That day had been the worst of her life. Today was becoming a fast contender.
The droplet of ink fell from her pen and became an ugly blob on the paper. One transparent tear followed it.
Honoria quickly tore the paper from the book, crumpled it and pushed it aside. Firming her lips, she touched the pen to the paper again and scribbled, Attended a performance of Love’s Labor’s Lost, which I’ve always thought a silly play. The actors, I don’t believe, had ever been in love before. The Labor part of the title was the only truth.
She paused. Her fingers shook, and she quieted them. I believed the actors fools. Or am I the fool? I thought I saw . . .
She stopped. She could not write his name, even now. I believe I am becoming senile. According to London’s very low opinion of spinsters, I should be off my head by now. Thank heavens for Mr. Templeton’s proposal or I should be quite unsavable.
Honoria lowered the pen, her fingers aching. Her head hurt, and she could no longer think of bright, amusing things to write.
She heard Diana’s muffled footsteps on the stairs as she ascended to the third floor. Just above Honoria’s room lay the nursery, where Isabeau and Diana’s baby son slept. They’d called the baby Paul. Honoria thought this a little unfair to the child, because anyone called Paul Ardmore would have very big shoes to fill.
Honoria lifted the pen and wrote in the book, My entire life is a lie.
She underlined lie. She heard Diana crooning upstairs, “Who’s mama’s ickle lad, then?”
Honoria wiped her pen and placed it in the pen tray, then rose from her writing desk and turned toward the bed.
Christopher Raine was standing beside it.
End of Excerpt
About the Author
New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Jennifer Ashley has written 45 published novels and a dozen novellas in romance, urban fantasy, and mystery under the names Jennifer Ashley, Allyson James, and Ashley Gardner. Her books have been nominated for and won Romance Writers of America's RITA (given for the best romance novels and novellas of the year), several RT BookReviews Reviewers Choice awards (including Best Urban Fantasy, Best Historical Mystery, and Career Achievement in Historical Romance), and Prism awards for her paranormal romances. Jennifer's books have been translated into more than a dozen languages and have earned starred reviews in Booklist.
More about her books and series can be found at
www.jennifersromances.com
Or email Jennifer at
[email protected] Table of Contents
Cast of Characters
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Epilogue
The Care and Feeding of Pirates
About the Author
Jennifer Ashley, The Pirate Hunter's Lady
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