Miss
George’s Second Chance
by
Heather Boyd
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
When
desperately private writer Imogen offered to marry Peter Watson it
wasn’t just to save a friend but to secure her own future. With her
eyesight failing and no other prospects for marital bliss on the
horizon, surely it wouldn’t be too horrible to marry without the
benefits of love. But then Peter gains a title a week before they’re
set to wed and all of Imogen’s expectations change.
Peter
once believed that marriage to Imogen would solve his financial
problems. He didn’t mind marrying for convenience and a large
fortune when affection was within reach. Yet when he gains a title,
an estate, and a fortune of his own the secretive writer releases him
from their engagement so he might marry for love. Now he’s
returned, unwed and unaware of changes in her life, should he do what
is expected or listen to his heart instead?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt:
Difficult
situations required desperate measures. Imogen George--writer,
spinster and pragmatist--steeled her heart to be as brutal as any
heroine before her had ever been. “Have you sulked enough Mr.
Watson?”
The man
sitting on the dark Brighton shoreline surged to his feet and then
faced her. “Hell’s bells, what are you doing here?”
Imogen
clenched her hands together to hide their trembling. Standing on the
dark beach, waves crashing around them, made her meeting with her
best friend’s brother potentially romantic though she doubted it
would be. “I have a proposition for you, Mr. Watson. Do sit down.”
She
limped forward, annoyed that her clumsiness at dinner earlier in the
evening at his house had robbed her of her dignity. It was not every
day she pursued a man for conversation, even when he was her best
friends elder brother. She was taking quite a risk being here but it
was within her power to improve their lot. Peter Watson may lack the
good sense to detect and seize his only chance for security, but
Imogen would not. She had a plan for her life and Mr. Peter Watson
would suit her needs perfectly.
When she
found the place she meant to sit, Mr. Watson remembered his manners
and gallantly swept his coat from his shoulders and spread it on the
ground so she might rest upon it. She was pleased to see that even
while desperate, he did retain some good qualities. Her hopes for a
smooth resolution soared.
“Where
is your chaperone, Miss George?” Mr. Watson asked suddenly,
squinting into the darkness toward the township where their
respective homes lay.
With her
eyesight as poor as it was, Imogen couldn’t say for certain in
which direction her reluctant chaperone, her brother Walter, stood,
so she waved her hand airily in the direction she’d left him,
hoping her companion would not notice or point out if she were
utterly wrong. “Walter is over there. Never mind about him for the
present. Do sit down so I may avoid suffering a pained neck from
looking up at you.”
As Mr.
Watson sank to the ground nearby, a weary sigh left his lips. “I am
sorry I tumbled you over earlier tonight, Miss George. You have no
idea how sorry.”
“I did
say at the time not to concern yourself unduly.” In truth, Imogen
was often clumsy outside her home. The objects of her surroundings
were less likely to jump out and trip her up if she stayed in
familiar territory. Friends frequently moved their furniture and if
she could see with any degree of certainty, she would never have
stood in Peter’s way to have been in danger. As it was, the world
was a trifle fuzzy at times—tonight being one of those. “The
collision was as much my fault as yours.”
How did
Mr. Watson take her presence she couldn’t tell, but she was
determined to press on regardless. There was no point beating about
the bush when she judged speed was worth being somewhat more forward.
She had a solution to offer Mr. Watson that would meet his immediate
need and her future requirements. “Marry me.”
Her
mouth grew dry and she swallowed, preparing for his response.
At her
side, Mr. Watson furiously rubbed his ear. When he lowered his hand
and did not turn his head in her direction, she repeated her proposal
in a louder voice. “I asked you to marry me, Mr. Watson. What do
you have to say about that?”
“That’s
what I thought I heard,” he muttered. “I don’t need pity.”
Imogen
heaved a heavy sigh. It had been too much to hope that he would leap
on her proposal and agree immediately. A long discussion was
undoubtedly necessary to secure his agreement. “I know. And I’m
not offering you a bit of it. You need money. Immediately, or you
will lose your home and perhaps be forced to debtor’s prison. Your
sister’s heart is in danger of breaking if such a calamity should
come to pass. I can help get you out of your predicament with little
effort on your part and none at all on mine. It is a perfect
arrangement.”
He dug a
hole in the sand between them with his fingers. “Surely there is
someone you fancy to marry rather than me?”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR
Bio and Links:
Bestselling
historical author Heather Boyd believes every character she creates
deserves their own happily-ever-after, no matter how much trouble she
puts them through. With that goal in mind, she weaves sizzling
English set love stories that push the boundaries of regency era
propriety to keep readers enthralled until the wee hours of the
morning. Brimming with new ideas, she frequently wishes she could
type as fast as she conjures new storylines. While writing full time
north of Sydney, Australia, Heather collects dust bunnies in all
corners of the house and does her best to wrangle her
testosterone-fuelled family into submission.
Links:
Facebook
Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/HeatherBoydRomanceAuthor
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/Heather_Boyd
Amazon
Author Page: https://amazon.com/author/heatherboyd
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