Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors !

This week I’m continuing with snippets from my upcoming release, Until I’m Safe in Your Arms, from Dragonblade Publishing. I’m just getting the edits, so this is unedited, but I hope you’ll enjoy it and forgive any flubs.

It’s the first book in the Welwyn Marriage Wager series, in which the Duke of Welwyn wagers with his six grandsons that they can all marry within a year. The family is known for its propensity to wager on just about anything, so they are all in (some more enthusiastically than others). The eldest cousin, Captain Alexander Bancroft, makes a further wager: he’ll meet and marry a young lady by the end of the month–a mere ten days away.  To that end, he attends a weekend house party given by his uncle and aunt.

BLURB:

All’s fair in love and wagers…

Entered into a wager that he can wed within a week, Captain Alex Bancroft pursues the first pretty woman he meets: Miss Emma Washer. Their courtship proceeds at a furious pace, including a dalliance that might ruin them both. Before it can, Alex proposes and is stunned when Emma agrees to marry him. Alex desperately tries to keep word of the wager from his new wife, not knowing Emma has secrets of her own to keep.

As passion erupts between the newly wed pair, the circumstances of Emma’s past threaten to tear them asunder. Alex’s regiment is directed to sail to a place Emma dares not go. She refuses to accompany him, leaving Alex with a devastating choice: leave England to fulfil duty to Queen and country or stay and revel in his newfound love for his wife?

Today I’m moving forward a bit, to where we are in Emma Washer’s POV. In this snippet, Emma is on the stairs, coming downstairs with a friend. Enjoy!

EXCERPT:

Now that she was here, Emma’s spirits actually seemed to take a turn upward. Oh, she’d only been here not quite a day, but the weather was glorious, there was a garden she’d discovered last evening and strolled in twice, and the people around her had been extraordinarily kind. Augusta had just fetched her for another walk before luncheon and Emma had enthusiastically joined her. Lively chatter surrounding them made such a difference in her mood. Perhaps this weekend would be enjoyable after all. She glanced over the railing at the throng of new guests entering the manor house–who knew, but she might find one of the few acquaintances she’d made in London also attending the house party.

“The gown Lady Caxton was wearing at breakfast was so very pretty, don’t you think, Emma?” Augusta Hardy loved nothing as much as the most up-to-date fashion. “That shade of pale green is a becoming color for her, although most blondes can’t manage it. The cut was pleasing as well, not too much decolletage yet alluring all the same–oh, bother.”

And a little more for good measure. . . 

The quick glance took in the group of people below before Augusta’s exclamation brought Emma’s attention back to her friend. “What—”

No, wait. What had she just seen? Emma jerked her head back to the mass of moving guests down below. Yes, yes it was. Eyes widening, she stared down at the gentleman dressed in the brilliant scarlet of the British Regimental uniform. An indescribable wave of happiness rolled over her, giving her a feeling of satisfaction she’d not had in many months. How wonderful to find a British officer here of all places.

She turned back to Augusta, who had not stopped talking all the while.

“Now I shall have to go change again.”

“I beg your pardon?” Emma glanced back over the balustrade, but the officer continued to stand there staring upward.

“Look here.” Augusta presented her arm to Emma. The frothy lace on her right sleeve had come loose and dangled most unbecomingly onto her arm.

“Oh, dear. Yes, you must go back and have Marks attend to it.” Another quick look, but the scarlet-clad officer continued to stare up…good lord, was he looking at her?

Until I’m Safe in Your Arms is now up for pre-order, set to release on May 30! Here’s the link if you want to pre-order it for .99!

Don’t forget to check out the rest of the Warriors here. There are some fantastic snippets to be read.