Disclaimer: The characters you recognize from the book I don't own everyone else who you don't recognize they are my mind's creation.

I woke up the next morning tired and groggy, not wanting to get up after last nights late ride. I could have slept till noon. Unfortunately I had to be at breakfast by seven thirty and at class by eight thirty.

I looked over at Ann's bed, which of course was empty at seven o'clock. She no doubt had already gone downstairs and was seeing if any of the kitchen staff wanted her help setting the table. Ann, sweet hearted innocent Ann. She hadn't a care in the world except whether my brother Tom would notice her or not the next time he came to visit her.

I rolled onto my side and counted to three in my head. I then quickly threw my covers up and jumped up and onto the floor. The coldness of the floor from the January frost chilled my feet and sent me bouncing up and down like a jackrabbit, my feet barely touching the floor as I bounced to my slippers. I then rubbed my cold arms back and forth rapidly and raced across the bedroom to fetch my robe which was hanging on the desk chair. I grabbed it quickly and wrapped it tightly around myself not caring if it was on backwards.

I then rushed over to my water basin which was already filled with water. Sophia must have come already. I thought as I splashed the chilled water onto my face. I quickly wiped my face dry on the soft towel which was left beside the water basin. I then put my hair into a simple bun, my fingers fumbling with my hair tie unable to keep them steady as the cold, bit hard into them. When done I shove my fingers into my robe sleeves to help get the warmth back to them.

The worst part of getting dressed in the morning was now coming. I rang the bell to call for our maid shared between Ann and me, Sophia and got out of my nightgown and into my different petticoats. I rubbed my arms and jumped up down waiting for Sophia to come and help me with my corset. Until I got my corset on I could not put on my green winter gown, which I might add was extremely warm.

As I was bouncing around I didn't notice Sophia enter the room until her warm laugh which could melt ice filled the room. I turned and laughed with her thinking of how I must look, red hair falling out of its ties, petticoats bobbing up and down, side to side as I bounced, round and round the room like a frantic mother looking for her lost child at the circus.

Sophia grabbed my corset and told me to stand still. I instantly stood stock still, sucking in my breath as I felt the corset tighten around me. Sophia tied the strings up, grabbed my green winter dress, slid it over my shivering body and did up the laces at the back. She went across the room to where my winter shawl was and threw it to me. There's one thing I loved about Sophia, she was about my age, maybe a little older but she treated me like a friend not like an upper class person. I smiled at her, pointed to the desk and left the room. I'm pretty sure Sophia got the hint. I would often leave her chocolates in the desk and in return she would bring me odd bob things from the village and even sometimes from the gypsy's. She once brought me back a beautiful hand mirror with a golden trim of vines wrapping themselves around the border.

I headed down to breakfast and made my way over to sit beside Ann at the table. I took some bread and butter along with a piece of cheese and a glass of milk and placed it in front of me. As I ate I looked around the table wondering where Fee was. I voiced my question to Ann and she told me she didn't know. Ann and I decided that we would go up to her room before classes to see if she was ok.

Ann and I ate our food quickly and headed up the stairs, taking them two at a time hoping that we wouldn't be late for class if we went to see Fee. We reached her door. I knocked gently and Ann's sweet voice crooned "Fee, are you in there?"

We heard a groan from inside the room and pushed open the door. We entered the room and looked towards Fee's bed. There she lay wrapped up in her covers shivering. Her cheeks had two rosy dots on them making her perfectly white face look like the whitest wax. Her eyes were closed shut in pain. Her blonde hair lay scattered around her pillow; the braid she wore to bed last night had completely come undone. Ann moved over to Fee and sat down easily on the bed. She reached her hand out to Fee's forehead. She took her hand away and looked at me,

"She has a fever. She's extremely hot. I think the nurse has already been here there." Ann pointed towards Fee's bedside table which had a bunch of small pill bottles scattered across it. I moved to the other side of Fee's bed and sat down.

"Fee can you hear us?" I whispered.

Fee moved her head from side to side. I wasn't sure if she was trying to nod or if her body just happened to move her head at the time of my question. I did however hear her voice cracked with pain whisper,

"I'm so cold."

I looked to Ann to see if she heard what Fee said. Ann gave a little nod. She was about to pull the covers up closer around Fee's neck when Fee kicked them off. Her whole nightgown was soaked with sweat. Ann and I exchanged glances now knowing for sure that she had a fever. We quickly covered her back up.

The door to her room opened and the nurse came bustling in. She saw Ann and I on Fee's bed and instantly started scolding us,

"You girls get away from Miss Worthington! She's sick she is! Up you get, head off to class! Leave the poor Miss Worthington alone! You don't want to catch her fever either! Get out and leave her in peace to rest!"

Before she slammed the door in our faces, Ann boldly stood up to her.

"You should change Miss Worthington out of that nightgown and into a dry one not soaked with sweat. Also please inform Miss Bradshaw or Miss Doyle if Miss Worthington's condition changes for better or worse.

Ann then turned smartly out and I followed dumbstruck at Ann's heels.

I sat in class looking out the window. The wind was blowing the snow around in circles making it look like we were having another snowfall. I watched the snow with great fascination. For some reason snow always fascinated me. I had never seen snow when I was little, living in India it was hot all year round. I loved how white it was. It was a pure innocent white colour.

A sudden knock filled the room echoing over the teacher's voice. All of us turned towards the door to see who it could possibly be. To our surprise it was Mrs.Nightwing. We all waited to see what she wanted.

"Hello Mrs.Nightwing, how may we help you?" The teacher asked.

Mrs.Nightwing flicked her gaze over the class until it landed on me. She smiled.

"I am sorry Madame but I am afraid I will have to take Gemma out of class for awhile. Her grandmother, brother and honorable Simon Middleton are here at the school waiting to see her."

Ann looked at me and our eyes met. We were both asking each other the same question. What was Simon Middleton doing here?

I got up from my seat in class and tucked my chair back in. Every girl in the room had her eyes on me wondering what Simon Middleton would want with me. I could see Cecily and her 'gang', gathering their heads over the desk and in hushed whispers debating why Simon Middleton was here to see me and not one of them.

My feet clapped against the wooden floor and I left the classroom with Mrs.Nightwing. She led me to the parlor where we meet all our guests. She pushed me in front of her so I would enter the room first. I opened the door and swept into a curtsy when I saw Simon and Tom stand to greet me. Grandmother stayed in her chair happy that Mrs.Nightwing had served her a class of sherry.

Mrs. Nightwing directed me over to an empty place which was across from Simon. Tom remained standing and came over to me.

I looked up at him and I knew that he could clearly read the question that was forming in my eyes. He bent down so he was eye level with me, something he hadn't done since we were small children in India. He brushed his lips against my cheek in a brotherly kiss. I then got worried. Something drastic was happening and it must be even worse or…wait if Simon were here could it be something good? My thoughts drowned in my head when Tom spoke.

"Gemma, we have some excellent news to tell you which will benefit you and this family greatly. I think we should first let you know that Simon Middleton father died just this past month." I looked up to Simon and hoped he could see my sympathy for him in my eyes.

"I'm truly sorry for your lose Simon." He nodded in response to my comment. Tom continued.

" Well Simon is now in charge of everything his father left behind. However there is or should I saw was a small problem. The law stated that Simon has to marry before he can claim his father's land to ensure that an heir will be produced that can continue on his family name."

I swallowed. I had a really bad feeling of where this was going.

"As you know he was very taken with you this past Christmas time and you with him." Here Simon smiled at me. " We know that you stopped courting at the end of Christmas for what reasons we do not know but since his father's death Simon has offered us…you Gemma, you something great" Tom said correcting himself. "Simon has asked us for your hand in marriage and we accepted."

I sat there in shock my hands were frozen to Tom's. Tom squeezed my hands to try to warm them up. I could not look at Simon. I heard Mrs. Nightwing give an excited squeal in the background. Unfortunately Mrs.Nightwing suggested the worst thing possible.

"We should leave Miss Doyle and Mr. Middleton alone, shouldn't we?"

Tom and grandmother nodded and stood up along with Mrs.Nightwing and started to stand up. I gripped Tom's hands tighter as if begging not to leave me alone with Simon. If it was just Tom and I in the room I would have gotten down on my knees and begged Tom not to make me marry Simon Middleton at least.

Tom pulled his hands away from me and headed out the room along with Mrs.Nightwing and Grandmother.

It was now just Simon and I in the room. A silence filled the room. I could hear the grandfather clock tick. If I turned around I would be able to see the gold pendant swinging back and forth in rhythm to the ticking sound. I heard my classmates get out of class for a break. Their shrill screams entered my ears.

I looked up to see Simon starring at my longingly. When he saw me looking at him too he came over to me and sat beside me on the small couch that I had been sitting on.

"Oh, Gemma you are happy are you not? I thought you liked me? This past Christmas you seemed to like me so much. I just thought that when you started moving away from me you were just scared of commitment of maybe afraid I would propose to you if we got to close. Gemma don't be scared." He cupped my cheek in his hand. I flinched as I felt his warm hand against my cheek my pale cheek.

I felt like yelling " I WAS NOT SCARED! I JUST DON'T LOVE YOU! I LOVE SOMEONE ELSE! I love someone else…"

But I couldn't because he had brought his lips to mine and was now kissing me. The top of his lip felt rough from not a very good shave. His hands went up to my shoulders and pushed me back to a lying down position. I felt his hand move from my shoulder and down the side of my body. His hand traced the curve of my waist and rested there. I couldn't take it anymore his kisses were just not….Kartik's... I took my hands and placed them on his chest which unfortunately led him on for a second until with all my strength I pushed him hard in the chest sitting up as I did it so I could use my whole weight to get him off me.

I jumped off of the couch once he was off me. When he came over the surprise of what I did his eyes flickered towards my body, looking at it with lust.

"That is no why to treat your husband to be Gemma." As he said that he jumped off the couch and pushed my body against the wall so I was cornered. I tried to push him away as I felt his rough lips kiss my neck. As I struggled to get free he pressed my body harder against the wall with his. My breasts were crushed against his chest which seemed to please him. I felt one of his hands start to lift my skirts up slowly. I squirmed more trying to get free of him. His hand kept rising higher and higher. I took his bottom lip and bit it hard. His hand dropped my skirts and I pushed him away in his surprise and ran towards the door. I turned to look at him still starring at me with lust, his hand gently pressing against his lip to stop the blood that I drew and said in the bitterest voice I have ever heard myself use,

" I am not your wife yet Simon and until that day I am a free woman of you except by title of your fiancé. So until our wedding do not even come close to me. I am not yours and-"

"You are not mine yet Gemma but once we are married I can do whatever I want with you."

My body shuddered when he said that. My once handsome image of him had been shattered of him in these last few minutes. Before I could turn and leave he came over to me and pinned me against the door again. I was about to start to struggle but realized he wasn't really doing anything to me and decided against it. His hand reached into his pocket and he pulled out an engagement ring. He took my left hand and slid it onto my ring finger. He then put his mouth next to my ear and whispered,

"Gemma I am sorry. I do not know what came over me but I have wanted to kiss you again for the longest time and got carried away." Carried away! I thought, you got more then carried away. "Gemma, I am not a horrible man and I promise you being married to me won't be so bad. Gemma, please accept this kiss as an apology."

He brushed his lips on my forehead and then released me. I turned and opened the door running out of the room past Tom and Grandmother, past Mrs. Nightwing, past Ann and all the other girls. I ran out into the chilly winter day, past the stables, past everything. I ran into the woods and lost myself in the sweet scent of the cedars…

Look another chapter and posted so fast! Its also a lot longer then any of my other chapters. Hope you enjoyed it! I'll be away for the long weekend this weekend so you'll have to wait till Tuesday for the next chapter…and don't worry Kartik will be coming in again… Thank you again to everyone who is reviewing and please keep them coming in! Your reviews encourage me to write! Also thank you to all the reviewers who have reviewed the story since chapter 1!

xoxo

hazeleyedbeauty

P.S.sorry for any spelling/grammatical errors in this chapter!