Gift of Desire (9 page)
10. What are you writing now and for next year?
I’m going to be re-releasing Cherry Pie and I’m writing three new related m/m contemporary stories to round out that series. I’m also working on an exciting new erotic historical idea for Ellora’s Cave, which is going to take me out of the Regency and into early twentieth-century America. More details on that once we have it worked out. I’m going to be doing Simon Gantry’s story for the Brothers in Arms series next year, and there’s a possibility there may be more Saint’s Devils to come as well.
BROTHERS IN ARMS (in reading order)
Love and War: The Beginning
The Courage to Love
Love Under Siege
Love’s Strategy
At Love’s Command
Retreat From Love
Love in Exile
Love’s Fortress
Prisoner of Love
Love’s Surrender
Love Betrayed
Defeated by Love (Available 12/11/13)
Arms of Love (Print only anthology containing Love’s Strategy and Love’s Surrender)
THE SAINT'S DEVILS (in reading order)
The Devil’s Thief
Tempting a Devil
Devil in My Arms
SINGLE TITLES
Islands
The Debutante (in Ellora’s Cavemen: Jewels of the Nile II) Print only
A Lady in Waiting
Play It Again, Sam
Tomorrow
Tempt the Cougar (anthology containing Play It Again, Sam) Print only
Esprit de Corps (anthology containing Islands) Print only
AVAILABLE IN AUDIO
The Courage to Love
Love Under Siege
Love’s Strategy
At Love’s Command
Retreat From Love
Love in Exile
Love’s Fortress
Reviewers have called Samantha Kane “an absolute marvel to read,” and “one of historical romance’s most erotic and sensuous authors.” Her books have been called “sinful,” “sensuous,” and “sizzling.” She is published in several romance genres including historical, contemporary and science fiction. Her erotic Regency-set historical romances have won awards, including Best Historical from RWA's erotic romance chapter Passionate Ink, and the Historical CAPA (best book) award from The Romance Studio. She has a master's degree in American History, and taught high school social studies for ten years before becoming a full time writer. Samantha Kane lives in North Carolina with her husband and three children.
My Heart’s Desire
Kate Pearce
First and foremost, thanks to Samantha Kane for listening to me when I went all “Hey! Let’s Make A Movie Together!” Or in this case, let’s write some Christmas short stories for our readers to share. I’ve always been a great admirer of Sam’s writing and this was such fun to do. She really is lovely and no mean slouch on the dance floor either…
Thanks to my beta readers and grammar gurus, and to Frauke at Croco Designs for the beautiful cover. Also thanks to my family for putting up with me and making me copious cups of tea while I wrote this story.
If you’d like a heads up about all my upcoming releases and the occasional contest, please sign up for my newsletter here:
http://eepurl.com/ifHuY
Middleton Hall, Christmas 1816
“There.” Caroline Lyndhurst carefully pinned the diamond aigrette into her sister’s fair hair and considered the effect in the mirror.
“It looks lovely, dearest. Thank you for your help.” Maud gathered her silk shawl around her shoulders and rose from her dressing table. “What would I do without you?”
“Train your maid better?” Caroline murmured.
“Oh, don’t be silly, darling. What else do you have to do?” Maud ran a critical eye over Caroline’s plain cambric gown. “You
are
going to change, aren’t you?”
“I have my green silk.”
Maud sighed, “I suppose it will have to do, although it is sadly out of fashion. We must get you some new clothes in the spring.”
“I can to do that for myself, Maud.”
Ignoring her, Maud smoothed down her skirts. “I want this dinner to be the start of a very successful house party. I’ve invited several of the eligible men who have shown interest in Alice to spend Christmas with us. I hope by the end of the two weeks one of them will have come up to scratch!”
“There isn’t any rush. She’s only eighteen.”
“We were both eighteen when we got married.”
“She is still very young.” Caroline glanced at her older sister. “I sometimes wish I hadn’t met George until I was at least twenty-five.”
“And then you would’ve only had him for a year before he died.”
Caroline bit her lip. “That’s true.” She avoided both her sister’s gaze and her reflection in the mirror and headed for the door. “I’d better go and change.”
“Then I’ll see you downstairs in the drawing room.”
“Are you sure you want me to participate in the festivities?” Caroline hesitated at the door. “I’m more than willing to stay upstairs and entertain the children.”
“No, you will come down and behave like a member of this family. I am tired of you skulking around as though your life has ended.”
Caroline raised her chin. “I thought a woman’s life was
supposed
to end when her husband died.”
“Don’t be so melodramatic, dear. It’s been almost two years since George passed away.” Maud swept past her in a cloud of perfumed satin and patted her on the cheek. “You might have lost your looks, but you are quite capable of holding a conversation and playing the pianoforte if some of the younger set wish to dance.”
Melodramatic
?
As usual, Caroline thought of all the things she should have said to her overbearing sister that hadn’t occurred to her until it was too late. Maud had always been bossy, and now that Caroline was living under her roof she’d simply gotten worse and treated her like one of the children. She walked back to her own room and found her maid waiting patiently for her.
“There you are, ma’am. I’ve pressed your gown and added some lace at the elbow and neck as you requested.”
“Thank you, Ethel.”
Caroline took off her day dress and, turning away from the light, held up her arms to help Ethel lower the gown over her head. After two years of wearing the darker shades of mourning, the gown looked rather garish.
She eyed it doubtfully. “Is it too much?”
“No, it is very becoming, ma’am. The color makes your eyes look green.”
“Thank you.” Caroline glanced down at her right arm. “Does it cover up the worst of it?”
Ethel inspected her carefully. “If you carry your shawl draped over your elbows no one will notice a thing.”
She doubted that, but at least it made her feel less vulnerable and on show. She reminded herself that no one would be looking at her anyway. All eyes would be on the young Miss Alice Bryson as she flitted between her suitors. And that was how it should be. Every young girl deserved to be admired.
After thanking Ethel, Caroline walked to the top of the stairs and looked down from the minstrel’s gallery into the hallway below. Holly boughs adorned with red ribbons were looped through the remains of the medieval frame of the house and tall wax candles draped in ivy illuminated the arched entranceway. The huge fireplace contained a large wood fire, which crackled away merrily sending waves of heat up into the frigid air.
Gathering her courage, she set off down the stairs and, fixing a smile on her face, went to greet some of the latest arrivals. Most of Alice’s friends had at least one parent with them
and
an older brother, so the noise level was high and distinctly merry. In such a riotous atmosphere, Caroline suspected the chaperones would be kept busy making sure all the young ladies and gentlemen behaved.
She moved through into the drawing room and saw Maud holding court by the fireplace, her blond head nodding graciously at something the man beside her had just said. Alice stood next to her, staring anxiously up at the young man. Her desire to attract his attention was perhaps a mite too obvious for her Aunt Caroline’s taste. She must endeavor to teach Alice how to engage the attention of a man without appearing to do so.
“Ah, there you are, Caroline.”
She obeyed the imperious summons from her sister and walked across to her.
“Caroline, may I introduce Lord Breton and his sister, Miss Laura Breton?”
“A pleasure.” Caroline nodded to the young man and curtsied to his sister. “Are you friends of Alice’s?”
Lord Breton bowed over her hand. “Laura has that honor. I am merely Miss Alice’s latest conquest.”
Caroline smiled at him and his sister. “And where did you meet Alice, Miss Laura?”
His sister jumped and tore her gaze away from Caroline’s face, addressing her answer somewhere in the region of Caroline’s left ear. “We met at the Queen’s drawing room and have been friends ever since.”
“How nice for you.”
“Yes.”
Instinctively, Caroline angled her head to the left, allowing her ringlets to swing forward and conceal the worst of the damage to her face. “Well, I won’t keep you. I believe it is almost time for us to go into dinner.”
She didn’t miss the disapproving glance Lord Breton gave his sister and valued him for it, but he could hardly blame the girl. Most people couldn’t conceal their shock when they first met her. Even after two years, she couldn’t stand looking at herself in the mirror.
God, she wished Maud had let her stay upstairs. Escaping out onto the terrace than ran along the rear of the remodeled part of the house she drew in a deep steadying breath. She’d have to go back inside in a moment but she would make sure she was sufficiently composed before she did. How many people had Maud invited? How many times would she have to endure being stared at?
A faint hint of smoke made her stiffen and stop walking. To her right, a shadow moved away from the wall.
“Caro?”
She turned slowly, her hand pressed to her bosom. “Lord Mansell?”
“
Please
call me Jasper. I’m still not used to being ‘my lorded’ all the time.” He came toward her, extinguishing the cigarillo he held in his hand and crushing it underfoot. “How are you, my dear?”
“Well enough.”
He smiled down at her. “I hoped you would be here.”
“Why?”
“Because my damned nephew, Tommy, thinks he’s in love with your niece and dragged me along to bear him company. I’m not sure what value he thought I’d bring to the proceedings. The only thing that persuaded me to come was that I might see you again.” He paused. “I was very sorry to hear of George’s death.”
“Thank you.”
The dinner gong sounded and Lord Mansell offered her his arm. “Shall we go in? I was just enjoying the solitude before I returned to the thankless task of being a chaperone.”
Caroline found herself chuckling. “My thoughts exactly.”
“How far the mighty have fallen. Ten years ago it was us being the youngsters at a gathering and now we’re considered elderly.”
“Hardly
elderly
.”
She glanced up at his profile as they came into the light. He looked as handsome as ever, his dark hair cut close to his head, his keen gaze scanning the guests streaming toward the dining room. She’d met him during her first Season in London and they’d liked each other on sight. He’d told her quite frankly that he was set on the military life and had no desire to settle down. She’d offered to help him fend off the matchmaking mothers. Their plan had succeeded admirably until she’d met George and fallen in love.
“I’m thirty-two on Christmas day,” he admitted.
“Positively ancient, then.”
He looked down at her and grinned, his gaze slowing as he took in her ravaged face. She looked away and tried to remove her hand from his arm.
“Wait.” He caught her gloved fingers in his.
“Please excuse me. I have to see where my sister wants me to sit.” She searched the room for Maud. “Ah, there she is.”
“Caro—”
She smiled brightly at his starched cravat. “It was lovely to see you again, my lord.”
* * *
Jasper released Caro’s hand and stood unmoving as she hurried to Maud’s side. Until he’d been recalled after his father’s untimely death to take up his new duties, he’d been abroad with the army. He’d heard of George’s passing, but not about the circumstances surrounding it. Had Caro been with him? What in God’s name had happened?
He took a step in her direction and was brought up short by an all-too-familiar female figure languishing in his path.
“Oh, Lord Mansell. Were you looking for me?”
He bowed. “Miss Pattison.”
She fluttered her eyelashes at him. She was a beautiful girl, but she was far too aware of it for his comfort and, in his view, far too young to be angling for his attention. She was one of Alice’s friends and far better suited to flirting with his nephew. She tapped his sleeve with her fan.
“I believe Lady Bryson said you were
supposed
to be taking me into dinner.”
He silently cursed Caro’s sister as he helped Miss Pattison into her seat and took the one beside her.
“Where
were
you, my lord? I looked everywhere.”
She was persistent, he’d give her that. In an acquaintance, it was annoying; in a wife, it would drive him mad. “I merely stepped outside to enjoy the fresh air.”
“It’s freezing!” She shivered delicately. “I suppose as a former military man you are used to extremities of cold.”
“It’s hardly cold out there, Miss Pattison.”
Caro took the seat on the opposite side of the table accompanied by an elderly man who looked like a vicar or a land agent. She appeared to be comfortable with her companion, her smile shy, but at least it was there. He noticed how she constantly ducked her head while she spoke, allowing her dark curls to conceal the damage on the right side of her face. Damnation. She’d caught him staring at her again. He winked and her hazel eyes widened before she turned back to her companion.
