Forbidden Passion

By Anna Rose

Erotic lesbian historical romance.

When her husband, a church reverend, announces that his estranged mother has requested their presence in London, Rose is thrilled, for she has long desired a change to her mundane life in the country.

London life is exciting and overwhelming, and Rose is taken under the wing of her beautiful sister-in-law, Sophia, but soon enough she finds herself falling for the vibrant woman despite the scandalous nature of her desire. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Anna Rose
• Release date: Nov 11, 2014
• ISBN: 9781502271051

Anna Rose

Anna Rose is the author of the Tales of the Dragonguard (about dragons, of course!) and The Sumaire Web series of vampire novels.  She is currently working on the sequel to the very well received AYA'S DRAGON, which is now available in both e-book and softcover at Amazon, and in ebook format at iTunes, Barnes & Noble, and other fine merchants. The new story is called SARA'S FIRE and continues the story of the high-flying Dragonguard. Her newest venture with her stories and novels is turning them into audiobooks for those folks who prefer listening to books, rather than reading them, for whatever reason. Amongst her other writing, Anna writes vampires who like what they are and aren't looking for a rescue. Her vampires bite, drink and kill. No bottled or bagged blood for these vampires! The first novel in the series, SIOFRA, was released in late January of 2012. The first novel was followed by FIACH FOLA and then DROCH FOLA. There is also a short story called FEASTA FOLA. Anna is also working on the fourth novel in the Sumaire Web series, COSAN FOLA, which she hopes to have completed by the end of 2018.  She lives in usually sunny Southern California.

Book preview

I watched my husband impatiently as he monotonously droned on, boring the congregation to tears; he stood at the front of the church and looked as bland as ever in his usual sober uniform of brown breeches, waistcoat and simple white shirt, fussing with his collar every so often as was his nervous habit when he spoke before his public.

Finally, William presented his closing prayer and the villagers filling our small church departed.

At least they can escape, the desperate thought pricked at me, making me feel suddenly overwhelmed. I tried to shake the thought away but knew it was useless for I couldn’t seem to rid myself of this melancholy that had been troubling me for some time now.

I shot up from the pew, suddenly in need of air, but before I could step outside my husband beckoned me over.

That went rather well, he said, looking quite pleased with himself as he descended the dais, and he chattered on about how well the service had gone until we reached our little house within the church’s grounds.

A letter arrived for you, reverend, our one and only maid said as we entered the small kitchen at the back of the house. It arrived yesterday but I’m afraid I quite forgot.  

My husband scanned the missive with eyes that had turned to the size of saucepans by the time he’d finished; in fact, they shone with something that looked suspiciously like excitement although I couldn’t be sure for William wasn’t prone to such emotion. Wife, we are going to London.

To...to London? I repeated, stunned.

Marrying a man of the church, I had never harboured any hopes of experiencing the great city that was forever mentioned in books and poems, an almost mythical place to a girl with fanciful dreams growing up in a sleepy village in the countryside.

Indeed, William nodded, taking a seat at the kitchen table. The letter is from my mother - I’ve been writing to her for a while, you see, hoping that I would secure her as a patron for the church, or if not, one of her wealthy acquaintances. We desperately need funds for the church and she has finally requested our company. But it appears she is unwell and wishes to see us now that she is back from travelling the continent.

Well, I paused, deflated that she’d asked us not out of kindness but after no doubt relenting to William’s incessant appeal. His mother had not even attended our wedding and this would be the first time I would see her. How terrible that she is unwell...

It was well known village gossip that his mother had turned her nose up at him when she’d remarried an obscenely wealthy earl after her first husband, a baron of modest means, had passed. William was forever resentful of the privilege that his step-siblings had, and not a week went by without him complaining about his lot in life.

We leave tomorrow.

So soon? I finally focused on my husband. Then, we must pack straightaway, I announced, slipping out of the kitchen before William could pass disapproving eyes over me for my eagerness.

Once upstairs, I watched as my maid, chattering eagerly at my side, gathered together all that William and I would need for the impromptu excursion.

Goodness, I shall look like a proper country Miss in these, I mused, staring at the few gowns I possessed, all simple, modest and rather outdated as a reverend’s wife should be – William did not believe in excess and frivolity in anything, be it fashion or anything else.

I am sure you will have a splendid time, my maid, Beth, said enviously. You will have to be careful, mind – I’ve heard some horrid stories from my cousin about the men in London and at court, she said darkly, folding away my sensible undergarments. "The men of the ton don’t care if a woman is wed – in fact, that seems to thrill them all the more - and I’ve also heard that everyone turns a blind eye to such goings-on. Even the woman are at it, and the king himself is said to be a randy goat and you’re awfully pretty, my lady, so I’m sure you’ll draw plenty of eyes."

Well, thank you for the insight, Beth, I laughed. I shall be on my guard.

Beth needn’t worry over my virtue, in any event. There was absolutely no passion or love between William and myself, and this wasn’t just because William was bland with a large dose of plain. It didn’t matter how handsome a man was: gentlemen simply didn’t stir me

A beautiful woman however...