Treasuring Theresa
by Susana
Ellis
BLURB:
At
the betrothal ball of the man she had expected to marry herself, Lady Theresa
latches on to Damian Ashby, hoping to divert attention from her own humiliating
situation. Of course, she's not seriously interested because he's a useless
London fribble, in her opinion. He is not favorably impressed with her either.
Still,
she's the daughter of an earl, and he's the heir to her father's title and
estate, so they are destined to spend more time in each other's company…sooner
rather than later. And who knew that the two of them would develop an unlikely
attraction to one another?
But
can a London swell and a country lady ever make their diverse lives and
interests work together?
EXCERPT:
An Excerpt
From: TREASURING THERESA
Copyright ©
SUSANA ELLIS, 2013
All Rights
Reserved, Ellora's Cave Publishing, Inc.
Chapter One
May 1810
The Sedgely
Mansion
Mayfair,
London
Damian Ashby,
Viscount Clinton, looked down upon the festive ballroom with a critical eye as
he waited in the reception line. Greek statues and scrolled Ionic columns,
along with draperies of white and gold and a profusion of candelabras wrapped
in ivy, trumpeted the classical theme. A brief survey of the guests confirmed
his suspicion that the Sedgelys did not socialize in the first circles of the
ton. Except for his cousin, the Earl of Granville, whose heir he was and at
whose behest he had deigned to attend, Damian himself appeared to be the
highest ranked in attendance.
And frankly,
he’d rather be indulging in an intimate dinner and sensual dessert with his
mistress than attending a provincial betrothal ball held for two people he’d
never met.
“Charmed, I’m
sure” he said disdainfully as he greeted his hosts. The pudgy Mr. Sedgely, a
banker, and his horse-faced wife, second cousin to a baron, socialized on the
fringes of theton, which is why he’d never encountered them previously.
The balding
gentleman waiting to greet him on the next step down introduced himself as
Squire Bromfield, father of the bridegroom. “So good of you to come,” he
boomed, “considering I’ll be your neighbor one day. Or at least my son will, if
I’ve shoved off by then.”
“Indeed,”
Damian replied, shuddering inwardly at the thought of socializing with such
boorish people. After he inherited, he planned to reside at Granville Manor for
one week annually during the hunting season. The rest of the year it would be
left under the management of a capable steward while he continued to enjoy the
pleasures of civilized society in London.
He was
calculating the most direct path to the card room when a young lady pounced on
him.
“Why, I do
believe it’s Cousin Damian! How delightful to see you again!”
She was
passably pretty, he thought, although her marine-blue gown was not in the first
stare of fashion. He could find no fault with her small waist and full breasts,
although he personally preferred a more voluptuous figure. Her hair was too
dark a blonde to be in vogue, and the simple chignon indicated that she had
arranged it herself without the assistance of a maid. But it was her
tantalizing eyes that drew his attention—a deep cerulean blue that reminded him
of the Adriatic Sea and a pleasurable interlude on a beach with a sultry Greek
barmaid during his European tour a few years ago.
Cousin?
She swatted
his arm with her fan.
“You don’t
remember me, do you, Cousin Damian? It has been an age since your visit to
Granville at Christmastime. It was five or six years, perhaps, but I still had
no trouble recognizing you!”
His memory
yielded the image of a younger version of the girl before him. Barely out of
adolescence, she’d been as provincial as the others in the tedious party.
“Lady
Theresa,” he said. “How delightful to see you again!”
“Cousin
Theresa,” she insisted. “Strict propriety need not be followed among relations,
you know.”
“Although a
high-stickler would point out our blood relationship is somewhat diluted,” he
reminded her, “our grandfathers being merely cousins and all.”
She grinned.
“Isn’t it fortunate there are no high-sticklers here?”
The first
notes of a waltz were struck. “What luck!” she said, pulling him onto the dance
floor. “Come dance with me, Cousin Damian. I do so adore waltzes!”
He could
have—should have—cut her for her impertinence. If he’d been ambushed in such a
manner by any other young lady at a ton ball, she’d have been dealt a severe
set-down. But among a roomful of provincials, Lady Theresa, as the daughter of
an earl, outranked everyone except her father and himself. And seeing as she
was the one who would be displaced when he inherited her father’s estate, he
decided to ignore her lapse in manners. More or less.
“How
fortunate that we both have this dance available,” he said with a hint of
reproof.
“Oh la,” she
said. “I don’t have so many partners that I must write down their names. And
you just arrived,” she said with a triumphant smile.
A country
bumpkin, thought Damian in disgust. Bruiting about her own unpopularity so
candidly. She would be a pariah at any civilized ball.
She danced
surprisingly well for a country girl, he thought as they whirled around the
room. She felt good in his arms and the scent of her hair wafted up to his
nose. Lavender.
Her astonishing
eyes peered up at him, sparkling with interest. Oh no, he groaned inwardly.
Here it comes.
“You are
easily the most refined gentleman here,” she gushed. “Your apparel outshines
even Reese’s, and he is the guest of honor.” Seeing his puzzled look, she
explained. “Reese Bromfield, Squire Bromfield’s son. The husband-to-be.” She
nodded toward a hulky blond man dancing with a pretty redhead. “That’s Eugenia
Sedgely, his fiancée.”
Was it only
his imagination that her voice shook slightly when she said that last word?
My thoughts...
I enjoyed Treasuring Theresa and thought that Susana skillfully presented characters in this novelette that were as well developed as those in a full length novel. I certainly was interested and engaged and was left wanting to know more. Treasuring Theresa is a perfect nibble of Regency England that leaves the reader with a taste of something wonderful and a hope that more will be soon to come.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
A former
teacher, Susana is finally living her dream of being a full-time writer. She
loves all genres of romance, but historical—Regency in particular—is her
favorite. There’s just something about dashing heroes and spunky heroines
waltzing in ballrooms and driving through Hyde Park that appeals to her imagination.
In real life,
Susana is a lifelong resident of northwest Ohio, although she has lived in
Ecuador and studied in Spain, France and Mexico. More recently, she was able to
travel around England and visit many of the places she’s read about for years,
and it was awesome! She is a member of the Maumee Valley and Beau Monde
chapters of Romance Writers of America.
Web site:
http://www.susanaellis.com
Email:
susanaellisauthor@gmail.com
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/susana.ellis.5
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/susanaauthor
Pinterest:
http://pinterest.com/susanaauthor/
Susana’s
Parlour (Regency Blog): http://susanaellisauthor.wordpress.com
Susana’s
Morning Room (Romance Blog): http://susanaauthor.wordpress.com
To Purchase Treasuring Theresa:
Sony
In full compliance with FTC Guidelines, I received a ebook edition of this book from the author and Goddess Fish Promotions in exchange for a fair and honest review. I was in no way compensated for this post, and the thoughts are my own.
