OFFER: A BRAND NEW SERIES AND 2 FREEBIES FOR YOU!
Grab my new series, "Whispers of Regency Love", and get 2 FREE novels as a gift! Have a look here!
Chapter One
“Emily, for Heaven’s sake, sit up straight. And stop staring out the window. Your mind is always a million miles away.”
Emily Barnet straightened up, feeling the strange mix of guilt and resentment she always experienced when her father spoke to her. She knew she was a disappointment to him. She always had been. And really, was it so unreasonable of him to ask her to sit up straight? To present herself like a young lady?
“I’m sorry, Father,” she said. “You’re right. I was daydreaming.”
“And what were you thinking about?”
“Aunt Daphne’s ball.” That much was true. She had been thinking about the upcoming ball. And Emily was pleased to see that her father looked somewhat mollified, although she knew he wouldn’t be so happy if he knew exactly what she had been thinking—that this was just another ball in a long series of balls, and that she couldn’t wait until it was all over.
“You’re very lucky that your aunt is celebrating her birthday this week,” her father said. “This is an opportunity for you to redeem yourself after the fiasco that was your debut Season.”
Emily had to force herself not to turn her attention back to the window. It was so painful to hear her father say things like that. “I did try, Father.”
“You didn’t try very hard. You knew how important it was to capture the interest of a high-ranking gentleman. I didn’t see you making an effort to do that.”
“You know I conversed with gentlemen at every single ball,” she said. “I always made an effort.”
“And what did you talk with them about?” He waved a hand, indicating that it wasn’t a question he needed her to answer. “I know what you spoke about. You told them of your intentions to aid the less fortunate.”
“What’s so wrong with that?”
“Gentlemen are not interested in that, Emily. Even if a gentleman has a particular interest in such a thing, that’s not what he wants to hear from a lady. No gentleman wants to think that his wife will be out of the home all the time, spending time at the church providing meals to the poor. That’s not something for a lady of your breeding to be spending her time on.”
“Father, please—if I don’t do it, who will?”
“There are plenty of people to handle such things. Besides, I haven’t asked you to abandon your hobby—although perhaps I should—all I’ve said is that you shouldn’t be talking about it when you’re presenting yourself to gentlemen for marriage! You should be listening to them. You should allow them to steer the conversation, and you should strive to present yourself as whatever they want you to be.”
“You’re saying I should pretend to be something other than what I am, just to please gentlemen?”
“Of course, you should.” He sighed. “If your mother was alive, you would know these things, and you wouldn’t have made such a mess of your debut Season. You would probably be engaged to be married by now. As it is, I’m going to have to work hard to find an arrangement for you.”
“I don’t really need to marry this Season,” Emily said, although she knew there was no chance her father would accept that. She didn’t feel ready for marriage, but she knew it was the only thing he cared about. He wanted to see her married, and married well, so that he could improve his own social standing.
If Mother was alive, perhaps she would intercede on my behalf.
The truth was, neither of the two of them knew what would have happened if Emily’s mother was still alive. She had died five years ago, before Emily had even begun to think about things like balls and marriage.
But it was her mother who had taught her to care for others. It was her mother who had begun taking Emily to the church to serve the poor. Emily couldn’t help thinking that if her mother could see her now, she would be pleased. She would support Emily’s choices. Surely she wouldn’t have wanted her daughter to change to win the favour of a gentleman.
If only I could have asked her. If only she had lived long enough for me to feel sure. But I suppose I’ll never really know.
The carriage pulled up to an inn. “We’ll stop here for the night,” Emily’s father said.
Emily looked at the place with misgivings. “Do you think it’s safe?”
“I think you’ll find that they’ll take wonderful care of an earl and his daughter,” her father said. “Besides, we have our footmen to stand guard outside our rooms. I know you haven’t travelled much, Emily, but you really do need to make yourself comfortable in situations like this one. There’s nothing dangerous about staying the night at an inn. And we don’t want to be on the road too late.”
That sounded true. Emily knew her father was right to be concerned about being on the road late. There were bandits and vandals to worry about. And while the inn didn’t exactly look like a comfortable place, at least there would be some security there.
She allowed herself to be helped out of the carriage. Another good thing about stopping for the night would be the opportunity to get away from her father for a few hours. It would be wonderful to have some time to herself, time where she would be permitted to simply think about what lay ahead without paying attention to the way she was presenting herself. Alone in her room, she wouldn’t need to worry about looking like a proper young lady. She could stare out the window for hours if that was what she wanted to do, and just dream.
Sometimes it felt to Emily as though her imagination was the only escape she had—the only way for her to feel free.
And with her father pushing her to find a husband, it was hard to imagine that her future would contain any freedom at all.
Chapter Two
“Slow down, Kate!” William laughed as he followed his sister along the path that led to their bookshop. “I don’t know why you’re in such a hurry.”
“I want to get back to the book I was reading yesterday,” Kate said. “You should have let me take it home with me last night if you didn’t want me to rush. What’s the point of having a brother who owns a bookshop if you’re not able to take books home with you at the end of the evening?”
“And where would I be if I let you take home every book that caught your eye?” William shook his head, smiling indulgently at his younger sister. “I would have nothing at all left in the shop. We’d have to close down.”
“I would bring them back,” Kate argued. “You could let me borrow them occasionally. That wouldn’t hurt the business.”
“Perhaps you’re right,” William said. But he knew that it was a chance he wouldn’t take.
It was just good luck that he and Kate had managed to land on their feet after moving to this seaside town and leaving the life they had once known behind. Three years had passed since the death of their father and since they had fled their old home to get away from the scandal of his gambling debts. They had managed to keep their old identities a secret all that time, and now William’s bookshop was thriving. He could find nothing to complain about in his new life.
Still, he felt as if he would spend the rest of his days looking over his shoulder. It was impossible to overlook the fact that his father’s actions could have ruined their lives. William felt he could have weathered the scandal if it had just been him, but there was Kate to think of. His highest duty was to his sister. He had to protect her.
That was why he had fled the family home three years ago. That was why he had allowed his uncle to buy his holdings—he’d known he would need the bit of money he could gain from the sale to start a new life.
He was perfectly happy to have left his title and his old identity behind. He considered himself fortunate to have escaped an engagement to Lady Isabel, who had proven that she only cared about him for his money when she’d ended their arrangement after learning that he meant to give up his title. She hadn’t been right for him—he’d known that when she had shown how selfish she could be.
Everyone in this town knew him only as Mr Miller, the friendly bookshop owner and aspiring writer. His sister was simply Miss Kate, the writer’s charming sister. She’d have no trouble finding someone to marry, though it was sure to be a commoner. But William was happy with that. All he cared about was finding someone kind for his sister, someone who would love her and treat her well.
He knew that Kate worried about his own prospects—she wanted to see him married just as much as he wanted to see her married. But William wasn’t so worried about that. He had his shop and his writing. He had created a safe, secure life for himself and his sister. Everything else could be dealt with.
They reached the shop, and he unlocked the door. Kate ran ahead. He knew she would be losing herself among the shelves, finding the book she had been reading yesterday and perhaps two or three more. She would choose one of the comfortable armchairs in the corners of the shop, put her chosen books on the table beside it, and spend the day happily reading.
She was so easy to care for. William knew how lucky he was. There were plenty of young ladies that were much more difficult. But Kate had always been happy to go along with whatever choices he made for the two of them. She was the biggest comfort in his life.
He took his usual seat behind the bookshop counter, ready to greet his customers when they arrived, and pulled out the manuscript he had been working on. A few moments had passed before he noticed that Kate hadn’t found a seat in the corner after all—she was standing before him and regarding him, clearly waiting for something.
“Are you all right?” he asked her.
“I’m fine,” she said.
“Do you need help finding something?”
“No, I know where the thing I want is.” She cocked her head at him. “I’d like to read your book, William.”
He shook his head. “It isn’t ready yet.”
“Yes, it is. You have all the pages there. You don’t have any more writing to do.”
“But I was going to read it over today.” He hadn’t intended to share it yet. Kate was always the first audience for everything he wrote, and he set a great deal of store by her opinions of his work. But he needed to feel confident in what he had done before he would be willing to share it, and he hadn’t yet reached that point.
“Let me read over it for you,” she said.
“No.” William pulled the papers back toward himself.
“Go on,” she pressed. “I’m sure it’s good, William. They always are. And then I could do one of my readings! Wouldn’t that be exciting?”
“I’m definitely not ready to have it ready publicly,” he said firmly. “Absolutely not.”
Kate reached across the counter and eased the manuscript out of William’s hands. To his own surprise, he let it go—but perhaps he shouldn’t have been so surprised. He had never been able to deny his sister anything she wanted.
“I’ll bring it back in a few hours,” she assured him. “I’ll make sure to let you know what I think.”
He watched her go, shaking his head. Someday he was going to have to learn to say no to her.
But apparently, that day isn’t going to be today.
“A Viscount’s Literary Romance” is an Amazon Best-Selling novel, check it out here!
In the shadow of her mother’s death, Lady Emily Barnet finds herself imprisoned by the suffocating demands of high society and her father’s expectations. Inspired by the pages of her cherished books, Emily yearns for a life filled with adventure. When a trip leads her to a quaint village, a humble bookshop becomes her sanctuary. After crossing paths with its captivating owner, an undeniable connection is soon sparked between them, fueled by shared dreams and a profound love for literature.
Will she dare to abandon a predetermined destiny and follow the awakening call of romance?
Unbeknownst to Emily, William carries a clandestine past, concealed behind the comforting walls of his cherished bookstore. As Emily becomes a part of his life, the weight of his hidden secrets threatens to destroy all they hold dear. Yet, Emily’s strong spirit and her unwavering courage ignite profound feelings within William’s heart, fueling the creation of his own book.
Will the revelation of his identity shatter the fragile bond they have formed?
Within the bookshop’s magical atmosphere, Emily and William embark on a poetic journey, torn between love and societal expectations. As fate conspires to keep them apart, with secrets resurfacing and cunning suitors plotting against them, they must decide if their love is worth risking everything for. Will their hearts write a timeless tale of love’s triumph, or will it remain a wishful fairy tale confined within the pages of a book?
“A Viscount’s Literary Romance” is a historical romance novel of approximately 60,000 words. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after.
OFFER: A BRAND NEW SERIES AND 2 FREEBIES FOR YOU!
Grab my new series, "Whispers of Regency Love", and get 2 FREE novels as a gift! Have a look here!
Hello my dears, I hope you enjoyed the preview of my new book, it holds a special place in my heart! I will be waiting for your comments here, they mean so much to me! Thank you. 🙂