Title:
A Silent Accord – Book one of The Clandestine Sapphire Society
Author:
Kathy L Wheeler
Genre:
Early Victorian Spicy Gothic
Book Blurb:
She’s no wilting violet in need of rescue.
Miss Verda Fairclough’s father has placed them in dun territory. Again. Now he expects her to bail them out by casting her lure for a truly horrid man.
Lysander Oshea, a well-known libertine earl’s brother, is smitten by the bold Miss Fairclough, and despite claiming she is not one in need of rescuing, he offers her an escape from her irresponsible wastrel of a father to the wilds of Northumberland as governess to his young nephew. There are only two problems: she’s not a governess and she has no notion of how to deal with children.
Stormy tempers reign as neglected offspring and the brooding earl exhibit an unfortunate lack of familial accord, leaving Verda and Sander as the sole prospects of breathing life to the gloomy castle. If that were all, it would prove challenge enough. However, the specter of the dead haunt this estate—and some threats are more real than Verda initially believes.
Sander won’t settle for pretend—he’s determined to have Miss Fairclough in his bed. But even he must admit there’s something afoul, and his bold, would-be governess may not be capable of surviving what she’s up against without him.
An old castle sitting on the edge of dangerous cliffs, surrounded by dark clouds above and pounding waves below, tempers this steamy, atmospheric Gothic tale shrouded in murder, mystery, and love until the very end.
Excerpt:
This macabre castle was straight out of the Middle Ages and was freezing, making it impossible to get warm. Snow clung to the metal strips of the mullioned windows and was still pouring from the sky with a melancholy wind adding to its haunting enigma. The curtains, so threadbare, did nothing to keep out the cold, so she stoked the fire to a blaze. With freezing fingers, she went to a chest of drawers where Lizzie had unpacked her own unmentionables. She dug out a pair of woolen stockings and pulled them on.
Even donning her heaviest wrapper did nothing to ease her restlessness. She went through the sitting room door to her own chamber and peered in where Lizzie slept as soundly as a contented cat in the huge bed.
Verda’s walk earlier that day had been cut short due to the unrelenting rain and winds. She was in the most deserted portion of the castle, wasn’t she? Who was there to see if she did a quick turnabout and back that was sure to stir her circulation. She lit a candle, because she wasn’t a complete idiot, and exited to the corridor by way of the sitting room.
Shadows flickered like long-boned fingers against the walls. She closed the door behind her to retain the heat. Just a quick march to the portrait gallery and back. You can do this, she told herself.
Halfway to her destination, she heard a voice.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
Her own gasp extinguished the light after she’d caught only his demonic eyes. Terror rippled over her and she backed away. Her arm was snagged in the dark, tugged against a warm, hard chest, lips captured—
The instinct to struggle was immediate until the tip of his tongue touched the seam of her lips and she dropped her candle.
“Blast it,” he groaned against her lips. “That’s my foot.”
Mr. Oshea, not Lord Pender. At her gasp, his tongue entered her mouth and stroked hers. Her lips molded against his. Called home to a bright summer morning. A meadow dotted with grazing sheep and fresh grass covered in dew and a colorful array of flowers in every shade of rainbow hues. Blues that filled her spirit, playful pinks, cheerful yellows, and deep reds that stirred a passion she’d never guessed she possessed.
This wasn’t her. Clandestine meetings with a man she barely knew and may have killed his father. Secrets. She pulled away yet still clutched his arms in an iron grip. “Mr. Oshea?” She should have been indignant. Outraged. Not this breathy heroine with no brain in her head like those she imagined in Mrs. Radcliffe’s novels. Somehow, her fingers edged up and found their way to the nape of his neck and touched the silky strands of his hair.
“Miss Fairclough?” Noah appeared, holding his own candle and the baby. “It’s my Julius. He’s hungry, ma’am.”
Buy Links (including Goodreads and BookBub):
Amazon (KU): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DLQMNY36/
What makes your featured book a must-read?
To quote Petula Winmill on Amazon: “A historical romance with a murder twist. We get everything in this story, a supposedly haunted castle, mysterious deaths, secrets, and of course they romance. There are also a few unusual children in the cast. Some are lovely others not so much.
Our hero is very protective, our heroine is independent and doesn't need a hero.All in a very entertaining story to begin a new series.
Good fun.”
Giveaway –
Enter to win a $15 Amazon gift card:
Open Internationally.
Runs March 25 – March 30, 2025.
Winner will be drawn on March 31, 2025.
Author Biography:
Kathy L Wheeler loves: reading, writing, the NFL, the NBA, musical theater, travel, and, er... karaoke. Her contemporary and historical romances showcase heroines who save themselves and their heroes who honor their courage in stories filled with dark elements and light humor. She currently resides in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her musically talented, lawyer husband, and her adorable dog Angel who lives up to her name...mostly.
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