PROMO- Ripples in the Water

1609. Three years after seven Catholic conspirators are executed alongside Guy Fawkes for their part in the infamous Gunpowder plot...

Celeste Darwent trudges the lonely, barren wilds of Hawkridge. Sold to the Captain of the Black Moth for a princely sum she escapes this fate unaware her life is forever destined to be a part of his no matter where she should run, or how far, for she no longer has memory of their past, or the son she's borne, but for whom her body no longer yearns...

until she reaches Teigne Hall, and is confronted with a man bearing a most remarkable resemblance to the Captain of the Black Moth.

Darby Manderville, Earl of Hawkridge, had thought to rescue an unfortunate beggar from certain death on the moor, but discovery of a long lost family heirloom sewn within the hem of her dress revises that opinion. Resentment, prejudice and contempt soon take the place of his compassion...

The daughter of a traitor, Celeste Darwent comes to Teigne Hall a haunted woman, yet, her presence ultimately shatters Darby's life as, unwittingly, she unlocks a secret best left alone. A secret whose affect, like Ripples in the Water, influence both their lives.Yet, she, too, carries a secret; one that, should it be discovered, would see her hung...

Lord Hawkridge will, in the end, need choose between his love for Celeste, and his duty to his king; and determine if he could truly be father to his brother's child.

Read an excerpt: You, who must despise me my contempt

Her fingers tightened about the door handle."It would be wrong of me now to concern you further with my affairs," she said evenly, "you, who must despise me my contempt."
"I do not despise you," Darby replied levelly.
"Your manner suggests otherwise." She heard his tread draw near, and steeled herself against the intensity that was him.
"To retain my sanity," he said his voice taut, "I cannot allow myself to think about something I cannot have."
The reflection in his voice pierced deep into her heart, and a small cry bubbled forth from her lips. Her heart had been closed to him, yet he'd found a way to unlock it, throwing her emotions once more into confusion. Why must he tell her this? She could feel his warmth around her drawing her to him like a blanket. Their blanket.
Mustering her strength she stepped back into the room, and distanced herself from him. "It didn't occur to me that you were sincere in your feelings for me," she said her voice scarcely above a whisper.
"I gave you no reason to believe it," Darby admitted. He moved again towards her, but she stared ahead of her, her manner determined. She didn't wish to be reminded of a time she could never know again.
"You owed me no consideration, my lord," she replied, "nor did I expect it. We shared a strong attraction for each other, and I, too, am guilty of what happened between us."
"Guilt? Is that why you refuse me? Is that why you run from me?" His breath stirred her hair. Celeste closed her eyes, and clasped her hands tightly against her stomach. The simplicity of his questions conveyed the anguish from which they'd been expressed. She turned slowly to face him. His uttered words still lingering in the air, his vulnerability laid rather unexpectedly bare to her.
Digital release- April 27th, 2007
Available in PRINT- June 22nd, 2007
http://www.thewildrosepress.com

Michelle Chambers
www.miwi-carpediem.blogspot.com