Being Emerald (Skimmerdale Book 2)

by Sharon Booth

  'I can think of better ways to spend the money,' he said. 'Wonder how Honey'll take to having Emerald living under her dad's roof?'

  Eden whistled. 'Going to be fireworks there, I think. But, you know, I really believe she'll have to learn to live with it. Cain's not going to give up on Emerald now, after everything they've been through.'

  'You watch,' he said darkly, 'it'll be bloody Scarlet's turn next. She'll turn up on Cain's doorstep in some crisis or other and, pound to a penny, they'll all end up at Fleetsthorpe.'

  Eden laughed, then slowly turned to face him. 'Thank you for my wedding present,' she told him, her fingers curling around the necklace that he'd presented to her on the morning of the big day and which she'd proudly worn ever since. 'It's absolutely beautiful. You're a real romantic these days, Mr Harland.'

  'You've made me soppy, Mrs Harland,' he said. 'I'll never be able to face Mickey and Adey again. They're gunna rag me nonstop for buying you that.'

  'I never got to give you my present,' she said. 'I meant to do it at the hotel, but we got a bit, er, busy doing other things.'

  'We did,' he remembered, a gleam in his eye. 'But you didn't have to give me a present. I've got everything I ever wanted.'

  'Not quite everything.' Eden rummaged in the pocket of her jeans and brought out an object that she handed to him.

  He stared down at it, hardly believing what he was seeing, then he gazed at her, his eyes brimming with tears. 'When — when did you find out?'

  'A few weeks ago,' she admitted. 'I was going to tell you then, but things got so messed up and I wanted to wait until the right moment. I think this is it. Funnily enough,' she added, 'I think our baby's due around the same time as Beth's.'

  He dropped the pregnancy test on the ground and flung his arms around her, twirling her round in the air until she felt quite dizzy. 'I can't believe it! Oh, my love, this is grand. The best news ever.' He shook his head, looking quite dazed. 'But how? I mean, we weren't trying. After the wedding we said.'

  'My fault,' she admitted. 'With everything that's been going on, I got careless. I shall definitely have to be more careful in the future.'

  He laughed and pulled her gently to his side, and they gazed out together over Fleetsthorpe land which stretched, green and golden, as far as they could see. For a while, neither spoke, as they contemplated a rosy future — one filled with haymaking, sheep shearing, lambing and dipping, harsh winters, glorious summers, Christmas mornings, children's laughter, and the sound of a new baby's cry.

  Eliot broke the silence at last. 'Well, my love,' he said, his voice full of wonder, 'now the adventure really begins.'

  The End

  Acknowledgements

  Being Emerald was a real labour of love for me, in the sense that I adored being back in my fictional world of Skimmerdale with my much-loved characters, Eliot, Eden, Cain et al. That's not to say, however, that it was an easy book to write. Far from it. With so many points of view and intertwining storylines it had me tearing my hair out with frustration on many occasions!

  At such times, I relied on several people to keep me focused and make sure I didn't lose faith in this project, and it's those people I'd like to say my first big thank you to: Steve, Jemma, Julie and Alex – thanks for the pep talks and the reassurance, and for everything you said and did to make me keep going with this huge beast of a book!

  I really do owe my beta-readers a huge debt of gratitude, as not only did they spot typos, but they also came up with some amazing suggestions and insights which really helped me to tighten this story up. Alex, Julie, Jo, Liz and Pat – thank you so much.

  Grateful thanks, once more, to the talented Berni Stevens, who designed the wonderful cover which I absolutely adore, and to Trisha Sherwood for the copy edits and proofreading.

  Thank you to Steve, who drove me to the Yorkshire Dales on several occasions, so I could immerse myself in the "Skimmerdale vibe". And special thanks for all the cups of Yorkshire Tea that you made for me while I got on with the writing. There's no way could I have finished this book without that special fuel, and I didn't even have to ask!

  Finally, thank you to every single one of you for reading Being Emerald. I really can't explain how much it means to me, nor adequately express how much you are all appreciated. Thank you!

  Sharon xx

  About the Author

  Sharon Booth writes heartwarming love stories set in beautiful Yorkshire. Her books are romantic but fun, and a happy ending for her main characters is guaranteed – though she makes them work for it!

  As well as full-length novels she has written pocket novels for DC Thomson, and several of her “Fabrian Books’ Feel-Good Novels” have also been published in large-print format by Ulverscroft, as part of their Linford Romance Library.

  Her short story, The Other Side of Christmas, was included in the Winter Tales anthology – a collection of seasonal stories by popular writers, in aid of The Cystic Fibrosis Trust and The Teenage Cancer Trust. Her 2017 novel, Resisting Mr Rochester, was awarded a Chill with a Book Readers’ Award.

  Sharon lives in East Yorkshire with her husband and their dog. She is one tenth of The Write Romantics and a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and the Alliance of Independent Authors.

  She has a love/hate relationship with chocolate, is a devoted Whovian, adores Cary Grant movies, and admits to being prone to all-consuming crushes on fictional heroes.

  When she’s not writing, she spends as much time as possible getting her money’s worth from her membership of English Heritage.

  Find out more about Sharon by visiting her website:

  www.sharonboothwriter.com

  Other Books by Sharon Booth

  This Other Eden (Skimmerdale Book 1)

  Eden Robinson was living a quiet, if dull, sort of life, until the fateful day her world collided with that of Honey Carmichael, spoilt daughter of seventies' rock god Cain Carmichael.

  Three years later, working for the Carmichaels in their Cotswolds home, Eden is wondering where it all went wrong, and how much worse things can get. A few hours later she gets her answer when, after an ill-judged kind gesture leads to a major mistake and only one escape route, she finds herself agreeing to head up to the Yorkshire Dales to care for the motherless children of sheep farmer, Eliot Harland.

  Her summer in Skimmerdale is far from easy, as Eden navigates the supermarket with three young children in tow, confronts her fear of horses, and learns the pecking order in the cake tent at the local show – all while dealing with a double identity, a jealous family friend, and a charming blackmailer.

  But as summer draws to a close Eden faces her toughest challenge yet. The man she loves has no idea who she really is, and it seems she's left it too late to tell him. Can she escape the Honey trap in time, or will this sheep farmer discover he's had the wool pulled over his eyes?

  Resisting Mr Rochester (Moorland Heroes Book 1)

  Cara Truelove has always been a romantic, burying her head in books and dreaming of being swept off her feet by her very own Brontë hero. When she was a gullible teenager, she believed boyfriend Seth to be a modern-day brooding Heathcliff. Fourteen years later, when Seth has proved to be more like Homer Simpson, Cara vows never to fall in love again, and turns her back on romance for good.

  Leaving Seth behind, Cara secures a job as nanny at Moreland Hall on the Yorkshire Moors, but is shocked to discover her new employer is none other than the tall, dark, and disturbingly handsome Mr Rochester.

  Her resolve to be more level-headed is soon tested when strange things begin to happen at Moreland Hall. Why is Mr Rochester's mother hidden away upstairs? What are the strange noises she hears from the attic? Why is the housekeeper so reluctant to leave her on her own? And where is Mr Rochester's mysterious wife?

  As events unfold, Cara knows she must keep a cool head, curb her imagination – and resist Mr Rochester at all costs. After all, one Brontë hero in a lifetime is more than enough for any woman. Two would
be downright greedy.

  Wouldn't it?

  There Must Be an Angel (Kearton Bay Book 1)

  When Eliza Jarvis discovers her property show presenter husband, Harry, has been expanding his portfolio with tabloid darling Melody Bird, her perfect life crumbles around her ears.

  Before you can say Pensioner Barbie she’s in a stolen car, heading to the North Yorkshire coastal village of Kearton Bay in search of the father she never knew, with only her three-year-old daughter and a family-sized bag of Maltesers for company.

  Ignoring the pleas of her uncle, chat show presenter Joe Hollingsworth, Eliza determines to find the man who abandoned her mother and discover the reason he left them to their fate. All she has to go on is his name – Raphael – but in such a small place there can’t be more than one angel, can there?

  Gabriel Bailey may have the name of an angel but he’s not feeling very blessed. In fact, the way his life’s been going he doesn’t see how things can get much worse. Then Eliza arrives with her flash car and designer clothes, reminding him of things he’d rather forget, and he realises that if he’s to have any kind of peace she’s one person he must avoid at all costs.

  But with the help of beautiful Wiccan landlady, Rhiannon, and quirky pink-haired café owner, Rose, Eliza is soon on the trail of her missing angel, and her investigations lead her straight into Gabriel’s path. As her search takes her deeper into the heart of his family, Eliza begins to realise that she’s in danger of hurting those she cares about deeply. Is her quest worth it?

  And is the angel she’s seeking really the one she’s meant to find?