WINNER of the prestigious Awe-Struck Regency Award
and EPIC eBook Award Finalist for Best Historical
Romance
PAGING MISS GALLOWAY
Author: Susanne Marie Knight
Genre: Regency
Available electronically at Amazon.com and Smashwords.com.
Price: $3.99
Buy link:
Available
electronically at:
BLURB:
A determined young miss, a
battle-weary lord, and a reckless masquerade. What will the Earl of Tremaine do
when he discovers his page's shocking secret?
More Than She Bargained
For--
Danielle Galloway is
determined to visit her convalescing brother. She won't let her father's lack
of permission stand in her way. Disguising herself as Danny, a servant boy, she
takes to the road to begin her grand adventure...only to have her money stolen
and her face battered by street ruffians. Now how will she get to the resort
town of Bath?
More Than He Bargained For--
The Earl of Tremaine rescues
a down-on-his-luck young lad. Against his better judgment, he takes Danny on as
his page as he journeys to Bath. But this boy harbors a shocking secret. What's
the earl going to do when he discovers his latest act of kindness might hurl
him into the parson's mousetrap?
EXCERPT:
Danielle had a wonderful
view of the earl's broad shoulders and his dark hair as he rested his head
against the rim back of the hip bath. For a moment she watched him soap up a
sponge and lather his muscular arms. The masculine scent of bay rum filled the
air.
"Tell me about
yourself, Danny. Beside doing odd jobs for the local gentry, what else do you
do?"
She wanted to keep her gaze
averted, yet, since she was behind him, he'd never know if she did peek.
The plip-plop sound of water
dripping back into the tub as he glided the sponge over his skin teased her
against all distraction. She bit her lip. Why did her nerves seem to be
stretched to the limit?
"Um, some days I pass
the time riding, my lord. I, um, fish, as well." Without her father's
knowledge, of course. Fine ladies did not indulge in fishing.
"I see." The earl
held up the sponge. "You may wash my back now."
Gracious, if her teeth
didn't start to chatter! Still behind him, she took the sponge and he leaned
forward so she could have better access.
As she lathered his back
with fragrant soap, she admired the powerful contour of muscles. She would've
stopped at his upper back, but he insisted she reach further down.
She gulped back her unease.
She was in heaven and hell at the same time.
Then she noticed a jagged
spot of mottled skin, just under the left shoulder blade. She gently ran her
fingertips over its ribbed surface.
"My lord, what is
this?" As soon as she spoke, she flushed. She had no right to ask a
personal question.
Her impertinence didn't seem
to bother him. "Shrapnel," was his immediate reply. "Sea battle
back in March, near the island of Lissa."
"Where is Lissa?"
Geography had never been her strong point.
He tilted his head back to
laugh, a rich, baritone sound. "Ironic, is it not? My page has no idea
just where in the world it was that I almost lost my life"
"Oh, I am so sorry! I
did not--"
He raised his hand,
splashing her with warm water. "No matter, halfling. I survived, as you
can see. The island of Lissa is in the Adriatic Sea, an inconsequential pawn in
our war against the French."
Shrugging his shoulders, he
leaned his head forward. "Time to wash my
hair. Pour the water."
Danielle struggled with the
heavy bucket, and as she poured, he ran the bar of soap over his hair. A sudsy
white froth mixed in with the black and grey. Wisps of steam rose up from the
hip bath, enveloping them both.
"Use the pitcher now to
rinse," he ordered.
The brass pitcher was easier
to pour, and soon his hair was clean.
Without warning, he stood,
dripping water back into the bath. Then he stepped out. She blindly rushed for
a thick Turkish towel and for his dressing gown. Hurrying back to him, all the
while averting her gaze, she helped him into the robe.
As he tied the belt, he
exclaimed, "Begad! Every blasted bone in my body feels as if I served time
on an infamous torture rack. I shall sleep well tonight."
Danielle kept quiet. She'd
managed to accomplish her tasks without violating Lord Trelaine's privacy. She
congratulated herself.
He rubbed the towel over his
head. When his hair was sufficiently dried, he threw the towel on the floor.
Then he strode to the bed. "I shall retire now, Danny, even though the
hour is still early. No doubt Raleigh plans to carouse until dawn. It is the
curse of the young to be so foolish."
She rushed over and pulled
back the bedsheets.
"Be a good lad and
dispose of the hip bath. The remaining bucket of water is for you to wash off
your travel dirt. Or use the hip bath, if you prefer."
Danielle eyed the water
bucket, then the earl. She desperately needed a wash, but however could she
manage it?
Before she could blink, he
slipped under the covers without the benefit of his dressing gown. Nor a
nightshirt. He rested matter-of-factly, on the mattress, in only the clothes
God had given him.
Goodness! She couldn't help
a fierce flush from burning her face. In all her twenty years on earth, she
never had such an excessively bizarre day as she had today.
Then again, she'd never been
dressed as a boy before.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Happy Reading!
Susanne Marie Knight
Read outside the box:
award-winning Romance Writing With A Twist!
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