Under a New Year's Enchantment
Wicked Christmas Wishes Novella Two
Copyright 2014 by Harlequin Enterprises Ltd.
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Garrick, Lord Westerly, has forbidden the hanging of mistletoe, yet the holiday house party at his country estate sizzles with sensual desire. And though Theodora Southern decided long ago never to marry, she enjoys the erotic fantasies that haunt her each night—fantasies featuring her handsome, brooding host….
Since returning from the war, Garrick has been in no mood to celebrate. But suddenly the nightmares that plague him are making way for much more pleasant dreams—dreams in which his childhood friend Theodora is very much a grown woman. The question is, has he fallen in love—or under a wicked spell? 
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Here's an excerpt from Under a New Year's Enchantment
Setup: Theodora sneaked out of the New Year's party to look at the Roman ruins--and got caught by not only Lord Westerly, but by the gossipy Mrs. and Miss Concord as well. Now she's back indoors at the wassail bowl with her friend Lucille (heroine of Under a Christmas Spell):
“What are they saying about me?” Theodora whispered in French.
Lucille shrugged in her languid way, and the queue of wassailers breathed a collective sigh. “There are two stories going about. Which would you like to hear, the bad or the worse?”
“Don’t tease me, Lucille. What are they saying?”
“That you tupped Lord Westerly in the ruins. That was Miss Concord’s story.”
Theodora felt herself go as red as the holly berries on the table decoration.
“You are now a scarlet woman, both literally and figuratively,” Lucille said with a little chuckle.
“It’s not funny,” Theodora said, as a visitor who had been the soul of politeness in the past glanced knowingly down the bodice of her gown.
Lucille smiled at the man, whose attention fixed immediately on her instead. “Miss Concord is a fool. Does she not realize that if Lord Westerly had taken your virginity, he would feel obliged to marry you? Her mother shushed her, saying that your only folly was setting your cap at a man who doesn’t want you. She said that when you went to the ruins, he spurned you immediately.”
Theodora groaned. Either way, the consequences would be unpleasant, but she would almost rather be seen as a wanton than a desperate spinster. She had inherited a small fortune from her godmother and didn’t need to wed. After a brief engagement, forced upon her by family members and terminated when her betrothed died in a hunting accident, she had decided to marry only if she fell in love. Her family had accepted this decision, but most others, such as Mrs. Concord, didn’t take her seriously. To them, marrying only for love made no sense at all.
“What do you care what these obnoxious Concord people think of you?” Lucille said.
“I don’t, but I shouldn’t have said so when they accused me of setting my cap at Lord Westerly. A mistake, but I was already overset, and my tongue took over for my common sense.”
“You were upset? Why?”
“Because when Lord Westerly found me at the ruins, he did accuse me of trying to trap him into marriage.”
“With so many women wishing to marry him, what else is he to think?”
“He should know me better than that! He used to be my friend, but it never even crossed his mind that I might be there for scholarly reasons. It is so mortifying.”
Lucille gave a very Gallic shrug. “What he thinks of you is his problem, not yours. Why let it disturb you?”
Theodora’s face heated again. “Because once upon a time it was true.” At Lucille’s inquiring look, she added, “I fell madly in love with him at fifteen—almost sixteen. He was twenty and going off to war. I asked him to marry me before he left, and—”
“You asked him to marry you?”
Theodora nodded shamefacedly. She swallowed her embarrassment. It was ridiculous to mind so much after more than ten years.
“How delightfully forward of you,” Lucille said.
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Setup: Theodora sneaked out of the New Year's party to look at the Roman ruins--and got caught by not only Lord Westerly, but by the gossipy Mrs. and Miss Concord as well. Now she's back indoors at the wassail bowl with her friend Lucille (heroine of Under a Christmas Spell):
“What are they saying about me?” Theodora whispered in French.
Lucille shrugged in her languid way, and the queue of wassailers breathed a collective sigh. “There are two stories going about. Which would you like to hear, the bad or the worse?”
“Don’t tease me, Lucille. What are they saying?”
“That you tupped Lord Westerly in the ruins. That was Miss Concord’s story.”
Theodora felt herself go as red as the holly berries on the table decoration.
“You are now a scarlet woman, both literally and figuratively,” Lucille said with a little chuckle.
“It’s not funny,” Theodora said, as a visitor who had been the soul of politeness in the past glanced knowingly down the bodice of her gown.
Lucille smiled at the man, whose attention fixed immediately on her instead. “Miss Concord is a fool. Does she not realize that if Lord Westerly had taken your virginity, he would feel obliged to marry you? Her mother shushed her, saying that your only folly was setting your cap at a man who doesn’t want you. She said that when you went to the ruins, he spurned you immediately.”
Theodora groaned. Either way, the consequences would be unpleasant, but she would almost rather be seen as a wanton than a desperate spinster. She had inherited a small fortune from her godmother and didn’t need to wed. After a brief engagement, forced upon her by family members and terminated when her betrothed died in a hunting accident, she had decided to marry only if she fell in love. Her family had accepted this decision, but most others, such as Mrs. Concord, didn’t take her seriously. To them, marrying only for love made no sense at all.
“What do you care what these obnoxious Concord people think of you?” Lucille said.
“I don’t, but I shouldn’t have said so when they accused me of setting my cap at Lord Westerly. A mistake, but I was already overset, and my tongue took over for my common sense.”
“You were upset? Why?”
“Because when Lord Westerly found me at the ruins, he did accuse me of trying to trap him into marriage.”
“With so many women wishing to marry him, what else is he to think?”
“He should know me better than that! He used to be my friend, but it never even crossed his mind that I might be there for scholarly reasons. It is so mortifying.”
Lucille gave a very Gallic shrug. “What he thinks of you is his problem, not yours. Why let it disturb you?”
Theodora’s face heated again. “Because once upon a time it was true.” At Lucille’s inquiring look, she added, “I fell madly in love with him at fifteen—almost sixteen. He was twenty and going off to war. I asked him to marry me before he left, and—”
“You asked him to marry you?”
Theodora nodded shamefacedly. She swallowed her embarrassment. It was ridiculous to mind so much after more than ten years.
“How delightfully forward of you,” Lucille said.
Buy Now!
Amazon.com
Barnes and Noble
Harlequin.com
Amazon.com.uk
