Always a Stranger
By: Amara Royce
Releasing May 15th, 2014
When two worlds collide, anything is possible. . .
An international affair, London’s Great Exhibition has taken the city by storm. As its newest Royal Commissioner, Lord Skyler Ridgemont must ensure the performers are properly contracted. Among them is the delicate and graceful Hanako Sumaki. Draped in vivid silk robes, Hanako’s exotic Japanese fan dance captivates Skyler–and he longs to learn more about her. . .
But Hanako’s enigmatic employer keeps his exquisite charge very close. The consummate artist, she shows the handsome nobleman many faces, but never her true heart, which holds a desperate secret. When Skyler learns the real reason Hanako has been brought to London, he will risk his entire world to win her trust–and save her from losing both body and soul. It’s a feat that will require the type of courage only love can give. . .
(Two Digital Copies of ALWAYS A STRANGER or $20.00 Amazon or B&N Gift Card)
EXCERPT
“How amusing,” she said, without smiling. If anything, her placid expression was marred by her infinitesimally furrowed brows. “I have difficulty perceiving humor. What is deemed amusing in one area of the world is most decidedly not in others. The subtleties of British humor sometimes defeat me.”
“How old are you, anyway?”
She stiffened and walked away. The nerve of this man! She had already revealed more to him than she had intended. He was too easy to talk to, and he homed in on topics that tore at her facade. The crushing loneliness she was usually able to keep at bay now surged full force and took her breath away. His footfalls warned that he was following, even before he grasped her arm. He led her rather unyieldingly back toward the entry. She glanced over at him as they walked but would not deign to speak. He looked . . . irritated. Yet he had no right to be so interested.
Her temper flared. He would dare to school her on propriety in light of his behavior? His condescension raised the hair on the back of her neck.
“A thousand pardons, good sir. Excuse my gross misperception. You see, time and again, your demeanor indicates that you do not consider me a proper lady. Rather impressive, given our short acquaintance. My understanding is that a cut is an appropriate response in such offensive situations.”
Abruptly, he stopped walking and released her. “How have I offended?” he asked, incredulous.
“You have to ask?” She matched her tone to his. She stepped back, not caring if people saw. “Tell me, Lord Ridgemont, how often, in casual conversation, do you ask ladies of the ton their ages, as you just asked me? Do you regularly, in their presence, insinuate that they are no more than concubines or courtesans, as you did the first time we met? Do you question, directly to their faces, both their brains and their morals? I would hazard a guess that such inquiries are exceeding rare in polite society.” By this point, she couldn’t help gritting her teeth, adding flatly, “As is putting your hands on a lady against her wishes and dragging her along like a doll, except perhaps to protect her from imminent harm. Tell me, was a coach or wild animal bearing down on me, such that you had to yank me here to safety?”
Author Info
She earned a PhD in English, specializing in 19th-century British literature, from Lehigh University and a Master’s degree in English from Villanova University, and she now teaches English literature and composition at a community college in Pennsylvania.
When she isn’t writing, she’s either grading papers or reveling in her own happily ever after with her remarkably patient family. You can find her at www.amararoyce.com.
Author Links
