Honour's Choice
Page 31
Hadleigh’s grin altered into fierce love. He plunged as she raised her hips to him.
Sarah followed his lead, clenched as rapture began. Boundless joy filled her when an answering tremor rocked him.
Threading their fingers together, Hadleigh braced against her hands as he sank into her and gasped, “My beautiful, beautiful bride.”
Wonder-filled, Sarah realized she would always be beautiful beneath his gaze. Then Hadleigh thrust and Sarah surrendered to the spiralling intensity. She sought it, gave it in return. His pleasure-filled shout mingled with her cry of joy. The wonder of it kept them silent as they held each other and exchanged lingering kisses. Sated and happier than she had ever thought possible, Sarah snuggled against Hadleigh. She held his head and kissed the tips of his fingers as he traced a circular pattern on her arm. She was surprised when a yawn threatened and tried to stifle it.
“Hush now, love. You have had a long day. It is time to sleep.”
“But I—”
“We have the rest of our lives so sleep now,” Hadleigh said. Cradling his drowsy wife, he gazed at her with a heart brimming with love. Thank God for you, he prayed. A thought, alien and yet right, came to him. “But for George,” he murmured in awe, “I would never have found you.”
Then he realized that pain and fear would always be a part of love. That through them, joy became boundless. Hadleigh nuzzled his wife’s bare shoulder. When Sarah opened her eyes and smiled a welcome he knew their joy was beyond measure.
HONOUR’S CHOICE FEBRUARY 1809—DECEMBER 1809
The Honour Series Characters in order of appearance:
Hadleigh Tarrant— nephew of Adrian Tarrant, Earl of Tretain, recruited to become a government agent by best friend André Ribeymon, Baron de la Croix
André Ribeymon, Baron de la Croix—Lady Juliane Tretain’s nephew whom she rescued as a young child with his infant sister from France during the Terror. She and her husband, the Earl of Tretain, raised them as their own. Presents a foppish appearance and manner to conceal his work as an English government agent
Earl and Countess Tretain—Adrian Tarrant, former English Government agent and Juliane Perrill. Home estate is Trees in Berkshire
Sarah, Lady Edgerton—widow of Sir Rufus Edgerton, Baronet, who uses her knowledge of herbal medicine to care for the people in the Lewes area
Elminda Edgerton—Sarah’s sister-in-law
Donatien—French master spy famous for his disguises seen as English Squire George and then as French emigré Jacques Porteur (Book 1 Debt), and the French spy Chercheur and the Prussian officer Berthold von Willmar (Book 2 Choice). Letu (dies May 30 1809) and Gano are his henchmen
Petit—dwarf brother of Donatien who acts as his butler and valet
Gilmar Crandall—physician from Lewes who treats Hadleigh while at Edgerton Manor
Molly—abigail to Sarah, Lady Edgerton who also assists her with her medical treatments
Darton—long-time Edgerton butler
Bob Cauley—former sergeant and batman hired to help take care of Hadleigh at Edgerton Manor. He later becomes Hadleigh’s valet.
Amabelle Edgerton—Lady Edgerton’s step-daughter
Michael Leonard—Lady Edgerton’s younger brother who is an underclerk at the War Office In London
Leora Ribeymon—André’s younger sister raised by the Tretain’s from infancy
Michelle, Ann Marie, Louis and Daniel Tarrant—children of the Earl and Countess of Tretain
Quentin Bellaport, Viscount Broyal and his wife Madeline (Maddie—their story is in Book 1) Former Major of the 15th Light Dragoons (Hussars)
Major Lord Blake Danbury of the 15th Light Dragoons (Hussars)—3rd son of the Duke of Devereaux, scar runs down right cheek
Captain Lucian Merristorm of the 15th Light Dragoons (Hussars)—renounced his honorary title as Earl Gilchrist; is known for his courage in battle but also for his drinking and wenching
Lieutenant Samuel Goodchurch of the 15th Light Dragoons (Hussars)—nicknamed Vicar due his constant quoting from the Bible
Lieutenant James Vincouer of the 15th Light Dragoons (Hussars)—Lady Maddie Bellaport, Viscountess Broyal’s first cousin; went missing on the Spanish Peninsula during the retreat to Corunna in 1808-09
ISBN 978-9852913-2-7 and 9781610849906
Copyright 2013 Joan Wesolowsky
Published in 2017 by Belgrave House/Regency Reads
All Rights Reserved
This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away. If you would like to share this book with another person please purchase another copy. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it or it was not purchased for your use, please purchase a copy. Thank you for respecting this author’s work.
Honour’s Choice is a work of fiction. The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
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About Joan Vincent
Joan Vincent lives with her husband in Kansas. Her hobbies include sewing for and playing with her young grandchildren, crocheting, quilting, and flower arranging. Her husband claims her favorite hobby/passion is filling an ever-increasing number of bookcases with books on all facets of 18-19th century English, French, and Spanish life and politics. Her previously published ebooks are available at Regency Reads
Read more about Joan Vincent and her books at JOANVINCENT.NET
Email Ms. Vincent’s at JVREGENCY@GMAIL.COM
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Dedication
Thank you, Vera, dearest and best of sisters.
To my “sister” Marilyn. Thank you for your enthusiastic help.
The Honour Series Book 1
HONOUR’S DEBT
Maddie Vincouer conceals her father’s death in 1809 after promising to save her family from Cousin Sanford’s greed. A Riding Officer’s persistence endangers this pretence with his demands to meet her father. Chance reveals her secret to the cruel French spy Donatien.
Matters go completely awry when Maddie aids a wounded “free trader”. Unknown to her, the free trader is Major Quentin Bellaport. He has accepted an assignment to pursue a spy in order to meet and repay the debt owed for his life to Maddie’s cousin Jamey by wedding her.
Sanford’s appearance and demand Maddie marry him, the Riding Officer’s hunt for the free trader, Bellaport’s pursuit of the French spy, and he and Maddie falling in love hasten a final confrontation between all. Maddie faces a funeral, a wedding, kidnappings, and a deadly encounter on a moonlit beach. In a desperate attempt to save her Bellaport enlists the help of Baron de la Croix and rolls the dice on the fate of all their lives as he pays HONOUR’S DEBT.
The Honour Series Book 2
HONOUR’S CHOICE
1809 England. To protect his foster brother, Baron de la Croix, young Hadleigh Tarrant joins him in the hunt for government bullion thieves. Captured and tortured by their leader Donatien, Hadleigh is left to die.
Sarah, Lady Edgerton, a frumpy middle-aged widow, nurses the critically injured Hadleigh when he is found near her home despite the danger to her reputation.
Their hearts choose each other, but Hadleigh is haunted by the tragedy of his parent’s marriage and fears that love will cause him pain worse than that of any torture. Sarah, trapped by the years between them and a secret that would turn him from her forever, tries to hide her love and do what is best for Hadleigh by giving him up.
Donatien, malicious French spy appears determined on purloining military secrets. He is also intent upon a revenge that threatens Sarah and Hadleigh’s growing love and their very lives. Hadleigh must discover the spy’s identity before he and Sarah can decide between dishonour and HONOUR’S CHOICE.
Please note the author has used British spellings throughout.