The Haunted Hoyden
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This year, I participated in the Bluestocking Belles novella collection, Moonlight Madness! My story is The Haunted Hoyden. Here's the blurb:
War-weary Lord Felipe reluctantly returns to England, obliged to marry and provide an heir for his father’s marquisate. He has barely stepped off the boat when he’s shot as a suspected smuggler. Stuck in the country with a strict, elderly cousin, Lily rescues the handsome, wounded Felipe with the help of two friendly ghosts. Felipe is just what she needs to avoid not only boredom, but a wicked plan to curb her scandalous behavior once and for all. Felipe can’t help but love Lily, but he doesn’t consider himself good husband material. How can she persuade him that he’s precisely what this hoyden needs? Universal Buy Link |
Here's an excerpt from The Haunted Hoyden
Lily has just rescued a stranger who was shot by the revenue men, and stitched and bandaged him up.
“My parents have gone to London, while I’ve been banished here to ponder my sins,”Lily said.
“Sins?” The wounded man grinned. “Tsk, tsk.”
She blushed. “Nothing very dreadful—only disrespect and disobedience.”
“Ah. A girl after my own heart,” he said.
There I go again, being bad, Lily told herself. A respectable lady wouldn’t enjoy the innuendo in his voice. A sensible one would send him on his way. Fortunately, though, he was in no condition to go anywhere.
“We’d best get out of here, for they’ll search the ground floor first,” she said. “We’ll take the servants’ stairs. If you go up on your derriere, step by step—”
He snorted.
“What?”
“Ladies have derrieres. Men have arses.”
She huffed. “Up on your arse, then.” She fashioned him a sling from her shawl and helped him to the servants’ stairs. It was touch and go—he was weak and in constant danger of falling—but somehow, they both reached the landing. She peeked into the passageway.
“Can you walk a few steps?” she whispered. “We’re almost there.”
“For my gallant rescuer, I can do anything,” he said, and surprisingly, he did. A minute later, they reached her bedchamber. She unlocked the door, hurried him in, and shut and locked it again. She set the key on the lintel and sagged with relief against the door, her forehead against the cool, smooth wood.
When she turned a few seconds later, the stranger was flat on his back on her bed, fast asleep.
Universal Buy Link
Lily has just rescued a stranger who was shot by the revenue men, and stitched and bandaged him up.
“My parents have gone to London, while I’ve been banished here to ponder my sins,”Lily said.
“Sins?” The wounded man grinned. “Tsk, tsk.”
She blushed. “Nothing very dreadful—only disrespect and disobedience.”
“Ah. A girl after my own heart,” he said.
There I go again, being bad, Lily told herself. A respectable lady wouldn’t enjoy the innuendo in his voice. A sensible one would send him on his way. Fortunately, though, he was in no condition to go anywhere.
“We’d best get out of here, for they’ll search the ground floor first,” she said. “We’ll take the servants’ stairs. If you go up on your derriere, step by step—”
He snorted.
“What?”
“Ladies have derrieres. Men have arses.”
She huffed. “Up on your arse, then.” She fashioned him a sling from her shawl and helped him to the servants’ stairs. It was touch and go—he was weak and in constant danger of falling—but somehow, they both reached the landing. She peeked into the passageway.
“Can you walk a few steps?” she whispered. “We’re almost there.”
“For my gallant rescuer, I can do anything,” he said, and surprisingly, he did. A minute later, they reached her bedchamber. She unlocked the door, hurried him in, and shut and locked it again. She set the key on the lintel and sagged with relief against the door, her forehead against the cool, smooth wood.
When she turned a few seconds later, the stranger was flat on his back on her bed, fast asleep.
Universal Buy Link
