The Sweetest Touch

Louisa wakes from a deep heavy fog, surrounded by strangers and horrified to discover she's been the sole victim of a terrible buggy accident. Worse... she remembers nothing. Trevor Worthington, Duke of Kenbridge, can’t trust women. Yet after nearly killing the amnesiac Louisa, he has little choice but to open his home to her. His heart softens to the straggly woman in beggar's garb as he strives to help her regain her memory. As proof of Louisa's scars, both physical and those lurking beneath the surface, come to light, Trevor finds himself more and more drawn to the mysterious woman. However he is hesitant to enter another nightmarish entanglement like his first marriage. Louisa is all too happy to accept employment in the Duke's household though it quickly becomes apparent she doesn't fit in at all! For starters she speaks French and has no skills to speak of. Bits and pieces of conflicting memories flash through her mind, lending more confusion to the puzzle of her life. Fortunately the duke proves ever patient with her myriad of mistakes and Louisa finds herself falling in love with the kind, brooding man. As their budding relationship progresses from improper to scandalous Louisa's memory begins to return. Dare she tell Trevor the horrible truths of her past? That she belongs to an evil man known only as Macgregor. As the heartbreaking facts of Louisa's past are exposed and decade old questions come to light, will the truth keep these lovers from happiness? Will Trevor be able to give love another chance? Or will Louisa's sweet touch prove yet another forgotten memory... “Come. I’ll take you down and introduce you to the kitchen staff.” Mrs. Smythe led the way, out of the bedroom and down the stairs. Louisa’s steps weren’t as hurried as the other woman because she couldn’t stop admiring the decorations, statues, and paintings along the way. The duke certainly had a lovely home, and so very large. As they passed a room with an open door, she took a quick peek inside. The room stood empty, except for a few furnishing along the walls. A ballroom. Louisa's thoughts came to a halt as did her footsteps. Yes, indeed this was a ballroom. In fact, even now she could hear the orchestra playing as her mind imagined couples dancing and sweeping around the room like a flutter of colorful butterflies. She closed her eyes as the vision grew. A little girl, standing back, watching...dreaming. The deep laughter of an older man as he picked her up in his arms and swung her around, making her feel like a princess. The image of his face was fuzzy, but he had curly blond hair and a square jaw. The little girl’s voice whispered the word, Father. Louisa snapped alert, her heart beating frantically. A throb in her forehead began, and the harder she tried to remember, the worse the pain became. Had she remembered something from her past? Realizing she’d been daydreaming, a sharp stab of panic pierced through her. Imbecile! Stop laggin’ behind and get to work or ye’ll be sorry! The warning echoed through her head, but it didn’t come from her voice. The man’s raspy tone chilled her bones and quickened her step to catch up with the housekeeper. She knew as sure as she breathed, that daydreaming was not an option. But why would she think about being in a ballroom? Apparently, she must have been a servant for a wealthy family and had witnessed the father dancing with his young daughter. She frowned. If only she could remember her own family. Perhaps it wasn’t wise to remember. Because of the scars on her back, she knew she hadn’t had a life of luxury. Determined to make His Grace proud, she squared her shoulders and quickened her pace. As she turned a corner, still trying to reach Mrs. Smythe, she walked into a muscular figure of a man. His large hands grabbed her shoulders to keep her from falling and she looked up into the startled eyes of Kenbridge. His rugged appearance and more-than-handsome face cauAbout the AuthorSince Marie Higgins was a little girl playing Barbies with her sister, Stacey, she has loved the adventure of making up romantic stories. Marie was only eighteen years old when she wrote her first skit, which won an award for Funniest Skit. A little later in life, after she’d married and had children, Marie wrote Church roadshows that were judged as Funniest and Best Written. From there, she branched out to write full-length novels based on her dreams. (Yes, she says, her dreams really are that silly) Marie has been married for twenty-six years to a wonderful man. Together, they have three loving daughters and several beautiful grandchildren. Marie works full time for the state of Utah, where she has lived her entire life. Marie plans to keep writing, because the characters in her head won’t shut up. But her husband smiles and pretends this is normal. Visit her website / blog to discover more about her – http://mariehiggins84302.blogspot.com