Edmund's POV
The moment Edmund disembarked infront of the whorehouse, he was surrounded by a bunch of whores.
"Hello there, mister," a woman purred. "I promise to serve you in the wildest ways you can possibly imagine." She grabbed his arm and ran a finger down his shoulder.
"Don't listen to Lisa, I have many tricks up my sleeves," another woman cooed.
Edmund shook her off irritably. "If you want to stay alive, get off me. I'm here to see Caroline."
"Mistress?" One of the whores raised her eyebrows. "She doesn't meet anyone as they wish."
"Tell her Edmund Aughust is here to see you." Edmund narrowed his eyes. "And make it quick for I'm here on an urgent matter."
"Such an uptight fellow," the whore muttered and disappeared inside.
As numerous men lumbered into the whorehouse half-drunk, Edmund stood by the side, trying to ignore the piercing pain of the cold wind.
"Why, why, why, isn't it Edmund Aughust?"
Edmund looked up and found himself staring in the face of the old fart, Sir Bernard.
"Greetings, Sir Bernard," he said curtly.
"What's the honorable Edmund Aughust doing at the whorehouse?" Sir Bernard smirked. "Aren't you getting married? I know, you are looking for a little fun before you are bound by marriage life."
"This is none of your business," Edmund gritted through his teeth. That foul man was getting on his nerves. One of these days, he might lose control and punch that lecherous man for everything he had done.
"What do you think your mother would say about you visiting the whores here?" Sir Bernard raised his eyebrows.
Edmund smirked. "I think you should worry about yourself and take care of your finances first. I hear you've racked up a lot of debts. Be careful your head don't end up on the chopping table."
"You-" Sir Bernard held up his fist.
Edmund raised his eyebrows, welcoming the challenge.
"Gentleman, what are both of you doing?"
Both men spun around. "Caroline." Edmund nodded in acknowledgement.
"Sir Bernard," Caroline said pleasantly. "I'm surprised you are back here again. Haven't I said that the debts must be paid before you can step into my establishment again?"
Sir Bernard's ugly face crinkled into a pleading smile. "Caroline, you are the most beautiful women I've ever met, you know that I can't do a day without trying my luck at the tables."
"Pity your luck has run out." Caroline's face hardened. "Men!" At her call, three bouncers appeared. "Escort this gentleman to the alley and don't return until you have collected the 2000 pounds."
As the men grabbed Sir Bernard's arm, he screamed and resisted but they dragged him in the back alley. There was a pause of silence before screams started to fill the air.
"Are they going to kill him?" Edmund frowned. "He is a vile man but he does not deserve death. Besides, you don't want murder on your hands."
"It's not as if I have never murdered before," Caroline said casually. She turned around to stare at him and he met her gaze. "I expect you aren't here for a courtesy visit?" She smiled. "Let's talk inside."
As Edmund walked into the whorehouse, Caroline slit a hand around his waist. Edmund winced but he didn't want to be impolite but merely resisted cringing. Unlike Juliet's warm touch, Caroline's hand was cold and hard.
As they entered the room, Caroline closed the door and smiled. "Well, tell me, what wind blew the dashing Edmund Aughust here? Shouldn't you be planning your wedding?"
"How did you know I was getting married?"
"Tsk, fancy not telling your old friend." Caroline smiled. "Congratulations on your...marriage to Lady Juliet."
Edmund glanced at her. There was something forced about her congratulatory greeting. There was a sense of...artificiality and a deep undercurrent to her words.
"There might be no marriage now," he added carefully. "Juliet has disappeared."
There was no change to Caroline's face. Instead, she merely said, "Really? Why?"
"She ran away," Edmund said slowly as he watched for Caroline's reactions.
"Such a foolish girl. Giving up the man she claimed to love?" Caroline pulled a face. "She clearly does not love you as much as you think."
"And what makes you say so?"
"I know what you are trying to do." Caroline raised her perfectly arched eyebrows. "You think I did this?"
"As expected of the renowned seductress, you have guessed my intentions," Edmund said slowly. "And you deny this?" he asked expectantly. Despite his misgivings, he wanted to believe that she wouldn't be that heartless or merciless not after their many years of acquiantence.
Caroline's sensuous lips curved into a smile. "I don't deny it."
"Pardon?" Edmund stared at her. "What did you say?"
"I said I don't deny it," Caroline smirked. "You know me. I'm a forthright person and I dare to admit whatever I've done."
"What the hell did you do?" he growled.
"I merely staked out my territory," she laughed charmingly. Draping her left leg over her right, she continued, "I told her if she doesn't leave you, I will force her sister to become a whore."
"What has Titania Rosewood got to do with this?"
"That girl came to my whorehouse and requested to become a whore here," Casoline said. "I have to say, I actually like her. She has character and a fiery attitude. Something all the plain gentle ladies in the society lack."
"Can you hurry up and explain what happened?" Edmund demanded.
"My usually calm Edmund is all frustrated because of a woman." Caroline rolled her eyes.
"I'm not yours," he snapped.
Caroline twirled her hair, ignoring his outburst. "I told Juliet that if she doesn't leave you, I will whore Titania out to my customers. To tell you the truth, that Titania girl would have been willing to do so. I don't even need force her to do so."
"You bi-" Edmund growled and without thinking, he raised his hand and slapped her across the face.
There was a potent pause before Caroline whipped her head back. "You slapped me," she said in a strained voice. "You fucking slapped me," she repeated disbelievingly. "All because of her."
"I can't believe you were so immature to behave like that," he said in a low voice. "Do you actually think doing this will make me not care about Juliet?"
"She's gone anyway," Caroline cried out as her calm composure slipped. "You will never find her. For all you know, she's on a ship now to France."
"Juliet won't do that," Edmund's eyes hardened into emerald stones. "She's nearby. I can feel it. And I'm warning you right now, if you dare interfere again with my matters, I will personally see to the closure of this whorehouse."
"Don't you dare," she snarled. "This whorehouse is my whole life, my sweat and my blood. You are threatening me because of a mere woman? Haven't you forgotten our long we go back?"
Edmund's mind momentarily stalled. The suddenly scene of how they met suddenly floated up.
It was a dark and stormy night- literally.
Edmund Aughust was in a foul mood as his horse carriage sped down the bumpy road. He was due to return to London for his annual visit back home and that always made him irritated. He loved his mother because she was gracious and loved both his brother and him equally. His father on the other hand greatly favoured his brother and practically ignored him everytime he went home.
Suddenly, the horse carriage pulled to a stop.
"What's going on?" Edmund demanded and instinctively grabbed his sword. If there were assassins, at least he could vent his anger through a fight.
"Sir! There's a lady lying down in the middle of the road! Should I drag her away?" the manservant called.
"Hang on." Edmund got out of the carriage as his manservant hurriedly approached him to cover his master with an umbrella.
He frowned and surveyed the scene. A woman in tattered clothes covered up by bruises and blood was lying on the deserted road. He took a step forward and the manservant grabbed his arm.
"Sir! Let's not bring ourselves trouble," the manservant pleaded. "We're already late. Lord Aughust will not be happy."
"Damn my father," Edmund said. "How can we leave an injured woman here and speed off into the night? Is that not merciless?"
The manservant paused. "She might be dead sir."
"All the more we should give her a proper burial."
Ignoring his manservant's pleads, Edmund strode briskly to the woman and shook her. "M'am, are you alright?" he asked.
The woman lifted her head weakly. There was dirt and cuts on her face but she appeared to be alive. "Who...who are you?" she croaked out.
"Edmund Aughust," he said. "What's your name?"
"I'm...I'm Caroline Wickham," the woman whispered.
"May I know what happened to you?" Edmund asked gently. She must have been beaten up.
"I....I worked at a whorehouse and I made a mistake. The mistress threw me out and I was badly beaten up. Please help me," the woman pleaded. "I don't want to die here."
"Rest assure, you won't," he replied. "Porter!" he called out for his manservant.
"Yes sir?" The manservant hurried over with a severe and worried expression on his face.
"Help Ms Wickham into the carriage and take us to the nearest inn. We need to find a physician immediately," Edmund called.
"But sir! Lord Edmund, your father is waiting!" the manservant cried out.
"If you don't follow my orders, I will carry this lady to the inn myself and if I catch pneumonia and die, you will bear the consequences," Edmund replied calmly.
The manservant lowered his head and quickly heaved the injured woman up his back.
"Thank you. I will repay you for this," the woman whispered.
"No worries. I only hope that you remember this kind deed and keep it in your heart." Edmund nodded.
"A penny for your thoughts?" Caroline snapped, bringing him back into reality.
"Just thinking about how we met," Edmund said curtly.
Hearing this, Caroline's face softened. "I remember that day as if it was yesterday and I'm always thankful that you were the one who found me."
"Do you remember what I said?"
"Yes, you said that you want me to remember this kind deed and keep it in my heart," she said. "And I did. I always remembered it."
"And this is how you repay me?" Edmund demanded. "Ruining my marriage and driving the woman I loved away?"
"You don't love her, Edmund," Caroline protested pleadingly. She came over to his side and grabbed his arm. "Juliet Rosewood is such an uninteresting, plain lady. You need spice in your life. She can't give you that."
Edmund angrily shook her off. "What makes you think I need spice in my life?"
"I know men," Caroline proclaimed proudly. "Juliet Rosewood won't be good in bed. Men need something to fulfil their needs. She will never satisfy you."
"And who do you suggest satisfying me? You?" he asked sarcastically.
"Of course," she slurred. Unbashingly, she gestured to her body and legs. "Am I not perfect for you in any way?" She leaned over so that he could have a full view of her cleavage. "Don't tell me this does not give you excitement. If you try to deny it, you lie."
Edmund suddenly laughed. "I will not deny that you are desirable." And then his emerald green eyes hardened. "But if I were to bed you, there will be no feelings involved. It's like a whore and her string of men. Physical pleasure with no emotions. I will never feel anything beyond friendship for you and you should finally understand that."
Caroline's cherry red lips trembled. "You are treating me as a whore?"
"I'm not treating you like a whore. You treated yourself like one," he said. "I treated you as a friend but you are belittling me here by trying to use your body to seduce me. If you want me to treat you more like a decent proper woman, you should at least give me some respect and stop using your ridiculous tactics as if I'm one of your lecherous clients."
"Please, Edmund." She knelt down. "Give me a chance," she cried out pleadingly. "I've dreamt of lying down with you and kissing you tenderly ever since the day I met you. I need you. Please."
"I will not forgive you for what you have done. I expect no repayments for me saving you but from now on, you will cease to exist in my life." Edmund got up. "You confessed to me that you threatened Juliet because you underestimated my feelings for her. Even if Juliet doesn't come back, I will never go to your side."
As Edmund reached for the door, he suddenly heard a swishing sound and he instinctively turned and caught her arm. His eyes registered the rock in her hand and his face hardened. "Your cheap tricks are disgusting. Trying to knock me out cold so that you can attain me? Foolish and naive. I expected more of the intelligent Caroline. Don't expect me to see you ever again."
He threw her hand down and stalked out of the room, leaving his past friend behind.