‘You are right. We can’t leave her here. In fact, this young woman could be the answer to our prayers. Look at her, Hester. She’s about your age. You bear a resemblance—despite her disfiguring facial injuries.’ His expression serious, he looked down at her. ‘She could be you.’
Hester went cold, knowing perfectly well what he was suggesting. ‘No, Lucas. We cannot pass her off as me. It wouldn’t be right.’
‘She is dead, Hester. If I go and speak to your sisters and persuade them to identify her as you, those men looking for you will believe you died in the storm and that will be the end of it. Leave it to me. I’ll go and talk to them. At present it’s too dangerous for you to go and see them.’
Chapter Five
The dead girl was taken to Hester’s home and word soon spread that Hester had met with a fatal accident on the night of the storm. Witnessing the grief of her sisters, which was quite genuine for they were truly sad at the fate that had befallen the young woman, the men from Avery accepted that the body in the coffin that was lowered into the ground in the churchyard was indeed that of Hester Atkins.
Lucas brought Anne and Elizabeth to see Hester at the Grange. When Hester told them what she had done, they were understandably shocked, but they understood why she had done what she had and why she had to leave. She hugged them close and promised to write to them, telling them that when she was settled they could visit her and Lucas. They might even decide to make their home in Virginia and then they could all be together.
Anne and Elizabeth smiled and said they would like that.
* * *
Hester felt an amazing sense of calm, a tranquil calm that warms and soothes. She laughed and lifted her head, dizzy with happiness, and saw the sea as they left England behind. She turned her face to Lucas and drew in a breath at the sight of his handsome face. He bent his head and kissed her mouth, the touch of his lips sending delicious tingles to every part of her body.
This is bliss, she thought, wanting only to go to their cabin and make love. But there was no hurry. They had all night—and the whole of the next—and the one after. She sighed, happily content.
There was no need to hurry.
* * * * *
Author Note
I wrote One Reckless Night as a follow up to Destitute On His Doorstep. In the background was a young woman I could not let go, a woman who was driven to commit the terrible crime of patricide. She is a quiet, unassuming young woman. I wanted to shape a life for her. One Reckless Night is Hester’s story, a story in which she develops a life and a personality of her own, a story in which she battles with her guilt, self-condemnation and the love she carries in her for just one man. Can she win his forgiveness and his trust as well as his heart?
It is a story that I hope you, the reader, will be pleased with.
If you enjoyed One Reckless Night, don’t miss Helen Dickson’s connected novel Destitute On His Doorstep, available now from Harlequin Historical wherever ebooks are sold.
Destitute and desperate, Jane Lucas knows there is one place where she can find refuge—her childhood home.
Landing on the doorstep, Jane is confronted with a new lord of the manor! Devilish Colonel Francis Russell is known for his fierce reputation in battle. The civil war may be ended but, by stepping over the threshold, Jane fears she’s crossing enemy lines.
She will use every weapon in her arsenal to claim the home that’s rightfully hers, starting with her bewitching charm…but then she goes and falls under the colonel’s spell!
Enjoy more passion through the ages with the sensual Harlequin Historical UNDONE titles on sale now:
The Sheriff’s Last Gamble by Lauri Robinson
The Debutante’s Ruse by Linda Skye
For the Highlander’s Pleasure by Joanne Rock
Behind the Courtesan’s Mask by Marguerite Kaye
Capturing the Silken Thief by Jeannie Lin
How to Tempt a Viscount by Margaret McPhee
Testing the Lawman’s Honor by Lauri Robinson
The Unrepentant Rake by Barbara Monajem
Disobeying the Marshal by Lauri Robinson
Craving something a little longer? Find more historical romantic adventure from Harlequin Historical at http://www.Harlequin.com or your local bookstore.
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About the Author
Helen Dickson was born and lives in South Yorkshire with her retired farm manager husband. Having moved out of the busy farmhouse where she raised their two sons, she has more time to indulge in her favorite pastimes. She enjoys being outdoors, traveling, reading and music. An incurable romantic, she writes for pleasure. It was a love of history that drove her to writing historical fiction.
ISBN: 978-14592-2811-5
One Reckless Night
Copyright © 2012 by Helen Dickson
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