Here is another short story. This one is very different from anything I have written before because this story is set in the 19th century, the English Regency Era, to be exact. Their background is very different to fit the Era and there will be no BDSM because while I'm sure it has been around even then it wouldn't fit the story.

I'm aware that most of you have voted for the other story, where Christian went missing and that story will come, but I'm already ten chapters in and it is not a short story, so I will start to post the other story once I have written a few more chapters.

As for this one, you'll get daily updates until all 10 chapters are up. Enjoy!

London 1809

Lady Anastasia was annoyed. It was her first season and she should have been enjoying herself but she wasn't. It wasn't for a lack of potential candidates to become her husband, in fact, she had turned out to be the most sought-after debutant this season just as her three older brothers who had raised her from the age of five had predicted. The reason for her being upset was that the one man she had hoped to court her didn't seem to have any interest in her.

Lord Christian Grey had been a friend of her youngest brother Derek for a long time so she had seen him a lot growing up. As she had gotten older she had noticed that he had been watching her more closely when she entered a room, more often than not ending in one her brothers giving him a cold stare to which he replied with a smirk.

He was the most handsome man she had ever seen, true he was a ladies man and confirmed bachelor at the age of thirty but she had herself convinced that he was just waiting for her to become old enough to court her. Still, almost half of the season had passed and he never even had asked her for a dance. In fact, he had been avoiding to talk to her ever since. It was a pity because she knew she would never be able to open her heart to anyone else while she was still holding on to her hopes that the man she wanted would eventually start to court her.

She didn't allow herself to think about what he had once said about when she had still been a child and a little too mischievous, which had caused one of the practical jokes intended for one of her brothers to end up with Lord Christian as the victim. He had been quite furious and she had heard that with the combination of her abhorrent behavior and her less than pleasing looks she would never find a husband and end up as an old spinster. It actually had been right there in that moment that she had decided to marry him when she was old enough to do so. Stubborn child that she had been she had thought it would serve him right to end up with her as his wife after what he had said about her.

Of course, she would have given up on that plan if it wasn't for the simple fact that he had become the only man to make her heart race. So, she had decided not to even look for other candidates to marry. It was her first season after all and it was uncommon for young Ladies to wait until their second season to pick a husband. Though, she was growing more and more tired of the social gatherings and cursed Lord Christian for not giving her any attention.

Now, not just did she have to endure another ball in the evening but in addition, her brothers wanted to talk to her which could only mean that they wanted to hear the names of the men she would consider for a marriage. She loved all of her older brothers dearly. Especially her oldest brother Vincent who at the age of twenty-five had given up his bachelor life to not just raise her but also made sure that his two younger brothers who had been nineteen and seventeen at the time would stay out of trouble.

Neither of them was married so far and not for the lack of possibilities, she knew they all waited for her to get married first, so she was well taken off before they would go on the lookout for a suitable wife to start their own families.

„You look like someone just murdered your puppy." Her maid Kate said while she was brushing her hair and then pinned it back into an artful style.

„Just leave it be, Kate." She muttered with a sigh. Kate was not just a maid but a dear friend to her, the woman was only five years older than her and wasn't afraid to speak her mind which Ana admired. Often times she wanted to be more like her but a proper upbringing had taught her to behave more demure which was hard to shake at times even in the privacy of her bedroom when she was just talking to Kate.

„Fine, but one of these days you have to tell me who is responsible for your sour mood so I can hire someone to have his teeth removed by force." Kate said and Ana rolled her eyes.

Five minutes later she got up from the chair and walked downstairs into the salon where her brothers were waiting for her.

„Please sit, sweetheart." Lord Vincent said and so she did looking at her brothers expectantly.

„So, Anastasia with the first half of the season over we would like to know which of the men you have meet have piqued your interest." Lord Vincent said and Anastasia felt horrible even before she answered.

„None." Was what finally left her lips and for a moment all of her brothers stared at her.

„None? How can that be, Anastasia?" Lord Miles, the middle brother asked.

„Well, even though I have talked to a lot of suitable men this season neither of them could hold my interest." She confessed.

„Not even Lord Wendringham?" Lord Derek asked and that got a snort out of her.

„I'm sorry, but Lord Wendringham is a pig, I would rather become an old spinster than to be his wife." She said and all three looked at her in surprise.

„And why would you a call the Lord a pig?" Lord Miles asked trying to hide his amusement because he quite enjoyed it when his little sister couldn't keep the facade of a demure young Lady up and started to speak her mind.

„Maybe because good old James is a perverted son of a bitch who gets his kicks by whispering shockingly descriptive words in regards to love-making into the ears of the innocent." They all heard a dark male voice and turned around to find Lord Christian leaning casually in the doorframe.

„Christian, I thought you said you would be out of town for two more weeks." Lord Derek said and got up to greet his friend.

„I changed my mind." He said and sat down.

„Anastasia, I want to know what Lord Wendringham has said to you." Vincent demanded after everyone was seated again.

„He asked me to take a stroll with him and then proceded by asking me to take a certain part of his anatomy in my mouth."

„Where is that bastard? Has he laid hands on you?" Lord Derek who had a rather short temper hissed and got up.

„Please Derek, nothing happened... in fact, he seemed rather offended by my reply and left me standing in the middle of the Rochester's garden." Anastasia giggled.

„Well, dear sister, what did you tell him?" Miles asked.

„I just told him that any part of his anatomy that would come close to my mouth would end up getting bitten off. Is that offending, Miles?" She asked innocently and all the men in the room started to laugh, which made it hard for her to hide her own smile. Her brothers would be shocked to know that ever since she had become off age Kate had no longer seemed to think that she had to keep her affairs a secret from Anastasia, so she knew way more about the things that could happen between a man and a woman than any innocent girl should.

„Very well, that is a no for Lord Wendringham but what about the young Lord Hamilton." Derek asked and this time Anastasia did laugh.

„He seems quite eager to find a wife what is funny about that, Anastasia?" Derek asked.

„Oh he is looking for a wife I'm sure, only he has no desire to actually be a husband and I don't wish to be married to a man who would prefer to share the bed with one of my brothers instead of myself." She said shocking all four men.

„He has an interest in men?" Vincent asked horrified.

„Yes, Lady Margrave is good friends with Lord Hamilton's mother. When she went to visit her a few months ago she walked in on him and one of the footmen. It was quite scandalous, but seeing that Lady Hamilton is unaware of her son's preferences she didn't bring it up and only warned me after she saw me talking to Lord Hamilton on a number of occasions. Not that I was considering him before but I certainly wouldn't ever consider him now." Anastasia finished.

„I'm almost afraid to ask now, but what about the young Lord Fields?"

„Oh, he is quite lovely but my friend Lady Chelsea has lost her heart to him and while he hasn't taken much of an interest in her I would never encourage him with this knowledge."

„Of course not, dear... so you haven't met anyone who has piqued your interest at all?" Miles asked softly and Anastasia felt the heat rise to her cheeks.

„Well, that's promising." Miles chuckled and Anastasia huffed.

„You don't have to get your hopes up, brother because sadly the one man I would consider has no interest in me, please excuse me now, I have to get ready for the ball because I don't believe you will allow me to miss the second half of the season which would be what I prefer." She snapped got up and left the room. She was angry with herself because she had brought this up when she knew that her brothers wouldn't just let this go. Worse, what if Lord Christian would now believe that she was interested in someone else? She had no idea what to do and couldn't even hide in her room for a good cry, no, she had to get ready for a ball she had no desire to visit in the first place. Life sometimes just wasn't fair.

Lord Christian Grey looked at the door that had just closed behind Lady Anastasia and wanted to punch the wall. He had hoped she would have found someone to marry by now and to find out that wasn't the case put him in a foul mood.

He never wanted to marry, so courting her himself was out of the question. Still, he wanted her more than any other woman he had ever met before in his life. She was charming, lovely, exquisitely beautiful and amusing. He knew she was unaware of the fact just how often her temper got the better of her and believed to be quiet and demure when in reality she spoke her mind freely quite often and it was a joy to behold every time he was lucky enough to be around for it to happen.

Under any other circumstances he would have just seduced her and let her deal with the flaw of being compromised but she was the sister of his best friend, so to seduce her now was out of the question.

So, he had decided to wait for her to get married and seduce her into becoming his mistress then. He could be very discreet and he knew that she would be agreeable even if she had feelings for her husband simply because he had yet to meet a woman who didn't fall for him and most often he did nothing to evoke those feelings. He knew his looks pleased women and his charm would do the rest.

„Well damn me, our sister has lost her heart." Lord Vincent exclaimed.

„I don't see why you are so happy about that, the bastard doesn't want her or didn't you listen to Ana?" Lord Miles replied angrily.

„I did, but surely he just needs a bit of encouragement. He surely is a fourth or fifth son who doesn't think that he meets our standards when it comes to a husband for our sister." Vincent continued.

„And is that what we want for her?" Miles asked sharply.

„Brother, I don't care whom she marries as long as the union is formed out of love. Ana doesn't need a rich husband as she can fill his pockets with her inheritance."

„Our sister doesn't need to find a man by flaunting her money under his nose!" Derek said steaming.

„We all know that, brother. We will find out who the man is and then decide how to proceed. In the meantime, our sister will continue to go to the appropriate events and maybe she will find another gentleman who will steal her heart." Vincent said and then changed the subject while Lord Christian was excusing himself shortly after.

At his townhouse, he took a bath and then got ready for the ball of the evening. His plans had been to stay at his country estate in Kent for the upcoming weeks but he had found himself unable to keep his thoughts from drifting back to Lady Anastasia. If he couldn't court her, he at least had to see her. He knew the events she would be attending and since he was invited to most of them he had decided to attend them as well, so he could at least admire her from afar.

Still, he hoped she would find a husband sooner rather than later so he could finally start his seduction of her and make her his mistress which would be a very satisfying agreement for both of them.

Let me know what you think :)