Blurb:
Hugh Alexander, Earl
of Kerry, returned from the war physically and emotionally scarred. He is
determined to never set foot inside of a ballroom again, convinced that no one
would want him anyway. Hugh isolates himself and says it is only until he
heals, and then he meets Annabelle. She doesn’t appear to be effected by his
appearance and is quite beautiful. If only she wasn’t a maid in his household.
Annabelle has lived
and worked in the Earl’s townhouse her whole life. She knows nothing about her
family and since her mother’s passing ten years earlier, has no one to ask
about them. Annabelle unwittingly helps Hugh find his will to recover and
encourages him to open himself up to his family again. While she doesn’t yearn
for anything more, there is a secret that, if brought to light, could destroy
everything she knows to be true.
Can the new friendship
and budding feelings Annabelle and Hugh have for one another be enough to
overcome an uncertain future? Or will they be forever lost to each other?
Author:
J. J. Nite lives in
North Alabama with her husband, 3 kids, a dog, turtle, and 5 goldfish. She
devours books like some people eat chocolate! She's also found that if she
doesn't write something every day, her mood is that of a bear waking from
hibernation. Don't worry though, the children have learned to let Mommy write a
little before approaching
Excerpt:
CHAPTER ONE
“Annabelle! What do
you think you're doing, girl? If Bernard finds you peeping in there again he's
liable to banish you to below stairs,” Sarah said.
“I was only trying to
get a peek at the master. I haven't seen him and everything I've heard makes
him sound so mysterious. Tilly said he has not left his rooms since he arrived,
but I heard Bernard say he met with him in the study. He has to come out sometime,”
Annabelle said as she turned and followed Sarah to the back of the townhouse.
“All I’m saying,
missy, is you had better take care or you’ll be finding yourself banished to
the nether regions of this townhouse -- or worse, looking for new employment,”
Sarah continued.
Annabelle smiled
behind Sarah’s back and shook her head lightly. The plump house keeper had been
a mother to her since hers had died, leaving Annabelle an orphan ten years
earlier.
Sarah had woken her in
the morning and given her the news of her mother’s death. She had dried
Annabelle’s tears and then helped her get dressed and made her a list of chores
to make herself useful around the townhouse. Her manner was always brusque, but
Annabelle knew it hid a big heart.
Annabelle grabbed her
cloak and basket and headed out the back door for her daily trip to the market.
While she loved being out of the house, the smells that assailed her once she
was on the main streets were overwhelming. The refuse, waste, and unwashed
bodies made her wishing this was another’s duty.
****
“Hugh. Have you heard
a word I’ve said?”
Hugh Alexander, the
Earl of Kerry, glanced over his shoulder at the solicitor and then turned his
attention back to the window he was currently standing at. His attention had
been caught by a servant covered in a brown cloak hurrying away from the house.
“I apologize for my
inattention, James; please continue,” Hugh said, turning from the window and
sinking into a leather chair that sat next to the window.
“All I’m trying to
say, Hugh, is since your return I had assumed you would want to take a more
active role in your investments,” James Stevens said.
Hugh grimaced, which
was all he seemed to be doing lately. He knew it was his duty to take a hand in
his investments and properties, but who wanted to look at him the way he was.
Glancing back at James, he could see the man was holding something back.
“Out with it, James.
It is more than apparent that you have something else to say,” Hugh said
gruffly.
“Right then,” James
paused and took a breath. “Your father contacted me. I had assumed you had seen
him since your return, but he made it clear all he had received were
correspondences. I was given a message to relay.”
“The message?”
“Your parents are
expecting to see you for dinner, and I was given the impression it was not
negotiable on your part,” James finished in a rush.
Hugh growled to
himself. He should have seen this coming. His parents would of course want to
see their son after his return from the war, but they couldn’t even begin to
imagine the horrors he had witnessed while there. Or the visible reminders
clear on his person.
“I cannot. My mother
would be horrified at what has been done to me and then, as is her want, would
proceed to smother me with her good intentions. My father would pretend nothing
is different and would only anger me by doing so. No. I won’t be going. I’ll
send a messenger explaining I am otherwise occupied,” Hugh finished.
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