Shunned
No More
A
Lady Forsaken, Book
1
by Christina
McKnight
Genre: Historical Romance,
Regency
Publisher: La Loma Elite
Publishing
Review by pearlsI adore Regency romances, so when asked to read this one, I jumped at the chance. Afterall, who doesn't love a good scandal. Years ago, the shocking behavior of a young debutante set in motion the ton's much anticipated event: the meeting of Lady Viola and the brother of the men she seduced to their death. But hatred is the last thing he feels when Brock sees her. Exiled from London, Lady Viola has been running a horse farm under the name of her father's land. She has matured, resolved to righting her wrongs. From duels at sunrise to stolen stable kisses to walks in Hyde Park to elegant balls, this novel encompasses much of the Regency time period. She is as independent as an indulgent father will allow, bowing to his ultimate commands. He is just as trapped by the societal hierarchy as the young debutante was, both products of a fickle ton. A very enjoyable read, which I recommend.
Book Description:
A Lady Shunned by All…
Brock Spencer, Earl of Haversham,
only wants vengeance. Recently returned from his military service to the King,
his plans include repairing his family estate, finding a bride, and destroying
the girl responsible for the untimely death of his twin brothers. What he doesn’t
anticipate is falling in love with the only woman who should never be part of
his future.
An Impossible Match, Destined to Be…
EXCERPT
April
1806
Viola clutched the handle of
her pink parasol to her chest tightly in anticipation of the spectacle to come.
Her gaze fixed on the two figures shrouded in the early morning fog of Hyde
Park. The men, really only boys, began to count as they paced away from each
other. Shiny, pearl-handled pistols positioned in their right hands were at the
ready.
She clamped her lips tight to
suppress the giggle that threatened to escape.
Who would have thought that
she, Lady Viola Oberbrook, would have two men seeking her hand in
marriage...and in the first week of her very first season, no less? That they
were the twin sons of Lord Haversham was an even greater coup de grǎce
for her. She’d be the envy of every debutante. The talk of the town. As well
she should be! Her father was the Duke of Liperton, after all.
If only she’d found a way to
get all of London here to witness the duel. She’d done what she could by
leaving word with Mrs. Tenchard. The old gossipmonger was sure to spread the
word more quickly than Vi could spend her monthly allowance at the milliner’s
shop.
And Vi prided herself on her
ability to spend her father’s money.
“Miss Viola, beg’n yer
pardon, but it be wise to don ye wool kid gloves,” her lady’s maid, Sarah,
whispered beside her.
“Shhhh,” Vi hissed in return,
raising her hand for Sarah to hold her tongue. She didn’t want to miss a single
moment of what was to come. She would remember this for the rest of her
existence. The day two men of the haute ton battled in her honor.
She sighed.
The twins—Cody, with his hair
cut longer than the current fashion permitted, and sporting a determined glint
in his eye, and Winston, with his smartly trimmed blond hair falling
respectfully above his collar—reached the required twenty-pace distance and
turned.
Their pistols fired in
unison. Vi’s heart soared. Her first duel...and certainly not her last, if she
had anything to say in the matter.
The swift morning breeze
pushed the smoke from the scene as both men dropped to the ground, soggy with
morning dew. Shouts of urgency rang out in the air. Men rushed in to assist the
twins.
A cold chill inched up her
spine; her breath caught in her lungs.
Neither man moved.
A sharp inhale of breath
sounded next to her, but Vi was hesitant to remove her attention from the scene
as the pungent smell of a spent firearm reached her.
“Call Doc Durpentire. Post
haste!” bellowed Mr. Rodney Swiftenberg. As a distant relative of the
Havershams’, Swiftenberg stood as Cody’s second during the duel. Others,
vaguely familiar, knelt over both fallen men.
The gossip rags would have
much to write about this day. Vi could hardly wait to see her name in print.
Maybe her father would increase her dowry, seeing as she would be in high
demand by the day’s end.
“Miss,” Sarah called. “I think
it best we be head’n home. Ye Pa is going to be right mad when he finds you
snuck out and now these poor men be lying dead at ye very feet.”
“Surely you jest. They are
simply play acting for dramatics...in my honor, I do suppose.” Viola eyed the
two groups of men where they stood, their heads shaking in turn. One took his
coat off and laid it gently over Cody’s still body. Vi’s glare snapped to
Winston, where another man shook out a horse blanket. The thick, coarse
material drifted on the morning breeze and settled on the second body.
She studied the scene in
front of her. It had the potential to be ever so romantic. A story she would
regale her grandchildren with. It was a shame neither twin was the first born
and, therefore, unworthy of her hand. But she’d seen no reason to inform them
of this minor issue and spoil her fun. They’d find out soon enough.
Slowly, the eyes of every
person present settled on her. She took a step back at the harshness of their
stares. Her chilled hand rose to cover her mouth. She wanted to tell them to
avert their eyes; she was the daughter of a Duke. They need show the respect
due her. None of these men held a title higher than Baron. How dare they look
at her thus?
A tall, slender man carrying
a large cloth bag rushed to Winston. She assumed this was Doc Durpentire. He
would have both men patched up in no time. But with both Cody and Winston
taking a bullet, their feud would not be resolved. Viola imagined what the pair
would think up next to prove one deserved her hand over the other. Perhaps a
curricle race through Mayfair District. She knew she would be able to convince
Cody to let her ride along on the adventure. She could practically feel the
wind against her face as the carriage took the corners at a high speed,
shifting across the seat so that her soft body might come to rest against
Cody’s hard one.
Imagine what the silly,
empty-brained young females would think. They’d envy her further. An unbidden
smile played across her lips.
The doctor drew the heavy
blanket aside and his hands moved over Winston’s body. Then, they stilled. His
head dropped forward. He spoke to the men around him, but Vi was too far to hear
their conversation.
Rodney, hands shoved deep in
his pockets, moved in her direction.
“Whatever is the matter with
them?” she asked when he was close enough to hear.
“I think you should go, Lady
Viola. This is not a scene any innocent maiden should witness,” Rodney replied.
His blond hair was so much like Cody and Winston’s, but his attitude had always
struck her as arrogant for a man with no title or wealth to speak of.
“Who are you to order me
about?” Viola closed her parasol with a swift click and handed it to Sarah, her
hands coming to rest on her rounded hips.
“It is not the time for this.
My cousins...they are both dead.” Rodney paused. “I must alert my uncle to his
misfortune.”
“You are mistaken.”
“I assure you, no mistakes
have been made this day.” He abruptly turned, stalking back to the crowd
gathering between the fallen men.
He must be jesting, Viola
thought. She looked between the fallen pair again, their motionless bodies so
at odds with the twins she’d come to know in recent days. The heat of
exhilaration drained from her as a hand
settled at her elbow. Viola felt the calloused fingertips through her thin
morning cloak.
“We should be going, Miss.”
Vi shook Sarah’s imploring
touch from her arm and tried to focus her gaze on something—anything—other than
the lifeless men on the ground.
“Well,” Viola stated. “This
was…” Dread clawed at her insides, and her spirit shattered as she stared at
the two men lying prone and unmoving before her. “…unexpected.” Her entire life
had been leading up to this moment—a life of societal demands and the rigors
one had to follow to be accepted. A life that had just stopped, as quickly as
those of the two men who now lay dead. Dead.
She had murdered these men—the realization came at her all at once, even as her
mind rebelled. Cody and Winston, the silly twins who had entertained her so,
were no more. Yet, she continued to breathe. With each breath, standing in the
chill of early morning in Hyde Park, she felt the obligations of her station,
its standards and protocols too powerful for a seventeen-year-old girl to
overcome.
She glanced around her for
help, for someone to tell her what to do, but all focus was on the boys on the
ground. Years of being taught how to behave hadn’t prepared her for anything
like this.
“Miss, what should we do?”
“I suppose we should…” She
cleared her throat. “I suppose it is time to start over.” She sensed, somehow,
that starting over might be impossible.
“Start over, Miss?” Her
maid’s dark brow pulled low over her eyes.
Viola straightened her already
impeccably postured back and forced her prized smile before continuing. “To
find another suitor, you silly girl! This time, I intend to set my sights a bit
higher.” She spun on her heels, determined not to stumble, to not falter before
so many. She started back towards her carriage, moving through the men without
meeting anyone’s eye, feeling the weight
of their stares as she passed. It didn’t matter. She had the evening’s
entertainments to prepare for and an image to uphold—no matter the cost to her
soul.
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I'm so glad you enjoyed Shunned No More! Thank you for the review and feature!
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