Nightingale
By: Cathy Maxwell
Releasing August 26th, 2014
Avon: Impulse
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At one time, Jemma had meant the world to Dane Pendleton, but then she betrayed their young love by marrying another for his title and fortune.
Now Time has turned the tables. Dane is wealthy, respected, knighted and the widowed Jemma has nothing but her pride.
His honor for hers . . .
Dane’s name is on the lips of every beauty in London. They whisper he learned “tricks” while he was in the Orient. But has he forgotten Jemma, now Lady Mosby, and what they had once meant to each other? And will he accept her devil’s bargain?
In every woman’s life, there is that one love who slipped away. The man who makes her wonder “what if?”
But is this a momentary madness or a chance to rekindle a love that could last a lifetime?
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Nightingale
© 2014 Cathy Maxwell
Her throat tightened. She should speak, tell him her business, but she couldn’t. She feared his reaction once he knew her purpose—
“Playing the sacrificial lamb again?” he asked.
He knew.
Jemma wet her dry lips. Unable to bear his sharp focus, she shifted her own gaze to the flickering candle flame before saying stiffly, “My brother believes he may have been too hasty this evening.”
“Your brother is an idiot.”
Generations of pride flared inside her. She met his eye, started to speak—and then stopped. What could she say? Dane was right . . . and tonight’s foolhardiness proved it.
“Your point is valid,” she answered crisply, “and I may be an even greater idiot for venturing here this night.”
Her honesty was rewarded by the slightest hint of a smile on his lips. She took hope. The man she had once loved would understand why she was here . . . or at least she prayed he did.
She took a step closer to the tight circle of light surrounding Dane and his desk. “Cris was well into his cups this evening. He has had a chance to reflect upon his actions and wishes to retract his harsh words.”
Dane smirked. “What? Has he no male companions with enough respect for him to run this errand? Or the courage to come here himself?”
Jemma knew only honesty would do. After all, isn’t that what she owed Dane? “In truth, Cris doesn’t know I’m here. At this moment he is, uh, sleeping off his excesses of the evening—”
“He’s passed out, drunk,” Dane corrected quietly, and she heard the unspoken censure.
“His friend Oliver told Mother and I what had happened, and it was decided one of us should discuss the matter with you.”
“You mean, your mother decided you should approach me,” he interpreted, “with the hopes I’ll spare your wastrel brother’s life tomorrow.”
CATHY MAXWELL spends hours in front of her computer pondering the question, “Why do people fall in love?” It remains for her the great mystery of life and the secret to happiness. She lives in beautiful Virginia with children, horses, dogs, and cats.
Author Links
Website: http://www.cathymaxwell.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/maxwellcathy
I was right when I thought Dane would probably know Jemma would try to "save" her family again by crawling to him. I'm glad that at least Jemma was honest with him in this conversation. It made Dane respect her a bit more. I'm interested in seeing what direction this conversation will go from here and hope there is a continuing excerpt in the following days. :-) Thanks for the post. jdh2690@gmail.com
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