RUSE OF LOVE!
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| AMAZON, BARNES AND NOBLE, KOBO, SMASHWORDS |
The good news is that my aunt, even though is in hospice care, is doing fine at the moment. I'm just thankful for the time we have with her. My mother-in-law the one with Alzheimer's is coming home from rehab (she feel down the stairs a month and a half ago). My daughter...I can't believe this...is having her graduation party Saturday. She's leaving for college next week out of state...a long way out of state. Ten hours from home! My son is moving out this weekend into his own apartment! My middle daughter is off to college the next weekend. So all hubbie and I will have at home is the doggies. I've got to get new pictures of my babies up here. Like I've said...so behind, but getting there.
Don't forget the contest this month...comment, like, comment and like...all over the place. Romantic Picks, Novel Works, Castles in the Air, here...
Also include a short excerpt from Ruse of Love...Spies and traitors...Love and betrayal...
EXCERPT
She needed not hear anymore. She spun on her heels, castigating herself as an absolute idiot. Rory was after her! Oh, what a fool she had been! She backed up, knocking into the table in the hall. The vase came crashing down. Trembling uncontrollably, she edged down the wall. Hearing hurried footsteps, fear encompassed her when she saw two men running up the staircase. Rory’s men! She panicked.
Bolting in the opposite direction, she headed for the back stairs. Her hope of slipping down the stairs undetected dissipated hearing the rumblings behind her. Rebekah quickened her pace, rapidly taking each step until she hit the first floor. She hit the back door running, struck by an impelling urge to get as far from the inn as possible.
Fleeing through the rainstormed night, she tried to peer through the pouring rain. She had gone some distance when she gasped for breath. Leaning against a brick building, she hadn’t a clue where she had run. Clasping her side against the pain, she blinked away the water streaming down her face, not knowing whether it was the rain or tears.
Suddenly a hand grasped her shoulder…
“Rebekah!” Jonathan fought the wind. Doubting she could hear him, he ignored the pelleting rain and rushed forward, grabbing her arm. In one swift motion, he swirled her around to face him.
Instantly, a look of sheer terror swept across her face. Slowly, recognition flooded her. She gripped tightly to his arm. “Oh, Jonathan!”
The next moment she collapsed into his arms. He wasted no time, but carried her down the street into the waiting carriage. A large black man quickly opened the carriage door for Jonathan. “Is she…?”
“She’s fine. She has only just fainted…”
“Jasper, Dr. Corbett, Jasper,” the old man said and closed the carriage’s door, but not before Jonathan heard the servant utter, “Thank the good Lord.”
Jonathan wrapped a blanket around Rebekah while he felt the wheels of the carriage move beneath him. He drew her into his arms and instinctually, she nestled into him. He stroked her head. As much as she claimed she had changed, she still inspired love and loyalty into those around her.
The wind picked up, shaking the carriage; the rain pounded harder. He was drenched and soaked. Strange—warmth spread through him he hadn’t felt in years.
“Jasper.” Jonathan set Rebekah down in the middle of her bedroom. A young blackie girl followed, frantically crying that her mistress was dead. No, Rebekah wasn’t dead, he thought. She had wakened and she wasn’t happy. “Jasper, shut the door and keep everyone else out.”
“Oh, Mistress Esther won’t like that none,” Rebekah’s maid uttered. “No sir.”
Jonathan shot her a look that silenced the girl. Rebekah pushed back from Jonathan, stumbling. Reaching out, he caught her arm. “Be careful,” he said in a harsh voice, his patience lost.
“Leave,” she answered his behavior. “You have done your duty.”
“Duty?” Jonathan’s voice rose. “Duty? You call looking for you in the midst of a torrential storm duty? Where was your head, Rebekah?”
“You would not understand,” she said. Her eyes flamed at him, but her hand reached down for her midriff; her hand trembled.
Immediately, he swept her back into his arms and carried her to the side of her bed. He motioned for the maid to step forward. “Get her dry clothes! She is to be put to bed.”
“Sully,” Rebekah said. “It is fine. I need only to get out of these wet clothes.”
Sully nodded, but fear shone in her eyes at Jonathan. She skirted to the wardrobe and withdrew a nightgown. Turning, she waited for Jonathan to leave, but he made no movement.
“If you don’t get her out of these wet clothes, I will.”
The young maid looked at Rebekah inquiringly, reluctant to begin undressing her mistress in front of a man.
“It is fine, Sully,” Rebekah said as she slung off her cloak. “Obviously, Dr. Corbett feels it is his duty.”
“I do.” Jonathan walked to the door. “I will be right outside. This is not over, Rebekah.”
He slammed the door behind him, shaking the wall. He found Jasper in the hall with a set of dry clothes for him. “Mistress Esther left these for you. You can change in the room down the corridor. I’ll take your boots to dry. It was some of Mistress Esther’s husband’s. Master Ian’s would be too small. She sent word to the others that Rebekah’s been found. I’ll stay here and make sure no one enters.”
“And Mistress Esther?” Jonathan asked.
“Said you can deal with Miss Rebekah.”
Have a good one! Keep Reading!
EXCERPT
She needed not hear anymore. She spun on her heels, castigating herself as an absolute idiot. Rory was after her! Oh, what a fool she had been! She backed up, knocking into the table in the hall. The vase came crashing down. Trembling uncontrollably, she edged down the wall. Hearing hurried footsteps, fear encompassed her when she saw two men running up the staircase. Rory’s men! She panicked.
Bolting in the opposite direction, she headed for the back stairs. Her hope of slipping down the stairs undetected dissipated hearing the rumblings behind her. Rebekah quickened her pace, rapidly taking each step until she hit the first floor. She hit the back door running, struck by an impelling urge to get as far from the inn as possible.
Fleeing through the rainstormed night, she tried to peer through the pouring rain. She had gone some distance when she gasped for breath. Leaning against a brick building, she hadn’t a clue where she had run. Clasping her side against the pain, she blinked away the water streaming down her face, not knowing whether it was the rain or tears.
Suddenly a hand grasped her shoulder…
“Rebekah!” Jonathan fought the wind. Doubting she could hear him, he ignored the pelleting rain and rushed forward, grabbing her arm. In one swift motion, he swirled her around to face him.
Instantly, a look of sheer terror swept across her face. Slowly, recognition flooded her. She gripped tightly to his arm. “Oh, Jonathan!”
The next moment she collapsed into his arms. He wasted no time, but carried her down the street into the waiting carriage. A large black man quickly opened the carriage door for Jonathan. “Is she…?”
“She’s fine. She has only just fainted…”
“Jasper, Dr. Corbett, Jasper,” the old man said and closed the carriage’s door, but not before Jonathan heard the servant utter, “Thank the good Lord.”
Jonathan wrapped a blanket around Rebekah while he felt the wheels of the carriage move beneath him. He drew her into his arms and instinctually, she nestled into him. He stroked her head. As much as she claimed she had changed, she still inspired love and loyalty into those around her.
The wind picked up, shaking the carriage; the rain pounded harder. He was drenched and soaked. Strange—warmth spread through him he hadn’t felt in years.
“Jasper.” Jonathan set Rebekah down in the middle of her bedroom. A young blackie girl followed, frantically crying that her mistress was dead. No, Rebekah wasn’t dead, he thought. She had wakened and she wasn’t happy. “Jasper, shut the door and keep everyone else out.”
“Oh, Mistress Esther won’t like that none,” Rebekah’s maid uttered. “No sir.”
Jonathan shot her a look that silenced the girl. Rebekah pushed back from Jonathan, stumbling. Reaching out, he caught her arm. “Be careful,” he said in a harsh voice, his patience lost.
“Leave,” she answered his behavior. “You have done your duty.”
“Duty?” Jonathan’s voice rose. “Duty? You call looking for you in the midst of a torrential storm duty? Where was your head, Rebekah?”
“You would not understand,” she said. Her eyes flamed at him, but her hand reached down for her midriff; her hand trembled.
Immediately, he swept her back into his arms and carried her to the side of her bed. He motioned for the maid to step forward. “Get her dry clothes! She is to be put to bed.”
“Sully,” Rebekah said. “It is fine. I need only to get out of these wet clothes.”
Sully nodded, but fear shone in her eyes at Jonathan. She skirted to the wardrobe and withdrew a nightgown. Turning, she waited for Jonathan to leave, but he made no movement.
“If you don’t get her out of these wet clothes, I will.”
The young maid looked at Rebekah inquiringly, reluctant to begin undressing her mistress in front of a man.
“It is fine, Sully,” Rebekah said as she slung off her cloak. “Obviously, Dr. Corbett feels it is his duty.”
“I do.” Jonathan walked to the door. “I will be right outside. This is not over, Rebekah.”
He slammed the door behind him, shaking the wall. He found Jasper in the hall with a set of dry clothes for him. “Mistress Esther left these for you. You can change in the room down the corridor. I’ll take your boots to dry. It was some of Mistress Esther’s husband’s. Master Ian’s would be too small. She sent word to the others that Rebekah’s been found. I’ll stay here and make sure no one enters.”
“And Mistress Esther?” Jonathan asked.
“Said you can deal with Miss Rebekah.”
Have a good one! Keep Reading!
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