Storm & Shelter

by

Spotlight on Storm & Shelter: Alina K. Field and Rue Allyn

Novellas five and six in Storm & Shelter feature heroines with unusual occupations–a part-time smuggler and a privateer.

Don’t miss this wonderful box set. Eight superb authors, with eight fascinating stories set around one storm. Only 99c as an ebook until publication on 13th April.

 

The Comtesse of Midnight: By Alina K. Field

A Scottish Earl on a quest for the elusive Comtesse de Fontenay rescues a French lady smuggler from the surf during a devastating storm, and takes shelter with her. As the stormy night drags on, he suspects his companion knows the woman he’s seeking, the one who holds the secret to his identity. When she admits she is, in fact, the Comtesse Fontenay, just not the one he’s seeking, she dashes all his hopes—and promises him new ones.

Excerpt:

The lamp on the mantel emitted a low light, as did the fire. Malcolm carefully swiveled his head. A candle sat atop the dining table, next to his open travel bag. The woman bent close to the dim light, studying a paper. In three silent strides he was on her.

Wait for Me: By Rue Allyn

Enemies by nature—Esmeralda Crobbin, aka the pirate Irish Red, and Captain, Lord Brandon Gilroy have met before.

Fate trumps nature—When a fierce storm creates a chance encounter and forced proximity, Erstwhile pirate, Esmeralda discovers Captain Gilroy is more than a uniform stuffed with rules and regulations. Gilroy learns the pirate is a woman of serious honor and responsibility. Both love the sea with boundless passion, but can they love each other?

Excerpt: He blinked rapidly. She fished in a pocket for her handkerchief. Damp as it was, it would clear his vision. She used the kerchief to wipe water from his eyes and face. She bent to place the cloth in her pocket, and when she returned her gaze to his, he glared at her. A very familiar glare. A glare that had haunted her for the past three years. Now I know fate is laughing at me. Before her lay the one man who hated her most in the world. The storm had placed him exactly where she would to trip over him then feel compelled to help him before she had any clue as to his identity.

by

The Hundred Days

Storm & Shelter, the new Bluestocking Belles With Friends box set, has an interesting political backdrop. Our heroes, heroines, villains, and other characters are caught up in a massive storm off the North Sea, which begins with steady rain on 31st March, steadily worsening until the early hours of 1st April, and rampaging for two days, only finally dying away on the 3rd of April. Meanwhile, a storm of a different kind is gathering in Europe.

After eleven months in exile on the island of Elba, the Emperor Napoleon was once again on the move. He landed at Cannes on the 1st of March, leading 1,500 men. On 7th of March, his path was intercepted by the 5th Regiment, who had been ordered to stop him. He approached them on his own, shouting, “Here I am. Kill your emperor if you wish!” The soldiers rallied to him, and joined the march on Paris. On 14th March, Marshall Ney, who had been ordered to arrest Napoleon, joined him with 6,000 men. By the time Napoleon entered Paris on 20th of March,  Louis XVIII had fled the capital in terror. The period known as Cent Jours, or One Hundred Days, had begun.

The crisis in Europe and the confrontation between Napoleon and his 200,000 men and the Seventh Coalition (Prussia, Britain, Austria and Russia) would end in the Battle of Waterloo on 18th June. Napoleon abdicated for the second time on 22nd June, in favour of his son. On 8th July, Louis XVIII was returned to his throne and Cent Jours was over.

Napoleon finally surrendered on 15th July, and was exiled to St Helena in the South Atlantic, where he died six years later.

In the eight novellas of Storm & Shelter, quite a few of our characters are on the move because of Napoleon’s bid to take back his empire. You’ll recognise them when you see them!

by

Tea with the Oxford ladies

The ladies of Lilac Cottage were largely ignoring their guest, focused as they were on sharing news about their vast pool of connections, with whom they kept up a voluminous correspondence.

Today’s visit was to cousins of His Grace’s father; three sisters who lived together just outside of Oxford. The Duchess of Haverford tried to call on them whenever she was in the vicinity, and she was always astonished at how much she learned.

“Sephronia has lost patience with that grandson of hers,” Muriel Grenford observed. “She plans to swoop on that village where he has taken refuge, with a list of suitable young ladies to become his countess.” In appearance, Cousin Muriel was the external epitome of a dear elderly spinster, including the silver curls under her lace cape and the round spectacles that she often pushed up onto her head and forgot. Eleanor Haverford was of the opinion that she fostered the appearance in order to disarm her victims.

Quite early in her marriage to the Duke of Haverford, Eleanor had taken over responsibility for the spinsters and widows who formed the highest percentage of the duchy’s pensioners—distant relatives of His Grace who lived in properties he owned, or on allowances from the duchy’s coffers. She enjoyed the challenge of finding the younger ladies opportunities for a fulfilling future, but the older ladies were also rewarding, in their own way.

“She has learned nothing from the mistakes she made with his father and brother,” pronounced Marilla, Lady Thorpe, the only one of the three ladies to have raised sons. Plumper and more faded than her sisters, Cousin Marilla was given to handing down implacable verdicts on the child-rearing habits of others. To be sure, her two sons were pleasant fellows, so perhaps she had the right.

Eleanor knew of only one Sephronia whose very eligible grandson had been unaccountably missing from Polite Society for years. She took another sip of her tea to hide her interest.

The third of the sisters offered a new line of thought. “Eudora Fletcher writes that Sephronia is staying with her, and so is that nephew of Eudora’s and the Tewksbury pup who is betrothed to young Sarah.” A long career as owner and proprietor of an exclusive academy for young ladies had left Maude Grenford with a broad girth, a vast tolerance for the foolishness of girls, and a correspondingly poor opinion of most men.

Eleanor easily placed the nephew spoken of so contemptuously. He must be the Earl of Bassham, whose niece and former ward, Lady Sarah Weatherby had not been seen for some days. And her betrothed, Matthew Tewksbury would be the pup. Eleanor agreed with the assessment. Acres of charm when he wanted his own way, but as likely to make a mess on the carpet as not. Eleanor judged him the sort to promise anything and deliver very little.

“Eudora says,” Cousin Maude added, with glee, “that Sarah took refuge from that dreadful storm in the village of Fenwick-on Sea.”

The other two ladies put their cups down, and stared at her.

“But that…” Muriel started.

“Isn’t that where Sephronia said…?” Marilla said, at the same time.

Maude nodded, delighted with the reaction. “Indeed, it is.”

Mrs Fletcher’s great niece has indeed met the dowager’s grandson, as you can read in A Kiss by the Sea, a novella by Grace Burrowes in Storm & Shelter.

A Kiss by the Sea: By Grace Burrowes

He’s not really a blacksmith, and she’s not really an heiress… Can they forge a happily-ever-after anyway?

Thaddeus Pennrith finds a way to recover from multiple griefs when he accepts the blacksmith’s post at Fenwick on Sea. Village life gives him a sense of belonging that Polite Society never could, though he must resume his aristocratic responsibilities soon. Along comes Lady Sarah Weatherby, refugee from an engagement gone badly awry, and Thaddeus is faced with both a compelling reason to reveal his titled antecedents, and a longing to keep them forever hidden…

Storm & Shelter: A Bluestocking Belles Collection With Friends

When a storm blows off the North Sea and slams into the village of Fenwick on Sea, the villagers prepare for the inevitable: shipwreck, flood, land slips, and stranded travelers. The Queen’s Barque Inn quickly fills with the injured, the devious, and the lonely—lords, ladies, and simple folk; spies, pirates, and smugglers all trapped together. Intrigue crackles through the village, and passion lights up the hotel.

One storm, eight authors, eight heartwarming novellas.

Find out more on the Bluestocking Belles’ project page. 

Only 99c while on preorder. Published April 13th.

by

Spotlight on Storm & Shelter: Caroline Warfield and Sherry Ewing

I’m continuing our series about the lovely collection by the Bluestocking Belles and Friends with novellas three and four by my dear friends Caroline and Sherry.

Don’t forget, this book is only 99c while on preorder, so get it before the price goes up.

Eight authors, eight heartwarming novellas, all set around one storm, and at least in part a single village. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you: Storm & Shelter.

The Tender Flood: By Caroline Warfield

Zach Newell knows Patience Abney is far above his touch. But he has been enchanted by her since she raced out of the storm and into the Queen’s Barque with a wagon full of small boys, puppies, and a bag of books. When the two of them make their way across the flooded marsh to her badly damaged school in search of a missing boy, attraction overtakes them. She risks scandal; he risks his heart.

Excerpt:

Before she could speak, he crossed the room and pulled her into a crushing embrace, taking her mouth with his until her knees failed and she had only his embrace to rely on.  Insanity born of hope. Zach could think of no other explanation for his behavior.

Before I Found You, A de Courtenay Novella: By Sherry Ewing

A quest for a title. An encounter with a stranger. Will she choose love?

Miss Miranda de Courtenay has only one goal in life: to find a rich husband who can change her status from Miss to My Lady.

Captain Jasper Rousseau has no plans to become infatuated during a chance encounter at a ball.

Their connection is hard to dismiss, despite Miranda’s quest for a title at all cost. What if the cost includes love?

Excerpt:

A young woman suddenly caught his attention as she skipped to the lively patterns of the current dance. Dark brown hair was swept up in a pleasing coiffure sprinkled with what looked like diamonds winking in the candlelight of the room. Her gown was pale blue with a pink ribbon just below her breasts. She turned and the look on her face was one of bored indifference, making Jasper inwardly laugh. Had Lord de Courtenay seen in his features what this woman showed to any who cared to gaze upon her?

by

Tea with Lady Sutton

“Gracious me,” said Sophia, with an indignant glare at the letter in her lap. “How presumptuous. How impertinent!”

The Duchess of Haverford raised a questioning eyebrow, but her goddaughter was still scowling at the offensive missive and didn’t see.

Eleanor had enjoyed having Sophia and her little daughter to visit while Sophia’s husband, Lord Sutton, was off on some business for his father. Lady Mary Elizabeth was a darling delight; Eleanor would miss her when Sutton arrived to collect them in the morning.

Sophia had folded the letter in half and was tapping it against the arm of her chair, her brows knit in thought.

“Is it something you can tell me about, my dear?” the duchess asked.

Sophia looked up and smiled. “I beg your pardon, Aunt Eleanor. I was so annoyed by this piece of pernicious mischief that I quite forgot where I was. Yes, I would like to tell you about it, if I may.”

“Perhaps another cup of tea?” Eleanor suggested.

Sophia agreed with thanks, and scanned the letter again while Eleanor poured.

“It is from a woman in Fenwick on Sea in Suffolk,” she explained.

“The village where the ship your brother and sister were on took shelter from that dreadful storm,” Eleanor commented.

Sophia nodded, and gave the letter another thunderous frown.

“But Hythe and Felicity found another ship to take them to Belgium, you said,” Eleanor prompted. “What has this woman to say about them that has you so cross?”

“Not them. I mentioned, I think, that Felicity’s maid, Theo, remained in Fenwick. She had been terribly sea sick, and neither Hythe nor Felicity wished to risk her. I am to send a carriage for her as soon as we are back in Gloucestershire.” She smiled. “A slow one. Poor Theo has never travelled well.”

“I remember you left her behind at Hollystone Hall when you raced to London to marry Sutton before his grandfather died,” Eleanor noted.

Another quick smile as Sophia nodded, and then the frown returned. “This woman writes about Theo. Just listen!

‘The designing hussy made her move on the poor curate when the children he has taken in had a mild attack of the ague. Under the guise of nursing them, she took up residence in the village. They say that Mr Somerville also became ill, but since that female would not allow responsible members of the village to see him, we must decide whether this is true, or whether she had no desire for others to interfere in her nefarious attempt to force the man into a proposal by setting up housekeeping with him.’

I must post to Fenwick, and defend our poor dear Theo. James will simply have to take us to Gloucestershire by way of the coast of Suffolk! Rather the long way around, but darling Mary Elizabeth is a good traveller, thank goodness.”

“The curate, you say?” Eleanor asked. “Your sister Felicity mentioned she thought the pair were forming an attachment. Apparently she was right.”

“Yes,” Sophia replied. “And Felicity mentioned this…” she waved the letter… “Mrs Fullerton, too. Apparently the besom has been causing trouble in the parish. Felicity suggested Mr Somerville might be needing another position sooner, rather than later.”

Her smile broadened. “I am looking forward to meeting the man who has prompted my shy, perfectly-behaved maid to such scandal!”

A Dream Come True: By Jude Knight

The tempest that batters Barnaby Somerville’s village is the latest but not the least of his challenges.

Vicar to a remote parish, he stretches his tiny stipend to adopt his orphaned niece and nephew and his time to offer medical care as well as spiritual. A wife is a dream he cannot afford.

But the storm sweeps into his life a surprising temptation—a charming young woman who lavishes her gentle care upon his wards—and him.

God knows, he will forever be richer for having known her, even if he must let her go.

Storm & Shelter: A Bluestocking Belles Collection With Friends

When a storm blows off the North Sea and slams into the village of Fenwick on Sea, the villagers prepare for the inevitable: shipwreck, flood, land slips, and stranded travelers. The Queen’s Barque Inn quickly fills with the injured, the devious, and the lonely—lords, ladies, and simple folk; spies, pirates, and smugglers all trapped together. Intrigue crackles through the village, and passion lights up the hotel.

One storm, eight authors, eight heartwarming novellas.

Find out more on the Bluestocking Belles’ project page. 

Only 99c while on preorder. Published April 13th.

by

Spotlight on Storm & Shelter: Mary Lancaster and Cerise DeLand

Today, I begin a series of posts about the stories in the Bluestocking Belles anthology — or, as you’ll find, Bluestocking Belles and Friends.

Eight authors, eight heartwarming novellas, all set around one storm, and at least in part a single village. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you: Storm & Shelter.

As editor-in-chief, it was my job to suggest an overall order that make sense, and I was fortunate that one was obvious as soon as I finished my first read through. The stories appear in the order of the first appearance of the protagonists in Fenwick on Sea, our fictional village (or the outside protagonist, if one is already a resident).

As it happened, that meant starting with Mary Lancaster’s heroine on board a ship that was fast sinking off our coast. Such a great place to start. And ending with a Grace Burrowes couple finding their unexpected happy ending.

This week, I’m showcasing the first two stories, so read on for blurbs and an excerpt from An Improbable Hero and Lord Stanton’s Shocking Seaside Honeymoon.

An Improbable Hero: By Mary Lancaster

A runaway heiress, a mysterious stranger.

When Letty’s ship founders in a violent storm, she forges a rare bond with her rescuer.

Simon is a troubled man on a final, deadly mission—until the spirited yet soothing Letty makes him question everything. Hiding in plain sight among the refugees at The Queen’s Barque, Simon is more than capable of protecting them both. But when the floods recede, can either of them say goodbye?

Excerpt:

The sea heaved around her, carrying her and her companion where it willed.

“What’s your name?” she panted, because they seemed to be tying each other to life.

His head turned in the darkness. There was a distinct, baffled pause. “Simon.”

“Letty.” She even risked sliding her hand across to touch his.

It was as close as they could come to shaking hands. A sound like laughter escaped him, though it might just have been a gulp of breath. “Honored to live or die with you, Letty,” he said.

Lord Stanton’s Shocking Seaside Honeymoon: By Cerise DeLand

She is so wrong for him.

Miss Josephine Meadows is so young. In love with life. His accountant in his work for Whitehall. Her father’s heir to his trading company—and his espionage network.

Lord Stanton cannot resist marrying her. But to ensure Wellington defeats Napoleon, they must save one of Josephine’s agents.

Far from home, amid a horrific storm, Stanton discovers that his new bride loves him dearly.

Can he truly be so right for her?

And she for him?

Excerpt:

“Stanton is what you want, isn’t he?”

She arched a wicked brow at her father. “Well you know it, too!”

“Indeed. I’ve watched you eye the poor fellow like a starving woman over a tasty treat.”

by

Tea with Captain Gilroy

Captain Lord Brandon Gilroy sent his card up to the Duchess of Haverford, and waited with what patience he could muster for Her Grace to decide whether or not to see him.

He needed to know whether his uncle was as well as he claimed in his letters, and the duchess (who, they claimed, knew everything about everyone) almost certainly knew.

Brandon wasn’t free to travel to Scotland to see the Duke of Cowal for himself, not with Napoleon on the loose again. Brandon had thought he was done with French spies and English turncoats, but he needed to leave on the morrow to hunt down yet another plot, this one on the North Sea coast south of Yarmouth.

“Her Grace will see you now,” the footman said, and Brandon followed the man up the elegant staircase and down a long hall.

He’d been here once before, not long after he returned from the voyage that saw him stranded with all his men, his ship taken by a pirate.

The usual feelings of anger and helpless lust swirled in his gut. Irish Red. He’d never known a woman like her. Which was just as well, of course. Who would want to marry a female who dressed as a man, captained a pirate ship, and defeated him in battle.

And why did the word ‘marry’ occur to him. Irish Red wasn’t the sort of woman a person like him married. He let out a short laugh. Nor the sort he bedded either, not if he wanted to leave the bed with all his male equipment.

The footman announced him at the door to the duchess’s private parlour, and Brandon stepped forward and bowed. “Your Grace. Thank you for seeing me.”

“Tea, Captain Gilroy?” Her Grace asked, waving to a tray that stood ready.

Over refreshments, he asked about his uncle. Apparently, according to one of the duchess’s many correspondents, the man was failing. “You should go to him as soon as you can be released from your current duty,” she advised.

Brandon nodded, wondering what Her Grace knew about his current duty. Far more than any civilian should, he had no doubt. Her next words hit him like a brick. “You will need to marry once you inherit, Captain Gilroy. Have you any thoughts about a wife?” Images of Irish Red flooded his mind. Ridiculous. He shook them off.

“Time enough for that when we’ve defeated Napoleon again, Your Grace,” he insisted. 

Brandon will meet Irish Red again sooner than he expects, in Rue Allyn’s novel Wait For Me, which you’ll find in Storm & Shelter. Buy links at https://books2read.com/u/b5k2pO

Wait for Me: Rue Allyn

Enemies by nature—Esmeralda Crobbin, aka the pirate Irish Red, and Captain, Lord Brandon Gilroy have met before.

Fate trumps nature—When a fierce storm creates a chance encounter and forced proximity, Brandon learns the pirate is a woman of serious honor and responsibility. Esmeralda discovers the captain is more than a uniform stuffed with rules and regulations. Both love the sea with boundless passion, but can they love each other?

Storm & Shelter: A Bluestocking Belles Collection With Friends

When a storm blows off the North Sea and slams into the village of Fenwick on Sea, the villagers prepare for the inevitable: shipwreck, flood, land slips, and stranded travelers. The Queen’s Barque Inn quickly fills with the injured, the devious, and the lonely—lords, ladies, and simple folk; spies, pirates, and smugglers all trapped together. Intrigue crackles through the village, and passion lights up the hotel.

One storm, eight authors, eight heartwarming novellas.

Find out more on the Bluestocking Belles’ project page. 

Only 99c while on preorder. Published April 13th.

by

Tea with the Earl of Monteith

The Earl of Menteith was a personable young man. Handsome, too, and large—he had taken one look at her small dainty chairs and seated himself on the sofa. Also worried about something, and wondering how much to tell her.

The Duchess of Haverford poured him a cup of tea and asked his opinion of the weather, the company in town, and the situation on the continent, with Napoleon banished to Elba without his wife and son, who had returned to her family in Austria.

He answered gracefully to each conversational gambit, but none captured his enthusiasm.

Since Menteith had asked to make this call, Eleanor would wait for him to introduce the topic. “Another cup?” she asked.

“Not for me, Your Grace.” He studied one large hand, then looked up to see her watching him. “Ye may be wondering why I asked to see ye.”

Eleanor inclined her head in agreement, raising her brows slightly to encourage him to continue. The slight Scots burr was delightful. With those looks and that voice, he must be very popular with the young ladies.

“They tell me ye know everyone in the Upper Ten Thousand. I hoped ye might have heard of someone I need to find.”

“I am happy to help if I can,” the duchess assured him.

“The thing is…” Menteith paused, then continued…”I’m not at liberty…” he sighed. “ That is, I do not want to discuss my reasons. I hope ye’ll still help me, Your Grace?”

“If I can,” she said, and then added, since his blunt honesty deserved hers, “if I think telling you will not cause harm.”

He was startled at the thought. “I mean no harm. To the contrary.” He bit his lower lip then blurted. “I am looking for the Comtesse de Fontenay. Or the Comte. Do ye know them, Your Grace? Can ye tell me where I might find them?”

Eleanor wrinkled her brow as she thought. The name de Fontenay rang a bell, but she could not quite recall… “Émigrés?” she asked.

“Perhaps. I am unsure.” He lifted his broad shoulders in a shallow shrug. “Probably.”

“Yes,” Eleanor said. It was coming back to her now. The old scandal—but it had faded into oblivion when one of the key players died and the others behaved as if it never existed. Did Menteith know? Surely not; how would he have found out? But if not, why look for Madame de Fontenay?

She wouldn’t raise it with him. Only one person still living had the right to do that. If he was still living.

“I believe the Comte de Fontenay has an estate in Norfolk, Menteith. Or is it Suffolk?” Now what was the place called? “Bloodstone Moor? No. Hall comes into it somehow. Or is it Hill?” Ah yes! That was it. “Bloodmoor Hill. Look for Bloodmore Hill Manor, Lord Menteith. I’m sorry I cannot tell you anything more.”

Malcolm Comyn, the Earl of Menteith, seeks the truth of an anonymous letter that threatens everything he knows about himself. Stranded in Fenwick on Sea by a dreadful storm, he finds more than he expects.

The Comtesse of Midnight: Alina K. Field

A Scottish Earl on a quest for the elusive Comtesse de Fontenay rescues a French lady smuggler from the surf during a devastating storm, and takes shelter with her. As the stormy night drags on, he suspects his companion knows the woman he’s seeking, the one who holds the secret to his identity. When she admits she is, in fact, the Comtesse Fontenay, just not the one he’s seeking, she dashes all his hopes—and promises him new ones.

Storm & Shelter: A Bluestocking Belles Collection With Friends

When a storm blows off the North Sea and slams into the village of Fenwick on Sea, the villagers prepare for the inevitable: shipwreck, flood, land slips, and stranded travelers. The Queen’s Barque Inn quickly fills with the injured, the devious, and the lonely—lords, ladies, and simple folk; spies, pirates, and smugglers all trapped together. Intrigue crackles through the village, and passion lights up the hotel.

One storm, eight authors, eight heartwarming novellas.

Find out more on the Bluestocking Belles’ project page. 

Only 99c while on preorder. Published April 13th.

by

Tea with Miranda

Miranda de Courtenay stepped over the threshold into the tea room that was one of the great attractions of her favourite London Bookshop.Her sister Grace was browsing for something to take to read at the beach, and when Grace was choosing books, she could not be hurried. Miranda had fidgeted until Grace’s need for peace overwhelmed her wish to keep Miranda firmly under her eye.

As if Miranda was going to cause a scandal in a bookshop! Or anywhere else, to be sure. She had only provisionally been forgiven for the last one. Which was most unfair, because it had all turned out very well.

She scanned the rather full tearoom, looking for acquaintances or at least an empty chair.

“Miss de Courtenay?” The voice came from the left, and when she turned, she saw the Duchess of Haverford. Miranda curtseyed, blushing. She had coloured every time she saw Her Grace ever since the outrageous way the duchess’s sons had behaved at the house party two years ago. Which Miranda had been blamed for, of course, though she had only been flirting. Everyone flirted. It did not excuse what they suggested!

So embarrassing!

“It is rather crowded today, my dear. Come and sit with me. I have been wishing to speak with you.”

One did not refuse a duchess. Miranda pasted on a smile and took the chair to which she had been bidden.

For a few minutes, the duchess was busy ordering more tea and cakes, but far too quickly, the servant brought the order, and they were alone.

Her Grace spoke of trivialities until Miranda had her cup and had raised it to her lips. “How goes your search for a suitable lord, Miss de Courtenay?”

Miranda fought not to spray the tea everywhere, and choked on it instead. By the time she had stopped coughing, she at least had an excuse for her bright red face.

Yes, she wanted a husband who would bring her the title ‘lady’. It was so unfair that the rest of her family had titles and she didn’t. Adrian had unexpectedly inherited an earldom, and Grace was a countess by her first marriage and the wife of a duke’s son in her second, a lady twice over.

But how did Her Grace know that was what Miranda wanted?

“If I may exercise an old lady’s privilege, my dear, I would like to give you a thought to consider.”

Miranda nodded, of course, though she was sure she did not wish to hear what the duchess had to say.

“A title is for public places, Miss de Courtenay. A husband, on the other hand, has a right to be with you day and night, in public and in private. Be very sure that the person you choose is one you wish to spend the rest of your life with. Character is more important than social status or  surface attraction. Your brother and your sister both married for love, and that choice has much to recommend it.”

Miranda could not resist an answer. “Surely one can fall in love with a titled man as easily as with a commoner?” she asked.

The duchess smiled as she sipped her tea. “Love is not easy to command, my dear,” she replied, “but you shall see.”

Miranda will find out the truth of the duchess’s observation, when she meets a man who cannot give her what she thinks she wants, but whom she cannot forget.

Before I Found You: A de Courtenay Novella By Sherry Ewing

A quest for a title. An encounter with a stranger. Will she choose love?

Miss Miranda de Courtenay has only one goal in life: to find a rich husband who can change her status from Miss to My Lady.

Captain Jasper Rousseau has no plans to become infatuated during a chance encounter at a ball.

Their connection is hard to dismiss, despite Miranda’s quest for a title at all cost. What if the cost includes love?

Storm & Shelter: A Bluestocking Belles Collection With Friends

When a storm blows off the North Sea and slams into the village of Fenwick on Sea, the villagers prepare for the inevitable: shipwreck, flood, land slips, and stranded travelers. The Queen’s Barque Inn quickly fills with the injured, the devious, and the lonely—lords, ladies, and simple folk; spies, pirates, and smugglers all trapped together. Intrigue crackles through the village, and passion lights up the hotel.

One storm, eight authors, eight heartwarming novellas.

Find out more on the Bluestocking Belles’ project page. 

Only 99c while on preorder. Published April 13th.

 

by

Tea with Major Heyworth

“Major Lord James Heyworth, Your Grace,” said Eleanor’s butler.

The major, a great bear of a man, stopped in the doorway for a moment, sending his charming scapegrace smile across the room as an ambassador. He had no idea why she had invited him, Eleanor guessed, but had a guilty conscience and hoped to flirt his way out of consequences.

For a moment, she was tempted to investigate further. But there was probably nothing to find. Young Jamie had been at a loose end since arriving back from Waterloo, and was filling the void with alcohol and wild women. That and the untidy situation with his horrid father. But Jamie would not appreciate her interference, and would work out whatever was bothering him in his own time.

“Take a seat, Major Heyworth,” she instructed. “Tea?”
He looked at the chairs on offer and chose to sit on the robust sofa opposite her. Eleanor’s companion remained long enough to carry the teacup and a small plate of savoury tarts to the major, then left them alone as Eleanor prepared her own cup.
All the time, Eleanor kept up a light conversation: the weather, who was in Town, a coming auction for the benefit of out-of-work ex-soldiers.
Jamie continued to look uneasy as he sipped tea, the delicate porcelain dwarfed in his hand. Eleanor decided to take pity on him.
“Major, I have invited you here for your opinion on an application to a fund I sponsor. The Fund for Women Scholars, Scientists, and Artisans.”
Jamie’s eyebrows shot up towards his hairline as he widened his eyes in surprise.
“Me? Are you sure you don’t want my friend Mallet?”
Eleanor smiled. “I am seeking a character reference, Major. I believe you and Major Mallet both know the couple in question, but you are in London and Major Mallet, I understand, is in Cambridge.”
“Well. Whatever I can do to help, Your Grace. Of course.” He still looked perplexed, but the underlay of guilt disappeared. Whatever had the boy been up to?
“I have two difficulties with the application. One is character, which is the reason I wished to speak with you. The couple, and particularly the proprietor of the school, have been the subject of rumours regarding their morality and their ability as educators.”
The perplexity was clearing. Jamie was clever enough to have thought about his acquaintances and guessed who she was talking about. She left him in no doubt with her next comment.
“The other, I can resolve. They have applied to a woman’s fund for a boys school. But if they are as worthy as their cause, I shall fund them myself.”
“Sergeant and Mrs Newell?” Jamie asked.

Eleanor nodded, and the major grinned. “I can certainly tell you what I know about them, Your Grace. I am happy to do so.”

Jamie knows Sergeant Newell well, as he served under Jamie’s command during the wars. Jamie has also met the former Miss Abney, proprietor of The Academy for the Formation of Young Gentlemen. All three of them, plus Andrew Mallet, plus several of the young gentlemen, plus an appealing dog and her puppies, face the terror of the storm in Caroline Warfield’s novella in Storm & Shelter.

The Tender Flood: Caroline Warfield

Zach Newell knows Patience Abney is far above his touch. But he has been enchanted by her since she raced out of the storm and into the Queen’s Barque with a wagon full of small boys, puppies, and a bag of books. When the two of them make their way across the flooded marsh to her badly damaged school in search of a missing boy, attraction deepens. She risks scandal; he risks his heart.

Storm & Shelter: A Bluestocking Belles Collection With Friends

When a storm blows off the North Sea and slams into the village of Fenwick on Sea, the villagers prepare for the inevitable: shipwreck, flood, land slips, and stranded travelers. The Queen’s Barque Inn quickly fills with the injured, the devious, and the lonely—lords, ladies, and simple folk; spies, pirates, and smugglers all trapped together. Intrigue crackles through the village, and passion lights up the hotel.

One storm, eight authors, eight heartwarming novellas.

Find out more on the Bluestocking Belles’ project page. 

Only 99c while on preorder. Published April 13th.