June always means a new book in the Countess of Harleigh series! This time I have a few live events planned. Please check my “Appearances” tab. If you are in the area, I’d love to meet you!
A Newlywed’s Guide to Fortune and Murder will be available June 27th. I thought I’d give you a short excerpt this month. Hope you enjoy it!
The elderly Lady Esther was seated by one of the doors that opened to the garden. The deeply cushioned club chair nearly swallowed her up. Not that she was petite. She was of average height but remarkably thin, which made all her angles—shoulders, elbows, hips, even her cheekbones and chin—look pointed and somehow dangerous.
Her tongue was indisputably the sharpest instrument in all of England.
“Good afternoon, Lady Esther,” I said upon entering the room. “How kind of you to call.”
“And how kind of you to receive me.” She rested her hands on her walking stick and smiled.
I froze in mid-step. I’m quite sure I’ve never seen the woman smile before, though she occasionally bared her teeth. This was different. This smile appeared genuine, and while not exactly engaging, it made her look almost approachable. It took a moment to gain my bearings.
The smile slipped into a scowl as if it couldn’t do so quickly enough. “Stop looking so shocked,” she snapped. “I can be pleasant when I’ve a mind to—when I’m around someone worth the effort.”
Ah! There was the woman I’d grown accustomed to. I took a seat in the matching chair on the other side of the window. “Goodness, are you saying I am worth the effort it takes for you to be pleasant? I’m flattered.”
“You are meant to be.” She narrowed one eye. “Though I was not entirely sure flattery worked with you, I suspected it wouldn’t go amiss.”
Instinct told me to be wary. “What is it you are hoping to achieve?”
“I wish to join you for tea.”
“I’m so sorry, but I’m expected at the Ashleys’ for tea. In fact, I should be leaving soon.”
She rapped her stick on the floor, causing me to draw back.
“I’m aware of that,” she said. “I wish to join you. Lady Winstead is an old friend of mine, and I heard you are considering sponsoring her niece. I want to accompany you, in part to ensure that you take her on.”
I couldn’t say what surprised me more—that Lady Esther knew my business or that Lady Winstead had a friend. And, of all people, it was Lady Esther. Apparently, what they say about birds of a feather is true. “What is your interest in this matter?”
“I simply wish to make myself useful.”
Her lips curved upward again. The woman was clearly up to something. However, since she’d asked so directly, it would be very ill-mannered not to invite her to join me. I supposed I’d find out eventually just what she was plotting.
When she was ready to tell me.
Yay! When will the audiobook version be out? The reader is great and I love listening to this series.
I’m glad you’re enjoying the series! My publisher and I agree that Sarah Zimmerman is the best voice for my books. This year she had some scheduling conflicts, so we waited for her. The audio book should be out in August.