This is written in early mid eighteen hundred

Possessed by a husband

chapter 1

merry sophie

An hour! just an hour since i've been gussied up like a sacrificial lamb forced to prade before the falsely made up sympathetic faces, which are actually masking their relief that i didn't make anything difficult for them, and that they are finally going to benefit from the long standing fued. The thing was quite romantic in an unrequited type of way, my aunt Lillian Clancy and my executioners father, Darius Winchester were in love with each other but she was too proud and he had an inflated ego, they thought they were indestructable but Darius's father, Magnum got into debt with the towns most prominent and richest mercant/banker who only had one daughter, Emily and it was his dearest wish that she marry into a good family, so he made a deal that Darius marry Emily to save that farm and his son and three daughters to be cast in the streets. It took pleadings, rationalising, force and finally a suicide attempt for Darius to agree. LIllian was heartbroken and moved away from her family to never marry and live a life of an auther who wrote profound romances, with sad endings. But lillians father, Rex was furious he blamed magnus for everything and cheated him out of the most prominent part of the farm with was ideal for the rare grapes, and he left it to Lillian, he also left half of his own farm to Lillian and all the capital that remained on his death. LIllians only brother Judd, my sire, didn't like that at all but was smart enough not to argue since he and Rex didn't get along that well, and he fell even more from grace when he married my mother, Thelma, after he humiliated her. But Rex loved Thelma like a daughter as she filled the void lillian left, and after seven months after the wedding I was born, Lilly May Clancy, Rex named me after Lillian but Thelma died two months after i was born, and again Rex lost one of his children so he always kept me close, and even closer when Judd married a society belle Sarah Fulbright, my stepmother, from whom he had further three children. Bridget, Tom and Carey.

When I was 20 years old my grandfather, Rex got very ill and it was his dying wish that I go live with my aunt, Lillian I think he knew that Judd and his family woudn't treat me right, and frankly I was relieved and thankful.

My aunt loved me until the day she died, but she made a will and left everything to me provided that I marry Maximus, Darius's son or it would all go to a charity. And if I did marry him, which i just did an hour ago, half the capital would go to Judd and the rest of all of what aunt Lillian owned would go to me and after a momment latter my husband of one hour, who was busy signing documents to seal the deal. Sufice to say i felt like very expensive horse.

I sighed, which i have been doing a lot since aunt Lillian died, and moved away from the window and the scene depicte below

where the horses and the carriage were being ready to carry me and Maximus to his cottage. He lived a little removed from the big Winchester Mansion because he liked his privacy he had a cook, butler, maid and gardner/stable master.

I felt like sighing again as the door opened and my step mother, Sarah and Bridget breazed in the room both of them looked like beautiful angelic waifs, they turned heads wherever they went although the one head Bridget wanted desperately to turn had been Maximus's, wich was why she looked like a righteous angelic martyr right now, she has been in love with maximus since her comeout last year. Now seeing bridget almost made me cringe, because we were so different while she was the blue eyed blond perfection, i was brown eyed, brunet who was rather voluptuous and plain looking I was easily ignored and unremarkable.

Which was why at thirty i was still unmarried, I really was an old maid. and i never minded until now but as i had been taking those vows i meant each and every one, I wanted this marriage to work but now i had my doughts because Maximus was like a greak god well chiselled face with jet black hair and midnight blue eyes the man was simply too handsome and he was big, he was 6'5 and very mascular and broadshouldered his days in the army had given him gravity and enigmatic charisma, one rarely knew what he was thinking he was so controlled, which was why women fell to his feat, very beautiful women. i wonder what he must think about being forced to take a wife who looked like a big mouse compared to the other etherel beauties.

"Time to go my dear" she said, and for the firt time in my life I saw relief in her eyes when she looked at me, and not simple resignation. Bridget simply hung her head and cried, in a way that made her look even more beautiful, she looked like someone snatched her favouroite toy.

I didn't say anything but said goodbye to everyone and left, there were no tears no well wishes only an air of duty when my family said their goodbyes, and frankly I didn't expect any but all the servants had tears in their eyes which made my eyes glisten, but I quicly Blinked them away as Maximus entered the carriage

I don't know what i expected to happen but it wasn't this! the man fell asleep as soon as he sat down. I wanted to hit him and at the same time I was relieved. I sighed again when I thought about what awaited me, of which i knew nothing about so many scenarios flittered in my mind. I sighed again.

"your sihs have become rather frequent" drawled Maximus in a deep baritone.

I gasped and looked at him, his blue eyes were blatantly studying me, in a way that gave me goosebumps, i flushed and said defiantly " How would you know sir until recently you were lost to the world"

"ahh, but a few things forces a man to find his way back"

I lifted my brows at the comment, confused, it was almost as if he was flirting with me. I said with pretend hautiness " not much is said of a man who finds it easy to lose himself, and then blindly finds himself again"

"Well not blindly wife, when the incentive is enough to draw men back, it acts like a sumptuous beakon" he said thoughtfully

"If men need incentive to live they must be very fickle"

"Oh, how?" he asked curiously

"since they usually walk in circles to the incentive and then get lost again when they have seen it" I said with an air of superiority

" perhaps they miss a step, being blind" he said proding gently, with a twinkle in his eye.

"They are not blind sir, their direction is wrong, since the incentive is always one step behind cursing the man just waiting to be noticed" I said a little crossly

"Hence they are doomed to being perpetually lost" he said with a question in his eyes.

" just doomed to ignorence sir, since most of them don't realise it"

"well wife, what is the punisment for their ignorance?"

"Eternal discontent" I replied with a smile, which faded quickly as he leaned forward with predator like grace, taking my hands , the action making me gasp and lean back in my seat. I took a deap breath and almost gasped again when i caught his sent he smelled like leather and pine treas and coffee.

"Am I doomed to discontent wife?" he asked gently

" You! No!" I smiled tentively " I was generalising, and since i don't know you, yet, I reserve judgement"

"very wise wife" he said with laughter in his eyes.

"thankyou sir,"

"Now you must start getting to know me better," when I raised my brow he continued " call me max or husband, i'm not your acqaintance whom you can shrug off by saying sir"

" As you desire" i said

a smile which i can describe as only wolfish spread itself across his face and he said with an expression in his eyes that made me feel naked "You shall soon know what i desire"