Passionate Harvest

By Louise Roberts

It is April 1622, and Magdalena Lorca is newly arrived at the Villa Sant’Angelo in eastern Spain. She is maid and chaperon to Senorita Elena de Cellorigo-Borja who has traveled from Seville to meet her Valencian family.

As Magdalena is integrated into the household staff, she gradually gets to familiarize with the surroundings. The Estates located near the village of Cullera are extensive and boast formidable orchards of citrus and stone fruits, but the family’s pride is their vineyards.

When Magdalena meets the wine-master, Joquim Alvares, for the first time their mutual attraction is immediate and develops into a strong friendship.

But will Elena’s impetuousness and selfish attitude towards her maidservant threaten to jeopardize any chance of romance for the young woman?

The only hope Joquim and Magdalena have will depend on whether Elena’s change in circumstance causes her to mellow when she is courted by the Estate’s heir.

PUBLISHER NOTE: An Erotic Historical Romance containing explicit love scenes.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Luminosity Publishing LLP
• Release date: Jan 8, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370880973

Louise Roberts

Louise Roberts grew up and was educated in London, England and has always held a passion for history and English Literature. She has been writing since her teenage years, but only began writing fiction in the 1990s having been inspired by her mother, Viviane Elisabeth Borg, who is a published author. Although Louise had immigrated to Sydney, Australia in 1988, she relocated to Europe in 2016 and today resides at the coastal town of Golfe-Juan in the south of France. Louise retains membership of Romance Writers of Australia; Australian Romance Readers Association; and Australian Society of Authors.

Book preview

PASSIONATE HARVEST

The Sword and the Rose – Book 3

Louise Roberts

It is April 1622, and Magdalena Lorca is newly arrived at the Villa Sant’Angelo in eastern Spain. She is maid and chaperon to Senorita Elena de Cellorigo-Borja who has traveled from Seville to meet her Valencian family.

As Magdalena is integrated into the household staff, she gradually gets to familiarize with the surroundings. The Estates located near the village of Cullera are extensive and boast formidable orchards of citrus and stone fruits, but the family’s pride is their vineyards.

When Magdalena meets the wine-master, Joquim Alvares, for the first time their mutual attraction is immediate and develops into a strong friendship.

But will Elena’s impetuousness and selfish attitude towards her maidservant threaten to jeopardize any chance of romance for the young woman?

The only hope Joquim and Magdalena have will depend on whether Elena’s change in circumstance causes her to mellow when she is courted by the Estate’s heir.

PUBLISHER NOTE: This Erotic Historical Romance contains explicit love scenes.

PASSIONATE HARVEST

The Sword and the Rose – Book 3

LOUISE ROBERTS

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LUMINOSITY PUBLISHING LLP

PASSIONATE HARVEST

The Sword and the Rose – Book 3

Copyright © November 2016 Louise Roberts

ISBN: 978-1-910899-99-1

Cover design by Dawné Dominique

All cover art © 2014 by Dusktildawn Designs

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

No part of this literary work may be reproduced in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without the written permission of the publisher.

This is a work of fiction. All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is purely coincidental.

Chapter One

Magdalena opened her eyes. Her body stiff, from having slept awkwardly on the window seat all night. Awakened by a sound of a heavily weighed down cart would make as it traveled along an uneven lane-way, her inquisitiveness made her lean slightly out of the open window to look down at whatever it was. She smiled inwardly to having been woken by a handsome young man driving a workhorse. The cart it pulled loaded with wine casks amidst a beautiful landscape. A slight flutter in her stomach reminded her she had not eaten anything since the previous morning.

She slid off the window seat and glanced about the room with delight. Now with the morning light flooding into the bedchamber she could fully appreciate her surroundings and was most impressed. It certainly was better than the room she had been assigned at the house in Seville which she shared with two other girls. Here the room was for her alone.

Although hungry, she was suddenly struck with a dilemma. She knew she had to attend to her mistress, but at the same token, she felt honor bound to apologize to the housekeeper Señora Marina for not having returned to the kitchens the night before as she had been told to do. After a few moments deliberating to herself, she decided it would be far better to seek out Señora Marina first as she did not want to commence her employment at the Villa Sant’ Angelo on the wrong footing.

As she reached the bottom of the spiral staircase, she was unsure which direction she had to go. She could hear voices and the clattering of pots, but from where she stood there was no clear indication of which direction the noises were coming from. Her frustrations turned to tears, and she sank heavily onto the last step.

Are you all right my dear? Alberto asked kindly as he approached. He had been in the servants dining hall, being one of the last to have broken the fast. The majority of the servants had eaten long before dawn. As he emerged, he could hear whimpering and so he shuffled slowly toward the sound. Alberto handed Magdalena a small linen handkerchief. Are you missing Seville so soon? he added as he realized she had been one of the new arrivals his wife, Marina, had told him of the previous night.

Magdalena dried her eyes and stood up, handing back the handkerchief as she did so. Not at all. She sniffed. I am just lost in my new surroundings.

Where is it you wish to go?

I need to help my mistress get dressed, but I don’t know where her bedchamber is located. I also need to apologize to Señora Marina for forgetting to join her for supper last night… I fell asleep, she babbled ashamedly.

Well, then let us do one thing at a time… Come along, he said in an understanding tone and beckoned her to follow.

They walked along a corridor until they reached a small wooden door which he opened and led Magdalena into another narrow passageway which she recognized from the previous evening. Alberto opened the door to the kitchen, and they both entered.

Ah, there you are! Marina exclaimed. We had begun to wonder whether you had returned to Seville? she added sarcastically, much to the amusement of the other servant girls who were either preparing food or cleaning pots and eating utensils.

Please forgive me, Señora Marina. I did not realize how tired I was from our long journey and I fell asleep.

It is of little consequence, Marina replied, her hand moving backward through the air as though brushing it away. However, Señorita Elena was most displeased when we had to provide her with a chambermaid to help her undress.

Oh! Magdalena exclaimed in distress, raising her hands to her mouth at the same time to cover her anguished expression. I must go to her at once and beg her forgiveness, she added urgently.

There will be plenty of time for that later. Besides, I expect she will still be asleep as she did not retire until quite late, Marina explained. However, I expect you must be hungry?

Magdalena simply nodded in the affirmative.

I shall not have anyone say I am a cruel person, so I will show some leniency seeing as how you are new to us. Normally I would tolerate no laziness from anyone, she emphasized. Have you prepared and cleaned your room?

I found no covers for the bed or any brooms.

You will find both in the room nearest the spiral staircase when you reach the upstairs landing. It is located on the same side as your bedchamber. Any brushes you take from there must be returned when finished with. Is that understood?

Yes, Señora Marina.

Well then, my husband, Señor Alberto, will show you to our dining hall where you might still find some food to eat. When you are finished, you can return to your room and tidy it. I will send one of the girls to show you where your mistress is when she calls for you.

Magdalena and Alberto stepped into the dining hall. It was an immense room with two long tables running its full length. As she stood in the doorway, she gazed at it in awe. Never before had she seen such splendor for mere servants. To her left was a small window which looked out onto the inner courtyard. A few feet along from it was a large fireplace within, a sturdy metal bar had been fitted over the fire from which hung various cast iron pots that may have contained broth of some sort or other? To her right were two further windows and Magdalena could see a rose garden outside. Directly in front of her, along the far wall, was a large window which shared the same view as the one from her bedchamber. Beneath it was a long narrow table on which were cups, plates, eating knives, cheeses, fruits, and bread.

I will leave you now, my dear, Alberto said kindly, as I have duties to perform.

Thank you, sir.

Alberto chuckled as he shuffled away; he had been called many things in his life, but never ‘sir.’

Magdalena walked to the end of the room and picked up a small tin plate from a short stack. She then helped herself to some cheese, a few figs, and a small loaf. There were earthenware jugs nearby. She peered into