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Forgotten No More
By Christina McKnight
A Lady Forsaken, Book 2
Publisher: La Loma Elite Publishing
Release
Date: November 20, 2014
Genre:
Historical Romance
Length: 368 Pages
ISBN: 978-0988261747
ASIN: B00NG1E5CO
Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon CA | Amazon UK
| B&N | Kobo
| Apple | Smashwords
| Createspace
About the book:
A lady forgotten by all...
Ruby
St. Augustin must find the truth of her past to determine what her future
holds. She only has a short time in London to uncover the identity of her real
father and the secrets behind her birth. If anyone learns of her mission, she
will disgrace everyone she holds dear. What she doesn’t expect is to draw the
attention of a man who doesn’t care about his reputation or her past.
A man mesmerized by one...
Harold
Jakeston is a man without wealth or title. Resigned to a life he loathes,
Harold has the chance at a few weeks of freedom before being trapped in a
future he wants no part of. When he’s drawn into the mysterious quest of a woman
from his past, he embraces the opportunity to forget the life that awaits him.
What he never anticipated is falling in love with a woman who ignites his
desire to create a new future for himself and for her.
A love neither can
abandon...
Excerpt
London, England
January 1816
Ruby took a deep breath before trying the final drawer that could hold all the answers to her past, her true heritage. Her lungs expanded; she held the air inside. She didn’t exhale until it burned. With trembling fingers, she reached for the last drawer and pulled.
Her nicely trimmed nails nearly snapped when her grasp on the handle slipped from the force of her tug. The drawer hadn’t budged.
Locked!
“Oh, poppy cocks!” she hissed. Moving her hands to the folds of her evening gown, Ruby procured a small pouch tucked neatly into a hidden pocket. Setting it on the desk, she pulled out her array of lock-picking devices, really only hairpins and small wires she’d collected since her first night—and her first failed attempt at breaking into a desk—to help her disengage the drawer.
She had to know what secrets this lord held. Would she find an envelope inside labelled ‘Abandoned Daughter,’ or a report from the Bow Street Runners with details about herself —her hair color, the particular green shade of her eyes, places she’d been, perhaps the details of her activities over the course of her life?
Nothing worth finding was that simply ascertained.
No man, married or not, would leave record of their nefarious past. It was more likely her father had not spared her, or her mother, a second thought after throwing his pregnant mistress from his townhouse in the middle of the night with no coat and no means to get home.
Ruby was anything but a fool, but she found herself continuing to search regardless. She didn’t need a signed confession—she just needed that letter opener.
Picks in hand, she knelt before the locked drawer and eyed the keyhole, blowing a wayward strand of hair that had fallen across her face. She’d been unsuccessful more often than not when attempting to open locked drawers. But luck may have been on her side this evening. She’d entered the ball with little fuss, shortly after the host and hostess had quit the receiving line. It was surprising how similar the layout of most London townhouses were. Ruby had navigated the halls of the second floor and found the room she sought fairly quickly, encountering not a soul.
The pins slipped into the lock and her tongue darted out of her mouth to lick her lips as she concentrated on moving them exactly right to click the lock over. She fought to keep her hands steady when sweat broke out across her forehead. She was running out of time.
Ruby applied a bit too much pressure and the pin snapped, falling uselessly into the locked drawer. “Damn you to hell, mother!” she cursed and sat back, wiping her slick brow.
She’d always viewed herself as a sensible girl, a dutiful daughter, and an honest friend. She could only imagine the horror on Vi’s face if she saw her now. A common thief. A midnight prowler. A defiler of privacy.
Although, it could not be helped.
She sought answers and at the moment all she had was an endless list of questions.
Gaining her feet once more, she bundled her kit and slipped it back into her pocket. She turned her attention to the long table against the wall behind the desk. Leaning over, she ran her hand along the underside of the ornately carved piece, feeling for hidden compartments or—if her luck returned—a forgotten folder of papers.
“Sherry, Miss Ruby?” an oddly familiar voice asked behind her..”
January 1816
Ruby took a deep breath before trying the final drawer that could hold all the answers to her past, her true heritage. Her lungs expanded; she held the air inside. She didn’t exhale until it burned. With trembling fingers, she reached for the last drawer and pulled.
Her nicely trimmed nails nearly snapped when her grasp on the handle slipped from the force of her tug. The drawer hadn’t budged.
Locked!
“Oh, poppy cocks!” she hissed. Moving her hands to the folds of her evening gown, Ruby procured a small pouch tucked neatly into a hidden pocket. Setting it on the desk, she pulled out her array of lock-picking devices, really only hairpins and small wires she’d collected since her first night—and her first failed attempt at breaking into a desk—to help her disengage the drawer.
She had to know what secrets this lord held. Would she find an envelope inside labelled ‘Abandoned Daughter,’ or a report from the Bow Street Runners with details about herself —her hair color, the particular green shade of her eyes, places she’d been, perhaps the details of her activities over the course of her life?
Nothing worth finding was that simply ascertained.
No man, married or not, would leave record of their nefarious past. It was more likely her father had not spared her, or her mother, a second thought after throwing his pregnant mistress from his townhouse in the middle of the night with no coat and no means to get home.
Ruby was anything but a fool, but she found herself continuing to search regardless. She didn’t need a signed confession—she just needed that letter opener.
Picks in hand, she knelt before the locked drawer and eyed the keyhole, blowing a wayward strand of hair that had fallen across her face. She’d been unsuccessful more often than not when attempting to open locked drawers. But luck may have been on her side this evening. She’d entered the ball with little fuss, shortly after the host and hostess had quit the receiving line. It was surprising how similar the layout of most London townhouses were. Ruby had navigated the halls of the second floor and found the room she sought fairly quickly, encountering not a soul.
The pins slipped into the lock and her tongue darted out of her mouth to lick her lips as she concentrated on moving them exactly right to click the lock over. She fought to keep her hands steady when sweat broke out across her forehead. She was running out of time.
Ruby applied a bit too much pressure and the pin snapped, falling uselessly into the locked drawer. “Damn you to hell, mother!” she cursed and sat back, wiping her slick brow.
She’d always viewed herself as a sensible girl, a dutiful daughter, and an honest friend. She could only imagine the horror on Vi’s face if she saw her now. A common thief. A midnight prowler. A defiler of privacy.
Although, it could not be helped.
She sought answers and at the moment all she had was an endless list of questions.
Gaining her feet once more, she bundled her kit and slipped it back into her pocket. She turned her attention to the long table against the wall behind the desk. Leaning over, she ran her hand along the underside of the ornately carved piece, feeling for hidden compartments or—if her luck returned—a forgotten folder of papers.
“Sherry, Miss Ruby?” an oddly familiar voice asked behind her..”
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Christina
McKnight is a book lover turned writer. From a young age, her mother encouraged
her to tell her own stories. She’s been writing ever since. Currently, she
focuses on Historical Romance, Urban Fantasy, and Paranormal Romance.
Christina
enjoys a quiet life in Northern California with her family, her wine, and lots
of coffee. Oh, and her books…don’t forget her books! Most days she can be found
writing, reading, or traveling the great state of California.
Follow
her on Twitter: @CMcKnightWriter
Keep
up to date on her releases: www.christinamcknight.com
Like
Christina’s FB Author page: ChristinaMcKnightWriter
Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteNew author for me, thanks for sharing :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for featuring FORGOTTEN NO MORE!
ReplyDeleteFabulous excerpt.
ReplyDeleteLoved the excerpt...again. It says so much about Ruby, how badly she wants to know about her father, how intrepid she is in searching for that information. She is evidently a passionate person and I'm dying to see how she "gets on" with Harold! :-) Thanks for the post. jdh2690@gmail.com
ReplyDelete