Chapter One

The Mansfield family was one of prestige and wealth, which proved to be a rather lonely life for Blake Michael, particularly now that he was the only remaining Mansfield. With such a large estate and such a successful line of work, Blake had no trouble keeping busy. Especially since the death of his father Benjamin Michael, a well-known Lord and very successful man in his own right. Choosing to use his money, reputation and business savvy to help others Benjamin known by most as Big Ben had helped his fellow countrymen's dreams into realities. Blake had taken over all aspects of the Mansfield family affairs after his father’s demise and he had done so with ease proving to be a good Lord for his people who seemed happy and content with all of his requests and decisions.

Stepping into his father’s shoe’s Blake traveled frequently, meeting and going into business with all types of men from Pirates and Merchant Sailors to Politicians alike, meeting many people on his travels he did his best to help them to start their own businesses, be it by giving them loans and/or by introducing them to the right people to get their idea’s in progress.

Being a very handsome and wealthy man around town Blake had no trouble finding women, ladies, and working women flocked to him wherever he went and being a young man without a wife he took advantage of his growing popularity. While in London on business Blake met Cheryl Mooney a fetching woman of class and sophistication, an angel that won Blake over with her interesting thoughts and ideas.

Her laugh was soft and easy-going, she was a sweet woman with a warm personality that Blake couldn’t seem to get enough of. She was a golden-haired temptress with fair skin and rose-colored lips like those out of one of his dreams, falling in love fast it didn’t take long before they decided to marry and return to the Mansfield Estate. Cheryl was a woman of sweet temperament and had proven to be a good wife, she found joy in keeping a nice home and was well-loved by Blake’s people.

But after six months of marriage Blake felt as if they had grown distant, rarely being intimate let alone making love and when they did it was a passionless affair, pleasant yes but without heat or desire giving Blake the impression she was only satisfying his requests in bed in hopes of getting pregnant. Blake also had hopes of starting a family and knew Cheryl would be a great mother and he loved her dearly and wanted to make her happy.

One morning on his daily ride Blake came across a stunning woman washing clothes while sitting by the water bank singing to herself, her voice was like something he had never heard before, it was not soft and sweet like Cheryl’s but it was more of a throaty sound that oozed passion. Unable to resist he shielded himself in the tree’s and sat back and watched her from afar as the sun shone down through the tree causing her dark black hair to shimmer as it fell forward and she tucked it back behind her ear. Not able to stay away he tied off his horse and approached her, hearing him approach she turned and smiled her light blue eyes were big with surprise and interest.

“Sorry Sir, if you’re here to bathe, I can leave and come back later.”

Blake smiled as he walked up and sat down on a boulder a few feet away from her “I don’t think I’ve seen you around here before, and you’re definitely not someone I would forget.”

Sitting back on her heels she straightened her skirt as she smiled up at him “I arrived two days ago, I’m staying with my aunt Bettie she is the head cook for Lord Mansfield and was able to get me a job here after the death of my parents.”

Blake couldn’t help but smile, the sound of her voice alone was enough to make him crazy with longing. “And what shall I call you?”

She smiled nervously “Violet Nightly, and what shall I call you Sir, do you also work for Lord Mansfield?”

Blake watched as Violet went back to washing clothes. “It’s nice to meet you, Violet, I’m.”

Just about to introduce himself Jesse one of his men walked up “Sorry Lord Mansfield but Boyd Stanford has just arrived in haste and wishes to speak with you right away.”

After dismissing Jesse, Blake turned back to a shocked Violet “I’m Blake Mansfield but you can call me Blake when we are alone.”

Violet was a bit flushed after finding out whom she had been talking to “Now that I know who you are I doubt we will ever be alone so calling you Lord Mansfield will have to do.”

Finding it hard to even take his eyes off of her Blake stood and walked toward her stopping directly in front of her he went down to one knee, using his finger he lifted her chin and looked down into her eyes. “I promise you this; I will hear my name on your lips before this day is done.”

With a quick wink, he leaned down and lightly touched his lips to hers then turned and walked away leaving Violet in a daze with a smile on her face as she carried in the clean clothes. Knowing Lord Mansfield was married and not wanting to make a mess of things Violet kept their meeting a secret and told no one of their brief yet intimate encounter or the frequent and passionate ones that followed but as the weeks turned into months Blake found himself in love with two completely different women. Cheryl and Violet were like day and night leaving Blake’s heart torn in two. It wasn’t until he found out both women were pregnant at the same time that he started to really worry.

He had kept Violet a secret from Cheryl although he rather doubted Cheryl would care having had never really cared about sex that much anyway and now that she was pregnant he figured she would probably cut him off completely. As the months passed Blake found himself getting more and more excited about becoming a father and both women were filled with joy seeming to glow from within as their babies grew inside them. By the eighth month of their pregnancies, Cheryl had taken to her bed while Violet continued to work, even after Blake tried to talk her out of it but to no avail. Cheryl was first to go into labor and Blake stayed at her side during the birthing. When he saw his son for the first time he was amazed and felt so blessed. Cheryl stared down at her son and smiled then looked up at Blake. “How does it feel to be a daddy?”

Blake kissed Cheryl then his son “It feels great, have you picked a name?”

Cheryl smiled big “Logan Michael Mansfield meet your daddy.”

Less than a week had passed before Blake and Cheryl were woken up by a knock on their chamber door when Blake found Bettie Violet's aunt in the doorway he knew it was time and lied to Cheryl “I’ll take care of it, honey, you can go back to sleep.”

Blake dressed quickly then followed Bettie down the stairs his hands were already shaking “Does everything look all right how long has she been in labor?”

Bettie laughed at his nervousness “She’s been in labor since this afternoon but wanted to wait until the baby was almost here before sending me to fetch you.”

Before entering the cottage Blake took a deep breath then opened the door, Violet smiled when she saw him “Are you ready to become a father twice in one week?”

Blake sat on a stool at her side holding her hand and wiping the sweat from her brow “Honey I have never been so lucky.”

With a long pause he continued “I have love in my heart for Cheryl she’s my wife and has always honored me but Violet I have loved you since the first time I laid eyes’ on you, never in my life have I met a woman with more passion, my love for you has changed my life and now I get the honor of sitting at your side as you bring a product of that love into the world and bless me with a child.”

An hour later Blake watched as their son entered the world, Violet cried as she held him for the first time “Hello Eli Michael.”

Blake smiled down at him with tears in his eyes as he held him close “Eli Michael Mansfield.”

Both Bettie and Violet went quiet then she corrected him “Eli Michael Nightly, not Mansfield Blake, Nightly.”

Blake gave a loud groan as he held Eli in his arms “He is my son Violet, it breaks my heart that I can’t claim him as such.”

Violet felt for him but didn’t know what to say. “He’s a Mansfield damn it no matter what his last name is, I love you honey and I love him and I will raise him and Logan together and one day I will tell them both the truth, I swear to it.” Violet agreed with a sympathetic smile just feeling lucky to have Blake and Eli in her life.

Six years passed with ease with both Logan and Eli being raised and taught together without any prejudices by their father. Cheryl and Violet raised their boy’s separate of course, but Blake would do nothing of the kind keeping true to his word and always making room for both of his son’s. Waiting for the day he could finally tell them the truth and claim Eli as his son and a true Mansfield.

It had been a long and hard winter and sickness had fallen like a veil over the Mansfield Estate, men, women and children were dropping like flies, dozens upon dozens taking ill leaving only a few to live to tell about it. Both Cheryl and Violet had taken ill, both slowly slipping away breaking Blake’s heart and filling him with fear, fear that his sons would also get sick and die. Doing everything he could to keep Cheryl and Violet alive Blake sent his boys away to a cottage deep in the forest away from all the sickness and death, it was hard enough to watch the women he loved die but to lose his boys as well that would be far more than he could handle, or risk, still young both boys said their last goodbyes to their mothers and took shelter in a cottage in the woods with one of Blake’s trusted servants an older woman named Jane.

With the end so near Blake spent his every waking hour watching after Cheryl and Violet even moving Violet into the house in order to keep her close. Neither women made it through the month dying only days apart with Blake at their sides, leaving the death toll at twenty-one. A blanket of grief and mourning hung over the Mansfield Estate for months, when there were no more signs of illness Blake returned to the forest to retrieve his son’s and to break the unpleasant news and returned them to the only home either of them knew.

As winter turned to spring the Mansfield Estate returned to life, the veil of grief lifted off of them all and finally came to an end, leaving Blake and his son’s to start anew, and Blake’s broken heart to mend in time but never really getting over his lovers demise.