First Bite: A Bite Of The Past Prequel

by Laura Greenwood

  I slip away from the excitement of the dancers and pour myself a goblet of wine from the corner of the refreshments table. I scan the room again, double-checking my parents are gone.

  "They've left," Benedict promises me from behind.

  I let out a sigh of relief. "Good. Is there somewhere we can go?" I don't look at him as I speak, wanting to keep up the appearance that we have nothing going on between us.

  "That depends how private you want it."

  "Very." The risks are greater, but the threat is too. And I need to talk to him.

  "Follow me." He disappears.

  I take a handful of my skirts in hand so I can follow him more quickly. We move through the warren of corridors which make up the den. The further away from the hall we get, the faster my heart beats. If we're going somewhere private, then the chances are high we're going to his chambers. I've never been there before, and I'm not sure what it'll mean going there now. Best not to think about it too hard if I can help it.

  Footsteps scuff behind me.

  I take a deep breath, and glance over my shoulder.

  "Pull it together, Catherine," I mutter to myself.

  I glance back in front of me to make sure I can see which way Benedict is going. The last thing I need is to lose him in the warren and lose a chance at time alone with him.

  "In here," he says, reaching out and pulling me into the room with him.

  I don't waste any time, and press myself against him. He kisses me deeply, giving me what I've been craving since I got out of bed.

  "I'm sorry," I whisper as soon as we break apart. "Mother came to my rooms yesterday..." I fill him in on everything she said, including the list of acceptable dance partners.

  Benedict grimaces. "That isn't good."

  "No," I admit softly.

  I pull away from him and walk around the room. It isn't big, and it's hard not to keep getting drawn to the bed with ruffled sheets. I bet it smells like him. I suppress the urge to lie down and bury myself in it. I doubt that's acceptable behaviour for a lady.

  "Do you think your Father is even considering my proposal?" He asks, taking a seat on the only chair in the room.

  With nothing else for it, I perch on the edge of the bed, extremely aware of what I'm doing. I fidget with my skirts, no doubt drawing his attention to how much it's affecting me to be in his space.

  "No. I don't think he is. I think Mother's words were a warning," I admit. And from his room, I can see why. While wealth isn't one of my criteria when it comes to finding a husband, but it is one for my Father, and it doesn't appear as if Benedict has a vast amount of it.

  "Then we have a couple of options..." he starts.

  "Oh?" I try to ignore the pounding in my heart. What is he going to suggest? Is there a chance he doesn't want to end things between us. No matter what my parents say, I'm not ready for that. I want to spend the rest of my life by his side, if that's possible.

  "We can part ways and pretend we were never interested in one another in the first place..."

  "I don't like that option," I blurt.

  He chuckles. "I can't say I do either. Which leaves either pretending there's nothing going on and carrying on an affair in secret..."

  "Or?" The word comes out as a whisper.

  "We can get married in secret, and reveal it when there's nothing they can do about it."

  "I like that option."

  "It's not something we should rush into, Kitty," he warns me.

  "Are you saying that because you don't want to be with me any more?" I ask, a little broken-hearted even at the prospect.

  He shakes his head and rises to his feet. He's sitting next to me on the bed within a moment, taking my hands in his and holding them tightly.

  "I want to be with you. But I don't want you to regret your choice," he admits.

  "Never."

  I press my lips against his and guide him down onto the bed. I'm not sure where my boldness is coming from. Then again, I often find myself wanting to go further, and him stopping me. Somehow, I don't think that's going to happen tonight.

  We get lost in one another. Now the promise is made between us, there's only one way it can't be broken, and we're about to make sure that isn't going to happen.

  Chapter 9

  "Morning," Benedict says, handing me a plate of bread and cheese.

  I sit up in the bed, the sheet falling away from me. I grasp for it, covering myself. I've never slept naked before, it's odd to remember I am. But I didn't set out with this destination in mind, so I'm not fully prepared for it.

  "I can't believe I stayed until evening," I whisper as I take the plate from him.

  "I'll admit to not having planned this either." He sits on the bed, shirtless.

  I lick my lips, thinking about all of the exploring I did before we fell asleep.

  "Now is your last chance to get out of this," he jokes. "I'll find us someone to perform the ceremony today."

  A wide smile stretches over my face, and I lean in to kiss him. "That sounds good to me."

  We relax against the headboard and eat our breakfast. I hope Mother hasn't tried to rouse me from my rooms. Though even if she has, she'll never find me. I don't think.

  A knock sounds on the door, breaking through our conversation. I try not to dwell on the idea that I may have brought this upon us by thinking about what will happen if Mother has tried to wake me.

  "Are you expecting someone?" I whisper.

  Benedict shakes his head. "But it's probably one of my friends asking if I want to play tennis. I'll go tell them no."

  He hands me his plate and shuffles off the bed.

  I bite my bottom lip, trying not to let my nerves show on my face. He doesn't need to know how on edge I am about the situation.

  Benedict flashes me a reassuring smile before he opens the door. "Can I help you?" he asks.

  I can't see who is on the other side, as he's only opened it a small amount. I'm grateful for that. I'm not wearing very much, and I don't want anyone to see me like this other than the man I love.

  Wow. Love. I haven't put a name to how I'm feeling until now. But it's so obvious now.

  The door slams open, and Benedict stumbles back. I give a small shriek.

  "Catherine."

  My eyes widen and fear floods my entire body as I recognise the voice of the last person I want in the room given the situation.

  "Father," I whisper.

  "How dare you," he seethes.

  Mother steps into the room behind me. Ah. So I guess she was fishing yesterday. Oh no, not yesterday. The day before.

  She doesn't say anything to me, just stares at me with disappointment in her eyes.

  "Get her dressed," Father demands, then turns his back.

  Mother takes a step towards me, but I don't move.

  "Leave her alone," Benedict says firmly. "She's not doing anything wrong."

  "She's brought dishonour to our family," Father says, a deep growl in his throat.

  "She's done no such thing. We're married," Benedict lies.

  Father barks out a laugh, as Mother flashes me a disappointed look and picks up my dress. She gestures for me to stand.

  I meet Benedict's gaze, not knowing what to do. Should I give in to my parents? Or should I stand my ground? A pained expression rests on his face, as if he doesn't know what the true answer is.

  "I don't want to," I say, finding my voice.

  "You're going to," Father barks. "Or I will parade you through the den naked."

  "You will do no such thing," Benedict says, stepping forward.

  Father reacts instantly, lashing out with one of his fists and knocking Benedict to the ground. He hits his head on the wall.

  A shriek escapes me, and I only just manage to repress the urge to run over to him. Father's always been cold, but I didn't think he was cruel too. Now I'm seeing a completely different side to him.

  "Get her dressed," he repeats, still not turning to look at me. I'm glad for th
at, I don't think I could bear the idea of Father seeing me right now.

  Mother nods, then gestures for me to stand.

  At a loss for what else to do, I stand. My dress is back on within moments, albeit much more wrinkled than before I came to Benedict's rooms.

  "Come," Father insists.

  Benedict groans, and I take a step towards him.

  "No." Father's hand clamps around my wrist. "You're not to go to him."

  "But he's hurt." I try to pull away, no longer caring about Father's anger. What does it matter? He's not going to let me off lightly.

  Benedict's eyes flutter open, but I can sense he's still dazed from hitting his head. My heart longs to go to him, but Father's hold is too strong.

  "Where are you taking me?" Benedict asks, each word pained.

  Father's lips twist into a harsh smile. "Nowhere you'll be able to follow."

  My gaze catches onto Benedict's, and the fear I'm certain is on my own face registers on his.

  He tries to get to his feet, but falls back down. Father must have done more damage than I thought. "I'll find you," he vows.

  "I know," I whisper.

  Father laughs bitterly. "That won't be happening."

  He pulls me from the room without even letting me say goodbye. I struggle against his hold, but it's no good. He's a large man, and strong with age. I'm sure he's probably drunk more recently than me too.

  It only takes a few twists of the corridors for me to realise we're not heading back to our chambers. I want to ask where we're going instead, but I don't think he'll answer me.

  Eventually, we find ourselves in front of the huge double doors which serve as an entrance to the den. I've never seen them open before. Though I suspect I'm going to.

  "What's happening?" I ask Mother, who has been following along behind us without saying a word.

  Something more than anger lingers in her eyes. Perhaps it's regret, though I have no way of telling without being able to have a conversation.

  "You've chosen to ignore what I said was best for you. Therefore you are no daughter of mine," Father says. "Be grateful night has fallen."

  It takes me a moment to understand what he means.

  "You're casting me out?" I whisper, not fully believing he's going to do this.

  "We can have other children." He nods to the men on each side of the double doors.

  The loud thunk reverberates through me, as if it knows what it means. Cool air ruffles my hair and clothing.

  I want to ask what's happening, but I know the answer. But that isn't going to make it any easier to deal with.

  Father marches me outside, then throws me to the ground. "You're no longer a daughter of mine."

  He retreats inside to where Mother is waiting. The doors thud closed once more, leaving me outside the den.

  A tear splashes to the ground beside me. What am I going to do now? I have no home, no money, no access to blood, and I'm away from the man I love.

  Father's plan is probably for me to end up dead as soon as the sun rises. But I'm not going to play to his tune. Benedict promised he'll find me, and I'm sure he'll stick to that. I simply have to stay safe until then. It's going to be tough, but I'm not the weakling Father thinks I am.

  One day, I'll find my love again.

  ***

  Thank you for reading First Bite, I hope you enjoyed reading about Catherine and Benedict's first chance! You can find out whether they find one another in Bite Of The Past: http://books2read.com/biteofthepast

  Also by Laura Greenwood

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