Dorothea Donaldson (nee Hamilton-Packmore, of the Lancashire Hamilton-Packmores) had first met Henry when she’d been taken to Blackpool by a nephew of her late father to see the famous young actor, who, even then, not only had a reputation as a great thespian, but as a great drinker and womaniser too. Dorothea’s cousin (her father’s nephew), Colonel Percy Hamilton-Packmore, a retired officer of artillery, who’d fought bravely during the Crimean campaign, had been persuaded by Donaldson to put rather a lot of money (the colonel now made his money as a stock holder in a very successful railway company) into a new show Donaldson planned on touring. This visit to Blackpool was a chance to see plans of the show for the first time, and hand over the second instalment of the money.

The forty-five year old Percy, and the sixteen year old Dorothea, were wined and dined by Henry in a private dining room at the newly completed King George Hotel, which Donaldson already half owned (most of the colonel’s first lot of money had gone into securing that) and a building he would own outright if the colonel coughed-up the rest; and by god he’d take the tasty Dorothea as a deposit on his future too.

Regardless of his reputation (or perhaps even because of it) Dorothea had become, on first meeting, totally infatuated with Donaldson, and to such an extent that – especially after seeing the models for Donaldson’s epic stage production about the death of Nelson, not unsurprisingly called, Trafalgar, she insisted her wealthy cousin double whatever money he’d promised Donaldson for his stage production. Percy Hamilton-Packmore (who was also Dorothea’s guardian, and the executor of his late uncle’s estate, the bulk of which Dorothea would inherit when she became twenty-one) happily agreed, and naturally Donaldson offered the young Dorothea the part of Lady Hamilton, even though she’d never set foot on a stage before.

” But my dear, you are a natural, a natural.” Donaldson informed the beautiful young Hamilton-Packmore heiress as they shared a bottle of champagne sitting on a small chaise in Donaldson’s private apartment at the top of the hotel. “And what you ain’t no idea about Henry here will teach you, indeed he will.”

With that Donaldson put his arm around Dorothea’s shoulder, pulled her to him, and kissed her full and passionately on the mouth.

Donaldson had expected the young woman to jump complaining from his arms. But Dorothea returned his kiss with alacrity. With this sure sign of intent Henry Donaldson lifted Dorothea into his arms and carried her through to his bed chamber.

” May I call you Henry?” asked Dorothea.

” Oh, yes my dear, oh yes.”

An hour later, as Donaldson lay in a somewhat uneasy post coital languor, with Dorothea asleep and pressed softly against his side, he recalled her explanation for her lack of inhibitions.

To Be Continued…

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