His Sinful Heiress [Mature Read]

Chapter 2: The World Made Of Chocolate And Lewd Stories

New York, October 1884

Miss Sabrina Hartley cast a mischievous glance at her friend, her eyes twinkling with a hint of playful mischief, before leaning closer to her cousin and whispering softly into her delicate ear:

"Cock."

Amanda's immediate response was a chuckle, swiftly muffled by her hand to conceal her chocolate-stained teeth. Her cheeks flushed with a rosy hue, and once she had consumed her bonbon, she turned to her impish cousin with a look of affectionate reproach.

"Ah, Sabrina, you incorrigible minx! One would think you ought to have been married years ago using such an impertinent tongue! I am certain you have acquired it from those novels you so adore to peruse!"

She then directed her attention to the sole gentleman present within the gathering. "Rodney, you must divulge the identity of the enigmatic Bryant Alsher. I declare, the fellow has elevated the standards for young ladies to such lofty heights that they now appear quite unattainable!"

Mr. Rodney Scott, Sabrina's dearest friend and proprietor of a respectable publishing enterprise, was indeed privy to the identity concealed behind the pseudonym. Unbeknownst to the assembly, the true Bryant was, in fact, seated among them in the very salon at that moment.

"I must apologize, but that secret is one I intend to carry with me to the grave," he responded with a hint of playful mischief in his tone, observing Sabrina as she reached for a chocolate-covered cracker resting on a silver tray. He couldn't help but admire her steadfast composure each time the nom de plume was brought into conversation.

There were six individuals gathered in the sitting room that day: Amanda, her mother Patricia—who was also Sabrina's maternal aunt—Rodney, Alice, who was Amanda's younger sister, Sabrina, and Olivia, Amanda's dearest friend. They were seated in a wide, yet still intimate circle around a table laden with confectionery, arranged so as to accommodate Sabrina's disability.

It was no mere coincidence that the company was predominantly female, for Amanda was to be wed on the morrow. Her friends had assembled to offer their companionship and divert her thoughts before the impending nuptials.

"That author, whoever they may be, must be positively swimming in the profits from their obscene writings," Olivia remarked with clear amusement. "Have you had the chance to read their latest work, In Scoundrel's Embrace? I dare say women of all ages must be pining for their own David now."

"I cannot believe I permitted you to peruse such books," lamented Patricia, her gaze fixed upon her elder daughter.

"You did not precisely permit me, mommy," Amanda replied with a sly smile. "I borrowed it from your collection, scarcely knowing what to expect. Indeed, it was a most welcome surprise!"

Her remark elicited chuckles from the company, while Patricia scoffed. "At least you are forbidden from reading literature unsuitable for your age," she directed at the eighteen-year-old Alice.

"Mum, it may already be too late," Alice replied shyly, prompting the gathering to erupt in hearty laughter. Patricia sighed, realising that her daughters were no longer the innocent little girls she had once nursed on her breasts.

Indeed, Alice too, could now be wed at her age, though her mother fervently hoped that such an event would not come to pass anytime soon. In her personal opinion, her younger daughter still required further maturation. Nevertheless, she felt a sudden moistness gathering in her eyes, compelling her to rise and excuse herself from the company.

Alice, ever perceptive to her dear mother's distress, also excused herself and followed Patricia to offer her some consolation.

Amanda and Olivia took their leave soon after, as the bride-to-be was eager to show her dress to her dear friend. Thus, Rodney and Sabrina remained the sole occupants of the sitting room.