CHAPTER ONE March 1820

London, England In every life there is a turning point. A moment so tremendous so sharp and clear that one feels as if ones been hit in the chest all the breath knocked out and one knows absolutely knows without the merest hint of a shadow of doubt that ones life will never be the same. For Micheal stirling that moment came the first time he laid eyes on Francesca bridgeton After a lifetime of chasing women, of smiling slyly as the chases him, of allowing himself being caught and then turning the tables until he was a victor, of caressing and kissing and making love to them but never actually allowing his heart to become engaged to them, he took one look at Francesca Bridgerton and fell so fast and so hard into love it was a wonder he managed to remain standing.

Unfortunately for Micheal however Francesca’s surname was to remain bridgerton a mere thirty six hours longer the occasion of their meeting was lamentably a supper celebrating her imminent wedding to his cousin.

Life was ironic that way Micheal liked to think in his more polite moods but used a different adjective entirely

And his mood since falling in love with his first cousin wife were not often polite

Oh, he hid it well. It wouldn’t do to be visibly out of sorts. Then some annoyingly perceptive soul might actually take notice and God forbid inquire as to his stantuated pride in his ability to dissemble and deceive

he had after all seduced more women than anyone cared to count and managed to do it all without ever once being challenged to a duel

well the truth is that he has never been in love before

And so he laughed and was merry and he continued to seduce women trying not to notice that he tended to close his eyes when he had them in bed. One thing is that Micheal never rape a woman and he never have sex with a woman whom is unwilling and a virgin

A man had to have rules of conduct after all.

JOHN....

John who damn it all was more of a brother to him than one of his own could ever have been. John whose family had taken him in when his father had died. John whose father had raised him and taught him to be a man. John with whom_______

Ah bloody hell did he really need to do this to himself? He could spend the whole night cataloguing all the reasons he was going straight to hell for having chosen johns wife with whom to fall in love. And none of it was gonna change one simple fact.

He couldn’t have her.