The Viscount Matthew Paul Rutherford has need of a bride before the month’s end. Previously, he had selected two different damsels from the marriage mart—Almack’s. However, both ladies met with a fatal accident before the wedding. Now, presented with an unexpected solution to his problem in the form of the lovely thief, he gives Isabel a choice, marriage or gaol.
Published: November 27th, 2019
Under cover of night and with the best of intentions, Lady Isabel Carlyle breaks into the viscount’s residence to restore his stolen property and retrieve her own. She understood the viscount was out of town for at least a sennight. When she entered the mansion, she never once considered facing a pistol aimed directly at her heart.
The Viscount Matthew Paul Rutherford has need of a bride before the month’s end. Previously, he had selected two different damsels from the marriage mart—Almack’s. However, both ladies met with a fatal accident before the wedding. Now, presented with an unexpected solution to his problem in the form of the lovely thief, he gives Isabel a choice, marriage or gaol.
EXCERPT
In the act of restoring the viscount’s stolen certificates to the top desk drawer, a barely audible sound drew Isabel’s attention. A quiet sigh of the door swinging open alerted her to the threatening man’s presence, a dark shadow filling the threshold. From the corridor, a candle flame in the wall sconce flickered and glinted off the in-laid silver on the stock of the menacing gun, deadly, unwavering. Mesmerized by the pistol pointed directly at her heart, she caught her breath unable to move or even swallow.
Why oh, why had she scooped up the jewelry first? Frantic to recover her jewels, she’d made a thorough search of the office. After locating her mother’s wedding ring and the other pieces, she bundled the precious items into her satchel. Now, disaster—caught with the documents still in her possession.
The drapes billowed on a sharp breeze before settling back to the floor with a barely discernable swoosh. She shivered as her drenched cloak swung against her skirts shifting the layers of her under-petticoats with a chilling heaviness. The damp cloth clung to her ankles while moisture trickled down her forehead into her eyes.
Deeply aware of her peril, she scarce blinked, her gaze captured by the gun, her heart beating at an alarming rate. The longcase clock in the hall chimed once echoing down the empty passageway. Despite the lateness of the hour, the sound of a carriage rumbling over the roadbed in front of the mansion reached inside the room. Even at the outskirts of London, she could still smell the heavily rain-washed streets. The distinct odor of the town drifted into the open window, cleansed yet dominated by the stench of horses, foot traffic, and smoldering coal.
The man holding the pistol, tall, broad-shouldered, his very stillness a threat, stood inside the threshold with the candlelight silhouetting his form. The moon peeked around the clouds casting a pale light into the room merging with the candle’s meager flame.
About the author:
I write historical romance fiction novels set in the 1800s forward with a twist of suspense. All of my characters and stories that are portrayed in my books are fictitious. I am a native of Texas, but I have traveled throughout America and beyond. As a dreamer, I love to visit new places where I can imagine a heroine meeting a hero in a special way. I'm an avid reader of (all sorts) and I love to write.
I married my high school sweat-heart and after having raised three sons and one daughter, our love for each other remains unshaken. Now we enjoy our eight grandchildren. We can send them home, but we're always happy for their return.
Outside of my family activities, I sing with the Silver Belles at my church and hate to miss even one practice. The local chapter of RWA is also at the top of my list of pleasures. It keeps me grounded with craft and connected with other writers.
Most of all, I enjoy going fishing with my husband. Give me a pole and leave me alone to bask in the sun, listening to water gurgle along the riverbanks while allowing my mind to float away to some distant place. Ah! Perfect.
Author's Giveaway
7 comments:
I enjoyed the excerpt and look forward to reading this story.
Sounds good
Looks like a good book to relax with over Christmas.
Gorgeous cover! This sounds like a must read for me. Thank you for sharing your book details and for offering a giveaway.
Sounds good.
Sounds like something I would love to read.
This sounds good! Beautiful cover! ❤
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