Seduced by a Legend

By Sharon Maria Bidwell

Ignatius is about to be seduced by a legend.

During a time when even the most educated of folk believe in ghosts, Ignatius Swain arrives in the quiet town of Ville sur le Fleuve to act as pedagogue to the adult daughter of Gregoire Delacroix. There he encounters the enigmatic Jacques Bouchard, who appears to view him as a rival for Desiree Delacroix’s affection.

Nothing could be more misconstrued. Even if Desiree’s gaze were not able to freeze water, Ignatius has set aside hopes of love hereabouts. He satisfies his desires with the helping hand of ghostly fables, tales of terror that walk shivery traces and fiery passion up his spine ... until one night when Jacques’s behaviour breeches barriers, and the pair encounter the most famous of resident spirits on the road.

• Language: English
• Publisher: JMS Books LLC
• Release date: Nov 1, 2015
• ISBN: 9781611528169

Sharon Maria Bidwell

Sharon was born in London on New Year’s Eve. She has always followed many creative pursuits. Eventually, her love of books and a wild imagination compelled her to focus on writing. Her work has appeared steadily in both print and electronic publications. Her short story “Bitter and Intoxicating” was snapped up for inclusion in the anthology Red Velvet and Absinthe. She writes whatever her warped mind can come up with and is quite capable of writing something darker, grittier, and even outright twisted. For more information, visit sharonbidwell.co.uk.

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Seduced by a Legend

By Sharon Maria Bidwell

Published by JMS Books LLC at Smashwords

Visit jms-books.com for more information.

Copyright 2015 Sharon Maria Bidwell

ISBN 9781611528169

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Cover Design: Written Ink Designs | written-ink.com

Image(s) used under a Standard Royalty-Free License.

All rights reserved.

WARNING: This book is not transferable. It is for your own personal use. If it is sold, shared, or given away, it is an infringement of the copyright of this work and violators will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

No portion of this book may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher, with the exception of brief excerpts used for the purposes of review.

This book is for ADULT AUDIENCES ONLY. It may contain sexually explicit scenes and graphic language which might be considered offensive by some readers. Please store your files where they cannot be accessed by minors.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are solely the product of the author’s imagination and/or are used fictitiously, though reference may be made to actual historical events or existing locations. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Published in the United States of America.

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A big thank you to Washington Irving, although goodness knows what he would think. I do realise the original had a Dutch setting, and I have chosen French. The setting was inspired mostly by my chosen character names. Ignatius’ way of speaking and tone of the book is quite deliberate and not indicative of most of my work.

To Ann for grinning through the passages I read out to her; to my ‘understanding’ husband (who was asked to be quiet during an initial edit round on this one); and to Elizabeth Silver, for appreciating my sense of humour.

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Seduced by a Legend

By Sharon Maria Bidwell

Chapter 1

The carriage gave a rough jolt, jerking young Ignatius from his slumber. His drowsy head rolled on a neck that many had told him recalled to mind the elegant grace of a swan. Fingering back the curtain, with one eye shut, he gazed upon his first sight of the town that the locals merely adverted to as le Fleuve. His other peeper dithered over opening, awakening with the rapidity of a fluttering butterfly wing. Finally, he managed to pry both eyes open. What he saw brought a smile to his lips, an expression that quickly faded. Alas, owing to initial impressions of the land hereabout, his father’s voice resounded in his recollections.

"From what I’ve heard of the place, you’ll feel at home. You were always one for indolence, and Ville sur le Fleuve is a place of dreamers, those that build gay castles in the sky."

Ignatius had to admit he liked the sound of that. Gay castles were fine by him. The small market town lay at the head of a river, bringing many by sea and land who wished to trade. If the locals had become complacent, it was because their fortune hardly needed seeking.

The door to the carriage opened, the footman encouraging the passengers to disembark with a sweeping gesture. Ignatius, stepping down, addressed one of the men transferring luggage and other belongings from the carriage roof to the ground, asking in the local dialect, Good sirs, would you be so kind as to instruct me?

The two men stopped what they were doing, looking at each other with equally perplexed expressions. Taking their silence for acquiescence, Ignatius continued, I was endeavouring to enquire if this fine establishment would be able to stow my portmanteau, be it solely on a temporary fashion of perhaps a few hours at most. Or, if my trunk is not able to remain in the good care of amiable gentlemen such as yourselves, if there be somewhere directly nearby where you could guide me, I would be most grateful.

The men exchanged fleeting looks and then both straightened, one making more of a show of it, tipping back his cap, tucking his thumbs into his braces, and regarding Ignatius with a diligent eye. To set facts straight, you wish to stow that there crate— the man lifted his chin in the direction of the leather trunk, —for a few hours?

His mental agility enabled Ignatius to understand the accent, and he quickly worked out what the man had said. That I do, Ignatius confirmed. He had removed his hat and clutched it in both hands, holding it in front of his chest over his heart, in what was surely a universal expression of sincerity. He took his gaze off the men to turn his head toward the sky. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and beamed his smile at the heavens. Opening his eyes and lowering his gaze, Ignatius gave his attention back to the men. "My journey was a little hurried, and I did not know if I would be able to arrive today or on the morrow. Therefore, I have to notify my employer that I am here. In addition, I would