The Lady Series (61 page)

Despite Nick’s ham-handed manipulation, warmth and gratitude filled Jamie’s heart. His dear friend had wanted those he loved to have what they most needed after his passing, only, being Nick, he couldn’t just give it to them.

“He had to do it," he said with a laugh. "He couldn’t bear to leave me without giving me a final tweak." That Nick’s attempt came an instant later than necessary only made it all the more precious.

Jamie held up the second paper. "May I?” he asked Graceton's lord, his brows lifted in question.

Relief and understanding filled Kit's gaze. “As you will."

Screwing the note into a wad, Jamie tossed it into the fireplace. The flames were on it in an instant, browning and curling the edges, then gobbling it up to leave naught but ash.

"This, my lord,” Jamie said, handing the remaining sheet back to Kit, "is the only codicil to your lord brother's will."

Then Jamie's arm tightened around Belle. He pulled the woman he loved closer to him. "Now, you may congratulate me. Just before you entered a moment ago, I'd asked this wondrous, glorious woman to be my wife and she has said me aye."

This book was born on my first trip to England, which my then not-quite-husband arranged for me. Our first night in an ancient inn included doorknobs that rattled all night long as something invisible kept trying to get in. We visited eerie Glastonbury Tor and haunted Evesham. On our very last day we stumbled on Clearwell Castle, a picturesque castle converted into a hotel.

We stepped inside the foyer and looked through a pair of closed glass doors into the great hall. Thinking we might stay, I went around the corner to the concierge desk while Ed waited in the foyer. Above the desk was an old newspaper article, telling how the castle's owner had rebuilt the main stairway to stop the ghost from running up and down them. As I was reading that poor Ed was watching the hall's glass doors open by themselves. When the concierge escorted me back to the foyer to join Ed, the doors slammed shut with such force that everyone jumped.

She
followed us out the door and all the way to the castle's gate-and, yes, I am very certain she was a she. I wanted to stay the night, just to see what would happen next. Sensible Ed talked me out of it.

It was this experience I drew upon as I spun the haunting tale of Belle, Jamie, Nick and Cecily.

I also allude to the changes in the weather, the Little Ice Age, that was experienced in Europe during this time frame. Prior to the 13th Century people grew grapes in England as far north as York and England's Midlands was the breadbasket of Europe. By 1300 warm summers cease to be dependable across Northern Europe. By 1550, a little before Elizabeth takes the throne, the glacial ice pack begins to expand, cooling Europe enough that people start counting on rivers freezing during the now much longer and more tumultuous winter season.

 

I hope you've enjoyed my Lady Series. If you have I'd be thrilled if you'd take a moment to like my
Amazon Bio page
.

Don't forget that I'm offering my novella "An Impetuous Season" FREE on my website as a thank you to my readers for turning my books into best sellers.
Click here to download it

By the way, I'll note here that I am title defective. For the first five books, my fabulous stepdaughter
Amberly Neese
came up with the original and very clever idea of using the seasons, and the publisher ran with it. Beyond that, well, I count on the kindness of editors and others.

If you want to keep up with me or send me a note, please feel free to email me at
[email protected]
or visit my website at
DeniseDomning.com
where you can read my blog. I'll warn you, the blog has nothing to do with writing. Instead, it's the chronicle of how my husband takes me on a journey into Green Living and Permaculture. I have a feeling this will turn out to be a mangling of "Under the Tuscan Sun" and the old TV series "Green Acres".

Wish me luck (I'll need it) and happy reading!

 

As a thank you to all of you out there who turned Rannulf and Rowena into best sellers, I'm offering my novella "An Impetuous Season" FREE on my website.
Click here to download it

In case these are the first books of mine you've read, here is the rest of the list. And thank you!

The Graistan Chronicles (sometimes known as the Seasons Series)

Winter's Heat

Summer's Storm

Spring's Fury

Autumn's Flame

A Love for All Seasons

Or, if you want you can buy all five books at once a box set:
The Seasons Series

The Warrior Series

The Warrior's Wife
(previously The Warrior's Damsel)

The Warrior's Maiden
(previously My Lady's Temptation)

The Warrior's Game

My only Regency era book
. I'm afraid it will be my only one, too. It was too modern for me. I'm better off back when guys just bashed each other with hunks of steel.

Almost Perfect

Monica Sarli's Memoir
Men-ipulation

And then there's Monica Sarli's memoir which I co-wrote.
Men-ipulation
is a memoir of addiction and recovery. After fifteen years abusing Cocaine, Crack and (her personal favorite) Heroin, Monica chose on August 4, 1986 to clean up and hasn't looked back-even though cleaning up cost her everything she valued in life. For anyone struggling with addiction or who loves someone suffering with addiction, this is a book you won't want to miss. (And, yes she really talks like that all the time.)

Happy reading!