An Exceprt from Dancing Through the Snow

As we move into November I thought it might be nice to start with a short excerpt from my Regency novella, Dancing Through the Snow, which is part of the box set with the Regency Romantics. Since it’s a box set, there’s no opportunity for me to have an excerpt on Amazon, so I’d like to share the beginning with you to give you a flavor of my latest story. I’m really excited about this new novella especially since I’m in such good company with a group of established and talented Regency authors. 

Candlelight Courtships is a Collection of 6 Regency Romances a number of bestselling authors. A number will be familiar to you since they also write Jane Austen variations.

  • Dancing Through the Snow – Monica Fairview
    Amelia Neville is convinced she has found the perfect husband, but unfortunate circumstances throw her into the company of the distrustful Duke of Sutcliff. Forced to attend the Duke’s Christmas house party by her matchmaking Mama, Amelia knows she’s going to hate every minute. But romance is in the air in the snowy landscape…. A traditional Regency romance with a touch of laughter.

 

***

Chapter One

When Amelia Neville, only daughter of George Neville, Baron Henshall, left the noisy ballroom to follow Lord Rusbridge, she was more than glad to escape the stuffy ballroom. It was a perfect night for her purpose. A half-moon hung over the garden, making it possible to move without tripping, but providing enough shadows so she could slink about without being seen. She moved silently, having discovered that walking on the grass was quieter than walking on gravel, even if the grass had crystals of frost on it and the cold was seeping through her kid slippers into her toes.

The garden was unfamiliar to her, but London gardens were nothing like the great parks of the country estates. They didn’t have many hiding places.  At the bottom, there was a shoulder-high iron gate, leading, she supposed, to a more secluded area. He must be waiting for her there. Eagerly, she crossed the lawn and slid through the open gate into a small rose garden with a marble statue of a woman in the center.

A cluster of clouds crossed the moon, plunging the garden into shadows. Lord Rusbridge wasn’t here. She searched in the shadows by the wall, but there was no sign of him. Then she heard a sound and a small grunt followed by a crunch of footsteps from the main part of the garden. That must be him, she thought, fondly. He wasn’t very good at intrigue. It was one of the things she liked about him.

She retraced her steps, but there was still no sign of Lord Rusbridge, or of anyone else, for that matter. By now, she was beginning to feel the cold. She’d come out without a shawl, not expecting to stay long. It was the beginning of December, the Eve of St. Nicholas, and in her thin ball gown, her short sleeves, and the low cut of the bodice, she might as well have been walking outside in her shift.

“Russ?” she said, softly, in case he was concealed somewhere. “Are you there? I’m going to go back inside.” Nothing moved in the garden. Very likely, Lord Rusbridge had grown tired of waiting for her and returned to the ballroom before she’d managed to extricate herself from her mother’s watchful presence. It had taken her a while. She couldn’t help feeling just a bit piqued that he hadn’t waited longer. After all, he was wearing a shirt and a coat, so he couldn’t have been too cold, and surely she was worth waiting for?

Be it as it may, there was no point in her staying in the garden and risking having some half-drunken gentleman coming across her. She’d just have to find another opportunity to talk to Russ. With the moonlight still blocked by the clouds, she made her way half-blindly towards the warm glow of candlelight framed by the windows. Right now, the heat of the crowded ballroom seemed a great lot more appealing than the cold, dark garden. She hurried towards the house, rubbing her arms against the sharp sting of the cold.

She held back a yelp when her big toe struck something soft and unyielding. She stumbled, almost falling across a large object strewn across the lawn. The object groaned. She’d tripped over a gentleman – a closer look revealed it wasn’t Lord Rusbridge, which was a relief – lying flat on the ground. Inebriated, no doubt, she thought with distaste, as she prepared to give him a wide berth.

Then the moon reappeared and she realized there was a dark smudge on his brow and the black glimmer of liquid on the grass around him, dark enough that it could well be blood. There was no glass or bottle on the grass beside him, which could have explained the stain. Hesitantly, she crouched down and put out a gloved finger to touch the spot where his hair looked matted and wet. Bringing it to her nose, she sniffed it, hoping it was nothing more ominous than port or red wine, but the rusty tang of blood invaded her nostrils.

A sense of dread filled her. The man was completely still now, though he’d groaned when she’d tripped over him. Suppose she’d injured him further? Suppose she’d accidentally killed him? Panicking now, she was on the ground in an instant, by his side, trying to pull off her right glove and popping buttons impatiently when it wouldn’t come off. She felt for a pulse. To her relief, she could feel a faint fluttering under her fingers. Good. He was alive.

As if to prove it, he groaned again and turned his head so she could see it under the pale half-moon. She could distinguish his features now. It was Lord Percy Emery, brother to the Duke of Sutcliff. She’d danced a set with Lord Percy Emery just two weeks ago. She’d been introduced to his brother that same evening, but the duke’s cold gray eyes had swept over her and past her as if she was no more than an insect on the wall.

That was neither here nor there, she reminded herself, her teeth clattering both from the cold and from shock. The man on the ground was bleeding heavily and, if she didn’t do something quickly, he’d soon be dead. Coming to her feet, she considered screaming to bring everyone running, but she was in a garden alone with a gentleman, even if he was hardly in a condition to ravish her. The scandal would completely ruin her. Much as he needed a doctor, screaming bloody murder was not an option. She had to handle this discreetly.

Leaving him to fetch someone was the best option, but what was it they said about head wounds? Try to keep the person awake and keep talking to them. She’d heard someone say something like that once. Oh, if only she knew what to do! Her hands trembling, and feeling quite out of her depth, she tried to revive him by patting his cheek several times, gingerly at first, then harder when he didn’t react. He gave a small moan but didn’t open his eyes.

“Wake up, Lord Percy!” She repeated it a couple of times, as loudly as she dared.

When he didn’t answer, she stood up and looked towards the house. Lord Percy Emery’s brother was at the ball. She knew because the Duke of Sutcliff had caused a stir when he’d entered, with all the matchmaking mamas fanning themselves frantically as he passed them by. Amelia didn’t care for the duke at all, nor for his disdainful dark eyes that had made her shiver as they passed over her. She didn’t relish the idea of encountering him again, but she really had no choice.

***

I hope you enjoyed this excerpt. The box set Candlelight Courtships is available on Kindle here.

 

21 comments

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    • Linda A. on November 1, 2016 at 6:58 pm
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    As indicated, she needs to be discreet, so I assume she slips back into the ball and manages to get the Duke to go help his brother. Or maybe a trusted servant. Good luck with the box set!

    • Hollis on November 1, 2016 at 7:02 pm
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    They all sound neat but yours most of all. While I love your P&P novels, I may have to try your Regency novels.

    • Sheila Majczan on November 1, 2016 at 7:55 pm
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    OH, this is reading like a disastrous compromise situation no matter what she does. She has blood on her glove? And she can’t administer to his wounds alone so she will have to go for help…but to whom? His brother? Not her own mother nor the man she was attempting to meet as he would not take kindly to her “being” with another man. So his brother, I am guessing but then does that lead to a situation with the snobby brother? Put me in for a chance at winning this please. Sounds intriguing.

    • Lori on November 1, 2016 at 8:05 pm
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    Sound great! Can’t wait to read them all. She has to get help but from who?!

    • Florence Solowianiuk on November 1, 2016 at 9:19 pm
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    I wonder if the Duke would believe her if she went to him to tell him about his brother, or if he will somehow think her approaching him is just another matchmaking ploy to entrap him. Better she should approach Lord Rusbridge about the situation if she can find him, and have him deal with the Duke. After all, it would more likely to be less suspicious for him to explain what he found in the garden after having stepped out for a breath of fresh air than for her, in a thin gown and no shawl.

    • Michele on November 1, 2016 at 10:09 pm
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    Thanks for sharing. She is in quite the dilemma but I think she really has no choice but to discreetly get the Duke to help.

    • Megan on November 1, 2016 at 11:37 pm
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    Wonderfully intriguing excerpt! Does she go to his brother for help? It sounds like a great read!

    • Lynn char on November 2, 2016 at 12:50 am
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    This sounds so good! I look forward to reading this!!

    • Beatrice on November 2, 2016 at 1:54 am
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    So many possibilities. I’d fetch a servant myself. A servant to a duke would have to know all about discretion. I wasn’t expecting a mystery! This is all very exciting.

    • Anji on November 2, 2016 at 4:24 am
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    All six sound delightful, Monica, and thanks for sharing this excerpt from your contribution with us. It sounds like a lot of fun. How on earth is Amelia going to both save the Duke’s brother’s life, whilst keeping her own reputation intact? Could she say she’d stepped out on to the terrace for a breath of air and saw someone lying on the lawn without having to admit she’d been down into the garden? But then how would she explain the blood on one of her gloves? Interesting dilemma and I’d love to find out what happens!

    • Nathalie on November 2, 2016 at 5:06 am
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    I can imagine two scenarios… The first one, she goes back inside to find the butler to appraise him of the situation, and then, of course, she has to go home because her glove is stained with blood, how will she explain this to her mother… The second one, a dashing stranger, tall, dark and handsome (fair and handsome would do too), and a little impertinent and aloof, walks into the garden and takes the matter in hand, although he is suspicious of her of course…

  1. This collection sounds fantastic! Oh my, what is she to do? I’m with the other commenters in that she must be discreet, but if it were me, I’d probably look for a servant to help. I’d love to find out what happens next!

    • Ann Dawson on November 2, 2016 at 8:50 am
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    Thank you Monica, I think Amelia could find a man servant to help her locate the Duke and the two men can help the stricken Lord Percy. Her own maid can help Amelia get the blood off her glove and distract Amelia’s mother from seeing the glove.

  2. What an auspicious beginning! I was immediately drawn into this novella and can’t wait to see what happens next!

    I think that Amelia should go locate her host and report to him as it’s his home, his responsibility to assist injured guests and also to shield her reputation…and his as well since this horrible act of violence occurred on his grounds.

    Thanks, Monica!!

    Warmly,
    Susanne 🙂

    • Laura H. on November 4, 2016 at 12:07 am
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    What a great beginning. I think that Amelia will find a trusty servant to bring the Duke for help. Thanks for sharing this with us!

    • Eva E on November 4, 2016 at 8:34 am
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    What is she going to do? Someone has to be notified. Amelia could find the butler who could notify the Duke. Thank you for the exerpt and giveaway. This collection will be a perfect read for the weeks leading up to Christmas.

    • Suzanne Sakaluk on November 4, 2016 at 5:46 pm
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    She must risk her reputation and boldly draw the Duke aside to inform him of his brother’s predicament.

  3. Amelia is in quite a fix and I am eager to see how it all comes our. An attempted murder I suspect! Absolutely delicious reading!

    1. sorry for typo .. should read …”how it all comes out”

    • John Rieber on November 6, 2016 at 1:30 am
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    A Shocking Dilemma !

    • Elaine Simkins on November 7, 2016 at 11:37 am
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    Looks like another one I will have to add to my list, unless I am lucky enough to get the giveaway. My reading list is getting longer and longer.

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