Hello Romance Readers,
Thank you for all the birthday wishes! My household goods arrived and we are finally settling into our new home.
Book News
If you preordered Loving a Dowager it should be waiting for you on your eReader. If you haven't grabbed your copy yet click on the image below and you will be directed to your favorite eRetailer.
Here is a sneak peek:
Loving a Dowager - Chapter One (excerpt)
Henrietta Neale’s heels hit the polished wooden floors of Neale & Sons with a regimented click-clack. The tempo of her footsteps echoed the urgency of the matter at hand. In no mood for idle chatter, Henrietta was intent on speaking to the man her second son, Christopher, left in charge of her deceased husband’s law firm. Lord Walter Weathersbee. The warm smiles from the staff were replaced with furrowed brows as they caught sight of the determined set of her normally friendly features. It was her first appearance at the firm since Walter assumed role as principal.
A few feet from her destination, Henrietta grumbled, “Of all the qualified applicants, Christopher had to choose the most pedantic fellow I know.” Her sons might well believe Walter capable of running Neale & Sons, but she knew better. Lord Walter Weathersbee, four years her junior and the third son of a marquise, was nothing like her deceased husband George Neale, and she would not allow the man to destroy the legacy George had worked so hard to establish and her sons to maintain.
She pushed open his office door and marched up to stand before Walter. The massive hardwood desk that once belonged to George stretched between them. With her hands firmly planted on her hips, she stared down at the man who used to trail her about her papa’s estate. “Pray tell, why did you decline Lady Bertha as a client of Neale & Sons?”
Walter removed his spectacles and stood, forcing her to tilt up her chin. He was no longer a lanky lad barely an inch or two taller than her. “How kind of you, Henrietta, to come for a visit.” He motioned for her to take a seat as he sank back into his own chair.
Unwilling to relinquish her position, she remained standing. Oh, how she wished she had need of a cane. A woman of her years should have a cane. Then she could use it to whack the insolent young pup over the head. She glared at the man before her. Silver strands weaved through his chestnut hair. A quick simple calculation reminded her Walter was seven-and-forty. Studying him closer revealed that Walter was no longer the doe-eyed pup of their youth but a rather dashing gentleman. The man’s lips curved into a smile, provoking a long-forgotten fluttering in her chest. A multitude of questions raced through her mind as to why she would experience such a reaction to the man who was once a boon companion.
Henrietta reorganized her thoughts back to the matter at hand. She needed to convey to Walter that neither George nor her sons would ever turn away a woman in need of legal representation. No. George had been a firm believer that women should have control of their own assets. Until this day, she’d had no need to invoke her rights as fifty percent share owner in the firm. Her sons fully understood her stance on the firm’s policy to defend and protect women’s interests. A position she would have to make clear to the man whose gaze was fully trained upon her.
Slightly bent at the waist, Henrietta huffed. “That scoundrel and fortune hunter, Lord Otterman, is taking advantage of my friend.” Had she not still been suffering from the effects of his smile, she might have begun with a more informative and appropriate opening statement.
Walter lowered his hands that had been clasped beneath his chin. “So you said in your missive to me yesterday. And as instructed, I paid a visit to Lady Bertha, who informed me she was in no need of my services. The lady claims her impending nuptials are the result of a love match.” He motioned to the empty chair next to her. “Please, have a seat.”
She didn’t intend to stay long, but it would be rude to remain standing. She slipped into the chair, mentally reassuring herself her decision to sit had nothing to do with the buckling of her knees at the sight of his lopsided grin.
After smoothing out her skirts, she faced Walter once more. “Bah. Bertha is still an innocent despite her having reached the age of nine-and-forty. She has never been truly courted before. Otterman’s only interest in Bertha is her recent inheritance—a healthy sum, from what she has shared with me. The cad is a fortune hunter; he’s not in love with her.”
Henrietta’s palms began to sweat as fears from her youth resurfaced. Daughter of a duke, her dowry had been substantial. The summer leading up to her debut, she had agonized with a younger version of the man seated opposite her. Walter clearly had forgotten her abhorrence of men like Otterman.
“Are you certain? Otterman has yet to sire an heir. Offering to marry a woman past her prime childbearing years is proof enough for me the man is in love.”
“Good gracious, spoken like a confirmed bachelor. What would you know of love? You’ve never married.”
Walter’s brows knitted for a brief moment before returning to their neutral state. He was never skilled at masking his reactions; at least, not that she could recall. “That I never married does not mean I’ve never been in love,” he replied.
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Giveaway News
October giveaway...and the winner is Carolyn Mack.
Thank you for all the Bookbub follows. Carolyn Mack please hit reply to claim your prize - $10 in book money.
November Giveaway for NL subscribers only:
To win signed paperback copies of all three books in the Hadfield series and author swag - Hit reply and tell me the name of Henrietta's oldest son?
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Happy Reading!
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