Rated R Excerpt 18+ - The Para-Portage of Emily **Book Blitz**

Rated R Excerpt 18+ - 

The Para-Portage of Emily 

**Book Blitz**

The Para-Portage of Emily

The Shadow Seduction Series

By

Muffy Wilson

@SexyMuffyWilson

Emily Macque, a young, beautiful junior partner in her father’s law firm, is but a heartbeat away from love or destiny. Duty brings Emily to a frozen Island estate two hundred and fifty miles north of Chicago. Devotion requires she delve into the property history to settle an estate probate. Death lures her into the arms of the shadows seduction created by the flickering light and dark shadows.

What flames the timeless passions spanning the decades? Love, desire or obsession?

Colin Jorgenson, once a Great Lakes mariner, is a strong man haunted by love and loss. How long will he return each night, gripped by desire, hoping to find the woman he has loved for a century?

Beneath the pristine Island beauty, passions hungered, lingered in the ardent darkness. His passions, fueled by decades of loneliness and longing, could no longer be denied. Will they face eternity together or love in secret as dark things are to be loved between the shadows and the soul?

Loved it!

I just finished The Para-Portage of Emily. Quite the page-turner!! 

I was gifted a free copy by the author and found it to be a cleverly woven plot with descriptive characters you won’t soon forget. I’m not one to give out spoilers, 

but if you like paranormal intrigue, hot romance, and mystery, you will love it. Looking forward to more works by Muffy Wilson as I’m sure they will be just as brilliant. 

~ By Love To Read

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Rated R Excerpt 18+ - The Para-Portage of Emily “Private Abundance”

She whispered his name on the cusp of a plea for him to fill her, fulfill her, complete her as she rode the ribbons of heated release in his embrace. If not for him, she would never know the pleasure of such love, to be loved and adored, revered and honored by his love. Colin slipped fully between the legs of his ladylove and ran his hands full on the length of her sides, under her full and quivering buttocks allowing his fingertips to slip delicately trickling one by one into the crack that separated the alabaster orbs until they dabbled in the warm wetness of her welcome.

He changed position of his hands and raised the soft wet mound where her legs joined and put the treasure to his mouth as he parted the velveteen petals of her pride with his thumbs. He watched as she squirmed at the open display of her womanhood. He pulled the hood back from her erect and engorged clit then sucked it into his mouth as he rolled it between his teeth lightly, but insistently. He held her up to his face and mouth preventing her from any movement of her own.

Amalya’s whispers became moans which increased in volume and frequency until she was begging Colin to fuck her with all his might. She rode his face and pumped his head with her iron-fisted grasp of his hair, but he would not relent. He sucked and probed her pussy with his tongue and fingers until she was screaming with the same frequency as her breasts flagged her waves of response.

“Let go, my love. Let me taste your love and bounty. Let me drink from your fountain of life and only then will I give you what you want.”

Amalya rose up on her shoulders, unable to resist the flicking and pressure from his skillful tongue, his beard framing her most private abundance and she lost her control completely, screaming her release and requited passions into his mouth. Colin buried his face hard against her pussy as his mouth openly kissed her full flared lips and she came in waves of pure gold come as she emptied her love into his waiting lips. When the last wave left her body limp, Colin slid up her body, her legs caught on his chest by his arms and he kissed her deeply, lovingly as he slid easily past her heightened button and into her eagerly awaiting vulva so warm and wet.

Amalya felt Colin go into her deeply, so deep she felt the head of his cock slam the top of her vagina. He stopped, fully in her, filling her completely with his manhood and passion and she felt the pounding of his heartbeat, the pulse of his life, in the head of his cock buried inside her. It was like a fuse that touched off a series of explosions and contractions that sent her totally over the top, panting, begging, pleading, promising, praying for relief. And when it came, it was in uncontrollable gripping torrents of searing volcanic eruptions that scorched and ignited his response. Tonight, she would not taste of him; tonight she would feel him fill her with his molten seed. Tonight she would feel the head of his cock twitch against the heart of her soul with each spurt of his fervor, filling her with his need and sated passions. Tonight, he would warm her for hours—he would stay with her, heating her from the inside as their passions ebbed to embers.

Oh, how she loved this man! What pleasure he brought her. And to think, she fell in love with him when she was a child, the moment she saw him. She could never have known, when she was but a slip of a girl of ten, what this man who shipped for her father would do to her a decade later. She could never know what was in store for her body, for her life, for her heart with this wonderful man who had waited for her to grow into a woman. It was not until she was fifteen that she learned from her father that he promised her to Colin when she was twelve. When she turned sixteen, Colin started to ‘court’ her on his trips up the Saint Lawrence Seaway when he stopped at the Port of Montreal, where she lived, to pick up goods from Europe his clients arranged for him to transport on his ship.

She could never have known what awaited her in his arms. But, she did find out, with eager regularity. And she reveled in her journey into his life and his bed. The first time she ever saw him, he was talking to her father on their warehouse dock, which was a bustle of maritime activity between deck hands, dock men and crates, goods, food and bundles carts and angle irons and donkeys,. She ducked behind a bale where she would watch him unnoticed. Her heart fluttered whenever she was in his presence or he was near. He was much older by a dozen or so years, but it had not mattered to her—Amalya was in love.

And she loved him more now, more than ever. Her heart seemed to grow and swell every time he kissed her. It had been ten years since they wed and while their lovemaking never diminished, she felt a shallow longing for the child they had not yet conceived. But, every time it was like this with him, just like this, Amalya thought. This is the time our love was too strong and powerful this time.

She lay, now in his arms, her head on his broad, clean chest and sighed, thinking the same thing she always thought after their beautifully satisfying lovemaking waned. She would live to love him no matter if there be children or not. Whatever was God’s will Amalya did not question, because she was otherwise completely fulfilled and happy beyond all measure.

She sighed in his arms as he held her close, whispering her name into the flickering shadows created by the dancing flames of light and dark. The beard on his chin brushed against her forehead as he spoke of his love for her.

“This time, my beloved, this time. I know we have created a son to share our love with and bring into this world of ours. You need not ever worry that you will not realize your destiny, because tonight my love, tonight you have. I know it.”

Fall in Love with the Island and Mariner's Maiden

This is a story to savor. Ms. Wilson's descriptions are poetic and enthralling, 

placing the reader in the midst of the story, and the relaxed pace of the story does not lessen the power of suspense. Shrouded in mystery, romance, and eroticism, "The Para-Portage of Emily" is a treat for the senses, 

a haunting indulgence. Despite hints throughout, the ending still surprised me, and though satisfied, 

I regretted the literary journey's end. Highly recommended. I look forward to more from this promising series. ~ By Jordan Stringfellow

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Muffy, author of erotic, romantic stories about love, sex, hope and passion, was born in San Antonio, Texas, to traditional parents. With two older brothers, she was the youngest, the family "princess," indulged and pampered. She adored her older brothers, following them everywhere and was surrounded by love, stimulation, and pets. Her father was a career Colonel and pilot in the U.S. Air Force which required the family to travel extensively. The family lived in most points between Alaska and France. Muffy spent her formative years in Europe and came of age in France.

Returning from France with her family, Muffy finished high school in Northern California and attended the University of California, Davis, and majored in Business Management. 

Muffy entered the work force, independent with a fierce work ethic, and retired at 39 from IBM as a Mid-West Regional Director in the Real Estate and Construction Division. She and her husband moved to a small Island in northern Wisconsin where they owned a historic tavern, restaurant and resort business which they since have sold. They now live a charmed life by the water in SW Florida. Muffy pretends to be a serious real estate business person but, in real life, indulges her private interest in writing sexy novels and sensual romantic literotica ~ Live, Laugh, Love with Passion.

                  I really enjoyed the Para-Portage of Emily

I really enjoyed the Para-Portage of Emily... a skillfully and imaginatively told tale of love, lost and found. Mysterious twists kept me turning the pages until the end. 

Love conquers all, AND it was hot! 

~ By Barbara A. Lyle

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Website | Blog | Twitter | Email | Facebook | FB Fan Page | Mailing List Sign-Up | Google+ | Triberr | Wordpress | Amazon | Ganxy | XinXii | Kobo Books | iTunes Books | Barnes and Noble | All Romance eBooks | Smashwords  | Goodreads | Yellow Silk Dreams Publishing | Secret Cravings Publishing | 

Previously Published:

Secret Cravings, Oysters & Chocolate, Decadent Publishing, Ravenous Romance, Yellow Silk Dreams

Coming Soon:

Moonbeams of Unintended Consequences ~ TBA Spring 2015

Cheerleaders in Heat ~ TBA Summer 2015

Other Novels and Contributions:

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Cross Genre Paranormal Erotic Mystery

Should John Grisham and EL James have a secret love child, she would no doubt pen legal thrillers with a luscious layer of the erotic. They would name their child Muffy Wilson and send her to Stephen King for some pointers in the paranormal.

Wilson, in the obliquely titled "The Para-Portage of Emily", interweaves these three diverse genres into a compelling, magic carpet of a novel that takes Emily Macque from Chicago to a bitter island estate two hundred miles north in the frozen sea. Emily is the striking junior partner in her father’s law firm, her mission, to settle the probate on an estate, her destiny to fall into the arms of Colin Jorgenson, a seaman haunted by a past love that torments his life.

Intelligent, well-written, with fully fleshed out characters and a story with more twists than a spiral staircase, "The Para-Portage of Emily" had me gripped until the very last page. 

~ By Chloe

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Poor Little Daddy’s Girl **Exclusive Excerpt**

The Daddy’s Girl Series is about a group of girls who gravitate towards Daddy Dom/little girl relationships. The hero in Normandie Alleman's release, Poor Little Daddy’s Girl, is a sexy firefighter. Here’s a sample:

Excerpt

It was then he heard the screaming. He entered the apartment, ran down a hallway toward the noise, and quickly located a girl crying in the corner of a bedroom. Even through the haze of the fire, Hunter noticed the pure luxury of the apartment. The silver gilt bed frame looked as if it belonged at Versailles, the craftsmanship was so detailed and over the top.

“Fire department,” he said identifying himself. “Are you alright?” He took the girl by the arm.

She looked up at him with arresting blue eyes. “I think so.”

“Good, let’s get you out of here. Anyone else here?” he asked guiding her back to the door where Mitch was controlling the inferno with the fire-hose.

She shook her head no. “Just me,” she said, a startling loneliness shining in her eyes. He shook it off. He must be imagining things.

Mitch waved them past, “Anybody else?”

Hunter shook his head, “Negative. She’s the only one.”

“Take her down. I got Johnston and Pulaski on their way up. We got this.”

Hunter gave Mitch a thumbs up, put his arm around the girl’s waist and led her into the stairwell.

He took the stairs two at a time and she tried to keep pace with him. Once they reached the first landing, he turned to make sure she was following. She had no apparent injuries, except for possible smoke inhalation, but she was ambulatory, no need for him to carry her.

Taking her in he realized for the first time how beautiful she was. Her wild hair stuck out every which way. The unruly locks consisted of several different colors and it looked more like a mane than any hair he’d ever seen; she reminded him of a lion. Her blue eyes pierced his soul and mesmerized him at the same time. It was an unsettling combination. “Are you sure you’re not injured?” he asked.

“No, I’m okay,” she gazed up at him pitifully. “But my head hurts. Do you think they’ll ever turn off that freaking alarm?” She rubbed her temples.

“Once the fire is out,” he said.

“Crap! Can’t you make it sooner?” she pleaded.

He held out a hand to her and started down the next flight of stairs. “It’s not my job to see that it’s turned off. Somebody who works in the building will have to do it. Come on.”

She stalled on the top step, put her hands on her hips and stuck out a luscious bottom lip. “Can’t you carry me?”

He couldn’t have been more shocked if she’d slapped him. Carry her? Down sixty-something flights of stairs. Who did this bitch think she was, the Queen of England? Some people he’d rescued lost their mind in times of crisis and this girl was definitely one of them if she thought he was going to do that.

Remembering his position helped him control his urge to tell her where to stick it. He’d been passed up for captain once already due to his impulsive behavior in the field. The last thing he needed was the little rich girl making trouble for him. “You’re fine, you can walk,” he said calmly and began walking down the stairs.

She remained on the top step kicking it with her pretty foot, her toenails perfectly manicured with hot pink nail polish. “But my head hurts,” she whined.

“No,” he said firmly. “Now come on.”

“But if I were burned you’d have to carry me down, right?”

“Yes, but you’re not burned, are you?”

She scowled at him.

“Come on,” he ordered her testily.

But rather than complying with his request she sat down on the top step, crossed her arms and rested her forehead on them.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me! Ma’am, there is a fire up there. It is my job to see you to safety. Now let’s go!” His blood began to churn, and he struggled to keep his temper in check.

She didn’t budge.

Exasperated, he climbed the short flight of stairs to her. When he reached her he picked her up, flung her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, and started back down the stairs.

“What are you doing?” she asked, wriggling in his arms. She wasn’t specifically fighting him, but she wasn’t making it any easier to carry her either.

“My job,” he answered her through clenched teeth.

She tussled with him, but he held her tightly and she was no match for his strength. Frustrated little sounds bubbled up from her throat, but he kept going, determined to get her downstairs to safety.

After descending about ten flights of stairs she yelled, “Put me down!” and started kicking at him.

“No,” he answered, afraid her gyrations would send them both tumbling down the stairs.

“But this is hurting my head. All the blood is rushing to my head, plus that noise, it’s killing me.”

“Hold still or I will have to give you a spanking!”

He felt her stiffen. “You can’t be serious.”

“Oh, I’m deadly serious. If you don’t co-operate you’re going to hurt yourself or both of us.”

Bent over his shoulder, she squealed as she beat on his back with tiny fists.

She wasn’t going to behave. This was a woman who liked to play games, and he had little patience for people like that.

She wore a skirt and he knew he should leave her skirt down, but a need deep inside him got the better of him and he pulled it up to reveal two round, tanned globes interrupted by a thin strip of yellow fabric that served as underwear. His breath caught in his chest for a second as he admired her ass.

He knew better. The higher-ups and the paper pushers would try to take his shield if they ever found out about this. But they didn’t know. They wouldn’t last a day in the field and he smiled to himself picturing some of them trying to get this entitled brat down from her ivory tower. It would never happen.

Allowing his frustration to take over he gave her cheeks a smack, and then another. To his surprise his victim didn’t scream or cry out. In fact, he thought he heard her moan, though it was difficult to be sure over the ear-splitting alarm that still rang through the building.

Realizing she could take it, he struck her harder and harder until he felt her tense up and clutch his coat with a whimper. His cock twitched with arousal and he swatted her again with the same velocity. He’d transformed her bottom into juicy reddish-pink globes and realized they would be nice and warm by now.

He paused and removed one of his heavy gloves. The moment his skin touched hers the electricity in the air became palpable. Her smooth, baby-soft skin felt like velvet as he touched it with his fingertips. Then he grazed her bottom with his palm, wishing he were somewhere else doing this under different circumstances.

Remembering himself, he pulled down her skirt and delicately set her on the stairs, her blue eyes wide, her lips slightly parted.

She was speechless.

He had unnerved her, the lovely penthouse-dweller, and he liked it. This chick was probably used to ordering everyone around, always getting her way. Maybe his spanking would wake her up, teach her a thing or two. He stared at her evenly. “Now, you are going to walk the rest of the way down and you are not going to give me any more trouble. Do we understand each other?”

Her lips curled up slightly at the corners and she managed, “Yes, sir.”

Blurb

Twenty-four-year-old Charmaine Bainbridge appears to have it all—beauty, fame, and tremendous wealth—yet behind all the glitz and glamor hides a sad little girl who has been abandoned by every man she’s ever loved.

When firefighter Hunter Baldwin saves Charmaine from a fire in her penthouse apartment—a blaze started by her own carelessness—he’s appalled by her nonchalant attitude. Forced to carry her to safety, he throws her over his shoulder, but not before correcting her behavior with a well-deserved spanking. Something about Charmaine arouses him deeply, and it isn’t just her gorgeous looks. This girl needs to be firmly corrected and thoroughly dominated, and a part of Hunter demands that he be the one to take her in hand.

Though he’s used to charging into burning buildings on a daily basis, Hunter knows taming Charmaine’s wild ways may prove to be his greatest challenge yet. Undeterred, he takes on the role of Charmaine’s daddy dom in hopes of breaking down her defenses and healing her wounds. But can she bring herself to open her heart to him, or will she remain the lonely little rich girl forever?

Publisher’s Note: Poor Little Daddy’s Girl is the third book in the Daddy’s Girl series. It incorporates characters from the first two books in the series, but it is a stand-alone novel. This book includes spankings, sexual scenes, BDSM content, and more.

Buy Links:

Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/pccx2yz

Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/pccx2yz

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Poor-Little-Daddys-Girl-Book-ebook/dp/B00RLXSRM2/

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/poor-little-daddys-girl-normandie-alleman/1121019104?ean=2940150120051

ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-poorlittledaddy039sgirl-1720961-147.html

Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/poor-little-daddy-s-girl

Coming soon to Blushing Books!

You can watch the book trailer for the Daddy’s Girls Series, Books 1-3 here: http://youtu.be/HKslEJO9tGI

Rafflecopter for giveaway for (2) $50 Amazon gift cards: a Rafflecopter giveaway Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/897a2cb941/?

Author Bio: A former psychologist, Normandie has always been fascinated by human behavior. She loves writing quirky characters that are all too human. Fiber arts, baking, and Pinterest are a few of her favorite pastimes. She lives on a farm with a passel of kids, an adorable husband, and a pet pig who’s crazy for Red Bull.

Follow her on:

Twitter at @NormandieA  https://twitter.com/NormandieA

Pinterest at http://pinterest.com/NormandieA

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NormandieAlleman 

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Normandie-Alleman/e/B00BNUDVFW

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6893037.Normandie_Alleman

Her website: www.normandiealleman.com

Charlotte's Restrained: Book 1, The Accidental Stalker

Charlotte's Restrained: 
Book 1 (The Accidental Stalker)

Charlotte's Restrained, a comical fictional tale of what happens when the paths of a celebrity god and a mere mortal collide. 

While vacationing, Charlotte has a chance encounter with a celebrity famous for his lead roles in romantic comedies. Unfortunately for Charlotte, lighthearted banter develops into tabloid fodder. With her career, friendships, and new found romance all impacted, Charlotte sets about dealing with the fallout of her fifteen minutes of fame.

About the Author:
Celia Kennedy

Celia Kennedy was born in Wurzburg, Germany on a military base. Her parents' penchant for traveling the world, via a Volkswagen Minibus with a Porsche engine, sparked her imagination. Staring out the window, sometimes through fog and rain, at other times at blue skies, she began to make up stories for the places and spaces they passed by. The in-between time, the most fascinating to her.

The imagined world has always fascinated Celia. She has studied Landscape Architecture, Architecture, Interior Design, and every other subject matter. Though she eventually graduated from the UW in Seattle in 1996 with multiple degrees, she began her college career in 1983. Like her childhood, it was the ride that was the most entertaining, arrival at a degree, not anywhere as important.

"Write what you know," is a common enough phrase. When combining this concept with her unusual life experiences (working at a Nuclear Submarine Base when Chernobyl blew, testing software Bill Gates kept close tabs on, travelling extensively while quite broke, and falling in love with her boyfriend's close friend) thinking of what to write about isn't challenging; there just needs to be more hours in the day.

Celia published her first book, Charlotte's Restrained, in December 2012, Venus Rising in August of 2013. Kathleen's Undressed, a sequel to Charlotte's Restrained to be published in October 2014. Three other works are in progress.

Currently she lives in Washington State with the loves of her life.

Visit Celia Kennedy & Purchase Charlotte's Restrained Today!

Website 

Facebook 

Twitter: @KennedyCelia

Google+: Celia Kennedy

Pinterest 

Purchase Link: 
Venus Rising 

Venus Rising Video

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A Rough Ride by, CP Mandara **Blog Tour** Adult Content

An Exclusive Excerpt for Audiences 18+ ONLY!

'Right ladies, hands behind your backs because you won't be needing them.' His voice was deep and guttural and she, like the rest of the women assembled, obeyed instantly. He was a big, portly fellow and had a gold front tooth that wouldn't have looked out of place on a gangster. 

The tattoos that littered his forearms and disappeared into the rolled-up sleeves of his bleached white shirt screamed 'do not mess with me!' A team of helpers quickly followed in his wake, and she found herself pressed firmly into the counter by one of them. Her arms, now gracefully pressed behind her, were arranged fingers to elbow in a box-tie, and this was secured at the wrists in a figure of eight knot. They were yanked tight together and the result was that her breasts and shoulders were thrust forward in a rather painful manner.

'Right, you can all turn around now and 'ave your trays fitted. Face forward,' the large man bellowed, and she whipped her body around smartly. Her assistant stood directly in front of her and even though she had known he was behind her, seeing him in the flesh still made her jump. 

He was in his early twenties, either Spanish or Italian in origin, and obviously worked out. Muscles popped out of his shirt in all the right places and he had a sly look about him that spoke volumes. He did not have to work to get women; they fell in a heap at his feet. She wanted to run her fingers through the soft dark curls that rested on his collar bone, and taste the essence of man he was parading around him so boldly. She wouldn't, of course. For one thing, Mark would have his eye on her and it would be more than her life was worth to dishonour him in that fashion. For another, she had her hands tied behind her and any leaning forward on her part would probably cause her to fall flat on her face.

Something cold pressed against her stomach. She'd been so lost in her daydream that she hadn't spotted the clear plastic tray he held in his hands. He was buckling it behind her and as his face leaned over her shoulder to check the fastening, he pressed his lips to her neck. She shivered and hoped to hell Mark's attention was still focused on his meal. His hands lingered on her waist and when his fingers had managed to complete the simple belt fastening, they slid up and down the contours of her spine.

'Stop that,' she whispered, but only half-heartedly, feeling her body tremble beneath his youthful fingers. In response to her command the man playfully nipped her buttock, making her jump.

'Stop horsing around!' bellowed gold-tooth to his staff, unimpressed with their slow progress. 'Fit the trays, gentlemen, and then gag the ladies if needs be.

'As her assistant stepped back Marianna wondered idly how they would manage to fix the trays upright. At the moment hers was hanging over her stomach and the inverted 'V' of her legs. Chains dangled from two points on its outermost rim and if she followed them towards the floor she could just make out the twin jaws of two metal clamps. How on earth would that work? Surely they weren't going to attempt to attach them to her dress? It would fall apart in a matter of seconds.

'Querida, you are going to look muy beautiful when you serve like this,' said the smiling young man, who had proved himself to be Spanish. Marianna raised her eyebrows. She failed to see how going about with a large plastic tray on her stomach was going to... and then realisation dawned. The clamps were for her nipples. 

That was how the tray would be

anchored. One clamp for each nipple and the tray would rest at a forty-five degree angle to her body. Any weight placed upon the tray would be borne by her tender... 

Read more of A Rough Ride by downloading today!

Universal Amazon Purchase Link: http://mybook.to/ARR

Social Media Links: 

FB: https://www.facebook.com/CPMandara

Twitter: @cpmandara

Blog: http://christinamandara.wordpress.com/

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1 x $20 Amazon Gift Card

1 x Complete eBook Series of Pony Tales (5 Books)

20 eBook Copies of Named and Shamed 

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An Exclusive Excerpt From Author, D.L. Carter's 'Crimes of the Brothers'

An Exclusive Excerpt From Author, D.L. Carter's Crimes of the Brothers

**Mature Audience Advisory***

Brothers are supposed to be kind... caring... supportive... protective. Catherine Walman's brother, however, is not. He has maligned her reputation until no honorable man will seek her company, wasted her dowry and endangered her home with his gambling and now his new wife has made it clear Catherine is no longer welcome. The hand of fortune intervenes when a letter arrives advising Catherine that a stranger has bequeathed to her "a home and money to keep it." Catherine seizes upon this chance, hoping that it might be enough for her to be independent, to be free - only to discover this stranger also had a brother, or two, or three.

Fortunately, the rain abated just as they drove down their front drive. The forecourt, which had not been regraveled for six years, was a lake of mud, not improved by the passage of the horses, but Catherine decided as she looked up at the peeling façade and old, pale yellow stone of her home, that it was a very welcome sight. “Here, take in this box. I cannot trust it to the gardener,” said her father thrusting one of the egg boxes into Catherine’s hands as she prepared to descend from the carriage. 

“Call James back. He shall take the next one.”

“I cannot take it and manage the stairs both at once, Father. Please wait until I have both feet on the ground.” 

“If you must.” 

Catherine climbed down with assistance from the gardener’s son and catching sight of James almost through the front door called, “James. James. Father needs your assistance.” 

James halted and glared back at her. “For God’s sake, Catherine, give over nagging.” 

“I said,” Catherine accepted the box her father held out to her. “Father needs your assistance. It will only take a moment.”

Grumbling James stumped back down the stairs and snatched the box from Catherine. 

“James.” shouted his father, leaning through the carriage door. “Gently. Gently. Don’t squeeze the box. Use both hands and do not run. Take them into my bookroom and put them on the table furthest from the window.” 

James rolled his eyes and turned, box still held in one hand, and stomped off into the house. Their father placed another box delicately into Catherine’s hands. 

“Hurry in … carefully, girl. Take that box from James before he ruins them.” 

Catherine, her reticule dangling from one wrist, her valise hanging from her other elbow, lifted her skirt out of the mud by her fingertips as she hurried into the house with the egg box held close to her chest. Most of their few remaining servants turned out to empty the carriage. Catherine glanced about for Kay, the upstairs maid and the closest thing Catherine had to a friend, but she was not to be seen. Catherine hastened up into the house and almost collided with James, who was standing frozen in the hall staring up at a petite blonde woman with brilliant green eyes framed by thick black lashes. She stood on the main staircase, one hand resting on the balustrade, the other outstretched towards James. 

“Jocelyn, what are you doing here?” demanded James of the stranger.

“Darling, I missed you,” the woman gushed in a breathless voice. Her dress of almost transparent rose silk… with three flounces at the hem and several yards of ribbon and lace around her throat… clung damply to her limbs as she descended the last few steps and rushed across the hall to wrap herself about James’s arm and press her bosom against his cringing form. “You cannot tell me that you did not miss me.” 

Catherine would have observed her brother’s discomfiture with amusement if she weren’t gripped with dread in anticipation of the explanation for this woman’s presence. Her stomach clenched and burned as she watched her brother stand, open-mouthed and paralyzed. There was shriek from the upper house… a very young voice raised in fierce anger.

“Dear God,” cried her mother, entering the hall on Catherine’s heels. “What is that noise?” 

“That,” said the stranger, “is my son. Your grandson. Gregory James Walman, the heir to the Walman estates. I thought it past time that he made the acquaintance of his grandparents.”

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