One Night of Sin (Mansforth Chronicles Book 1)

One Week Later

Braxton frowned as he stared at the calendar on his writing desk. Time had really flown by as of late, and now the hour was drawing near, faster than ever before.

One week! Only one week remained until the performance, yet the ensembles had not been finalized, and the set was still in shambles despite the crew’s best efforts. The natural order of things had been disturbed, yet there was one constant that had risen above the chaos of it all: his shining star, Lilliana.

Of course, even she herself had not been fully consistent on her part; as of late, bouts of illness were striking out of nowhere. Some days had been better than others, yet in spite of it all, she persevered through anguish that had been plaguing her life.

Braxton smiled warmly at the thought of seeing her there on stage. Of course, he had seen her there countless times when he’d been rehearsing with the group. But that was nothing compared to how magical it would be to see her there for the first time, smiling as she took the stage on opening night.

Likely, she would be the star of the show in every sense. And she would be his.

Forever.

He thought of her now, no doubt rehearsing downstairs with the rest of her cast mates. He really should leave her to her work. But dear God, he had wanted to hold her in his arms all day! He had thought of practically nothing but her since the moment he had risen that morning!

It hadn’t helped that he had dreamed of her the night before, dripping in jewels as she took center stage. In his dream, she had danced gracefully, her movements light and airy as she danced toward him. And in that dream, he himself had taken the lead role of Michael Bonaparte, the man betrothed to the beautiful lady. And as Lilliana vaulted herself into his arms, he held her tightly, not daring to ever let her go.

He smiled as the reverie continued, recalling the kiss they shared on stage at the end, and he grew excited as the dream faded away, slowly bringing him back to the present.

What she did not realize was that he planned to propose to her at the end of the performance.

And he prayed fervently she would say yes.

The wooden floor creaked as he walked briskly to the door and flew down the staircase. No doubt, she would be busy at this hour, but it was no matter. He’d had the most brilliant costume idea come to him courtesy of that dream, and by God, he was not going to let his vision slip back into the ether once more. He simply must make it come to fruition, even if it would take a miracle itself to get it done!

He shoved the backstage door open, breezing through the throngs of actors in the corridors as they meandered and flipped through their lines. He simply had to see her now! And oh, what a lovely surprise he hoped it would be for her!

He flicked the curtain aside, silently watching as she spoke to George Cunningham in a soft-spoken voice, and he strained his ears desperately, wishing he could make out the words the two were exchanging.

Lilliana giggled slightly, staring up at George with doting eyes, and for a moment, a sea of red colored his vision. She should not look at another man like so, for only he should elicit such a response from her!

It had been much more tolerable when Lilliana wasn’t in this role, but now that she was, the thought of another man touching her that way—or even gazing at her that way—was enough to make Braxton’s blood boil with rage!

He stood there in the silence, watching a few more minutes as the hushed conversation between them continued, and even with the stage lighting, it was plain to see that Lilliana’s eyes were now glistening with tears.

Something terrible must have happened between their exchange.

And Braxton was itching to know what it was.

More words were exchanged between the two, and then George did the unthinkable, making Braxton’s gaze fill with jealousy.

He swept her into his arms!

Lilliana buried her sobs into George’s jacket, and he caressed her back, soothing her as she fell apart in his embrace.

What the devil had he said to her?

And dear God, he would make George pay for whatever it was that had brought her to tears!

Instantly, Braxton started towards them, his feet heavy against the wooden floorboards of the stage. “I did not realize the two of you were so comfortable with each other!” he exclaimed. “I should think it most unprofessional to act in such a way when you two are not rehearsing.”

George glowered up at him in frustration as he released his hold on her. “May I have a word with you?” he seethed. “I believe there is something quite important we must discuss at once.”

Braxton could not help but look over George’s shoulder at Lilliana, now sobbing into her hands. Whatever George was up to, he would see to it that he should suffer for hurting her!

George ushered him behind the curtain, then said in a low, rushed whisper, “You know it is one thing to be so crass with another man, but surely you would not be so rude to the mother of your child!”

The color drained from Braxton’s face as George’s words sank in. “What in heaven’s name are you talking about?”

“Oh dear Lord, you do not know, do you?” Braxton shook his head, then George continued. “Lilliana is with child, and she believes it to be yours.”

All the air disappeared from the room as the news sank into Braxton’s mind. She could’ve told him first! It was the least she could’ve done, all things considered. He was the damn father, after all! But instead, she’d kept it from him.

He didn’t know whether to run his fist through the wall or to cry. How could she think so little of him not to share something so important? Of course, it had come as quite a shock. But he had always wanted a whole brood of children.

And now, he was finally going to get his wish.

“Good heavens, George,” he managed, still struggling to bring the air back into his lungs. “I… I had no idea. Why in God’s bloody name didn’t she tell me?”

“Why, I believe she thought you would throw her out of the production. This play means a great deal more to her than you realize, my friend.”

A million thoughts swirled around in his mind. Perhaps this had been the real reason why their costumes were not completed yet, for hers would undoubtedly need some form of adjustment in the coming weeks.

And perhaps this was the true reason why she had been so green around the gills as of late.

“Will you excuse me?” he said, hurrying past George, though he did not wait for a response. He was off and running to speak with his future bride.

And the mother of his unborn child.

His heart pounded in unison with his steps, his blood thrashing wildly in his ears. Had he been any more elated, he would’ve floated on air, but as it was, he reached her in record time, nonetheless, and barely able to catch his breath as he raced towards her. “Lilliana!” he cried. “Lilliana, I must speak to you at once!”

She turned to face him, wiping the tears that had stained her cheeks. “Yes?” she asked meekly.

He ran to her, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

For a moment, she stood silent, not understanding at all, then the fog lifted, making way for the truth of it all.

“I… I could not bear to tell you,” she breathed. “I was terrified at what you might do if you found out!”

Braxton released his hold of her and stared at her confusion. “What the devil are you talking about?” he asked. “The only thing I plan on doing is giving this child—our child—the best life I possibly can.”

“You’re not going to cast me out?” she asked, her eyes still glistening with tears.

He kissed the corner of her eye, peppering her cheeks with an endless barrage of kisses. “I could hardly do such a thing, Lilliana, for I love you too madly and too deeply to ever conceive of such a thing,” he said. “And besides. I believe I am exactly one half of this situation we find ourselves in,” he said, grinning wickedly. “It would hardly be fair to blame you when it is I that cannot keep my hands off of you.”

Her eyes gleamed with happy tears. “You are a very wicked man, indeed,” she smiled. “And a very tempting one, too.” She reached up on her tiptoes, pressing a warm kiss to his lips. “Now, if you don’t mind, I must get back to rehearsing.” Lilliana turned to walk away, only to be spun around once more.

“Like hell you are,” Braxton said. “I believe you and I have some… unfinished business to take care of upstairs.”

Lilliana’s heart soared as Braxton grabbed her hand and like the lovesick fools they were, they darted off, weaving and dodging nimbly as they navigated their way backstage and through the crowded halls.

All Lilliana knew was that this man had rescued her, breathing life into her anew, and opened a door she never realized had existed. She would love this man for all her days and be thankful for the life she had been given, for if there was one thing she had learned in life, it was that it was never too late to start over.

And sometimes, with a little luck, dreams really could come true.