by Sahara Kelly
Oh God. Already?
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Julia and the Devil introduced readers to three interesting heroes, Lucius Gordon, Charles Fontaine and Delaney Deverell. Their world is the Regency, their characters representing what a true Regency gentleman should be, and their romances far from smooth sailing.
Charles Fontaine found that out when he learned of a surprise inheritance and exactly what it entailed…
THE FIFTH WIFE – Available at Amazon.com (or read for free with your Kindle Unlimited membership)
Excerpt:
“There’s been a terrible mistake.”
Charles Fontaine stared aghast at the sheet of paper in his hand. “There has to be. It’s impossible. Can’t happen. Not to me. No. No no no.” He shook his head in denial.
“I’m afraid there is no mistake, sir.”
“But I’ve barely heard of these people, let alone met them. How can I be related?”
Stanley Tothill, who looked every inch the lawyer he was, maintained an impartial gaze on the man in front of his desk. “Sir, you know that there is a Lord Penvale, Baldur Asmund, in your family tree.”
“I believe I’ve heard the name, but I’ve never met him. Don’t even know where the blasted man lives. Lived.” His response was grudging, and he knew it. But at this moment, it was the best he could do because he really couldn’t recall anything about the Penvales or anyone named Asmund.
Tothill leaned back in his chair and crossed his hands over his ample belly. “Lord Penvale’s mama was your grandmother’s sister.”
“So she was my great aunt.” He frowned. “That makes Lord Penvale my…what, exactly?”
“Second cousin, I believe. Perhaps once removed?” The lawyer frowned as well. “I’m not one hundred percent positive about that, but I can assure you the rest of these documents are clear and accurate. You are the next male in line to inherit the Penvale title. No doubt about it.”
“I don’t want it. There must be someone else.”
“There isn’t. Which is why you are here.”
Charles sighed. “I gave up a trip to spend the week with friends I haven’t seen in quite some time to meet with you, Mr. Tothill. And now you tell me that I’m going to be a Lord? I don’t want to be Lord of anything.”
“Well I’m sorry about that, Lord Penvale, but as of today, you are indeed the holder of that title.”
“So the original passed away.” He returned his gaze to the last will and testament of a relative he’d never met. “And without sons, obviously.”
“Indeed. There was no male issue, or any other male in the direct line. An unfortunate situation. Lord Penvale lost his first wife in childbirth, and also his second. His third succumbed to the ague, and the fourth met her end in a riding accident.”
“Good God.” Charles blinked at that piece of information. “Marriage to him was a death sentence.”
Tothill repressed a grin. “Not an inaccurate description, I suppose, although I prefer to think of it as a run of bad luck. However, his fifth wife seems to be quite well.”
“Five?” Charles sagged against the desk. “Well, I have to hand it to him. I don’t suppose the family motto was ‘Never Give Up’ in Latin or something?”
“I have no idea. Although if it was, I would assume it would have been in Norse.”
“Of course. The Viking inheritance.” Once again, Charles sighed. He was well over six feet tall with dirty blond hair, so there was no denying the ancestry that linked him to that line. He also had the obligatory blue eyes and a broad set of shoulders to go with them. It had not been easy at Eton and Cambridge, but once he’d achieved his full height, few dared bully him beyond what was acceptable.
Right now, he could have done without the height, the eyes and the hair color. But he was stuck with them, as well as this damnable will.
He gave up, reached for a chair and lowered himself down in resignation, ignoring the sound of London outside the windows and the crackle of the fire at the far end of the room. “Very well, sir. Give me the facts. I’m not hard up, but any financial gain from the estate will always be welcome. What, other than the lordly coffers, do I inherit?”
“Nothing, I’m afraid. There is no fortune, the actual estate in terms of acreage was sold a generation ago, and it appears that the only things left are the title…”
“And?” Charles lifted an eyebrow as the man paused.
“And…er…a wife.”
There was utter silence for several moments while Charles tried to understand what his ears had just heard. A gust of winter wind rattled the windowpanes and the soft shush of snowflakes made their presence known as they spattered against the glass.
“A what? I could’ve sworn you said wife.” Charles got his voice back.
“I did.”
“No, you didn’t.”
“Yes I did. Honestly. A wife. You know…the female you wed when you’re a man. The one who helps you produce offspring to continue the line.”
“But I don’t have a wife.” Charles struggled.
“I understand. And that’s rather a good thing, actually. Since now there’s no impediment to your taking one.”
“I don’t want one, thank you. I’d only have to give her back.”
“Unfortunately, there is no choice in the matter,” pronounced Tothill in grave tones. “Perhaps I should explain.”
Available at Amazon.com (or read for free with your Kindle Unlimited membership)
About the Author
Sahara Kelly is always happy to explain that her spelling errors aren’t really errors, since she was born and raised in England, where an extra “u” is quite in order. She likes to think it adds colour to her writing. Sadly, it’s not a widely held belief in the United States, so she’d like you to know she still retains a lot from her English childhood even though you won’t see much of it in her spelling.
Arriving in America with her almost-complete collection of Leslie Charteris’ Saint novels and a passion for Monty Python, Sahara’s new life eventually expanded to include a husband, offspring, citizenship, and a certain amount of acclimation to her new surroundings. (She still cherishes that extra ”u” though.)
After close to three decades of writing, Sahara is now enjoying the freedom of the rapidly expanding self-publishing scene and looking forward to many more such experiences. It has opened doors—for Sahara and many other writers. There are now no impediments; no obstructions barring the path from writer to reader. Which is, in many ways, exactly as intended when that first storyteller sat on a rock outside her cave, tugged her bearskin around her shoulders and smiled at her kids across the open fire with the words “Once upon a time...” (or however it sounded several million years ago.)
To find out more about Sahara Kelly and her writing, please drop by her website and visit her at:
Sahara Kelly (Website – http://www.saharakelly.com)
This is where Sahara shares none of the intimate details of her life, but will present you with a list of books she'd like you to buy so that she can go do research on a beach in Aruba and be pampered with massages accompanied by drinks with umbrellas in them. She’ll send you a postcard. Thank you.
When not dreaming of lazing on tropical beaches, Sahara has a relatively active social presence on the Internet. Take a look:
Follow Sahara on Twitter: http://twitter.com/SaharaKelly
Friend her on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sahara.kelly
See what she’s blogging about: http://writersaharakelly.blogspot.com
Follow Sahara at her Amazon.com author page: http://www.amazon.com/Sahara-Kelly/e/B002BMB4LY
You can stay on top of what’s on the way next from Sahara by subscribing to her newsletter here. (http://eepurl.com/bxpvp) She doesn’t send them out too often, so you won’t be swamped with unwanted mail. Sahara loathes that and refuses to inflict it on anyone else so you can go ahead and
subscribe without worrying about it.
Also by Sahara Kelly: (*- co-written with S.L. Carpenter)
The Fifth Wife
Julia and the Devil
Discreet Madness
The Viscount and the Witch
Miss Foxworth’s Fate
Feels So Right*
The WHOLE LOTTA LOVE series
Love in the Cards*
Love on the Road*
Love Under the Lights*
With a Little Help from my Friends (with Ciana Stone)
Letting Off Steam
Winding Her Up
Stripping Her Gears
My Renaissance Romance
Hired Help*
Open House
So Into You*
Faerieland needs YOU
Darkness in the Flames
My Wish
My Prize
My Hero
Feathered Dreams
Showing Off*
And many more…
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Several of the above titles were co-written with friend and writing partner S.L. Carpenter. Together, they have over a dozen books available, each featuring their trademark touches of humor and heat. Their most recent releases are the Whole Lotta Love books – sexy, steamy contemporary romances that will stir your senses and make you laugh at the same time.
These, and a whole bunch of Sahara Kelly’s other books, can be found online for your eReader or eBook software app. Quite a few are also in print. No excuses, people. You can add her stories to your bookshelves physically or digitally. Go get ‘em.
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It is worth mentioning that as of the date of publication of this novel, many authors, Sahara included, are retrieving rights to books that were published over ten years before. So if you’re looking for a particular title from a while back but don’t see it here in this list, please be patient? Such tales need a bit of an overhaul after so many years and re-releasing them takes time. Rest assured, Sahara is planning on unleashing her children at the earliest possible time, so keep up with her on Amazon or via her newsletter (link above) for the very latest developments.
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Sahara would like to mention that four years ago she initiated a new collaboration with her writing partner, S.L. Carpenter. They have blended another of their shared passions — art — and formed an online graphics business focusing on the complicated world of writers. If you’re interested in seeing what they get up to when they’re not writing something twistedly hot and sexy, they’d like to invite you to come visit their business at the link below and check out some of the amazing cover art currently being created by S.L. Carpenter. They’re certainly never bored…
P and N Graphics, LLC