The Love Token: A S.W.A.L.K. story

By Raven McAllan

FROM EXCITING ROMANCE AUTHOR RAVEN MCALLAN

A S.W.A.L.K story

Spies, smugglers, scandals. Stealth, seduction and sex. All they had to do was decide which was theirs to take and what had to be earned. And hope they reached their happy ever after.

Jonathon, Viscount Carville, soldier, spy and lover of Miss Miranda Riston has been sent to discover who is smuggling goods into East Yorkshire. Miranda, his true love's papa insists Jonathon is dead and says she should marry his younger brother.

With the help of Jamie Clubley, a local smuggler who is not all what he seems, Jonathon and Miranda discover who is working against the crown and who is helping. And what needs to be done to negate the danger and give them the happy ever after they long for and deserve.

Sadly it involves people who are dear to both of them. Some who are innocent pawns, but others who may not be as innocent as they seem.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Totally Bound Publishing
• Release date: Feb 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9781839435782

Raven McAllan

After 30 plus years in Scotland, Raven now lives near the east Yorkshire coast, with her long-suffering husband, who is used to rescuing the dinner, when she gets immersed in her writing, keeping her coffee pot warm and making sure the wine is chilled. With a new home to decorate and a garden to plan, she’s never short of things to do, but writing is always at the top of her list. Her other hobbies include walking along the coast and spotting the wildlife, reading, researching, cros stitch and trying not to drop stitches as she endeavours to knit. Being left-handed, and knitting right-handed, that’s not always easy.

Book preview

Totally Bound Publishing books by Raven McAllan

Single Books

Hong Kong Heat

Taken Identity

Fairground Attraction

The Duke’s Temptation

The Viscount Meets his Match

Diomhair

Secrets Shared

Secrets Uncovered

Secrets Remembered

Secrets Dispatched

Secrets Learned

Secrets Dispelled

Daring Ladies

The Earl and The Courtesan

Castle on the Loch

Love by the Stroke of Midnight

Anthologies

Bully for You: Chasing Charlie

Collections

A Little Bit Cupid: For One Night Only

With Cassie O’Brien

The Scots and the Sassenachs

The Earl of Callander’s Secret Bride

S.W.A.L.K

THE LOVE TOKEN

RAVEN MCALLAN

The Love Token

ISBN # 978-1-83943-578-2

©Copyright Raven McAllan 2022

Cover Art by Claire Siemaszkiewicz ©Copyright February 2022

Interior text design by Claire Siemaszkiewicz

Totally Bound Publishing

This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental.

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Published in 2022 by Totally Bound Publishing, United Kingdom.

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S.W.A.L.K

Spies, smugglers, scandals. Stealth, seduction and sex. All they had to do was decide which was theirs to take and what had to be earned. And hope they reached their happily ever after.

Jonathon, Viscount Carville, soldier, spy and would-be lover of Miss Miranda Riston, has accepted a mission to discover who is smuggling contraband into East Yorkshire. Her papa, however, is convinced Jonathon is dead, and wishes her to marry elsewhere. Miranda refuses and is delighted to find Jonathon is very much alive but working undercover on behalf of the British Government.

More is at stake than just a few shillings of tax duty owed.

Among their close friends and acquaintances there is a traitor working against the crown on behalf of Emperor Napoleon. Danger threatens as they seek to discover the identity of their treacherous foe.

Who is an innocent pawn? And who is not all they seem?

It’s a puzzle that must be solved if they are to get the happy ever after they long for.

Dedication

To Deb Thomas for her words of wisdom and subtle nagging,

everyone at Totally Bound for all the hard work they put in to get this book from me to you,

and of course, you the readers.

Thank you all.

Prologue

February 14th, 1815

Why must you go? She held the love token he had given her close to her heart. It was a sign to show how much he loved her. How they were a couple.

She had one half, he the other—next to his heart.

He had slipped her locket over her head and settled it between her breasts. To show that St Valentine was important. That she was equally so. On the day for lovers to acknowledge their love, they did so.

I love my country. The Corsican threatens everything we hold dear. I wish to help preserve our heritage out honour. For everyone, but especially for you, me and, I hope, our future children. For all our St Valentine Days of our future.

Then go with God’s speed and my blessing. But first? First love me. For if your mission fails it will be the only loving I ever know.

Chapter One

February 1818

Miranda Riston stared at her parents in horror. Surely they must be mad? Addle-pated and, not to put a finer point on it, ready to be admitted to Bedlam. Otherwise, why on earth would they suggest such a thing?

Do I understand you correctly? she said with deliberate care as she did her best not to lose her temper and show herself in a less than rational manner. Even if she was of a mind to scream like a fishwife and throw things. You think I should become betrothed to Edward Twain? Viscount Carville’s younger brother? Over my dead body—or yours. Never in a million years. Apart from the fact Edward had an understanding with another young lady, he was one of her beloved Jonathon’s siblings.

The least effectual one. The one who moaned and whinged and assumed almost everyone was against him.

She wasn’t against him, but if she were honest, she had little time for his attitude and feeling of entitlement. If he had worked with Jonathon and helped to create a strong and growing family estate, she probably wouldn’t have been so critical, but as far as she could tell, he had not.

Jonathon. Who worked tirelessly for his family and country and was happy not to be recognised for all he achieved. He just, as he’d once said, "got on with what had to be done and did it without a fuss. Fussing, he had added with a grin, was so much effort for very little reward". Unless it was over her.

Miranda had laughed.

If only he was there now to say the same things. She put one hand over the necklace she had worn under her gown for the past three years. The tiny blue sapphire in half of a silver four leaf clover. A symbol, he had said, of his love for her. My lover. Even if he never became her husband, he was the one man she’d given herself to gladly, and she would do so again as easily as before.

You are nigh on the shelf. It is a good alliance, her papa said in a ‘listen to me, I am your parent’ voice. He is the heir, and it will cement your future.

There had to be more to it than that. He is not the heir, Miranda said firmly. Why on earth did they think that? Unless they knew something she didn’t. That was not anything to bear thinking about. Jonathon is the heir as you well know.

Jonathon.

The only man she would ever love. The one man who she admitted she would go to the ends of the earth for.

The man she had spent one magical night with, learning all about love and sex. How to pleasure and be pleased. How to take his cock in her mouth and lave it until he bucked under her and filled her mouth with hot salty liquid, which she had gladly swallowed. How to gently squeeze his bollocks and help him hold back his climax or come hard and fast.

Discovering how he could lick, lave, nibble and suck her nub, swirl his tongue into her channel and make her shake and scream. Then enter her, move inside her until she swore his cock swelled and reached her soul.

Sadly, to feel him pull out before he filled her with his seed. In order, he’d said, to ensure there was no child of that union. Not yet, not until he returned.

Now she wondered if it would have been better to clamp her legs around him, tighten her inner muscles and ensure he’d climaxed in her. If a child had resulted this situation would never have happened.

Or would it have? In some ways it might have given her parents what they would have seen as more leverage. Lack of legitimacy.

Miranda? her papa asked irritably. Are you listening to me? You need to marry. Edward is a neighbour. It would be a good and useful match.

Useful? Who on earth wanted a useful marriage? For whom? What about Jonathon? He is, I believe, the heir, unless his mama played his papa false, and I could never see Edwina doing that. Jonathon’s mama was devoted to her husband.

Do not be crass, her papa snapped. Jonathon is to all intents and purposes dead. No one has heard from him for nigh on three years. His papa says so. Not one sighting, no mentions in dispatches.

No body, Miranda said quietly. If he were dead, I would know it. Feel it. I am sure he is not. And I have heard from him. Cryptic notes, left at their trysting place every so often. No more than ‘I am safe’, or ‘I love you’, but it was enough. She’d left replies. ‘Stay safe’, and ‘I love you’. The only one she’d received that worried her had not been in his hand, nor by him. It had said simply, ‘he is safe’. She had been thankful he was but had wondered who had left it.

However, that, she continued, in this case, is immaterial. Be he alive or dead, I will not marry Edward. We would not suit. Plus, I will not marry for convenience. Only love.

Overrated, her papa retorted. As for a body, do you know how many were left unknown at Waterloo? Too many to mention.

Miranda’s mama paled. Thank you, Henry. How good to know where I stand, and your dismissing of our brave soldiers. I agree with Miranda. She and Edward would not suit.

It’s Edward Twain, or I disown her. And you.

What on earth was going on? Why was her papa so adamant? Papa, have you lost all our money on ‘change?

His face reddened, and his anger was palpable. Indeed, I have not. I want to see you married and settled. You have shown no partiality to anyone, so it is my duty to find you a husband. I have.

No, her mama said forcefully. "You have found her someone you want her to marry, and no more. I told you, Henry, I begged you to reconsider but you did not. I also wonder why?"

It’s… I think it sensible.

He didn’t sound too sure.

"Papa, I’m sorry, but I do not agree and I will not agree." It was rare she defied her papa—she loved him, and he was in general a reasonable man. What maggot had got into his head and given him this irrational idea she couldn’t think. Whatever it was, she disagreed vehemently.

Nor do I think it sensible. Or rational, her mama said. Henry, you may not love me, you may indeed choose to disown me, but I have always loved you and admired your sense of honour. This is not honourable. We always said we wanted Miranda to have what we have. Or, her mama corrected herself, what I thought we had. It appears I was wrong.

Her papa appeared horrified. "My dear,