Chapter One



That Friday morning nothing out of the ordinary occurred. The day began as usual, with the sunlight flowing through her bedroom windows. She felt refreshed. By tomorrow, the man who slept beside her would be her husband. She kissed his lips and he smiled brightly. Madame de Rosa studied his naked body, especially his smooth, white chest and solid legs, but as she studied him with mirth, she felt that he was hiding something from her. Monsieur Prideaux got out of bed, and began dressing. Camellia noticed that he dressed quickly, not in the slow, fussy way that she was accustomed to.

Something is troubling him.

“What’s the matter?”

He turned away from her and said, “I cannot marry you, tomorrow. I love another.”

She said, “I don’t find your levity funny.”

Monsieur Prideaux turned around. He was not laughing for his face showed a different emotion, not at all comical. His grey eyes watched her.

All these years I have ignored the rumours going around Parisian society about him. I was warned that he was - is - a Lothario. I chose not to take any action. He promised me that he had changed. Although Madame de Rosa could not bear to look at him without being ill, she walked over to him. Without faltering, she slapped him and shrieked, “I hate you!”

Prideaux was visibly shocked yet, in his mind, he knew he deserved to feel her wrath. What’s more, when he suggested being her friend, again she yelled at him to leave.

“It was never meant to be. You were deluding yourself. So was I. Remember when I say that you were my first love. You turned me into a man. I thank you for giving me that experience.”