QUEEN
(Regency Refuge #3)
You can't
hide from the past.
Queen's world was shattered, and she was banished
to a foreign land. Years pass before she dares to return, but what she finds is
of little comfort. Greed and dishonesty have festered and grown in her absence.
Embittered and cynical, Queen trusts few people.
Owen pursues a clandestine investigation and finds
himself working side-by-side with a veritable ghost, an agent few have seen, a
master of disguise known simply as Queen.
He craves her trust…but then uncovers a secret from his family's past
that could destroy her.
Queen once sought refuge in America and now seeks
it in disguise. Owen has always found his refuge in God, but will his faith be
strong enough for the challenges ahead? Can he convince Queen to stop hiding,
or is he doomed to become her most hated enemy?
Excerpt:
Three days had passed
since the beginning of his employment with Lady Rutherford. Owen stared at the
ledgers spread out across the considerable breadth of the walnut desk and
blinked slowly. By jove, I think I'm on
to something here. At the sound of approaching feet, he closed the ledger
and picked up some of the late viscount's correspondence.
The housemaid shuffled in then. "I'm here to stoke the fire, Mr. Lobbing."
The housemaid shuffled in then. "I'm here to stoke the fire, Mr. Lobbing."
"Go ahead. By the
by, can you tell me your name? I keep forgetting to ask."
She bobbed her head
and gave a half-curtsy. "Isadore."
"I'm pleased to
meet you, Isadore."
"But we've met
before, Mr. Lobbing."
He chuckled. "Of
course, but we've not been introduced until this moment."
She gave him an odd
look and went about her business with the fireplace. He'd not seen her the last
couple of days, and according to Chambers, she'd been punished for some
infraction and assigned scullery duties. The butler hadn't been forthcoming
about the infraction, so Owen had been left wondering.
"It's good to see
you out and about again, Isadore. The footman did a passable job with my fire,
but he's not nearly as efficient as you."
She glanced at him
with wide eyes before she dropped her gaze back to her task. Once she was done
with the fire, she took a step toward the door, but her foot caught on the edge
of a rug. Time slowed. Isadore lurched to her right then overcorrected and
stumbled wildly to her left until her feet became tangled up in the legs of a
globe stand. The globe teetered, its position precarious, and Owen jumped to
rescue it. Neither of their jobs would be secure if something happened to the
globe, and he had a feeling Isadore didn't have many employment choices.
Isadore, in fighting
to get her feet free, finally sent the globe stand toppling onto its side. The
globe tumbled out, striking the floor before Owen could get a hand on it. He
helped Isadore to her feet and found his eyes drawn to her blue ones in the
most peculiar way. Owen turned his back to her and set the globe's stand to
rights again. Then he reached for the globe, but Isadore must not have been quite
steady on her feet yet, for her foot slipped past him and kicked the the
spherical object before she regained her footing.
"I'm so sorry,
Mr. Lobbing. Do you think it's damaged? I can't get in trouble again, I jus'
can't."
Owen glanced from
Isadore to the globe. It had made a sound when rolling that last little bit. "I'm
sure it's fine. You'd best be on your way."
He picked up the globe
and examined it. Much to Owen's relief, the sphere remained unbroken. Isadore
did not need more trouble with her employer. Waiting until the maid was out the
door, he shook the globe. A definite clank met his ears. Owen ran his fingers
across the globe's entire surface. A compartment had to be hidden within. Sure enough, over the western part of
the colonies along one of the seams, a slight irregularity could be felt along
the surface, nothing more than a small bump. Firm pressure from his fingers,
and he heard a satisfying click. The globe came apart in his hands.
Author Bio:
Heather
Gray authors the Ladies of Larkspur inspirational western romance series,
including Mail Order Man, Just Dessert, and Redemption. She also writes
the Regency Refuge series: His Saving
Grace, Jackal, and Queen - plus
contemporary titles Ten Million Reasons
and Nowhere for Christmas. Aside from a long-standing love affair with
coffee, Heather’s greatest joys are her relationships with her Savior and
family. Heather loves to laugh, and this
theme is prevalent in her writing where, through the highs and lows of life,
her characters find a way to love God, embrace each day, and laugh out loud
right along with her.
You
can find Heather online at http://www.facebook.com/heathergraywriting, http://www.twitter.com/laughdreamwrite, and http://www.heathergraywriting.com.
She can also be found most days at The Inspired Inkpot, a street team,
prayer group, and all around awesome place to hang out - http://www.facebook.com/groups/theinspiredinkpot.
Buy Links:
Amazon
US – http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00P8ACR1C/
Kobo
Smashwords
iTunes
Where to Find Me:
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