Mistress
of Merrivale
by Shelley
Munro
Genre: Historical
romance
Publisher: Samhain
Publishing
Date of Publication: 25
March 2014
ISBN: 978-1-61922-060-7
ASIN: B00GPOWVES
Number of pages: 281
Word Count: 86,000
Cover Artist: Kim
Killion
Book Description:
A marriage of
convenience…full of inconvenient secrets.
Jocelyn Townsend’s life
as a courtesan bears no resemblance to the life she envisioned in girlish
dreams. But it allows her and her eccentric mother to live in relative
security—until her protector marries and no longer requires her services.
Desperate to find a new
benefactor, one kind enough to accept her mother’s increasingly mad flights of fancy,
Jocelyn is nearly overwhelmed with uncertainty when a lifeline comes from an
unexpected source.
Leo Sherbourne’s
requirements for a wife are few. She must mother his young daughter, run his
household, and warm his bed. All in a calm, dignified manner with a full
measure of common sense. After his late wife’s histrionics and infidelity, he
craves a simpler, quieter life.
As they embark on their
arrangement, Leo and Jocelyn discover an attraction that heats their bedroom
and a mutual admiration that warms their days. But it isn’t long before gossip
regarding the fate of Leo’s first wife, and his frequent, unexplained absences,
make Jocelyn wonder if the secrets of Merrivale Manor are rooted in murder…
Warning:
Contains mysterious incidents, a mad mother who screeches without provocation,
scheming relatives, and a captivating husband who blows scorching hot and
suspiciously cold. All is not as it seems…and isn’t that delicious?
Excerpt
“M-married?”
Jocelyn Townsend clamped her hands in her lap and frantically sought the right
words for the occasion. “Congratulations.”
Tobias
Sherbourne, the Earl of Melburn, beamed. Happiness lit his craggy face, taking
it from ordinary to compelling. His eyes sparkled, the bright blue emphasized
by his snowy white wig. “I’ve offered for the Neville girl.”
“I wish you
happy, Melburn.” Jocelyn’s spine pressed against the back of the damask sofa,
the squeeze of her stays grounding her again. Gossip and rumors had circulated
for months now. Yes, she’d known Melburn’s declaration would come, but hearing
it still hurled her into panic. She wanted to vent her frustration for everyone
to witness, but of course, she didn’t. Her mother was the only person who
shrieked in this household.
She picked up
the teapot. “Tea? Or would you prefer something stronger?”
“Brandy,
please.” Melburn straightened from his casual lean against the mantle.
A raucous
feminine screech pierced the air and tea sloshed from the spout. Jocelyn sighed
inwardly, forcing her smile to remain intact while she set the china pot down.
Not again.
“Perhaps we
would both benefit from something stronger.”
She rose and
maneuvered her skirts around her mahogany table and a square-backed chair to
ring for a maid. The high-pitch scream repeated, louder and closer to the
parlor. Jocelyn flinched, shooting a pained look at the closed door.
On her
return, Melburn took possession of the seat opposite her, his large frame
dwarfing the delicate furniture. “How is your mother?”
One would
think the ear-piercing shrieks were nothing out of the ordinary, given his calm
demeanor but, after two years as her protector, her mother’s peculiarities no
longer disturbed him.
A maid
appeared, and Jocelyn relayed her request for a bottle of brandy and two
glasses. It mightn’t be the thing for a woman to drink strong spirits, yet if
ever there was a time for her to imbibe, it was tonight. The maid’s face
blanked, although she curtseyed in acquiescence and hurried off to complete her
errand.
“My mother is
having a bad turn. She insists someone is watching the house and spying on us.”
It was a relief to share the latest drama with Melburn.
“Have you
investigated to allay her concerns?”
Jocelyn
resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “We have been more vigilant than usual. I
haven’t noticed anyone suspicious and neither has Woodley or Tilly, but Mother
is steadfast in her charges.”
Her butler
and her mother’s nurse were equally adamant no one lurked in the alley outside
their Cork Street
house. While it wasn’t the best location in London, a night watchman patrolled the
surrounding streets, and lamps chased away most of the gloomy shadows once
evening fell.
The maid
returned with a tray bearing the requested brandy.
“Would you
like to adjourn to the bedroom, Melburn?”
“No, Jocelyn.
I—”
Jocelyn
leaned closer and covered his hand with hers, halting his refusal. “It’s a love
match. I understand.” His bergamot and spice scent washed over her, familiar
and comforting. He was a good man and a spurt of envy chased through her.
Silently, she acknowledged her loss and the difficulties she’d experience in
finding another protector of his caliber—someone she could trust not to abuse
her.
“Ashleigh is
a wonderful woman. I wouldn’t see her hurt by spiteful gossip.”
“I’d expect
nothing less from you. It was a lucky day for me when you won me from Boynton.”
And even better he’d become a friend as well as her lover.
Melburn’s
eyes narrowed. “The man is a brute. The minute I saw the bruise on your cheek,
my course of action was clear. Besides”—the tension in his upper body eased—“I
like your red hair.” He reached over to tug on an unfashionable red ringlet,
grinning at her like an errant boy.
“Thank you.”
Her words acknowledged far more than the compliment. He’d rescued her from a
bad situation and, for that, she’d always be grateful. She poured a measure of
brandy and handed it to him before taking a smaller portion for herself. An
abrupt ear-piercing shriek right outside the parlor made her wince. “Perhaps I
should attend to my mother.”
Melburn set
his glass on the mahogany table. “Let me. I’ll take a lantern and check outside
in the alley. Help set her mind to rest.”
Reality
crashed over Jocelyn as she watched him stride from the parlor and disappear
into the hall, the door shutting behind him. This really was the end of their
relationship.
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About
the Author:
Shelley Munro is tall
and curvaceous with blue eyes and a smile that turns
masculine heads everywhere
she goes. She’s a university tutor and an explorer/treasure hunter during her
vacations. Skilled with weapons and combat, she is currently in talks with a
producer about a television series based on her world adventures.
Shelley is also a writer
blessed with a VERY vivid imagination and lives with her own hero in New Zealand.
She writes mainly erotic romance in the contemporary, paranormal and historical
genres for publishers Carina Press, Ellora’s Cave and Samhain Publishing. You
can learn more about Shelley and her books at http://www.shelleymunro.com.
GOODREADS:
http://www.goodreads.com/ShelleyMunro
Synopsis:
