Forty-Nine Lashes For Freedom

My cousin died of a hemorrhage during childbirth.

To maintain the alliance between our families and ensure her son inherited the title, my uncle forced me to marry the Earl as his second wife.

Gideon Gaunt, the Earl, only wanted me in his bed. He didn't have a shred of affection for me.

For seven years, I fulfilled my duties as the Countess perfectly, caring for his son and managing the Gaunt estate.

But everything changed the day my hand slipped and I knocked over a teacup. A few drops of t