A Hero
to Hold
By Sheri Humphreys
Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: Boroughs Publishing Group
Release Date: June 9, 2016
Synopsis
Disillusioned by
the scandal that took her husband and standing in society, Viscountess
Charlotte Haliday will return to London and come face to face—and mouth to
mouth—with a wounded war hero, the best man she has ever known.
STANDING TALL
Viscountess
Charlotte Haliday has lost her illusions. Scandal took her position in society
and the husband she thought she loved, and his mysterious murder followed
shortly thereafter. But now is the time to return to London, time to find
whatever small portion of happiness remains to her.
The first step will
be proving she is her own person, unafraid of the lies and deceit that came
before. Then she will defy her father and all others who try to steal her
independence. Never again will Charlotte have a husband or seek the perfect
marriage of her best friend Jane, but perhaps she will dare the wrath of the
gossip-mongers and indulge her tiniest desire. To do so will bring her face to
face with a stranger in an alcove. It will lead to learning Mr. David Scott is
not only a war hero soon to be awarded the Victoria Cross, but also the most
formidable man she has ever met. Broken in every way except the ones that
count, he just might make her believe in love. And only she can show him that
he is not alone.
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Excerpt
“Lady Haliday, what
a pleasure.”
The malicious edge
of humor in the baroness’s voice made her words a parody, and resentment
speared Charlotte. “You’re a poor liar, Lady Garret, and you really needn’t
expend the effort. I’m immune to your poison.”
The baroness
noticed their silent companion, whose gaze was fixed upon her. “What, no
introduction, my lady?”
The man did not
react in any way. Well, Charlotte decided, at least he dealt out rudeness
impartially.
The man shot her a
look, brows lifting as if in question—as if he knew her and was silently
communicating. Following blind instinct, Charlotte settled herself next to him
on the empty half of the settee. She felt immediately and impossibly steadied.
Lady Garret’s mouth
firmed, and her attention returned to Charlotte. “I’m surprised to see you
here, my lady. Especially tucked away in a corner with a gentleman. It’s been a
mere eighteen months since your husband passed. I’d go so far as to say this
makes a mockery of his memory.”
Charlotte schooled
her expression to one of polite interest. She would not show Lady Garret even
an inkling of distress.
“I’d guess your
actions will provide society with some entertainment,” the baroness continued.
“A bit of a scandal is always appreciated. At least, it amuses me. It might
even inspire me to pen another novel.”
A slow smile curled
her enemy’s lips, and a quivering beset Charlotte deep inside. She kept her
vision fixed on the baroness’s glittering eyes and wrapped her hand around the
edge of the divan seat, anchoring herself. Over and over, for the past year
she’d imagined this meeting. God willing, she would prevail.
She leaned back
against the divan and forced her shoulders to relax. She had to appear
confident, so she concentrated on keeping her voice composed. “I’m no longer
that naive young woman you manipulated and tried to destroy. This time I won’t
stand by while you spread lies about me. I’m not afraid of you, and I won’t
crumble.”
The gentleman
beside her turned his head, the chilly look gone from his eyes. Like heat from
the sun, waves of quiet strength radiated from him and emboldened Charlotte.
She marshaled her thoughts, leaned forward just enough to lend emphasis to her
words, and continued with a harder voice. “You tell lies about me again, and
I’ll make sure all of London is familiar with your machinations and your wicked
soul. Until then, I’ll leave you be.”
Lady Garret’s eyes
narrowed to mere slits. “How dare you threaten me?”
Charlotte did not
look away. Didn’t this woman understand that she had already been consumed by
the fire of scandal and risen from the ashes?
“You can say
whatever you like about me,” she vowed. “You can tell all of London you saw me
walk naked down the center of Regent Street. I don’t care. If it happens again,
this time I won’t hide myself away—and I’ll make sure no one believes you.”
She felt the man
sit straighter beside her, and a sudden desire to do something actually
outrageous overcame Charlotte. To do something worthy of gossip, possibly even
scandalous, and to do it without a care for the watchful eyes of Lady Garret.
The thought left her giddy, and Charlotte closed her eyes to steady herself.
Such an act would prove beyond all doubt that she had no fear of the baroness.
The gentleman
beside her still radiated waves of quiet heat. His hand rested on the divan,
and before she could consider the wisdom of her idea, Charlotte found herself
caught up in it. She placed her hand atop his and laced their fingers. He
tensed, and her heart began to race. What was she thinking? And yet, her daring
thrilled her as nothing ever had, and when Charlotte looked at Lady Garret and
saw the baroness struggling to hide her surprise, suddenly she was sure.
“At least this
time,” she announced, “what you write will be based on truth instead of
falsehood.”
In the grip of
something foreign and reckless, Charlotte turned to the gentleman, gazed into
his eyes and curled her hand around the back of his head. He resisted a bit as
she drew him near, but she couldn’t afford to hesitate now. She didn’t relent.
Meet the Author
After a satisfying
career as an emergency room nurse, Sheri closed the book on her diverse nursing
experiences and followed a lifelong love for writing and historical romance to
a new vocation as an author. She lives with a Jack Russell mix rescue, Lucy, in
a small town on the central California coast.
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