Leticia is one of my favorite characters so far, she's so much fun. Whose your favorite and least favorite?

THERE WAS A LOUD knock on my door. "Go away," I snapped.

"It's Leticia," said the voice behind the door. I was silent for a moment. "Do let me in. I have your favorite drink." I didn't really want company, but I desperately needed a drink.

"Come in," I said. Leticia entered. She was wearing a wonderful sheer ice-blue gown and her tight brown coils were gathered in a tidy bun at the nape of her neck. She looked rather fetching. I wondered if she was going to see someone. I held out my hand for her flask and took three generous gulps for handing it back.

"Goodness," Leticia said. "Are you alright?"

"Quite."

"You're still in nothing but a towel even though we are at the sauvusauna hours ago. And you practically just emptied my flask."

"I'm alright," I replied. We both knew that was a lie, but Leticia relented. I clearly didn't want to talk about it. "You've never told me the name of your lover."

"His name is Byron," Leticia said dreamily.

"Byron," I repeated. The name sounded so familiar all of a sudden, which was strange. I didn't know any Byron's. "Is he coming to visit you today?"

Leticia grinned. "How did you guess?"

"Your dress is a little daring. But it's absolutely devastating."

"It is," Leticia agreed. "He loves me in blue." She fetched a slip of paper from her satchel and gave it to me.

I've heard that you're staying at The Georgia. I shall ride there and meet you tonight, Lettie. Wait for me.

All my love,

Byron

Byron. Lettie. It suddenly clicked into place. I gasped. I remember Elisabeth and I reading a gossip rag weeks ago about how the Earl of Gloucester was having an affair with...

"Princess Lettie," I exclaimed. Leticia rolled her eyes, as if she'd been caught red-handed telling a lie. "You're Princess Lettie," I repeated breathlessly.

"I preferred Leticia," my royal friend replied.

I suddenly sat up. I didn't know if I should curtsy or laugh. "Your husband is the Crown Prince," I breathed.

"Yes he is," Leticia said wistfully.

"And the Earl of Gloucester is Byron. And you're having an affair with..." I clapped my hands over my mouth. "You snuck your lover into the palace?"

"Of course," Leticia said. She seemed bored of the conversation. "I said so earlier didn't I?"

I burst into a peal of shocked laughter. This woman had stones. I had to admire her for it. I'd never met

anyone like her before. "Do you still want me to call you Leticia?"

"I just said I didn't I?"

"Well you don't have to be rude," I replied brightly. This was a wonderful distraction from thinking about Matthew's kiss. "Wasn't the Earl of Gloucester the Crown Prince's best friend?" I couldn't resist asking.

"Was," Leticia replied.

I let out another giggle. I'd never been so positively impressed. "You're quite the woman."

"Quite." Leticia took the tiniest sip from her flask. "I used to be so innocent." She laid down on the bed beside me. "I'd gotten married when I was sixteen too. And it was a love match. It was arranged but it was a love match. I loved Edwind so much I..."

"Leticia..." I whispered comfortingly.

"We were happy for three years. And then he found her, he pushed me away. I mourn my marriage for what it once was."

"Don't you love Byron?" I asked carefully.

"With everything inside me," Leticia whispered. "But there's nothing like your first love or your first heartbreak. There will always be that dull...ache. That missing piece. I'll always regret not fighting harder."

"Of course," I whispered.

"There's a part of you that's attracted to Matthew Whitfield." I suddenly tensed. I did not want to think about him.

"You're wrong."

"Rose, Leticia said warmly, there was a man in a woman's spa area. The both of you were indeed too busy to notice, but I assure you, a lady walked in. Half the Georgia knows you were kissed senseless in there. They probably suspect more than just kissing went on, honestly."

I felt embarrassment rush from my head to my toes. "It wasn't kissed senseless. And I broke it off," I said hotly.

"You want him," Leticia said softly.

"I do not!" I disagreed sharply.

"Rose..." Leticia sighed. "You don't have to admit to me or admit to yourself. You don't have listen to me either. All I'm saying is...when you sign those divorce papers and his mistress has his baby it's likely the end. And in future years it might to hurt to sit and think about what it might've been—"

"Stop!" I commanded. My heart was starting to speed from anger. "I know you mean well but I really don't want to hear this. I don't want hear about how I might miss my horrible husband one day. I can't hear it."

Leticia frowned. "I didn't mean to hurt you," she said softly.

"Of course you didn't." I took her hand and squeezed. "You've been a true friend these past twenty four hours."

"And a horrible influence," Leticia chirped.

"No, the best influence," I replied. We both laughed.

🥀

Victoria greeted Matthew at the door like a proper wife would. She was waiting at the door when she arrived. "Good evening my love," she practically sing-sang. "I've missed you."

Matthew kissed gave her greeting kiss. "I've missed you too," he said. He'd only half meant it. His mind was still cloudy from visiting Rose. She followed him into the drawing room where he kept a nice bottle of brandy. He needed that brandy.

"How was your day?" Victoria asked. The smoky steam of that sauna flooded his nostrils. He could feel Rose's skin against his. Instead of answering, Matthew pulled Victoria against him for a kiss. It was hot and needy. "Matthew," Victoria whispered against him. Matthew. He could hear Rose's whisper reverberating his head. Kiss me. He deepened his kiss with Victoria, moving toward her jaw and neck. How he wished he'd had the chance to taste Rose's neck. Matthew. Kiss me.

He slammed Victoria against the wall with desire bursting through him. Matthew quickly unbuttoned his breeches.

Victoria looked at him in mild surprise. "Right here? In the drawing room?"

"Yes," Matthew said raggedly. He was ever so thankful for Victoria's thin, accessible dresses. He hiked up her skirt and pulled down her undergarments in a frenzy. He was remembering his arm around Rose's waist with crazed ferocity now. Why hadn't he glided his fingers down her back? Why hadn't he trailed his fingers down her thigh? He and Victoria both sighed once he entered. His strokes weren't slow and careful like they usually were. They were fervent, impatient thrusts. He hadn't been this mad with desire since he was a teenager. When he finally arrived, Matthew was disappointed to see Victoria's flushed cheeks instead of Rose's veiled eyes in front of him. He took a nearby hanker-chief and silently cleaned both of them, suddenly disgusted with himself for directing his misplaced passion.

"That was amazing," Victoria crooned.

Matthew managed a smile. "You were incredible as usual."

"You were too." She kissed his cheek. "We haven't made love like that in ages."

"No," Matthew answered quietly. "We haven't." He gave his mistress a smile. "Why don't you run a bath for us? I'll be down in a minute."

"You'd better," Victoria said before kissing his cheek. Matthew was finally glad to be alone. He poured himself a glass of brandy and sank into his arm chair. Why had he done that? he thought miserably to himself. Why had touched Victoria when the only person he could think of Rose? Well, he smiled to himself, the answer to that was rather simple. He couldn't imagine his wife letting him touch her like that. A mere kiss had repulsed her. Matthew drummed his fingers against his glass. He knew what should be done.

He had to marry Victoria. there was no other way around it. He should call for his lawyer, Mr. Crane, immediately. Right at this very moment in fact. He should ring his bell and summon Bert to prepare his correspondence. The sooner he had a divorce contract, with the proper precautions in place for his wife of course, the better. Then he could forget all about his strange feelings for a certain Rose Axel Whitfield. Matthew's hand hovered over the bell. He sat with hesitant fingers, staring at it. Victoria burst through the door in her robe.

"Darling, what's taking you so long? I've been waiting for ages," she whined.

"I'm sorry darling, I was lost in thought," Matthew said. He stood up from his chair with a sudden decisiveness and planted a kiss on Victoria's brow. "Let's go take our bath."

🥀

Leticia had left for my rooms for her own after an hour or two of my company. I'd taken the opportunity to venture around the large resort. I didn't return to my rooms until dark. Afterward, I took a decadent bath of actual milk and honey (this place truly had everything luxury in the world) followed by a true bath in the hot spring with lily soap. I followed my bath with a rich dinner of wine and freshly seared steak. And then, I tried my very best to go to bed. I closed my eyes like any other human being did when they prepared to sleep. It was fine for a moment. And then all of a sudden I could smell the scent of Matthew's skin. His lips were on mine again. Rose.

My eyes snapped open. I stared out into the darkness for a couple minutes before closing my eyes again. The unwanted flashback repeated itself. I opened my eyes again, this time, looking up at the ceiling. I began to actually count sheep, and my childish exercise was successful. I actually drifted off...until I could see his face hovering mine. The rest of the night was a constant battle. I fought the dream the best I could by waking up. And then I dreamt again. And then I fought again. And then I dreamt again. It was a maddening torture that refused to go away. By the time I felt the sun's morning rays, I'd only been able to get an hour of unperturbed sleep. Consequently, I woke up groggy and cranky. When I heard a knock at he door, I felt like throwing something at the wall.

"Go away," I snarled.

"Your husband would like to see you, Mrs. Whitfield," said a voice behind the door.

I buried my face in my pillow to stifle a frustrated scream. My husband was the last person I wanted to see. He was the cause of my current misery. I sat up on my bed with resolve. However, I wouldn't put him off. I'd learned my lesson from yesterday. "Allow him into my rooms in thirty minutes," I answered.

"Yes ma'am."

I only had the energy to clean my teeth and wash my face and adorn my veil before falling back into bed. I set the blankets over my legs and waited for the dreaded knock. Matthew rapped on the door softly. My mouth suddenly went dry. "Enter."

Matthew slowly entered the room. I noticed that his red curls were slick against his forehead. He was also wearing riding boots instead of regular shoes. He must've just had a bath. He should've waited for his hair to dry before riding here, I thought. That was the perfect way to catch a cold.

"Mrs. Whitfield," he greeted.

"Axel," I corrected with contempt. "What do you want?"

"You ran away from me yesterday." He shifted uncomfortably. "I wanted to see if you were alright."

"I'm perfect. I recovered from a rather unfortunate mistake."

Matthew rolled his eyes. "It wasn't a mistake."

"It was."

Matthew's nostrils flared in frustration. "For God's sakes. Rose..."

"Don't call me by my name," I cut in. "Don't you dare."

"You asked me to kiss you. It wasn't the other way around."

"And it was a mistake!" I retorted. I pulled back my veil and pointed to my face. I'd seen my reflection in the mirror only moments ago. I know I looked horrid. "Look into my eyes, Matthew. Do you see them? Do you?"

"Yes," Matthew replied. His voice was soft.

"These are the eyes of a woman that is completely disgusted with you. These are the eyes of a woman who hates herself for being embraced by a beast who called her the ugliest things in the world. These are the eyes of a woman who cannot believe she allowed her first kiss to be stolen by a man callous enough to burn down another man's home!"

Matthew's brows raised in surprise. "First kiss?"

I flung my veil back over my face, partially because I was through with my point and partially so he couldn't see my dismay. "That is what you gleaned from everything I just said?"

"I'm sorry, alright? I'm sorry for every horrible thing I've ever said to you. I'm sorry that I called you a grotesque creature the night I learned you threatened Victoria's parents. It was unjustifiably cruel. I'm very, very sorry." Matthew sounded exasperated, but his apology was sincere. "People say cruel things when they're angry.

"In my experience," I said sharply, people only say cruel things because they're cruel."

"I may not be a good person, but I assure you Ms. Axel, I'm not a cruel one," Matthew said. He was staring at me intently. "Was I really your first kiss?"

I squirmed uncomfortably. I really wish I hadn't been so caught in the moment. It was a mistake I let that slip. If I lied now, it would make me appear to have feelings he couldn't know I had. "Yes," I replied icily. "I just said that."

"I thought that Eric fellow was your lover."

"He was."

"And your lover never kissed you before?"

"Clearly not!" I narrowed my eyes at him. It might be my imagination, but I could've sworn I saw the corners of Matthew's lips lift.

He spared me a couple surprised blinks before continuing. "I gather the man never touched you either, then?"

I felt myself grow hot. "That's none of your concern!" The smile on Matthew's face was unmistakable now. My blood started to simmer from anger and humiliation. "We spent our days talking and getting to know one another. We never got the chance to do anything else."

Matthew smile was now a full-fledged grin. "There are plenty of ways of acquainting oneself without talking," he replied. "Especially if you claim to be lovers."

"We were lovers."

"No wonder you spent the whole night thinking about me," he drawled. "You, my dear wife, were positively starstruck."

I wanted to cry. This man had kept me up the entire night, demeaned my relationship with Eric, and made fun of me all in a single breath.

Matthew sat on the edge of my bed. I instinctively curled my my legs to my chest. His face lost its laugh. "I spent all night thinking about you too," he said lowly, so low I almost didn't catch it. A shiver ran down my spine, but I refused to tremble. I was made of stronger stuff than that. "I dreamt about you, wife. I've never dreamt of anyone before."

"You need to leave," I said. My voice was as hard as iron. "Isn't there a pregnant mistress you should be getting back too?"

The mention of Victoria brought him to his feet. "Yes," he said emptily. "I should be going." He looked at me for a long moment, expectantly. I think he expected me to ask him to say. I only stared back at him. After the moment was over, he left. My husband left my room without even a backward glance. His abrupt exit stung me, even though I knew it shouldn't have. I sighed as I collapsed back on my pillow. His hair was still wet when he'd left. I hoped he caught a chill.