Weekend Writing Warriors ~ 03/28/21 ~ A Countess of Convenience ~ “Can I Help You?”

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors !

This week I’m continuing with A Countess of Convenience, book 1 of my new series, Captivating Countesses.

BLURB:

Following a tragic accident, an unconscious Judith Harper is returned to her childhood home to die. Miraculously, she awakens but to a horribly changed world in which she finds her husband dead and her world upended.

Judith must regain her strength, not only to reclaim her life but also to right a terrible wrong–a feat which may require her to marry again, and quickly. But not only is Judith not ready for another husband, a marriage before her year of mourning is up will ruin her in London society. 

Still, if she hopes to have her life back, she may have to risk the scandal and make a marriage of convenience…but to whom?

John, Lord Haxby has loved Judith since childhood, and because of that he stood aside while she married another eight years ago. Now she is free of her odious husband, he hopes he can persuade her that he is the only man who can make her truly happy. However, he discovers Judith is more than interested in Lord Farringdon, the man who saved her life. Can he stand aside once more and watch the love of his life make a grave mistake, or will he step up and show the woman he loves he is not a convenient solution to her problem, but the perfect one?

I’ve  jumped ahead from last week’s snippet several chapters. Judith and John are traveling to London, using two of the housemaids as chaperones for Judith. Earlier in this scene, Judith asked John a very leading question, but they left it without an answer. Now, after she’s gone to bed, Judith is feeling guilty that she teased John.

EXCERPT:

Judith had a choice to make–either give up this mad attempt and go back to the torturous bed or forge on without a robe. Scandalous by anyone’s standards, but then what she was attempting to do—accost a gentleman who was not her husband, in his bed chamber—was equally risqué. In for a penny, in for a pound.

With great stealth, she managed to make her way into the parlor without incident. She unlocked the door then inch by inch opened it and stuck her head out. Nothing stirring at all, thank goodness. She glided through the doorway and pulled the door to, being careful to hold onto the key. With a backward glance toward the stairs, she hurried down the corridor to John’s room. Hoping to God he wasn’t asleep, Judith scratched on the door and whispered, “John? Can you open the door, John?”

And now a little more of the scene :

Nothing. Perhaps he was asleep already. She put her ear to the panel. “John?” Once more she stepped back and drew back her hand to knock this time.

“Good evening. Can I help you?”

The sound came not from within the chamber, but from down the hall behind her. Judith jumped and turned around, her hands going up to cover her face. The less anyone saw of her, the better.

A man stopped and squinted at her in the shadowy light of the sconces.

A Countess of Convenience  is  available on Amazon for the pre-order price of $2.99. After the release, this Tuesday, March 30, 2021 the price will change to $4.99.

A Return to Life is finally available on Amazon for FREE  and on Smashwords , B & N, Apple, and Kobo for free as well.

 

 

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

Captivating Countesses series

by Jenna Jaxon