Sins and Secrets - M/M Regency - EXCERPT

A single beam of late autumn sun, cold and sharp, speared the mullioned windows of an old church house, and lay like an enormous golden shard of broken glass on the stone floor, encasing Robert Hayward within its ethereal glow like a precious stone within its frame, his gilded silhouette serving as a kind of beacon for every wandering gaze and every stray thought of the small congregation therein. His broad shoulders and slim waist, perfectly accentuated by the cut of his dark greatcoat, were dwelt upon with eagerness and devoutness that neither the text of the sermon nor its important message on godliness and goodness seemed to merit.

The echoing stiffness of an old vaulted hall was constantly agitated by ringing warnings of terrible punishment and retribution that should befall all sinners least they promptly embark upon the path of redemption and righteousness, coming from the mouth of a rather bold and ill-favoured minister, accompanied by his constantly threatening fist. From time to time this was interrupted by the rustling of skirts or the creaking of pews as one or another young lady wished to get a better view of the divine vision in the first row, usually followed by a loud sigh of pure longing, which the oblivious minister, however, regarded as a promising sign of repentance.

Truly, there was hardly a young lady in the parish not in love with Robert Hayward. He was pronounced to be the most beautiful man to ever walk the earth. His green eyes and long eyelashes and lips shaped like a bow haunted many a dream, and even a smattering of freckles that generously sprinkled his fair complexion was universally admired despite general tendency of the public to the contrary. He wore dark, unassuming clothes, which made his beauty stand out even more, and carried a prayer book wherever he went; his air was melancholy and brooding and his past tragic, which they all found terribly romantic; not to mention gossip-worthy.

Robert Hayward was eleven when his father discovered that his wife was having an affair with a much younger man. Upon learning that she was with that man’s child, Mr Hayward threw her out of the house. But he loved her so very much, they said, that unable to bear her betrayal, he died soon afterwards of a broken heart. Robert was taken in by Mr and Mrs Wainright – his father’s closest friends – who became his guardians and provided him with a new home, promising to love and raise him as their own child, which happened around the same time their only son, Frederick, expressed an ardent wish to go abroad, where he proceeded to reside in the course of the last ten years.

Robert Hayward grew up to be an extremely devout young man. His ambition was to become a clergyman and to serve God and people in his charge to the best of his ability. His life’s mission was to atone for his mother’s sins by leading a life of piety, obedience and self-denial. It should be noted that he had been quite successful in his endeavor so far and that his zeal was constantly supported by the knowledge that he had inherited not only his mother’s fair looks but also her vicious nature and predisposition for the worst kind of sin.

COMING SOON!