Oliver assists the hostess down from the carriage and the ladies, dressed in the finest Victorian fashions enter the front room. Mary adjusts the bodice of her dress to keep the "girls" in place and whistles.
"Wow! This room is huge. And look at all that lovely marble."
Lyn smiles. "The room is eighty-five feet long and forty-six feet wide with a thirty-four feet high ceiling."
Lilly blinks. "It's not a micro brewery."
Lyn raises a brow and taps her large kid-slippered foot. "And what made you think we were holding Rachel's Roast in a brewery?"
"You said it was going to be a in Pump Room. Duh. I thought you meant like a micro brewery...with kegs and stuff." Lilly turns quickly to glare at Lyn. The full back end of her dress bumps into Debby.
"Hey watch it!" Debby pats the huge pile of hair atop her head. "You almost knocked me over with that huge bustle on your dress."
"That's not a bustle," LaVerne says with a snicker, her pale cheeks finally showing a hint of color with her flush. "That's Lilly's butt."
"Yes, well, that's one less contraption I have to endure. The corset is bad enough."
"Hey, they do have pumps," Mary says, pointing to the marble fountain spewing mineral rich water into the bowl. "It just doesn't pump beer."
LaVerne wrinkles her nose. "It smells like sulfur."
"It's supposed to be therapeutic and medicinal. Not tasty and delicious," Lyn adds.
"Well, I want delicious," Debby adds. "So, I'll take one of those champagnes Oliver is passing around."
"And I'll have a glass of wine," LaVern says. "A nice Chardonnay will go nicely with those yummy looking cucumber sandwiches."
"If they don't have any rich dark beer, I'd love a Bordeaux," Lilly says with a swish of her bustle-less bottom.
Mary eyes the room. "Oliver really outdid himself this time. Just look at the crowd."
Lyn smiles, her eyes filling with pride. "For centuries, people promenaded up and down the great room from eight or nine in the morning until three in the afternoon, drinking from the waters and socializing. And in the pump room itself, an orchestra would play. We have an orchestra too, and there will be lots of dancing."
"Is that big pool of water for bathing?" LaVern asked.
"Is it like a hot tub?" Lilly adds.
"There'll be no bathing today," the hostess' guest, Rachel Brimble, says as she steps forward to thank them for her lovely party. "Today, we are here to celebrate my latest release, Her One True Love. My hero Matthew and heroine, Jane are thrilled with the turn out, and they're dying to meet you ladies."
"Then by all means," Debby says, "Let's go meet that handsome devil...and uh, Jane too. Let's go meet Jane and Matthew."
The hostesses follow Rachel to the Pump Room where tables of food laden with salmon & dill sandwiches and cucumber sandwiches, fruit, cakes coconut macaroons, lemon pound cake and raspberry sponge cake. And there on the dance floor, their foreheads pressed close together as they slowly sway to the music, are Matthew and Jane.
Mary sighs. "What a beautiful couple."
She Can't Forget Him…
Jane Charlotte Danes has loved the squire of her idyllic country town for as long as she can remember. He is good, kind, and alluring beyond words… and he chose to marry another. Tired of dwelling on her futile longings, Jane plans a move to Bath, where she dreams of a new beginning. But the man who has so imprisoned her heart is only a few steps behind…
He Can't Let Her Go…
Until now, Matthew Cleaves has endeavored to meet the responsibilities of his position with dignity and good spirits--including his dutiful marriage. But when his wife leaves him for another man, Matthew is at last free to pursue his one true love. Only one vital question remains: will the captivating, stubborn, beautiful Jane allow him the challenge, and the pleasure, of winning her back?..
Jane Charlotte Danes has loved the squire of her idyllic country town for as long as she can remember. He is good, kind, and alluring beyond words… and he chose to marry another. Tired of dwelling on her futile longings, Jane plans a move to Bath, where she dreams of a new beginning. But the man who has so imprisoned her heart is only a few steps behind…
He Can't Let Her Go…
Until now, Matthew Cleaves has endeavored to meet the responsibilities of his position with dignity and good spirits--including his dutiful marriage. But when his wife leaves him for another man, Matthew is at last free to pursue his one true love. Only one vital question remains: will the captivating, stubborn, beautiful Jane allow him the challenge, and the pleasure, of winning her back?..
EXCERPT
Matthew turned and faced Jane. “When are you leaving for the city?”
She took another step back, her gaze darting over his face. “The day after tomorrow. Why?”
“Because I will escort you. We can travel together in my carriage.”
“No, I do not need your––”
“I will be going anyway. I planned to visit some contacts in the city in the hope of securing guaranteed trade for Biddestone in the coming year. It seems unnecessary for us to make the trip separately when I have a carriage plenty big enough for us both.”
“There is absolutely no need. Jeannie will be coming with me.”
“My offer still stands.”
She glared. “It’s my intention to start on the path of independence, of finding out what the world has to offer me on my own merit. I will hardly be carving out my own path when at the first step from my home, I lean on you.”
“You are being stubborn.”
She pulled back her shoulders. “And you are not?”
The longer he looked at her, the more Matthew saw the quiet beauty he’d desperately tried to ignore. He took a steadying breath. “Please, Jane. Let me escort you to Bath.”
The seconds passed, but Matthew held his tongue. It was imperative she spoke next, that she understood he didn’t mean to bully her but wanted to ensure her safety to a city ravaged by danger, as much as opportunity.
She sighed. “Fine. On one condition.”
He held her gaze. “Which is?”
Her eyes softened, slowly lighting with mischief. “You smile. Now. You smile at me like you did before she left.”
Heat rose to his face. “You want me to smile?”
“Yes. Smile for me, Matthew.”
Empathy and passion swirled in her eyes, but they also bore a deep, painful awareness that scratched hard over his heart. The longer he stared, the more he wanted to make her happy.
He smiled, his gaze on hers…and was surprised to find the trade no effort at all
She took another step back, her gaze darting over his face. “The day after tomorrow. Why?”
“Because I will escort you. We can travel together in my carriage.”
“No, I do not need your––”
“I will be going anyway. I planned to visit some contacts in the city in the hope of securing guaranteed trade for Biddestone in the coming year. It seems unnecessary for us to make the trip separately when I have a carriage plenty big enough for us both.”
“There is absolutely no need. Jeannie will be coming with me.”
“My offer still stands.”
She glared. “It’s my intention to start on the path of independence, of finding out what the world has to offer me on my own merit. I will hardly be carving out my own path when at the first step from my home, I lean on you.”
“You are being stubborn.”
She pulled back her shoulders. “And you are not?”
The longer he looked at her, the more Matthew saw the quiet beauty he’d desperately tried to ignore. He took a steadying breath. “Please, Jane. Let me escort you to Bath.”
The seconds passed, but Matthew held his tongue. It was imperative she spoke next, that she understood he didn’t mean to bully her but wanted to ensure her safety to a city ravaged by danger, as much as opportunity.
She sighed. “Fine. On one condition.”
He held her gaze. “Which is?”
Her eyes softened, slowly lighting with mischief. “You smile. Now. You smile at me like you did before she left.”
Heat rose to his face. “You want me to smile?”
“Yes. Smile for me, Matthew.”
Empathy and passion swirled in her eyes, but they also bore a deep, painful awareness that scratched hard over his heart. The longer he stared, the more he wanted to make her happy.
He smiled, his gaze on hers…and was surprised to find the trade no effort at all
Rachel lives with her husband and
two teenage daughters in a small town near Bath in the UK. After having several
novels published by small US presses, she secured agent representation in 2011.
Since 2013, she has had five books published by Harlequin Superromance (Templeton
Cove Stories) and recently signed a contract for three more. She also has four
Victorian romances with eKensington/Lyrical Press.
Rachel is a member of the
Romantic Novelists Association and Romance Writers of America, and was selected
to mentor the Superromance finalist of So You Think You Can Write 2014 contest.
When she isn’t writing, you’ll find Rachel with her head in a book or walking
the beautiful English countryside with her family. Her dream place to live is
Bourton-on-the-Water in South West England.
She likes nothing more than
connecting and chatting with her readers and fellow romance writers. Rachel
would love to hear from you!
Links:
***GIVEAWAY***
Contest ends on Sunday and everyone who comments is eligible.
(We reserve the right to waive the prize in any week when there are not enough contestants for a draw to be deemed fair and unbiased)