Weekend Writing Warriors ~ 8/06/17 Heart of Desire: An Unexpected Acceptance

I’m back! Last weekend I was driving home from RWA National Convention in Orlando–super time but no time for anything but the conference. This past week I was in the writing cave at my aunt’s house for four days. Much closer to being finished with Book 4 of the House of Pleasure series, but still working day and night to meet my deadline.

Still, I wanted to come back to Weekend Writing Warriors and share one of the Regency romances  in my series Handful of Hearts. This snippet comes from Book 2, Heart of Desire. I was sharing snippets from it almost this time last year, after it released, so I’m starting with the snippet I posted then and will go forward for several weeks with this one.

 

The time is the beginning of the Season in London, May 5, 1820. Miss Katherine Locke is waltzing with Lord Haversham at Lady Hamilton’s ball. Lord Haversham and Miss Locke are the Regency equivalent of Kate and Petruchio, Beatrice and Benedict all rolled into one. Kate’s brother has goaded Haversham into asking Kate to dance the night following a spirited exchange at Lady Hamilton’s ball.

Hope you enjoy!

“Thank you for that kind offer, Lord Haversham.” She fluttered her fan over her face, revealing nothing. “I am not engaged at the moment, so yes, I will be happy to accept you,” she said as she smiled and curtsied, for all the world as though she meant it.

Words failed him although he managed a bow and grabbed his friend’s arm, hauling him away from Miss Locke’s disturbing presence. “What did you say to her?” he demanded as soon as they were out of earshot.

“Why? Has she trampled your efforts before they are even born?” Ainsley’s frown—without a hint of mirth around the eyes—convinced Marcus his friend spoke the truth.

“She accepted me.”

Ainsley slowly cocked his head as he asked, “Isn’t that the desired outcome of an invitation to dance?”

Blurb:

Follow your heart to find your desire

Miss Katherine Locke is irked to start her 3^rd season dancing with the disagreeable Lord Haversham, her brother’s friend and her own arch enemy. After three years out, however, she’s finally interested in the dashing Lord Finley—only to find out her cousin has set her cap for him too. To make the man jealous, Kate feigns interest in Lord Haversham, only to be shocked to find herself falling for the handsome lord against her will.

Marcus, Lord Haversham, is in a tight pinch. His estates are failing and worse, he’s just lost 3,000 pounds to his best friend, Lord Ainsley. Ainsley’s solution: have Marcus marry his shrewish sister and he’ll cancel his gambling debt plus give him 10, 000 more for her dowry. With nowhere to turn, Marcus agrees, praying he can keep word of the wager from Kate until he can woo her and charm her into marrying him.

And don’t forget to check out the rest of the Warriors here.  There’s some fantastic snippets to be read.

All three of my Regency romance novellas are available in Handful of Hearts, Volume 1 on Amazon for just .99! Includes Heart of Desire, Heart of Delight, and Hearts beneath the Mistletoe.