I’m so wanting my cover to come for The Viscount’s Vow. But until then. I’ll keep posting the excerpts and what ever image strikes my fancy for the day.
Chapter One.
London, Late April, 1814
Vengeance isn’t sweet.
Ian Hamilton tipped his champagne flute and took a lengthy swallow. It didn’t help. He eyed the pale amber liquid. The insipid wine masquerading as champagne did little to wash away the bitterness lingering in his soul.
A young woman partnered by a fusty old lord whirled by. Ian’s gaze followed her.
Evangeline Caruthers.
After seeking her the better part of an hour, he’d finally found her, or more on point, he’d had her pointed out to him. A half-smile tugged his lips upward as he watched the aged poger trying to steer her into a secluded alcove behind a wall of potted greenery. Even across the ballroom, Ian saw her tromp on the ancient fellow’s foot.
That had been no accident.
For a fleeting moment, his smile stretched into a grin of genuine amusement. It vanished just as quickly. He wasn’t here to be amused, especially by her.
He lounged against the ballroom’s intricately carved doorframe and glanced round the opulent room. The light of dozens of candles reflected off the crystal chandeliers and framed mirrors gilding one side of the room. The dancers were a blur of pulsing colors before the reflective glass.
This was the first social event he’d attended since he resigned his commission in His Majesty’s Army. The first since he’d assumed the duties as the seventh Viscount Warrick. The first since his father succumbed to heart failure brought on by Geoff’s death.
Ian sought Miss Caruthers again. His gaze lingered. His younger brother was dead. Because of her. Like a rapier between his ribs, pain pierced him sharp and fierce, hitching the air in his lungs. He exhaled—a slow, deliberate breath. Narrowing his eyes, he lifted the flute to his lips.
~ * ~
Next week you get a bit more!
The Viscount’s Vow is due to release in September 2013. If you read Highlander’s Hope, then you read about Vangie and Ian after they were married. The Viscount’s Vow tells their story before and during the first part of their marriage.
