Sinful Duty (The Bentons and Northcutts 1) ✅

Chapter One

September 17th, 1665

Today will be a good day. Today will be a good day.

The dress was periwinkle color, and had taken her nearly a month to sew, but it was done and it looked beautiful. She had no one to show it off to but her family, but it still made her feel so happy.

Diana Benton knelt down on the floor where her dress hung to check the hem and laces. She looked back up at the dress and smiled. "Today will be a good day," she said with a smile.

"Rosamund!"

The raspy, angry yell from down the hall startled Diana, and for a moment her smile slipped. But she fixed her hazel eyes upon her dress once more and her smile returned. "Today will be a good day," she repeated in a whisper.

"Rosamund!"

The bed behind her creaked and Diana looked over her shoulder. Rosamund Benton, her elder sister by one year, looked exhausted and stressed as she sat up in the bed they shared together. Her dark curls were knotted and messy, but she pushed back the covers and swung her legs over the side of the bed. The call came again as she stood up, and she snapped to a stiff posture.

Rosamund tilted her head towards the ceiling. "He can holler until the roof caves in, but it will not make me move any faster," she breathed.

Diana frowned at her words and tone, but she knew that she needed to be supportive. "Let me help you," she said as Rosamund wrenched on a red rob over her white nightgown. "Father can be so—"

"Do not waste your breath because we both know that Father would not allow any of you to help. He barely allows our maids to help me." Rosamund stalked past Diana and stormed to the door. She paused for a moment with her hand on the doorknob and turned around to face her. "Happy Birthday, Diana."

Diana smiled sincerely at her. "Thank you—"

"ROSAMUND!" the same bellowing voice rippled down the hall once more.

Rosamund jerked the door open. "I am coming, you decrepit old man!" she shouted in return.

"Rosamund!" Diana gasped, pressing a hand to her throat.

"I will speak to him how I like for how he treats me," Rosamund said hotly. "And there is nothing he can do about it." Then she left the room and closed the door sharply behind her.

Diana exhaled softly, feeling tears sting her eyes. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply to calm herself. Today will be a good day. Today will be a good day. She repeated the words over and over again in her mind until her her tears dried and her heart settled. When she opened her eyes, she was relaxed. "Today will be a good day."

~*~

The nursery was quiet, and Diana made her movements quiet and gentle as she crossed the room. Her heart filled with warmth as she reached the cradle and rested her hands on the rail. "Good morning, Toby."

Her infant brother greeted her with a smile and twinkling eyes. Diana lifted him from the cradle and held her in his arms. "Has Willow come to feed you?" she asked Toby in a quiet tone. "I haven't seen your nanny about..."

Toby obviously could not answer her. Diana carried him over to the rocking chair near the window and sat down. "You are such a good child," she praised the baby, rocking him back and forth. "You do not cry often, no matter the drama in the house. We are so very lucky to have you."

Toby responded with infant gurgles and snuggled up to her. Diana's smile dipped a little as she looked out the window. "I hope Rosamund will have a child as good as you are," she murmured. "As for me..." she let her voice trail off.