concluded and return with good news. We will have to celebrate our victory this time, Sir.” Father nodded in agreement and said, “Well, off you go now and take care of yourself, young man.” Adrian tipped his stylish French hat as a farewell gesture at Father before walking to the ship and I followed Adrian to board the ship. Adrian and I had rooms next to each other and we had the porters to load our luggage in our respective rooms. That night, Adrian and I had dinner together in Adrian’s room and we laughed and joked about our childhood memories. I felt so tired out of all the laughter and I dozed off in Adrian’s room. I felt Adrian carrying me to my room and settled me on my bed. After covering me with the blanket provided, he left the room silently. Adrian had always carried me to my bed since we were children because I tended to doze off in exhaustion after playing with Adrian.

The next morning, I washed and dressed in my saree. At that time, I had draped my saree in the hunting style which was the most comfortable way of draping when traveling. That particular style of draping was an innovative way of draping which most queens in India were dressed in when hunting or going for a war. It provided much comfort when moving around in a crowded place since the legs of the wearer would be covered to look like a man’s breeches. I had always loved that style of draping whenever I went hunting with Adrian’s family. I joined Adrian in the breakfast room and for the first time, I  had noticed the various types of people who had boarded the ship to America the day before. There seemed to be people of all classes in the breakfast room and everyone was busy chatting and laughing. Adrian raised his hand to guide me to our table and I walked to the table occupied by Adrian. While I was walking, I could feel someone’s eyes on me the whole time. I noticed a figure standing with his legs crossed, leaning against the wall of the ship, and staring at me from the corner of my eyes. I turned to look at that figure and noticed a young, tall, and muscular man looking at me with a crooked smile on his face. He tipped his stylish hat at me when I looked at him. I, on the other hand, nodded at him and quickly joined Adrian at his table.

I must have lost the color on my face since Adrian asked me the moment I settled on my seat, “What is wrong, Asha?” I looked at Adrian and replied, “Do you see a tall man standing at the right side of the wall near the entrance of this room?” Adrian turned slightly to his left and then turned back at me. “Yes, I see him. What about him, my dear? Do you find him attractive?” Adrian said to me teasingly. I rolled my eyes and said, “He was staring at me when I walked in, and then he gave me a mysterious smile when I turned to look at him. Something about him tells me that he has been watching us from the moment we boarded this ship.” Adrian’s expression hardened as though he was alerted about unknown harm. He said, “Don’t ever leave my side from now on until we reach our destination. We need to be wary of his presence at all times.” I nodded in agreement. After having our breakfast, we walked hand in hand to join the others on the porch and we had a wonderful time talking and laughing about many silly things which we did in our childhood. Thereafter, we retired to our respective rooms. I spent most of the time at Adrian’s room for the next two days before reaching America on the third day. On the night of the second day, I retired to bed after having dinner with Adrian in his room. As I changed into my usual sleeping attire which was a half blouse and a long skirt with a long muslin type cloth draped around the skirt to cover my body. The attire was usually worn by young teenagers who had reached puberty. I, on the other hand, had worn them as my nightdress to sleep comfortably at night.

As I was sleeping, I felt a warm finger on my right cheek, outlining my jaw, ever so lightly. I thought it was Adrian playing a prank on me again and I whispered teasingly, “Are you missing me on your bed, Adrian? Shall I join you in bed?” I heard a chuckle and the next moment, I felt warm lips pressing on my soft lips. I was utterly shocked. “This is not Adrian,” I thought. I opened my eyes to see who it was and saw the man who was staring at me in the morning looking directly at me with a similar smile he had on his face earlier that morning. I tried to free myself from him by pushing him away but he was too quick for me. He held me fast in his arms and looked into my eyes again before he whispered, “I have never seen a lady with such exotic looks like you before and you have made me so curious enough to look at you closely, my darling.” I felt so insulted by his endearment. No man had ever touched me in such a manner before. “Let go of me you, wretched man!” I tried to scream to call for Adrian but in a swift motion, he cupped my face between his hands and pressed his mouth against mine. Dear God, he was so warm and sweet that I wanted to open my mouth for him but I didn’t, of course. I tried to twist free from him, but he simply lifted my body and held me firmly in the circle of his arms. His hands were on my breasts, kneading me, feeling their weight in his hands, learning me and I thought that I would die if he had stopped that very instant. He flattened his hand on my belly, cursing the damned muslin cloth that kept me from him and his hand went lower and his breathing hitched painfully.

At that moment, Adrian entered my room and threw a blow on his head which made him fall on my bed while releasing the grip he had on my body. At that moment, I gathered the muslin cloth which covered my body and quickly ran into Adrian’s arms. Adrian held me close while allowing some ship guards to enter my room to catch the perpetrator who was lying on my bed with blood running down his broken nose. I was still sobbing while leaning my head on Adrian’s broad and warm chest. Adrian smelt so good that I felt like I could sleep on his chest at that moment. Adrian tried to say comfortingly, “Hush, now, princess. It is over now.” I stopped crying and looked up at Adrian’s face with teary eyes. Adrian wiped the tears away with the sleeve of his white waistcoat and said, “I will stay with you tonight, my dear. Go to bed.” “Don’t leave this room tonight, Adrian. I fear that he might re-appear.” I pleaded to Adrian. “He won’t anymore. The guards will keep him in the cell to be handed over to the authorities tomorrow when we reach America.” Adrian assured me. I felt secured at his words. I then laid on the bed and was fast asleep due to the exhaustion from fighting that perverted man.

Adrian

Adrian was enraged by the sight of the man holding Asha tightly and kissing her forcibly that he had to throw a blow on his head. “How could he touch Asha?” Asha ran into Adrian’s arms the moment she was released from the perverted man’s grip. Adrian hugged her tightly to cover her body with the sleeves of his white waistcoat while the guards entered Asha’s room to arrest the perverted man. Adrian had felt Asha’s body trembling in fright that he had to hold her tightly into his arm until her body stopped shaking from the shock of the incident. Then, Adrian felt the warmth of her tears on his bare chest. He comforted her and said, “Hush, now, princess. It is over now.” When she looked up at Adrian’s face with tears pooling in her lovely eyes, he felt so moved by her sight that he felt obligated to comfort her. He wiped the tears away with the sleeves of his waistcoat and took her to her bed to lay her down. Adrian sat by the bed to watch Asha fall asleep. “She must have been so exhausted,” Adrian thought at the sight of Asha falling into a deep sleep the moment her head hit the pillow. Adrian watched her sleep until it was nearly dawn and then left her side to have some rest in his room.

As Adrian laid on his bed, he wondered why he was enraged at the sight of Asha being in another man’s arms. “Why did I get so angry when I saw Asha in the man’s arms?” Adrian wondered. “Am I falling in love with Asha?” Adrian dismissed that thought immediately. “It cannot be. Asha is my childhood friend.” Memories of all the women whom Adrian had a relationship with Paris came into his mind. “If I was indeed in love with Asha, why did I not think of her while practicing intimacy with those French women whom I had been flirting with?” Adrian dismissed the idea of being in love with Asha right away.

THE LOVE RIVAL

Nanthini Asha Raj

4th of March, 1796: We had finally reached America. After the dreadful encounter with the perverted man, I stayed close to Adrian. Adrian must have realized how much I required his presence that he had been very attentive towards me. At the harbor of Georgia, America, Adrian and I were escorted by a group of travel guides who had been arranged by Father. A carriage was waiting to take us to Mr. Stephen’s estate. The trip took us about two hours. When we reached the destination, I noticed how wealthy Mr. Stephen was at the sight of his mansion. It was a beautiful, big building with artistic carvings on the walls of the mansion. The carriage stopped at the entrance of the mansion.

Mr. and Mrs. Stephen walked out of the mansion to greet us. Mr. Stephen was a tall, handsome gentleman with blonde hair and ocean blue-green eyes. Mrs. Stephen was slender in size and she looked rather lovely with her raven black hair and green eyes. “Welcome to Georgia, Mr. Adrian, and Miss Asha as I was told to address you by Mr. Raj, My Lady,” Mr. Stephen said in a pleasant tone. He had a rather deep voice and a slang which I found rather exciting. I was told that one was able to tell the origin of an American based on his or her slang. “Thank you, Mr. Stephen. I am glad to meet you”, I replied with a pleasant tone. Mrs. Stephen then said, “We are glad to have both of you in our home. We will be pleased to know everything about Great Britain.” I looked at Mrs. Stephen and I loved the smile on her face. She had dimples on both sides of her cheeks whenever she smiled. “What a pleasant face to look at,” I thought to myself. “Why, thank you for welcoming us to your beautiful home, Mr. and Mrs. Stephen. We are sure to enjoy our stay in Georgia with such a pleasant host and hostess to welcome us.” Adrian finally spoke out. I wondered why he stayed quiet the whole time. “Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Stephen, for the warm welcome. We are sure to enjoy our stay here. Also, we would be glad to agree to regard the trade of sapphire and the supply of cotton in exchange for our supply of sapphire amicably.”

Mr. Stephen then spoke up. “Please allow our servants to lead you to your rooms and then both of you can join us at the dining table. We still have other members of the family who will be delighted to have both of you here.” Both Adrian and I excused ourselves and followed the servants to lead us to our rooms. Our rooms were situated next to each other and there was a connecting door in my room which led to Adrian’s room. “Father has arranged everything in detail,” I thought to myself whilst smiling at the thought. Adrian opened the connecting door and knocked lightly on the door before entering my bedroom. He said, “Your father has arranged everything with much detail that I do not think that we will have many complications during our stay here, Asha.” “Yes, indeed. I can see how much he wants to ensure our safety in Georgia. I wonder if we will have more surprises awaiting us,” I said with a smile to Adrian. Adrian nodded and smiled as well. “Well, I will leave you to wash up. Come and join me in my room once you are ready to join the Stephen family at the dining table.” Adrian said to me before leaving my bedroom to clean himself and get himself changed into a fresh attire.

Once I have cleaned myself in the white basin of hot water with lavender-scented soap soaked in the hot water, I chose a light weighted silk pink saree draped in the ordinary style wherein the end of the saree was twisted around my wrist whereas the pleats were tucked beneath my belly button to enable easy movement. That type of saree draping allowed me to move around with ease and it gave the impression that I was wearing a long skirt with a half blouse and a long cloth, draped around my waist to cover my upper and lower body. I braided my long black hair into a French braid style. I checked myself in the mirror before leaving my bedroom and I was happy with the result of my grooming. Mrs. Stephen had enquired if I needed a servant to be sent to me for grooming but I politely declined. I joined Adrian in his bedroom and I saw him seated in the chair while drinking tea. He seemed to have been waiting for me. Adrian stood up at my presence and asked, “Ready to go?” I replied, “Yes I am, handsome.” Adrian smiled sheepishly at my compliment. Adrian was dressed in a French-style green-colored coat matched with light brown breeches and a white double-breasted waistcoat. The overcoat was tailored to outline Adrian’s muscular body and I had to say that Adrian looked rather handsome in his attire. Adrian looked at me for a long time and said, “You look ravishing, Ash.” I liked the tone of his voice. There was a peculiar softness in his tone which sent a strange feeling in my stomach. I did not give much attention to it then. Both of us walked hand in hand towards the dining room to join the crowd.

The dining table was filled with various types of food. From croissants to lobsters, every dish smelt so delicious. Mr. and Mrs. Stephen joined us at the entrance of the dining room to welcome us. “Please come in and join us, children,” Mrs. Stephen said to our surprise. Upon seeing our reaction, Mrs. Stephen added, “I do hope that you will not mind me addressing you as “children” since both of you must be the same age as our children who will be joining us any minute.” “Not at all, Mrs. Stephen. We are rather surprised at how warm you are in making us feel so much at home in a foreign land. We thank you for your kind hospitality, Madam,” Adrian spoke on behalf of both of us. I smiled in agreement.  At that moment, a young lady in her evening dress and a young man joined us at the dining table. The young lady resembled Mrs. Stephen and I could recognize her as the daughter of the couple. The young man who seemed slightly older than Adrian resembled Mr. Stephen except for the fact that he had bright green eyes that were magnetic and hypnotizing that I could not help staring into them.

Mr. Stephen introduced their children. He said, “This young lady here, is Lady Jean Isabelle Stephen whereas this young man who is my eldest and only son, Justin Carlisle Stephen. They are both the apples of my eyes. The young lady looked at me with much awe and exclaimed, “Why, this is a rather different type of costume from those fancy Englishwomen. What is this costume called, My Lady?” I replied, “This costume is known as a saree and it is the traditional costume of Indian women.” “Oh! So you are of Indian ethnicity. How exciting to find a rather exotic Lady in our home. Welcome to our home, My Lady,” Jean said. I smiled at Jean and said, “Please do away with the formalities. I think we are of the same age and so I would prefer to be addressed as Asha. This will be a good way to break the ice, I think.” Jean was glad to hear that. “Oh, I think we will make good friends, Asha. I believe in humility in a person as well.” I smiled at Jean’s words. “Indeed, Jean. Social status need not be imposed on all occasions if we would like to get closer to another individual.” Jean nodded in agreement and smiled. Mr. and Mrs. Stephen who was watching us looked at each other and smiled approvingly. I thought that I had impressed them to a certain extent. Mrs. Stephen then spoke out, “Alright then, children. Let us continue our chats while dining before the food gets cold.” All of us took our seats at the dining table. The servants started to serve the food on our plates and while waiting for the servants to take turns in serving us, I took a glance at Mr. Stephen’s eldest son. He did not utter any word since the introduction session and I was curious about him. He was having a conversation with Mr. Stephen when he suddenly turned to look at me. I blushed when his eyes looked directly into mine while speaking to Mr. Stephen. It was only a glance from him but the way he looked at me sent chills down my spine. “Why did he give me that look?” I thought to myself.

After dinner, all of us settled in the family room. I took a seat next to Justin without realizing it. It was only after settling in my seat had I realized that Adrian was sitting next to Jean. I tried not to look nervous but Justin did not seem to be bothered with my presence next to him. “Maybe I misread his expression, after all,” I thought. I felt much at ease after that. “I do not think I have properly introduced myself to you, My Lady,” Justin whispered to me. He had a deep voice that seemed quite manly. I liked his voice. I turned to him and saw how his green eyes stared intently into my eyes with a smile on his face. “Well, my name is Nanthini Asha Raj but you can call me Asha for convenience’s sake. How shall I address you then?” I asked. “You can call me Justin or Carlisle, whichever suits your preference,” Justin replied. “I think I will settle for “Justin” then,” I said with a smile. Justin smiled at me and I noticed for the first time how pleasant and genuine his smile was. Justin neither said much during the introduction session nor at the dinner table. I thought that he was a man of few words. Little did I know that he was a pleasant person to be with.

Both Adrian and I felt so much at ease while chatting with Stephen’s family members. After a long conversation, it was time to retire to bed. Adrian and I excused ourselves and returned to our bedrooms. I got myself ready for bed when I heard a knock on the connecting door and heard Adrian calling out, “Asha, are you asleep?” I walked to the connecting door and opened it. “Yes, Adrian?” I asked him. “May I come in, please?” he asked me. I moved aside to allow him to enter my room before closing the connecting door behind me. “What brings you here, Adrian?” Adrian sat down at the chair and said to me, “Mr. Stephen and I were having a conversation about the terms of the agreement and we have agreed to meet at the meeting room tomorrow after breakfast so that we can work on the terms of the agreement as soon as possible.” I leaned against the window next to the chair where Adrian was seated whilst thinking. “Yes, I think it will be a good idea since we need to visit the cotton farm to ensure that we can obtain sufficient supply from Mr. Stephen before signing the official agreement,” I said to Adrian. Adrian nodded in agreement. “I did mention your proposal to exchange the supply of sapphire with the supply of cotton from Mr. Stephen and he was delighted to hear about it. He suggested that we visit the cotton farm tomorrow after our meeting at 10 am.”, he said. My eyes brightened at Adrian’s words. “So he is happy with my proposal! That is great news for me,” I exclaimed delightfully. “By the way, what is your plan regarding the supply of cotton? I meant to ask you when Mr. Raj mentioned the proposal to me but since he said that it was your proposal I thought that it would only be appropriate to hear from you about the reason for such an exchange.” Adrian said. “Well, I have a plan to start a brand new chain of business regarding the supply of cotton beds made with silk materials. Father was delighted to hear my idea of new business and suggested that I should give it a go. I was thinking of collaborating with my acquaintance in Nottinghamshire concerning the supply of silk materials for my new business,” I said.

Adrian was rather surprised at my idea. “I did not think that you had this idea all along. Now, who is that acquaintance in Nottinghamshire whom you mentioned earlier? Is that person anyone I am familiar with, by any chance?” Adrian asked, with much curiosity. “He is the son of the Earl of Nottingham, Charles Howard,” I replied. Adrian looked at me, surprised. “How on Heaven’s sake did you get acquainted with that man? Do you have any idea about his notorious reputation in Nottinghamshire?” Adrian exclaimed with much displeasure. I looked at Adrian, embarrassed. “Are you sure we are speaking of the same person? Emily introduced him to me.” I asked.  Adrian stood up and walked towards me. “Asha, please do not, I repeat, do not speak to him again. It is for your safety if you wish to maintain your chastity.” Adrian said. For the first time, I observed Adrian’s face intently. His concern was genuine. “What is he afraid of?” I wondered. “Well, if you insist, then I will not but I need a supplier of silk material for my idea. What do I do, then?” I asked him. Adrian said, “Leave that to me. I know just the person in Paris. I will get the supply of the best silk materials at an affordable rate for you. Besides, you should have consulted me regarding this when I returned to Great Britain a few days ago.” Adrian said to me, pretending to be hurt. I had to smile at the reaction on his face. “Okay, Mr. Perfect. I will consult you about important decisions from now on. Happy?” I teased Adrian. Adrian flashed a wide smile at my comment and said, “Well, that being said, I shall leave you to retire. Remember, the meeting is at 10 am and breakfast is at 8 am. I will knock on your door just in case before I go for breakfast. Will that be alright, my dear?” “Yes, please and thank you. Have a good rest, Adrian.” I replied.

The next morning, Adrian and I met the Stephens at the dining table at precisely 8 am. After having a lavish breakfast, both of us followed Mr. Stephen to the meeting room to discuss the terms of the agreement. Mr. Stephen was rather pleased with our proposal. He then invited us to his cotton farm for which we agreed immediately. At the cotton farm, I noticed Justin working with the helpers to inspect the cotton plants for pesticides. Adrian and I were led to the farm by Mr. Stephen. As I was walking on the pathway which was slightly higher than the ground where the cotton plant was planted, I almost tripped and fell. At that moment, I gave a loud shriek out of shock and I was caught by Justin. I held onto Justin’s arms so tightly in fear. “It is okay now, Miss Asha. I caught you right on time,” I heard Justin say. I opened my eyes and looked at Justin looking into my eyes with much concern and amusement on his face. My cheeks turned rosy out of embarrassment that I struggled to be released from the grip of Justin’s arms. Adrian came to my rescue at that moment. “I will take her from here, Mr. Justin,” Adrian said to Justin while reaching out for me. Justin displayed a slight irritation at Adrian’s interference but released me nevertheless. “Are you alright, my dear?” Justin asked me, looking at me closely for any sign of injury or swelling. “I am fine, thank you,” I replied. I turned to look at Justin whilst being held by Adrian and said, “Thank you for catching me at the right time, Mr. Justin.” “Don’t mention it, Miss Asha,” Justin replied with a forced smile whilst flashing an irritated look at Adrian. I noticed that look. I did not have a positive feeling about it at all. I was led from the cotton plantation ground to where Mr. Stephen was standing, looking at us. Adrian waved his hand as an indication that we were safe and Mr. Stephen waved back at us. After our visitation to the cotton farm, Mr. Stephen took us back to his residence whereby we had tea in the garden with Jean and Mrs. Stephen. I looked around at the scenery of the garden and was quite impressed at how well kept the garden was. There were various types of flowers in the garden.

“You have such a lovely garden, Mrs. Stephen,” I complimented Mrs. Stephen. Mrs. Stephen was delighted and replied, “Well, this is my hobby. I enjoy gardening and planting various types of plants. I believe that color would add to the beauty of a residence.” I nodded in agreement. At that instant, Justin joined us. “Good evening Papa and Mama. Mr. Stephen asked Justin, “Is everything fine at the cotton farm?” “Yes, Papa. Everything is fine.” Mrs. Stephen looked at Justin and said, “Join us for tea, honey.” Justin walked to Mrs. Stephen and kissed her cheeks and sat beside her. I could not help blushing. Adrian looked at me and asked, “Are you alright, my dear?” I nodded and smiled at Adrian. Mrs. Stephen looked at me and said, “I heard from the helpers that there was a slight accident at the cotton farm just now. Are you alright, my dear?” “Oh, yes I am perfectly fine, thanks to Mr. Justin here who caught me, just in the nick of time, or else I would have broken my arms,” I replied. At that moment, Justin looked at me and smiled genuinely. I returned his smile whilst blushing at the same time. After tea, Adrian and Mr. Stephen walked to the meeting room to discuss the terms of the agreement again while I excused myself from the meeting and walked to my room to rest for a moment before dinnertime.

As I was walking along the corridor, Justin called out my name and I stopped to wait for him to catch up with me. “Are you really alright, Miss Asha? You looked rather shocked just now,” he asked out of genuine concern. I replied, “Yes, I am Mr. Justin, I am perfectly fine now, thanks to you.” Justin smiled. “Are you very close to Adrian? You seem inseparable from that gentleman, I notice and he is extremely protective over you,” Justin asked me. I smiled at Justin and replied, “I have known Adrian since I was a child as our parents are very close friends. So, technically, we grew up together as he spent a lot of time at my residence as a child before he was sent to a boarding school.” “Ah, I see. So, Miss Asha. Will he be betrothed to you in the future?” Justin asked me. I was rather shocked at Justin’s outright question. I thought that Justin was a rather straightforward person. I replied, “I do not think that I see him in that light and neither does he.” “What a ridiculous question to ask me!” I thought to myself. I had never seen Adrian as a man before. He had always been a good friend and a brother to me. Justin who felt a little embarrassed, said rather apologetically, “Pardon my rather insensitive question, Miss Asha. I did not intend to offend you in any way by posing the question.” “That is alright. It is rather a bold and outright question but I can see the rationale of it. Our close relationship would naturally cause doubt of such a nature to anyone,” I said with a smile to ease the embarrassment felt by Justin. “Very well then. I will see you at the dining table later, Miss Asha. If you would please excuse me, I would like to join the helpers at the cotton farm now,” Justin said before leaving. I nodded to him and walked towards my bedroom to have some rest.

That night, Mrs. Stephen served us with delicious mushroom soup, roasted chicken, potato salad, and a chocolate cake as dessert. Since I was a vegetarian, Mrs. Stephen exclusively cooked vegetarian dishes like fresh vegetable and potato salad, creamy mushroom soup, garlic bread, and apple juice for me. The food was simply delicious that Adrian and I had extra servings. After dinner, we joined the Stephens in the family room and we had hearty chats about the lifestyle in Great Britain and Georgia. The men had glasses of red wine whereas I had fruit punch with Mrs. Stephen and Jean. When it was bedtime, we exchanged our farewells and left for our bedrooms.

While sleeping soundly, I felt someone pull my body up from my bed. Still drowsy from sleep, I opened my eyes and I saw Justin in his white muslin nightshirt which revealed his bare chest, warm against my cheek. I tried to shout but Justin quickly locked my lips with his. I tried to struggle in Justin’s arms to avoid his kiss but Justin was too strong for me. His lips forced me to open my mouth wider so that he could slip his tongue into my mouth but I tried to keep my lips locked. At that time, one of his hands slipped into my nightdress and his hand squeezed my right breast which made me gasp. Justin quickly deepened his kiss. My body began to weaken as his kiss deepened and I felt myself surrendering to his kiss. My hands encircled his neck to bring his head closer to me so that he could deepen his kiss more. He did as I wished and I felt myself completely weaken that I was merely leaning against Justin’s body for support as we kissed. Satisfied, Justin raised his head and looked into my eyes with much tenderness in his green, hypnotic eyes that I felt hypnotized. Justin whispered to me, “I have wanted to do this since the moment I set my eyes on you. Your lips taste sweet. God, I wish that I could have you completely but I need your consensus for that. Are you willing to give yourself to me, Asha?”

Still hypnotized by his eyes, I nodded in agreement. Justin laid me on the bed and kissed my neck, nibbled my earlobe, then licked my neck and kissed my cleavage. Justin then removed my clothes and stared at my naked self with much awe. He said, “God you are so beautiful, Asha.” I closed my face with my palms out of shyness but Justin slowly removed my hands from my face and kissed my lips. Then he removed his clothes and took my hands to place them on his chest. His skin was smooth as that of a newborn. Justin continued to kiss me while his fingers slid in between my thighs and into my wetness. I moaned slightly as his fingers slid into my vagina and stroking my insides faster. I felt liquid flowing from my vagina. Then, Justin spread my legs wider and guided his manhood into my vagina, and with one quick stroke entered into my vagina which made me gasp in surprise. Then, Justin carried my body and positioned my body against him while moving rhythmically. I loved how my tight vagina encircled the thickness and length of his manhood that I surrendered completely to the pleasure his manhood was giving me.

Then, Justin laid me on the bed and continued to push his thick and long manhood deeper into my vagina and this time, the strokes were faster and deeper. I spread my legs wider to allow Justin to move deeper into my vagina. The more his manhood grazed the walls of my vagina, the more pleasure I felt within me. I enjoyed the feel of his manhood against the walls of my vagina so much. “Oh yes, Justin. Don’t stop,” I whispered to Justin. “Gladly, God, you are so good, Asha,” Justin replied while panting heavily. I could see that he had pleasure himself as he continued moving rhythmically, in and out of my vagina, his eyes closed while enjoying the feel. I felt like my orgasm was reaching its peak and my body shuddered at the ecstasy of the lovemaking. Justin did not remove his manhood until my body stopped shuddering but hugged me closer to his body. I heard him groan in ecstasy as my body shuddered against his and then felt a gush of liquid entering deep into my vagina. Justin’s body weakened and fell onto mine in exhaustion.

We slept soundly in each other’s arms that night. Justin left my room before sunrise. When I woke up, I was surprised at my naked self and the wetness in between my legs that quickly reminded me of last night’s lovemaking which gave me the joy and pleasure which I had never experienced before. My whole body ached from the long night of lovemaking. I washed and thereafter draped my green saree into the hunting style again. Then, I joined Stephens for breakfast. As I seated myself next to Adrian, I took a glance at Justin and saw him looking at me with a sweet smile on his face that I blushed. Adrian, who was observing my face asked, “Are you alright, my dear? Your face is red.” “I am fine, Adrian. It is just that I feel that the weather this morning is rather warm,” I replied. However, I noticed that Adrian did not believe my words from the way he was glancing at Justin and back at me. I quickly looked down at my plate and busied myself by mouthing the breakfast which was on my plate.

Then, Mr. Stephen said, “Mr. Adrian and Miss Asha, we will be organizing a harvesting party tonight and we will be delighted if both of you can join us and the rest of the residents here to make the party merrier.” Adrian and I quickly nodded in agreement and smiled at each other. That night, I joined Mrs. Stephen and Jean in Mrs. Stephen’s room upon being informed that I was asked to see Mrs. Stephen by one of the servants. In her room, Mrs. Stephen presented me with a box. “What is this, Mrs. Stephen?” I asked. “Open it, my dear,” Mrs. Stephen said with a smile. I opened the lid of the box and found a lovely pink evening gown lying in the box. I looked up at Mrs. Stephen and said, “This must be an expensive gift, Madam. I cannot possibly accept this,”. Mrs. Stephen insisted, “Please, my dear. Please accept this dress for the function tonight and shine amongst the eligible young ladies who will be present tonight.” I blushed and said, “Thank you very much, Mrs. Stephen, for your kind hospitality.” I shall accept this lovely gift since you insist that I shall have it for the party tonight”.

Later that evening, a servant entered into my bedroom and said that she was sent by Mrs. Stephen to groom me for the evening function for which I accepted. I looked at myself in the mirror once the grooming was completed and I was completely mesmerized at how different I looked. Dressed in a pink evening gown with my black raven hair pushed up into a lovely French bun, with some flower-shaped decorative pinned onto my hair, I looked like Mrs. Stephen herself and smiled at the thought.

I walked down the hallway to join the rest of the members of the residence. Adrian turned around to look at me and I noticed the tenderness and admiration in his eyes that I had never noticed before. He walked towards me and whispered into my ears, “Why, Asha, you look ravishing today, in this lovely evening gown that I am quite tempted to kneel and ask your hand in marriage right this second.” I chuckled and replied, “You might just regret your action later when you receive a blow on your beautiful ears.” We glared at each other and then joined Stephens. Mrs. Stephen saw me approaching. Her eyes skimmed over my body and she was delighted at my appearance. She said, “Now, now. Is this Miss Asha who visited our home a few days ago? You look different and lovely.” I smiled and replied, “Thank you very much, Mrs. Stephen. I love the gown so much and the servant did a great job at grooming my hair.” Mr. Stephen who was close by turned to look at me. He had a surprised look on his face when he saw me in the evening dress. He said, “Why, Miss Asha. You look stunning tonight in your new evening gown and you look like a well-groomed American lady.” I blushed at his compliment. “Thank you, Mr. Stephen. Mrs. Stephen took the trouble of choosing such a lovely evening gown for me and the servant also did a wonderful job tonight.” Mr. Stephen then said, “Alright. Shall we make a move to the party then, everyone?” I looked around but Justin was nowhere to be seen. “Where is Mr. Justin, Mr. Stephen?” I voiced out. “Oh, Justin is already at the party since he is the co-organizer of the party,” Mr. Stephen answered. All of us were escorted into two carriages; one for the Stephens and another for Adrian and me.

I felt Adrian’s eyes on me the whole time we were in the carriage. He was strangely quiet while traveling in the carriage that I had to break the silence. I said, “You look handsome tonight, Adrian. Is this suit from Paris as well?” Adrian answered, “Yes, love. It is a special edition. My partner in Paris had this tailored exclusively for me.” “Your partner is generous, I see. I can see that the material is quite costly,” I said. “Well, it is the trend now in Paris. Every young gentleman in Paris has one like this. Well, fashion is rather important in Paris, you know. As for the young ladies in Paris, they dress in a rather fashionable way compared to our English ladies in Great Britain.” “Well, as for me, I prefer my silky saree as my all-time attire. I feel most comfortable in them since I have been used to wearing them since I was 13 years old,” I said. “Of course, never forget your culture, love. You are special in our eyes, the English and the Americans because of your exotic background,” Adrian said. I was delighted to hear Adrian’s words. Adrian was the only man in the whole of Oxfordshire to accept my exotic background and had continued to be by my side as though he was my relation. Then, Adrian stood up from his place and sat next to me to hug me closer to him. I loved his closeness and the fragrance of his perfume. I looked up at his face. He was such a well-groomed and handsome man. Adrian must have felt my breath on his chin that he looked down at me and smiled when he noticed that I was looking at his face. Then, Adrian bent his head and kissed my lips unexpectedly. For some reason, I did not feel shocked or alarmed. I surrendered to his kiss unexpectedly. “How is this possible? I made love with Justin and now I am kissing Adrian?” The thought suddenly popped in my mind. Yet, my body refused to move away from Adrian. Sensing that I have surrendered to him, Adrian invited me to open my mouth with his tongue and I opened my mouth to allow the kiss to deepen. I felt Adrian’s tongue exploring the wall of my mouth, teasing, inviting my tongue into his mouth. I accepted the invitation and started to explore Adrian’s mouth with my tongue. I loved the taste of his saliva. We kissed so passionately for sometime before we broke free. Then, Adrian bent forward to kiss my neck just below my earlobe and I moaned gently. Adrian took it as an invitation and further explored my body by kissing lightly on the other side of my neck and trailed his kisses down to my cleavage. With one hand encircling my waist, Adrian pulled the sleeve of my evening dress down from my shoulder, revealing the flesh of my shoulder with the other hand and kissed my shoulder. He pulled the gown further to reveal my breast and he kissed the flesh of my breast. I felt him biting the flesh of my bosom, pulling a small portion of my flesh with his teeth while sucking hard on it. I felt pleasure inside of me. Then, I felt Adrian’s mouth on my nipple. His tongue licked my nipple and sucked my nipple as a baby would. I slipped my hand through his hair. Adrian took my gesture as an invitation to move further to the other breast and he repeated the gesture that all I could feel was a pleasure. Then, Adrian looked at my face while his hand slipped beneath the cloths of my evening gown and in between my thighs. I spread my legs so that his fingers could enter my vagina. Like an expert at lovemaking, Adrian pushed his finger into my vagina and started to push his fingers in and out in a similar manner which Justin did with his manhood the night before. I felt so good that I moaned, while my eyes never missed looking into Adrian’s eyes the whole time. Adrian watched my expression whilst having his fingers playing with my vagina. He seemed pleased to see how much pleasure his fingers were giving me.

“Do you love it, love?” Adrian asked. I replied, “Oh yes, Adrian….don’t stop, please..” Adrian’s fingers kept making the “in and out” motion in a faster mode until I gave out a long moan. Adrian removed his fingers from my vagina and inserted his fingers into his mouth, tasting the wetness from my vagina. “You taste so delicious, love,” he said after licking every bit of the wetness on his fingers. Adrian then carried me and placed me on his upper thighs with my legs spread wide. “Now, feel my manhood inside of you, love, and tell me how you feel,” Adrian said before inserting his long and thick manhood inside my wet vagina. I moaned a little when he entered me and then he moved rhythmically. I loved the feel of Adrian’s manhood inside of me that I voluntarily moved my body faster to want more of Adrian. Adrian smiled and increased the speed of the motion while saying to me, “Don’t cum as yet. I want you to feel the pleasure I am giving you for a longer time.” I nodded and tried to control my orgasm. I felt my whole body filled with so much pleasure that my body quivered against Adrian’s length. Adrian loved the feel of my body quivering against his body that he hugged me closer before the liquid from his manhood gushed into my vagina. Adrian let out a deep sigh and leaned against my body for a while before regaining composure. Then, Adrian took out his handkerchief from his pocket to clean the liquid in between my legs before dressing me.

I had never enjoyed lovemaking as much as I had enjoyed it with Adrian. At the party, we had delicious food and chats as well as a dance that we all felt so exhausted by the time it was time to call it a day and retire to bed. That night, while I was laying on my bed, I felt someone entering my bedroom. This time, it was Justin. He sat by the side of my bed and said while running his finger on my cheeks tenderly, “I have missed you so much at the party. I felt my manhood growing so hard at the sight of you in your evening gown that I could not approach you the whole time.” I felt delighted at Justin’s words that I got up from the bed and hugged him closely. I was wearing my half blouse and the cloth which encircle my body fell off my shoulder when I pulled away from Justin’s arms. Justin’s eyes skimmed on my body and he gasped at the sight of my breast mounting from the tight blouse which I was wearing. He bent forward to kiss my breast. I moaned at the touch of his lips. I felt Justin’s urgency as he quickly removed his pants and entered me with one quick stroke. Although I loved what Justin was doing to my body, however, Adrian’s face flashed in my mind that I had to stop Justin. I said, “Justin, no. Please stop. This is wrong. I just cannot do this anymore.” Justin stopped and looked at my face. He said, “What is wrong? Don’t you love me? I felt your love towards me during our first time in bed.” “I said to him, “But, is what we are doing now driven by love or lust?” This time, Justin removed himself from my body and wore his pants and then looked at me. He said, “If this is what you think of me, then I will never come to you again. I apologize.” Justin left the room without another word. I laid on my bed feeling sorry for Justin but I was relieved at the same time. “Why am I feeling relieved? Did I not like Justin at all? Then, why did I allow him to make love to me the other night? What do I feel for Justin and what do I feel for Adrian? Is it love or lust?” I had these thoughts running in my mind all at once. I slept after a long time of laying in bed with my eyes open and my mind confused.

The next morning, I did not see Justin during breakfast. I also noticed that Justin was neither at the cotton farm nor was he anywhere in the vicinity of the residence. He was avoiding me. I felt dejected. Adrian, on the other hand, never left my side. Although I felt much closer to Adrian now than before after our lovemaking in the carriage on the way to the Harvesting Party, yet I felt sorry for Justin for hurting him the night before. I felt that I should not have welcomed Justin into my bed that night without confirming how I felt for Justin. It was my wrongdoing to have seduced Justin into making love to me that night. I felt the need to tell Justin this. I searched for Justin everywhere to speak to him and apologize to him yet he was nowhere to be seen. Without further delay, I searched for Mrs. Stephen. I found Mrs. Stephen in the kitchen, ordering the servants as to what to cook for lunch that day. I approached her and asked, “Excuse me, Mrs. Stephen, I am unable to locate Mr. Justin. Do you happen to know where I can find him?” Mrs. Stephen looked at me with a surprised expression on her face. She said, “Why, Justin has left for Paris early this morning, my dear. His father has sent him to sign a contract on the supply of cotton to a wealthy trader in Paris and he will not be back anytime soon.” My heart was filled with so much despair. “He came to me before he left for Paris but I pushed him away,” I thought to myself. “Thank you for the information, Mrs. Stephen,” I said to Mrs. Stephen before exiting the kitchen.

Three weeks had passed since Justin’s departure to Paris and I had to leave Georgia for Oxfordshire. Adrian and I thanked the Stephens for their hospitality and we boarded the ship back to Oxfordshire after signing the agreement successfully. Within 3 days, we reached Great Britain and were welcomed by our servants at the harbor. While Adrian and I traveled in the carriage to Oxfordshire, Adrian sat next to me and said, “Love, shall I inform my father about our betrothal plan?” I was surprised at Adrian’s question and asked him, “Whatever do you mean by that, Adrian?” Adrian looked at my face, confused. He asked, “Don’t you love me? I mean, we made love and you truly loved it. I thought that you loved me to allow me to make love to you. Am I wrong to assume that?” I was confused myself. “Dear God. What am I to do now? What do I tell Adrian?” I thought to myself. Then I said, “Adrian, please let this issue rest for the moment. I am very exhausted from all the traveling. I will speak to you a few days later. There is something which I feel you deserve to know before we can talk about the betrothal.” Adrian agreed reluctantly.

A few days later, I called for Adrian. We were seated in the family room whilst having tea. He asked, “So what is it that you needed to tell me before we decide on betrothal?” I hesitated for a moment. Then, I built my courage before saying, “I made love to Justin Stephen the night before we made love in the carriage.” Adrian sat motionless in his chair for a moment. “I didn’t know that you liked Justin. Why did you allow me to make love to you, then?” he asked in a calm tone. I said, “I …. Uh…. I don’t know…” Adrian stood up from his chair and said without approaching me, “Well, I think I will not be visiting for some time, Asha.” “So, it is Asha once again,” I thought to myself. Without another word, Adrian left the room. I sat on the carpeted floor, heartbroken, that tears flowed down my cheeks profusely. I had hurt my childhood friend as well Justin. “What was I thinking?” I thought to myself.

Weeks had passed. Months had passed. It was almost one year since Adrian had visited me. I, on the other hand, spent my days in my residence, heartbroken, and having no mood to do anything. Father did not question me at all regarding the incident which took place in Georgia, yet, I could see the concern in his eyes every time we met at the dining table and when Father took me along to functions. One morning, Mrs. Derby, who was Father’s regular customer, visited our residence. Father had a long chat with Mrs. Derby in the meeting room. After Mrs. Derby left, Father came to see me in my room and said, “My dear, Mrs. Derby has invited us to her daughter’s wedding dinner party. It is tonight. Her acquaintances from Paris will also be there tonight. Be ready by 7 pm. We will go together.” “Yes, papa,” was all I said to him. I was groomed by the servants in my silk saree which was grander than the usual light-weighted sarees I had worn at home.

Father and I walked into the grand hall that evening and I noticed many eligible gentlemen from all over Great Britain were present. The function served as a celebration of the wedding of Mrs. Derby’s daughter, Florence Charmaine Derby, and as a platform for the young bachelors to meet eligible bachelorettes in Oxfordshire. Father allowed me to mingle around the crowd but I used that chance to escape the crowd. I walked along the corridor of the hall and stopped at the balcony. I stood there, feeling the night breeze on my face while looking up to the moon. As I was enjoying the night scenery of Oxfordshire with only the moon as my companion for the night, I was shocked at the touch of someone’s hand on my waist. I quickly turned around to find the person I had least expected to meet. Justin, in his well-tailored suit which looked almost similar to those worn by Adrian during our trip to Georgia, stood there looking at me. “It has been a while, My Lady,” he said. I was engulfed in shock that I could not speak for a moment. A few moments later, I tried to regain my composure and said, “Yes, indeed it has been a while, Mr. Justin.” I thought I saw a pang of hurt on his face when he heard me addressing him rather formally as though we were strangers. Justin narrowed his eyes at me and asked me, “What brings you here, My Lady? A new lover, perhaps?” I felt hurt by his sarcastic remark and replied with an equal amount of sarcasm, “And what about you, Mr. Justin? Aren’t you here for the same reason? Or perhaps your trip to Paris has brought more lovers into your bed every night?” At my sarcastic remark, Justin grabbed me and forced a kiss on my lips. I tried to break free but he was too strong for me to release myself. At that moment, the only person who flashed into my mind was Adrian. “Where is Adrian when I need him? Adrian! Come and save me!” I cried in my mind. At that moment, I felt like a hand released me from Justin’s iron grip and I was drawn into someone’s arms. My body was trembling in shock and pain yet I tried to look up at my savior’s face. It was Adrian who saved me. Then, I fainted.

I opened my eyes slowly and noticed that I was lying on the bed. With the little strength I had, I pushed my body up and leaned on the bed. I saw Adrian sleeping in a chair next to the bed where I was laid. He must have dozed off while waiting for me to wake up. Adrian awoke as I tried to get off the bed. The ruffling sound of the bedsheet must have alerted him as he was quick to be at my side. “Are you alright, love?” Adrian asked. “He is using endearment on me again,” I thought to myself with a smile. The confusion which I had in my mind over the past few months cleared at that instant. My love had been Adrian all along. Lust was what brought Justin into my room that night and tonight, his intention in approaching me was confirmed by the way he behaved towards me. If it was not for Adrian, Justin would have once again ravaged my body. “Oh! How foolish of me to think that Justin had loved me.” I thought regrettably.

With the sweetest smile I could ever display, I said to Adrian, “How can I not be fine when you are here, my dearest?” Adrian looked surprised at my words since I had never, at any time, used endearments when I spoke to Adrian. “Oh Angel, I have missed you so much, every night, and every day that it took me so much of my energy to control my desire to see you,” Adrian spoke with tears in his eyes. He added, “I did not realize that my feeling for you was love until the night we made love. I did not have the slightest idea that Justin would beat me to it. I thought that you loved Justin and that it was only proper to allow you to pursue your feelings. Yet, I felt broken inside too. However, when I saw how that wretched man treated you at the balcony tonight, it hit me that there was never love in his heart but lust.” Tears strolled down my cheeks as I listened to Adrian’s words. I threw myself at him and hugged him close to me. “Oh Adrian, I am sorry to have hurt you like this,” I said while crying profusely. “Hush now, my angel. It is all over now. We will be together, forever. I promise that nothing will ever come in between us,” Adrian promised me. I released him and looked at his face. He was so happy. The happiness on his face lit my face like a thousand bulbs that I had to kiss him for the happiness he had brought into my heart. Adrian returned my kiss passionately.

THE WEDDING~ A BLISSFUL LIFE

30th of June, 1796: Adrian and I had our wedding conducted twice, one, a garden wedding before an English priest and another, in our home before an Indian priest by Father from India. We had invited only close family friends over for our wedding as Adrian and I had decided to maintain a rather private lifestyle. After our wedding, Adrian took me to Paris for our honeymoon for two weeks. Adrian and I had the most exquisite food in Paris and visited the most beautiful places with wonderful sculptures in France. At night, Adrian and I had passionate lovemaking, each time exploring ourselves further. I received the joyful news that I had conceived a baby from our family doctor after I had fainted at home on the 1st of September, 1796. Our eldest child was born soon after on the 30th of June, 1797. Upon much deliberation between both families, we had decided to name the child, Emory Markandeswar Raj Seymour. I had conceived our second child one year later and gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Eugenia Indrani Raj Seymour on the 1st of July, 1798. Our youngest child, who happened to be the much-anticipated baby boy, Ethan Sarveshwar Raj Seymour was born on the 30th of September, 1800.  My life was complete.

~THE END~