Free Seduced Bride-To-Be by June Richards

CHAPTER 1
    Dinah
Benson was not a one to be easily frightened, but now she was near screaming
with horror.
    Being
left alone on an empty road, in a carriage with a broken axle was difficult
enough, yet she bore it as best as she could, knowing that there was no
alternative but to wait patiently for help to come. But now, in quickly growing
darkness and with stormy clouds gathering speedily, she shivered with fear. She
had always been petrified of storms! It was on a stormy night five years ago that
her mother died of fever which contributed to Dinah’s dread of thunder and
lightning.
    Suddenly,
it started to rain. Heavy drops hit the carriage’s roof and soon waterfalls
were cascading down its sides. A lightning bolt zigzagged across the sky and
Dinah closed her eyes, counting silently until she heard the rumble of thunder.
She went as far as eight. The centre of the storm was still far away, but it
was approaching fast.
    Oh,
what a day full of catastrophes it was! She had always dreamed of having adventures
but this one was turning to be less and less pleasant. Another lightning ripped
the clouds and this time the thunder followed much more quickly. Dinah could
not help herself and screamed.
    And
then she heard a voice calling her name. Was it real or did she imagine it?
    ‘Miss
Benson, Dinah!’ she could hear through the rattle of raindrops.
    ‘Over
here’ she shouted sticking her head outside. ‘I’m here! Oh, help!’
    Another
lightning flash! In its light Dinah saw a man approaching on horseback, long black
hair plastered to his face. He looked like a Highwayman. But at that moment she
did not care who he was. She just could not bear to be alone in this storm any
longer.
    ‘Miss
Benson, are you all right?’ the stranger asked, approaching. ‘We must get you
out of here. It is not safe on the road in this storm. Any moment a branch can
fall and do further damage to the carriage.’
    ‘Who
are you? How do you know my name? Has Hincks sent you to search for me?’
    ‘Your
coachman? We found him on the road, not far from the inn. His horse slipped in
the mud and threw him. He’s hurt his head and ankle, but it is not serious. My
man is tending to him.’
    ‘That
is a truly most wretched day I have ever had! Oh, poor Hincks… I shall go to
him and make sure that he has got all the care he needs. Is the inn far away?’
    ‘It
is too far to ride there now.’
    Another
flash of lightning was followed by almost immediate rumbling of thunder so loud
that it nearly deafened Dinah’s scream.
    Next
moment the door of the carriage were open and she found herself wrapped in
strong, muscular arms.
    ‘Hush,
there’s no need to be afraid of the storm. Come on, I will take you to a safe
place. It is not far away.’
    He
lifted her as if she was feather-light and helped her get on a horseback. Sitting
behind her, he put an arm around her waist to support her and they set off in a
quick pace. The rain was falling heavily and within minutes Dinah was drenched
to the skin. She closed her eyes to block the horror of frequent lightning but
she was no longer so mortally terrified. The strength of the stranger’s embrace
and the heat of his body seemed to give her courage. She did not know who he
was and where he was taking her, but she decided that she had no choice but to
trust him.
    They
turned into a wood path and after ten minutes they reached what looked like a small
hunting lodge. The stranger jumped off the horse and helped her dismount. Then,
he fished a large key from behind a loose stone at the front steps and opened
the door for her.
    ‘Wait
for me inside, I’ll just get the horse to the stable.’
     
    When
Captain Alex Legrant came back after having seen to his horse, he found the
girl exactly where he left her. Her teeth were chattering but he did not know
whether from cold or from fear. Both, he surmised.
    ‘Come’
he said, his voice urgent. ‘You must get off these wet clothes; otherwise
you’ll catch