by Marie Silk
…excerpt from Book 4…
DAVENPORT HOUSE
Heiress Interrupted
M A R I E S I L K
“You should sit down for this, Nellie,” Mr. Whitmore suggested. Nellie seated herself next to her mother, who appeared unusually pale and wore a shawl around her shoulders.
“Are you feeling ill, Mother?” Nellie asked in concern.
“I am with child, Nellie,” Mrs. Whitmore answered softly.
Nellie raised her eyebrows in surprise. “Oh, Mother, how wonderful! I adore babies.”
“This changes things for you, Nellie,” her father continued in a business-like manner. “It is a family tradition for the eldest male to inherit entirely. Your mother and I have chosen to keep this tradition, if we indeed have a son.”
“Do you mean to say that I will inherit nothing if the baby is a boy?” questioned Nellie.
“You understand correctly. However, if we are to have another daughter, the fortune will be divided between the two of you equally,” her father answered.
Nellie stared in bewilderment. She had never considered that she could lose her inheritance. It was a certainty that she had taken for granted her whole life. “But, how will I live?” Nellie asked.
“This is why we we wish to send you to London,” replied her father. “We hope to see you make a favorable match for which we will even supply a dowry. It is not the way that I would prefer it, but you insist that you are unable to find a husband in America. Your Aunt Lucinda has already lined up potential suitors who are sure to meet with my approval.”
“You never approve of my choices,” Nellie pouted.
Mr. Whitmore rolled his eyes. “If this is about that stable boy again, I will not hear another word of it. I do not even want you associating with the Davenports. That family is in the midst of a loathsome scandal.”
“But Mary is my dearest friend,” Nellie protested. “She had nothing to do with the dreadful actions of her family.”
“That family cost us five hundred dollars this year. My decision is final. Do not be so gloomy, Nellie. You will soon be sailing on the Lusitania and meeting new friends of desirable standing.”
About the Author
Marie Silk has enjoyed writing stories and plays since her childhood years. She lives with her family in the United States and frequently travels the globe to learn more about the world and the people in it. Marie is inspired by history and the feats of humanity from ancient civilization to present day. The Davenport House historical fiction saga is her first published series.
Emails may be sent to [email protected].
Cover art by SelfPubBookCovers.com/woofie_2015
Copyright © 2016 by Marie Silk
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
ISBN: 978-09973352-6-2 (print)
ISBN: 978-09973352-7-9 (ebook)
Marie Silk Publishing
P.O. Box 873
Hayden ID 83835
[email protected]