Two artists, Fred and Henry,  immersed in the Pre-Raphaelite art movement, with its yearning for romantic escape from the materialism of Victorian society.  Two men deeply in love with their beautiful models.  But every heart hides a secret and both couples have put certain shameful events behind them, events that, if exposed, could threaten their blissful new life. The Crimson Bed, a family heirloom passed down through the female blood line since Elizabethan times, brings with it ancestral secrets that will eventually affect Fred leading him into the darkness of London slums and a very different world to that of his peaceful home. Passions escalate as he becomes increasingly jealous of his wife’s closeness to her handsome godfather, Lord Percy Dillinger, and when shocking truths finally come to light, their lives will never be the same again . . .

Adult Sexual scenes

The Crimson Bed created by Loretta Proctor an eGlobal Creative Publishing signed author.

The Crimson Bed

Fred looked wistful. 'Ah, what a picture of bliss!  D'you know, I'm tired of being a bachelor. It has its advantages but the fact is I'm a domesticated fellow. I want to be married, feel secure and comfortable, have a lovely, doting woman always there for me, my children about me, glass of whisky by my side and a comfortable bed to retire to with my missus.'


Henry gave a hearty laugh. 'You think Miss Farnham would make a good wife?  Well, I think she'd rule the roost. She's a temperamental young woman in my opinion. Don't you see that flash in her eye?  She's the plate-throwing sort, I'll wager you,'  


'Ah, but I like that flash in her eye. That's what intrigues me. I need a spirited girl. I confess to being a lazy fellow and she'd wake me up in no time.'


'She'd wake you up all right. And you're right; you do need a kick up the backside.'


'Thanks a lot. However, I take your point. Opposites attract, they say, and therein lies my hope. But how, in God's name, to set about it?'


Chapter 18: Fred tries to woo Elie once more