A Kiss For Charity

By Sherry Ewing

Love heals all wounds but will their pride keep them apart?

Young widow, Grace, Lady de Courtenay, is more concerned with improving her mind than finding another husband. But how was she to know that a close encounter with a rake at a masquerade ball would spark her interest and make her yearn for love again?

Lord Nicholas Lacey has been on his own for far too long after losing his wife in a tragic accident. After a rare trip to a masquerade, his attention is captivated by a lovely young woman. Considering the dubious company she keeps, perhaps she might be interested in becoming his mistress...

From the darkened paths of Vauxhall Gardens to a countryside estate called Hollystone Hall, Nicholas and Grace must set aside their differences in order to let love into their hearts. It will take more than a dose of holiday cheer to see these two on the road to finding their happily-ever-after and a kiss for charity may just be what they both need.

A Kiss For Charity first appeared in the Bluestocking Belles' 2016 box set, Holly and Hopeful Hearts. It's now available for individual sale. Bonus material includes several original pieces published on the Belles' blog the Teatime Tattler.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sherry Ewing
• Release date: Apr 5, 2018
• ISBN: 9780997177763

Sherry Ewing

Sherry Ewing picked up her first historical romance when she was a teenager and has been hooked ever since. A bestselling author, she writes historical & time travel romances to awaken the soul one heart at a time. Always wanting to write a novel but busy raising her children, she finally took the plunge in 2008 and wrote her first Regency. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, The Beau Monde & The Bluestocking Belles. Sherry is currently working on her next novel and when not writing, she can be found in the San Francisco area at her day job as an Information Technology Specialist. You can learn more about Sherry and her published work at www.SherryEwing.com

Book preview

A Kiss For Charity

A Kiss For Charity

Sherry Ewing

Kingsburg Press

Contents

A Kiss for Charity

Other Books By Sherry Ewing

Copyright

Acknowledgments

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Epilogue

Bonus Material

Dear Reader

Wedding Night Jitters

A Woman’s Tears

Missing His cue

Miranda Makes Her Move!

A Christmas Craving

Other Books by Sherry Ewing

Where to Find Sherry

Coming Soon

About the Author

A Kiss for Charity

By Sherry Ewing

Young widow, Grace, Lady de Courtenay, is more concerned with improving her mind than finding another husband. But how was she to know that a close encounter with a rake at a masquerade ball would spark her interest and make her yearn for love again?

Lord Nicholas Lacey has been on his own for far too long after losing his wife in a tragic accident. After a rare trip to a masquerade, his attention is captivated by a lovely young woman. Considering the dubious company she keeps, perhaps she might be interested in becoming his mistress.

From the darkened paths of Vauxhall Gardens to a countryside estate called Hollystone Hall, Nicholas and Grace must set aside their differences in order to let love into their hearts. It will take more than a dose of holiday cheer to see these two on the road to finding their happily-ever-after and a kiss for charity may just be what they both need.

Other Books By Sherry Ewing

Medieval & Time Travel Series

If My Heart Could See You

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Hearts Across Time: The Knights of Berwyck,

A Quest Through Time Novel (Books One & Two)

A special box set of For All of Ever & Only For You

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For All of Ever: The Knights of Berwyck,

A Quest Through Time Novel (Book One)

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Only For You: The Knights of Berwyck,

A Quest Through Time Novel (Book Two)

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A Knight To Call My Own

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To Follow My Heart: The Knights of Berwyck,

A Quest Through Time Novel (Book Three)

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Regency’s

Under the Mistletoe

Nothing But Time: A Family of Worth, Book One

A Kiss for Charity

Copyright

Copyright © 2017 by Sherry Ewing.

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All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods.

Kingsburg Press

Kingsburg Press

P.O. Box 475146

San Francisco, California 94147

www.KingsburgPress.com

A Kiss For Charity is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.

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A Kiss for Charity story first appeared in Holly and Hopeful Hearts, the 2016 box set of the Bluestocking Belles. Each of us used characters belonging to other authors in our stories. The participating authors have given me license to publish this story as a stand-alone with their characters included. I give special thanks to Susana Ellis, for George and his family, and to Jude Knight for Aldridge and his.

Front Cover Photo by SelfPubBookCovers.com/FrinaArt

Front cover fonts, Spine and Back Cover Design by Claudia Bost at www.designsbycwb.com

A Kiss For Charity/Sherry Ewing -- 1st ed.

ISBN 13: 978-0-9971777-5-6

ISBN 10: 0-9971777-5-6

eBook ISBN: 978-0-9971777-6-3

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017904055

Dedication

For my dear friend Bonnie.

Your friendship over the years has meant the world to me. No matter the miles that may keep us apart, you continue to support me through every aspect of my life. You truly are my little sister of my heart.

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I love and miss you very much!

Acknowledgments

I would like to express my sincere thanks to Jude Knight for allowing me the extreme privilege to have her character, the Marquis of Aldridge, gracing the pages of this novella. Just seeing his name continues to make me smile,

and, in most cases, swoon!

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I would also like to thank all those who continue to support me on this crazy journey I’m on. From my family and friends, to the members of my local chapter of Romance Writers of America, to my wonderful street team, to all my readers who write such wonderful reviews, and also to the ladies from the Bluestocking Belles.

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A simple thank you doesn’t seem to express enough how much I appreciate everything you do for me.

Prologue

Highgrove Manor

Summer, 1810

Lord Nicholas Lacey reached for the decanter of brandy near at hand, pulled the stopper, and raised the entire container to his lips. The roaring fire within his hearth did nothing to chase away the coldness now coursing through him. Nothing could. Numb. He was chilled to the bone from the news he had just received by special messenger.

The liquor burned its way down his throat, perhaps in an attempt to light a fire in the pit of his stomach. That he was even able to swallow was surely a testament to his need to get completely inebriated. He knew offering up a prayer to a higher power would do him no good. God had forsaken him.

How could he have known when he wished his dear wife safe travels that it would be the last time he would ever see her? Juliette had been the light of his life, though their marriage had been arranged. Even now, amidst the tragedy tearing his soul apart, he could hear her sweet tinkling laughter, her soft French accent. She had begged him to accompany her, her sister Geneviève, and their mother to London. A last minute issue with the estate had left Nicholas with no other recourse than to decline in order to see to the matter. He would regret the decision not to spend the extra time with her. Perhaps if he had been there, she would even now be enjoying the delights of town. He would not think of the alternative that would have left Blanche an orphan.

Nicholas took another swig, not caring that the brandy should have been sipped or savored, not gulped down like the cheapest of gins. He set the decanter down and reached for the crumbled parchment that had fallen to the floor. His vision blurred with unshed tears while he read it yet again. The message that had transformed his entire world in one heartbeat unfortunately did not change. His innards churned. A blinding anger erupted in a growl of pain, replacing his stunned silence. His hand swept the table, and the brandy decanter went flying through the air until it smashed against the fireplace mantel, leaving splintered shards of sparkling glass upon the floor. Nicholas wiped at his eyes and rested his head back upon his chair. He could almost see what had happened to his wife, along with her sister and mother, as if he had been witness to the horrific scene.

Their carriage had been attacked by highwaymen. The driver and footmen had been ordered to the ground during the robbery attempt. In the midst of taking the ladies’ valuables, one of the footmen fired a shot at one of the bandits. He missed, and his error in judgement not only cost his own life, but had spooked the horses. With no driver to stop the runaway team, the carriage bolted away and hit a boulder, causing a wheel to shatter, and sending the rig end-over-end until it fell into a deep ravine. All had perished.

Carson, Nicholas called out to his butler. His voice cracked with grief, yet he knew he must remain strong, at least in front of others.

Ever-efficient, his man answered as though he had been standing just outside the doorway. Yes, my lord?

Nicholas went to the sideboard where more brandy waited, and poured a generous glassful, leaving the bottle behind. Inform Mrs. Robinson to ready the house in order to observe a period of mourning. Then have a maid run up and fetch my daughter.

Of course, my lord. Carson proceeded to quietly leave the room.

He did not have long to wait before he heard the pitter patter of his daughter’s feet racing down the stairway. A round, happy face with bright cornflower blue eyes stared back at him when she saw him. Blonde ringlets bounced upon her head as she made her way across the room. Blanche looked so much like her mother it broke his heart all over again, knowing he would need to tell his thirteen-year-old daughter that her mother had gone to heaven.

With his emotions frozen in place, he performed his duty toward his daughter with a fair amount of the efficiency that was expected of him. He was not sure how he remained calm while he gave Blanche the comfort she needed. Her cries of anguish crushed what remained of his heart. Nicholas was on his own with only the ghost of his wife firmly etched upon his mind.

Chapter 1

London

August 1812

Grace, Lady de Courtenay grimaced as her hair was pulled yet again. It was hard not to be impatient while her maid attempted to put the finishing touches to her dark brown hair. She hated the obnoxious curls that continued to plague her and caused Elsie to spend more time than surely was necessary in order to tame the unruly locks into some kind of manageable coiffure .

She looked up at her reflection and attempted not to sigh. What she really wished to do was stick her tongue out at the mirror, but such a childish antic would gain her nothing this day. At the age of almost thirty, she still appeared young, although too young to be a widow.

Her marriage to her second cousin had been arranged years ago by their parents, and she had had no reason to decline Adrian, the young Earl de Courtenay, when he had proposed on bended knee. She had looked forward to a lifetime of wedded bliss as they began their lives together, despite her younger sister teasing her about marrying a