Welcome to my stop on author Shelley Munro’s Virtual Book Tour for Mistress of Merrivale, presented by Bewitching Book Tours. Please leave a comment or question for
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Mistress of Merrivaleby Shelley MunroGenre: Historical romancePublisher: Samhain PublishingDate of Publication: March 25, 2014ISBN: 978-1-61922-060-7ASIN: B00GPOWVESNumber of pages: 281Word Count: 86,000Cover Artist: Kim KillionBook Description:A marriage of convenience…full of inconvenient secrets.Jocelyn Townsend’s life as a courtesan bears no resemblance to the life she envisioned in girlish dreams. But it allows her and her eccentric mother to live in relative security—until her protector marries and no longer requires her services.Desperate to find a new benefactor, one kind enough to accept her mother’s increasingly mad flights of fancy, Jocelyn is nearly overwhelmed with uncertainty when a lifeline comes from an unexpected source.Leo Sherbourne’s requirements for a wife are few. She must mother his young daughter, run his household, and warm his bed. All in a calm, dignified manner with a full measure of common sense. After his late wife’s histrionics and infidelity, he craves a simpler, quieter life.As they embark on their arrangement, Leo and Jocelyn discover an attraction that heats their bedroom and a mutual admiration that warms their days. But it isn’t long before gossip regarding the fate of Leo’s first wife, and his frequent, unexplained absences, make Jocelyn wonder if the secrets of Merrivale Manor are rooted in murder…Warning: Contains mysterious incidents, a mad mother who screeches without provocation, scheming relatives, and a captivating husband who blows scorching hot and suspiciously cold. All is not as it seems…and isn’t that delicious?
Excerpt
“M-married?”
Jocelyn Townsend clamped her hands in her lap and frantically sought the right
words for the occasion. “Congratulations.”
Tobias Sherbourne,
the Earl of Melburn, beamed. Happiness lit his craggy face, taking it from
ordinary to compelling. His eyes sparkled, the bright blue emphasized by his
snowy white wig. “I’ve offered for the Neville girl.”
“I wish you happy,
Melburn.” Jocelyn’s spine pressed against the back of the damask sofa, the
squeeze of her stays grounding her again. Gossip and rumors had circulated for
months now. Yes, she’d known Melburn’s declaration would come, but hearing it
still hurled her into panic. She wanted to vent her frustration for everyone to
witness, but of course, she didn’t. Her mother was the only person who shrieked
in this household.
She picked up the
teapot. “Tea? Or would you prefer something stronger?”
“Brandy, please.”
Melburn straightened from his casual lean against the mantle.
A raucous feminine
screech pierced the air and tea sloshed from the spout. Jocelyn sighed
inwardly, forcing her smile to remain intact while she set the china pot down.
Not again.
“Perhaps we would
both benefit from something stronger.”
She rose and
maneuvered her skirts around her mahogany table and a square-backed chair to
ring for a maid. The high-pitch scream repeated, louder and closer to the
parlor. Jocelyn flinched, shooting a pained look at the closed door.
On her return,
Melburn took possession of the seat opposite her, his large frame dwarfing the
delicate furniture. “How is your mother?”
One would think the
ear-piercing shrieks were nothing out of the ordinary, given his calm demeanor
but, after two years as her protector, her mother’s peculiarities no longer
disturbed him.
A maid appeared,
and Jocelyn relayed her request for a bottle of brandy and two glasses. It
mightn’t be the thing for a woman to drink strong spirits, yet if ever there
was a time for her to imbibe, it was tonight. The maid’s face blanked, although
she curtseyed in acquiescence and hurried off to complete her errand.
“My mother is
having a bad turn. She insists someone is watching the house and spying on us.”
It was a relief to share the latest drama with Melburn.
“Have you
investigated to allay her concerns?”
Jocelyn resisted
the urge to roll her eyes. “We have been more vigilant than usual. I haven’t
noticed anyone suspicious and neither has Woodley or Tilly, but Mother is
steadfast in her charges.”
Her butler and her
mother’s nurse were equally adamant no one lurked in the alley outside their
Cork Street house. While it wasn’t the best location in London, a night
watchman patrolled the surrounding streets, and lamps chased away most of the
gloomy shadows once evening fell.
The maid returned
with a tray bearing the requested brandy.
“Would you like to
adjourn to the bedroom, Melburn?”
“No, Jocelyn. I—”
Jocelyn leaned
closer and covered his hand with hers, halting his refusal. “It’s a love match.
I understand.” His bergamot and spice scent washed over her, familiar and
comforting. He was a good man and a spurt of envy chased through her. Silently,
she acknowledged her loss and the difficulties she’d experience in finding
another protector of his caliber—someone she could trust not to abuse her.
“Ashleigh is a
wonderful woman. I wouldn’t see her hurt by spiteful gossip.”
“I’d expect nothing
less from you. It was a lucky day for me when you won me from Boynton.” And
even better he’d become a friend as well as her lover.
Melburn’s eyes
narrowed. “The man is a brute. The minute I saw the bruise on your cheek, my
course of action was clear. Besides”—the tension in his upper body eased—“I
like your red hair.” He reached over to tug on an unfashionable red ringlet,
grinning at her like an errant boy.
“Thank you.” Her
words acknowledged far more than the compliment. He’d rescued her from a bad
situation and, for that, she’d always be grateful. She poured a measure of
brandy and handed it to him before taking a smaller portion for herself. An
abrupt ear-piercing shriek right outside the parlor made her wince. “Perhaps I
should attend to my mother.”
Melburn set his glass
on the mahogany table. “Let me. I’ll take a lantern and check outside in the
alley. Help set her mind to rest.”
Reality crashed
over Jocelyn as she watched him stride from the parlor and disappear into the
hall, the door shutting behind him. This really was the end of their
relationship.
About
the Author:
Shelley Munro is tall and curvaceous
with blue eyes and a smile that turns masculine heads everywhere she goes.
She’s a university tutor and an explorer/treasure hunter during her vacations.
Skilled with weapons and combat, she is currently in talks with a producer
about a television series based on her world adventures.
Shelley is also a writer blessed
with a VERY vivid imagination and lives with her own hero in New Zealand. She
writes mainly erotic romance in the contemporary, paranormal and historical
genres for publishers Carina Press, Ellora’s Cave and Samhain Publishing. You
can learn more about Shelley and her books at http://www.shelleymunro.com.
WEBSITE: http://www.shelleymunro.com
GOODREADS:
http://www.goodreads.com/ShelleyMunro
PINTEREST: http://www.pinterest.com/ShelleyMunro
TWITTER: http://www.twitter.com/ShelleyMunro
AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE: http://www.amazon.com/Shelley-Munro/e/B001JOWGNK
NEWSLETTER: http://eepurl.com/A2xfH
Thanks so much for having me to visit today :)
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