Hilary _ Mills and Boon ?

Carrie Danby spent some time in the little bedroom that she shared with her two sisters She was preparing herself.  For that evening , she would be meeting James Purfuoy alone for the first time.
The small, tidy cottage had been left to her mother when her father had perished in the great war. A perfect home for the three girls and their mother Ellen, and in the two years following her fathers death, a sanctuary for Carrie.
As she lay deep within the perfumed water of her bathtub in the glow of the small hearth, her mind returned to the first time she had met the dashing young squire of Herford Manor who had recently taken up residence at the splendid house on the death of his father Edward.
It was Sir Edward Purfuoy who had seen the promise in young Carrie as she had led the group of village children on the Sunday school nature walks.Her determination to share her knowledge of the many trees and wild flowers had impressed him so much that when the opportunity arose for a teacher to take over the village school, Sir Edward had championed her cause so that at seventeen, she had found herself in charge of the primary education of thirty two children between 6 and 11.
Carrie was so grateful that at last someone had understood the need she had within her to share her knowledge. She was more than a flame haired, pretty girl. She needed to prove her worth.
She had been born with a physical flaw that would haunt her early years. Her sisters had tried to protect her from the taunts of the other children at school when they saw the deep purple birthmark which protruded above her collar and snaked around her neck. They would still catch her during a playtime, calling her the girl with the witches mark, or tell her that she had the Devils' curse. Her thick stockings at least ensured that not one person outside of her own family was aware of the expanse of the birthmark which ended at her knee and covered the right side of her otherwise perfect and voluptuous body.
It was the early rejection by most of her peers that had caused her reclusiveness as she reached her mid teens, preferring to remain within the confines of the cottage when she had finished her schooling at fifteen. There in the gentle warmth of the gardens she would immerse herself in books and imagine herself as one of the heroines of the novels that she loved.
Sir Edward had seen the potential of this shy and gentle young woman who coaxed the children into discovering nature, and in the past two years, also encouraged her charges to read the wonderful books that had so enchanted her own childhood.
The death of her Mentor had devastated Carrie.She stepped from the church at his funeral her eyes full of tears,cast downward, hiding from the world.
"My dear Miss Danby", a voice of such gentleness made Carrie start and as her eyes travelled up from a pair of leather riding boots, she saw a man of immense physical beauty standing before her. She blushed as she tried in vain to banish the thoughts that were rushing into her head, but James had already seen the redness creeping up from the frilled white collar of her blouse. He smiled and tried to alleviate her obvious embarassment by continuing with his earlier conversation.
"My dear - Carrie" he repeated. " My father spoke so highly of you and wished that we would one day meet; he would be so happy today had he known what fate had brought us together"
Carrie lifted her gloved hand to cover her neck, a  habit she had unconsciously practised from childhood. James eyes locked onto her own and he was mesmerised by the deep blue pools that shone with the residue of tears she had shed for Sir Edward. He gently eased her hand away and held it for a moment before letting it fall gently. " Please do me the honour of accompanying me to the wake" he whispered.
This was the first of many such meetings, always with one of her older sisters as a chaperone. Until tonight.
As Carrie stepped from her bath, she gazed at her reflection in the mirror. A smile traced it's way across her lips. She gently caressed the snake-like birthmark that writhed down the right side of her perfect frame.
She turned back to the mirror, her beautiful face contorted into a serpentine like mask, huge eyes turning from deep blue to yellow slits.
"We will have him - my Lord and Master. Tonight James Purfuoy will be ours, forever". A screeching unearthly laugh escaped from the hideous mouth before she turned her left side to the mirror, and Carrie returned.