There wasn’t a WWW sign up this week, but I thought I’d post a snippet anyway. This is again from the short story called It’s In His Kiss in the anthology A Duke by Any Other Name from Dragonblade Publishing. Come take a look!
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A Duke by Any Other Name
A Duke by any other name would smell as… dastardly?
Roguish?
Rakish?
… delightful?
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BLURB:
Heartsore from a recent love’s rejection and wet to the bone from a sudden downpour, William Rothwell is stranded in the tiny village of Twywell when his horse loses a shoe. He puts up at a tavern until the animal can be tended, but is disconcerted when all the people in town seem to know him–despite the fact he’s never been there before. After a few drinks, William is persuaded to go to a local celebration where the comly birthday girl also seems to know him AND flirts outrageously with him. Attracted to her–and not a little aroused–William decides to let nature take its course and face any consequences the morning after.
Lucinda Harcourt’s been infatuated with handsome rake William Fitzwilliam for years, so she decides to make her play for him at her birthday celebration. And when she tries to seduce him, lo and behold, Will seems smitten with her. They retire to her bedroom where Lucinda makes it clear in no uncertain terms she wants Will–right now–and is thrilled when he agrees, making all her fantasies come true.
In the morning light, however, things unravel and consequences take a bizarre turn for both William and Lucinda.
I’m continuing on from last week. William has just entered the village to find a blacksmith for his horse. Enjoy!
EXCERPT:
Better get out of the wet and into some dry clothes before he caught a chill. The stableboy’s manner nagged at him still, but William managed to shrug the incident off as he entered the warm, dry house, replete with the comforting aromas of ale, hearty stew, and sweet tobacco.
The men gathered around the tavern tables laughed and talked in-between pulling on pints and stoking the well-smoked pipes. They glanced up at his arrival, but instead of the hushed respect he’d usually known, the men nodded to him—if they took notice of him at all—and went back to their conversations. William glanced down at his soaked frame and began to wonder if the sight of a drenched gentleman was an everyday occurrence in this village.
“What can I get you, Will?” A rotund little man approached him from the kitchen, a ready smile on his face.
“A room with a hot bath to begin with,” William said warily. Perhaps when he got the tavernkeeper alone, he could discover how everyone in the town seemed to be familiar with him.
“I’d have thought you’d be home getting ready for the party,” the man said, casting a skeptical eye at him.
And a little bit more…
“Party? What party?” Had everyone gone mad or had he? “My horse lost a shoe and I had to walk the better part of a mile in the rain. I’m in search of a blacksmith and a hot bath, not a party.”
The tavernkeeper shook his head. “Well, Lucinda’s going to be mighty sorry to hear that. She’s been looking forward to her birthday and this party for months, so my daughter tells me. Just so she could dance with you, Will.” He gave William a stern look. “Don’t disappoint the lass, so. If you don’t fancy settling down with her, then that’s between you and the fence post, so to speak, though many’s the man who’d want a comely lass like that to warm his bed, especially one that comes with a dowry the size of hers.”
“How can she even know who I am?” William was at his wits’ end to figure out if he was addled or if all the villagers had an enchantment placed on them so they knew him even though he didn’t know them.
“The whole village knows who ya are, Will. We’ve known since you were a wee lad you’re the son of William Rothwell.”
Stunned, William stared at the little man, more befuddled than before. “My father told you this?”
“He didn’t have to. It’s as plain as the nose—and everything else—on your face.”
William guessed that was true enough. He and his father had been mistaken for one another a time or two in Kettering. But that didn’t explain why this Lucinda would expect him to show up at her party. He wasn’t even supposed to be here.
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Don’t forget to check out the rest of the WWW snippets here! There are some great stories out there!
The mucky path led him quickly to a weather-worn tavern, but the mean nature of the shelter mattered not a bit to William, now soaked to the skin and beginning to shiver. As he entered the courtyard, a young lad of no more than twelve hurried toward him.
Now that was a wager she could get behind. Kate opened her mouth to accept then stopped, the memory of losing the wager over Calabree—and its penalty—still fresh in her mind. “And if I cannot come up with ten things I hate about him?” Fat chance of that, but best to make all the terms clear.“Then you must accompany Lord Haversham on an outing of my choice one afternoon.”
Charlie’s face froze, his eyes widening for a moment before his smile broadened to match them. “Then please accept my very best wishes for your happiness.”
Jenna Jaxon Romance--because passion is timeless. 