Aurora's Dilemma

By Kat Caldwell

It’s 1827 and the Brayemore’s are planning a return to London as Algeria creeps closer to the brink of war.

Aurora, the family’s maid, longs to go home to Spain with her fiancée, Julian, but they lack the money. Desperate to stay together, the couple come up with a way to reunite in England.

When Lady Brayemore orders Aurora to stay in Algeria, however, the lovers struggle with the threat of separation. With political tensions mounting, Aurora and Julian are running out of options.

As the rumors of a blockade loom, a wealthy socialite offers the young lovers an enticing plan, but it has a dark twist. She will get them on the last ship sailing for Spain if they kidnap the young Miss Rowena Brayemore.

Is Aurora willing to forfeit her home and her love? Out of time and options, will Aurora choose honor and loyalty to the Brayemore’s? Or will she commit this dark deed to get home?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Publishdrive
• Release date: Oct 22, 2021
• ISBN: 9780999588178

Book preview

Aurora's Dilemma

Prelude to Stepping Across the Desert

Kat Caldwell

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Ladwell Publishing

Copyright © 2021 by Kat Caldwell

All rights reserved.

No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher or author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.

Thank you, Elaine Kane!

I was blocked on what to name this sweet novella until Elaine saved the day! She suggested Aurora's Dilemma, which I thought was perfect. Thank you, Elaine!

Contents

1. Chapter One

2. Chapter Two

3. Chapter Three

4. Chapter Four

5. Chapter Five

6. Chapter Six

Read Rowena's Story

About Author

Chapter One

Algeria, 1827

What are you doing out here? It’s the middle of the morning and you think it’s time to rest? We have a dinner party to get ready for. Get moving, lazy girl!

Chafiq’s low, heavy voice invaded the quiet of the garden, sending Aurora flying from her spot leaning against the stucco wall.

Get on.

You never take a break, Chafiq? Aurora asked, twisted her lips into a smile. Truthfully, she had never seen him take a break, but everyone cut corners somehow.

Chafiq’s heavy set eyebrows came together, his eyes narrowing. With the four scars on his face from his time as a former ship slave, and his bushy brown hair and eyebrows, Chafiq always looked terrifying. When he looked at her like that, he seemed ready to eat her alive.

Aurora swallowed hard, then shrugged and walked away, trying to be as slow and deliberate in her step as possible. It infuriated her the way these former slaves thought they had the authority to boss her around.

Each day she regretted more signing on to work for the elegant and rich Mr. Brayemore. An English merchant who had lived in Madrid for six months with his daughter, sweeping up the attention of the rich as though equal to royalty. The way all the other servants spoke about him convinced Aurora that working in his household would be better than staying with Señora Manuella, a minor dame of the Spanish royalty. She was about a hundred years old when Aurora started at age twelve, stank of rotten cabbage, and demanded foot massages from Aurora’s small hands.

She had to admit, being a chambermaid to Señora Manuella was slightly better than being a washing maid or the dishwasher. The skin on their hands was always peeling off. Aurora admired her own hands, rough around some edges. Certainly not like a wealthy woman, but soft enough from rubbing oil on them every night. That was one perk of working for Señor Brayemore.

Aurora took her time wandering along the stone pathway between the lilacs before finally making her way to the house. The idea of working for a young mistress appealed to Aurora when she applied for the job. A bit like having a distant older sister to look up to. Aurora had thought it would be nice to work for someone as young as Miss Rowena. Leaving behind her family in Madrid had been difficult. She hadn’t really understood she would go with the Brayemores to Algeria when she first started working for them, but soon enough the idea appealed to her. She’d been nowhere but Madrid before. Seeing the sea for the first time was both frightening and glorious. And though she didn’t love Algeria, she had found her love here: Julian. A man introduced to her by footman, Randolph. The moment Aurora met Julian, she knew he was the one she should marry.

Aurora retrieved the basket of cut irises she had left in the sun half an hour before, the original reason for her mid-morning excursion to the garden. Señorita Rowena never went one day without fresh flowers. The old, dying ones were so generously given to the servants. From an arched-shaped window on the house’s second floor drifted down the notes of piano music, followed by Señorita Rowena singing.

Through the kitchen then, Aurora grumbled to