most likely "Being paid to love"

Chapter 1 unedited (this is an old copy i have up dated it still needs some work)


        “Francesca, Francesca for god’s sake FRANCESCA” by Amelia’s third shout she was out of breath, nauseous and instead of embarrassing her self any further. She decided to pull on the servant bell and get them to either tell her where she is or go and fetch her. Just as she reached out to pull it she saw a maid scarring into the hall. Unluckily for Hannah she was the one Amelia had spotted. Hannah was on her way back up her bedchamber at the time. She was a plum, young, blond maid.
        “Come hear girl” she snapped and then Amelia spoke in a most polite way in spite of the anger.
          “Where’s that bane of a child that I have the pleasure of calling my niece. If she does not hurry up we will be late for the Addstone ball. Well, where is she?”
Hannah who is actually Francesca’s personal maid. Replied in a way that was somewhere between a squeak and a whisper.
        “She is….”
        “Speak up girl” Amelia butted in. Hannah cleared her throat with a slight small cough and started again this time a bit louder.
        “She is ….” This time she stopped her self and as Amelia began to open her mouth to have another snap at her. When Francesca came happy down the stairs. 
        “Amelia, have you seen my gloves?” Amelia shook her head in anger.
          “I was unable to find them. Which was why I was delayed. Good evening Hannah. How are you tonight?” she tuned to Hannah and gave her a small smile. Hannah tried her very best never to be in the same room as her aunt let alone in conversation. 
          “I am very well miss” she did a small curtsey and just before she turned and went up stairs she added.
          “I will be going now, miss.”
          “Come Francesca, we must leave or we will be late.” Amelia walked out the door and down the stairs to the carriage. Francesca smiled and giggled even though no one was around. She loved going to balls and can’t wait to dance. She then happily skipped to the carriage. 


Benedict hated balls. Which was properly why he had spent the last four years travelling and very rarely coming home. On his twenty-fourth birthday he finally decided it was time to go home and consider looking for a wife. Even though he could properly have any woman because of his wealth and good looks but he is a firm believer in love. He wants to marry some one he loves and they should love him in return. So he was quite sure he was unlikely to marry this season. He had taken this argument up with his mother. She refused to let him not let him go to the balls this season. So she decided to throw him a welcome home ball.
So there he was dressed in smart cloths. He decided to have a glass of brandy in the library before he entered the ballroom. He did a most terrible thing and told his mother where he would be. Which he now regretted. Within the past twenty minutes his mother had sent four servants to collect things from the library. He would bet his life those servants reported back to his mother. To hell her if he had ran off or fallen asleep. She loves him but doesn’t trust him with his own future.

         He finished the glass he had poured. Now he thought to himself he was ready. So he left the library and shut the door behind him. The library was on the third floor and so he had more time. He decided to go the long way to the ballroom. He walked along the corridor and down some side stairs. Back along another corridor and there in font of him was the main staircase down to the ballroom. He was quite sure it wasn’t that close last time. As he was about to go down the stairs he heard footsteps and two people talking. Quietly he walked backwards and hid round the corner the voice got louder. He tried to see who they were. Between the muffled voices he could hear.
            “You had …behave …the family name…cleaning chamber pots.”
Benedict could tell the person who was talking didn’t really like the other one he poked his head further round the corner to get a better view. The other one began to speak.
            “Have I ever let you down aunt?” 
One was thin and looked French she must have been about forty. She was wearing a dark red dress and had a black fan in her hand. Benedict decided this must be the first person he heard speaking. He leaned further if only he could get a glimpse of the other she sounded caring and gracious. Then he saw her and his breath was taken. She was so beautiful there was no other word for it. She has long honey blond hair that shined in the candlelight. She was quite small. Benedict guessed that she was young and full of life but those eyes were like rock pools you could just drown in them ohh the girl must have spotted him he ducked back round the corner. Hoping she would think she imagined it. She began to speak again.

          “Amelia, I promise to be on my bet behaviour. Why don’t you go down to the ball? It appears I have forgotten something and left it in the carriage. I will join you shortly” And with that he heard someone walk down the stairs. Benedict took a large gulp of relief and then he went hollow the girl had walked round the corner and said
        “Don’t you have any manors, it is rude to listen to other peoples conversations …” she went on a bit he wasn’t listening he was lost in her deep blue eyes.


Amelia was first out of the carriage, then Francesca got out and she was informed how to get to the ballroom.
         The house was gorgeous, the halls looked Georgian but with a modern twist. The minute, the two of them were alone. Which was just by the stairs that lead to the ballroom. Amelia began to speech in a threatening voice.
          “Francesca you had better behave I have brought you up for the past nine years and have worked hard to keep the family name in peoples good books” Francesca heard this speech every time she was taken out. So while her aunt talked she was looking around the hallway she had an odd feeling she was being watched.
        “Are you even listing? Pay attention and do what I ask or you will be cleaning chamber pots.” Francesca thought she saw someone’s head. She must have been hulosernating. She shook her head and said quite simply
          “Have I ever let you down aunt... ohh” Suddenly she saw a mans head properly, there was someone there. He looked scared because he new she saw him. She was glad he was scared he shouldn’t have been listening. With a bit of a smile she said.
            “Amelia, I promise to be on my best behaviour. Why don’t you go down to the ball? It appears I have forgotten some thing and left it in the carriage. I will join you shortly.” Aunt Amelia hesitated and then walked down the stairs to the ball.
         “Right!” She marched over to the person hiding round the corner. He was hardly breathing and leaning agents the wall. The man was wearing quite smart clothes and he had a slight golden colour to his skin. She realised he must have just got back from travelling. She hadn’t seen him before. His hair gave him a bit of a jagged look it was light brown and fell lightly on his brow. He was staring at her oddly. In an aggressive voice she said.
              “Don’t you have any manors? It is rude to listen to other people’s conversations. Do you always sneak around? I could have been disusing a privet mater.” He was staring again and she began to feel awkward.
            “Who are you?” he didn’t answer so she said more angrily,
            “Tell me who you are?” 

         He shook his head slightly. It was as though he was waking himself up. In a polite voice he replied,
            “I am terribly sorry, I was on my way down to the ball room and instead of interrupting. I thought I would wait for you to pass.” 
She glazed at him for a minute trying to recall who he was? She was sure she new him or maybe it was his fetchers.
            “So you still haven’t answered my question. Who are you?”  He looked at her and thought should I tell you? He found her nastiness refreshing everyone was nice to him once they found out he was an Addstone. He spent most of his travailing called something different. He decided to leave it a bit longer,
          “May I ask why you were with a lady who talks to you like that? You seem like a very intelligent and mature person.” She was starting to get wound up. He still hadn’t answered her question. She replied with,
            “Yes I do mind. It is not you place to talk about my aunt that way. Would you please give me the pleasure of knowing who is insulting my au…”

Nicholas had entered the hallway. Nicholas spotted his brother who was talking to Francesca. He went state to her and took her hand,
            “Francesca, how lovely to see you.” He kissed it. Francesca smiled and said politely,
            “Mr Addstone, it is a pleasure and I must say thank you for cheering me up the other day.” Benedict muttered,
            “No doubt it was your aunt’s fault!” Nick turned to Benedict,
            “Did you say something Ben? And Francesca how many times, it is Nick or Nicholas” he smiled at her. Benedict realized that his brother was flirting. Benedict started thinking out loud.
            “Waite a minuet, that’s Francesca? The one you told me about?” Nick blushed he couldn’t believe he just told her that and it wasn’t even true. It was Francesca Jameson he was in love with. She looks nothing like his Frances. He looked at her apologetically, she smiled. He spoke smoothly,
            “Francesca, will you ignore my idiotic brother and accompany me into the ball room?” he handed out his arm and they began to walk down the stairs. She turned and looked back at Benedict and mouthed,
            “Brother?” Benedict nodded and smiled. Then fell back on to the wall. Francesca and Nick had disappeared out of the room.

No, no, no that can’t be her! His brother has been mad about her for weeks. Every time he wrote to him he mentioned her and by her smile she liked him. Properly not as much as he liked her. Although with their mother they will properly be married by the end of the year. He had better go and apologise for his rudeness especially if he wanted her for himself. It meant he hat to make her fall in love with him. 



About ten minuets later Benedict entered the ballroom. It looked nicer than he could remember. In fact he thinks it has been redecorated. He looked around to see who was there. It had been four years since his last ball in England. So he has no idea who everyone was and more to the point they didn’t know him. He had grown up over his time aboard and his appearances changed too. All his university friends have go married.
Then he spotted his brother dancing. Nick was quite tall with dark blond hair just like their mother. Benedict looks more like his father than Nick. Nick held himself in quite a powerful way and he had grown stronger. Benedict was sure Nick could properly be able to beat him up now. Nick wasn’t dancing with Francesca, which surprised him. He was dancing with a pretty brunette.
           Benedict looked around to find Francesca. Better get the apology over and done with. He found her she was talking or well being spoken to by her aunt. To save her from her aunt he marched over to her and said.
    “Excuse me. May I introduce my self properly my name is Benedict Addstone.” He took her hand and kissed it. She was a bit taken back.
    “Your brother told me who you were.” She snapped.
    “I would like to apologies for earlier.  Would you take a stroll with me around the room?” She looked at her aunt who nodded. Taking his arm they walked past Amelia.

         They spent about ten minuets of polite conversation and then Francesca said.
      “Why didn’t you tell me who you were? Instead I made a fool of myself. This is your welcome home ball. Is it not?” 
      “If you had known would you still have had ago at me for spying on you?” He looked at her and she shook her head. Her glaze hit the floor.
      “You wouldn’t have. Even though I deserved it. Which is why I didn’t tell you. I like being treated normal and not because of my name!” She looked up and evilly said.
      “If that is the case then, I don’t except your apology. I believe spying is rude and you cant deny what you did because you just owned up to it!” With a grin he replied.
      “Arr but you misinterpreted. I did not own up.  I said would you still have accused me of spying. I did not say I did.” He was glad she was back to herself. Not the polite, non-spoken and shy girl that most are brought up to be. He was also sure he heard a grunt come out of her mouth when he finished speaking.


           “May I ask, what did my brother tell you on the way into the ball room?” she replied in quite a politer voice.
            “Nothing much. Just that your name is Benedict Addstone and when you were children your nick name was Bella” She spotted his face and gave a little giggle.
She wanted to say, “Was that true?” but she realized he was going red in the face. So more seriously she continued.
          “And you disappeared with maybe two letters a year for four years. Now out of the blue you have returned. The fact it is your welcome home ball and you were late! Your mother has apparently been at ends meet trying to find you a wife to prevent you from travailing again.” He started laughing. She stared at him puzzled had she said something funny? Once he had stopped he said.
          “I was not late everyone was merely early and it is more of a well come to husband hood than home! She just wants me out of the house and not out of the country!” Francesca held back a giggle.

         They had now walked around the whole ballroom and to Francesca’s disappointment Amelia was still where they had left her. Benedict saw the sadness in Francesca’s eyes as she saw her aunt. He let out a sigh and said.
      “Francesca, would you care to dances?” Her face lit up. Either she really got asked to dances or she enjoyed it that much. The next dance was about to start.   
         

         Once they had taken their places the music started. They began to move. Benedict looked at Francesca who was smiling broadly.
        “You look as though you’re enjoying yourself.” She replied happily.
        “I am very much.”
        “Is it the dancing you enjoy or the fact it is with me?” A small chock came out of her mouth as she circled with the person next to her.
         After a while he realized she was very elegant at dancing. He had picked up a few tips while his travels and had lots of dancing partners as well. Somehow none of them lived up to this. This was spiritual. As the dances went on his eyes were locked on hers like a prison cell.
         They moved past each other, back around twirling. There hands met and released. They moved back and took the hand of the partner next to him. It was like touchier all he wanted to do was hold on to Francesca and never let go. He could feel himself falling in love with her and it wasn’t right. She was with his brother.

        “You look really serious?” she said as they past each other.
        “I was just trying to count to ten in Latin. Do you know how to?” She shocked her head and answered.
        “If I am boring you that much. Why did you ask me to dance?” He did a small laugh a few people looked at him. When she was next near in earshot he said.
        “It is not you I am board with. You are a wonderful dancer. It is the music! Aboard it is a lot faster and up beat.”
        “Mr. Addstone you must remember you are not aboard you are in England!” He gave a laugh and nothing was said for a few minuets. They just danced. 

It was wonderful and breath taking every time the bearskin on their hands met it sent shivers down to his toes. Finally he decided, he hat to find out if there is any hope of them being together.
      “Do you love my brother?” Stunned by his question she replied with.
      “Pray what gives you that idea?” When their hands next met he said.
      “I can see he very much likes you and the way you act around him shows you are not indifferent to his feelings.”
      “How dare you speak like that? You have only known me ten minuets. You have no idea about my feelings. I also think you don’t know your brothers either.” She seemed hurt. The music stopped and they walked to the side of the ballroom. She spoke angrily.
      “You are the most rudest and cruellest person, I know! Do you like hurting peoples feelings?” she took a deep breath and continued.
      “I think travelling has given you brain damage or are you just pain stupid?” He was starting to get wound up. Who was she to say all these things?
      “I am not…” She butted in.
      “You should get your facts straight before declaring your brothers love for me!”
      “I think I know my own brother! He talks about you all the time in the letters he sends to me.”
      “I am not in love with your brother and he is not in love with me!”
      “You don’t deserve his love. He is a much better catch than you. You are so stubborn and argumentative. You don’t even deserve to marry one of the Addstone servants!” She held back the tears that were forming in her eyes.
      “Will you please leave me alone? You have insulted me in every possible way!” As she walked slightly away and not facing him. She said with a whimper.
    “And for the record. There is a Francesca Jameson. My name is Francesca Holton. Your brother is in love with her. He hasn’t left her side all evening!” And with that she disappeared out of the ballroom. As she left he felt a dagger plunge into his heart.