Yet Katherine had no choice. Not when one of the girls who worked in the shop next door told her a man was asking questions about her.
When her fellow traveler’s attention shifted to her children, Katherine retrieved the embossed invitation from her satchel to read it once again. She’d been stunned when it had been delivered to her one-room flat by a liveried footman, complete with a train ticket.
After much pondering, Katherine surmised that Grace had sent the invitation with the hope that Katherine might assist her with the new wardrobe she’d purchased from Mrs. Danby. After all, it wouldn’t do for a recently married countess to dress in half-mourning when her new husband was alive and well. Katherine quelled the pang of envy at the memory of the joy on Grace’s face as she planned her hastily arranged wedding. Apparently it had been important for the earl to marry prior to his birthday, and Grace had been more than happy to oblige.
Katherine knew she didn’t belong at the house party any more than she belonged serving as a seamstress’s assistant. Somewhere in the past five years of slipping from one identity to another, she’d lost herself.
There was no chance of finding her true self at a Christmas celebration given by an earl and countess, but it would provide her with a fortnight to create a new identity. The invitation had arrived at the perfect time. Katherine had exchanged the first-class train ticket for one in second class and pocketed the money with only a sliver of guilt. Grace wouldn’t begrudge her if she knew. But Katherine didn’t intend to tell her. It would be one more secret added to her growing pile.
No one truly knew her or her past. Except him.
She was normally careful to avoid connections with others, but somehow Grace had slipped through her defenses. Perhaps that was because of the lady’s uncertainty when they’d first met at the dressmaker’s, as though no longer sure of her own tastes and opinions. Katherine hadn’t been able to resist encouraging her. Watching Grace bloom over the past months had been a true pleasure--one of the few in Katherine’s life. The love Grace had found with her earl made Katherine sigh with both envy and delight. She had yet to meet the man who’d swept Grace off her feet, but by the end of this day, she supposed that would change.
Her stomach lurched at the thought. Meeting new people brought a certain risk. There was always a chance they might recognize her or know her past. If so, her holiday would end before it began.
The sprawl of London and its soot-filled fog gave way to rolling hills and stubbled fields as the train continued its journey north. They stopped frequently as the day passed. Somehow the lack of buildings and people made Katherine uneasy. She was a city girl and had never ventured far from London. Northamptonshire might as well have been in another country as far as she was concerned.
“Did ye bring yer lunch?” Nancy, the woman next to her, asked. At Katherine’s denial, she held out a basket. “We have plenty, and you must be hungry.”
“Thank you.” Katherine gratefully accepted an apple after making certain the children had all they wanted. In her haste to leave, she hadn’t thought to bring anything.
Frost formed on the train windows as the afternoon waned, much to the delight of the children, who stood to draw patterns in it. Katherine stared at the perfect crystals, a sign that winter was nearly upon them. The cold weather complicated her existence, especially when she no longer had a place to live.
She traced a frosted crystal, amazed at the intricacy of it, the beauty. Her hope for Christmas was simple--find a new place, a new identity, until he took it from her. Again.
And a snowflake.
That was her second wish. She wanted to see one perfect snowflake fall from the sky. If she did, she’d take that as a sign that all would be well. At least for the holidays.
With a past she wanted to forget, a future she couldn’t have, one day at a time was the best she could hope for.
This story is available only in the UNDER THE KISSING BOUGH boxed set on Amazon and other retailers: http://amzn.to/2dgRAkP
Other Books By Lana Williams
Victorian Romances
The Seven Curses of London Series:
Trusting the Wolfe, a Novella, Book .5
Amazon
Loving the Hawke, Book I
Amazon
Charming the Scholar, Book II
Amazon
The Secret Trilogy:
Unraveling Secrets, Book I
Amazon
Passionate Secrets, Book II
Amazon
Shattered Secrets, Book III
Amazon
Medieval Romances:
Falling for A Knight Series:
A Knight’s Christmas Wish, Novella, Book .5
Amazon
A Knight’s Quest, Falling for A Knight, Book 1
Amazon
The Vengeance Trilogy:
A Vow To Keep, Book I
Amazon
A Knight’s Kiss, Novella, Book 1.5
Amazon
Trust In Me, Book II
Amazon
Believe In Me, Book III of The Vengeance Trilogy
Amazon
The Vengeance Trilogy – Boxed Set
Amazon
If you liked this book, I invite you to sign up to my newsletter to find out when the next one is released:
If you enjoyed this story, please consider writing a review!
Author’s Note
Dear Reader,
Thank you for reading RESCUING THE EARL, the third full length story in The Seven Curses of London series. I invite you to read TRUSTING THE WOLFE, the novella that begins the series along with LOVING THE HAWKE, the first full-length book in the series, followed by CHARMING THE SCHOLAR, if you haven’t already.
As I’ve shared in a previous note, The Seven Curses of London was written by James Greenwood and published in 1869. It provides a glimpse into some of the problems troubling London. It’s interesting how much we still have in common with that time period in this respect. RESCUING THE EARL focuses on Professional Beggars, which is chapter three of Greenwood’s book.
I find Greenwood’s dramatic writing style fascinating, and I hope you do as well. The information he shares about beggars reveals that many of the troubling issues have not changed. There are still those in need of a helping hand alongside those intent on manipulating the system, and it is often difficult to tell the difference.
This book wouldn’t have been written without my talented critique partners, Michelle Major, Lani Joramo, and Robin Nolet. I’m so grateful for your help on this journey! My beta readers are brilliant as well and include Linda Benning, Mimi Foster, and Tracy Emro. Your feedback helps more than I can say! I want to give a shout out to my new Review Crew - thank you for your support!
If you’d like to know when my next book becomes available, I invite you to sign up for my newsletter, follow me on Facebook at or on Twitter.
Reviews help authors tremendously and also help other readers find books, so please consider leaving a review. They are much appreciated, and I read them all.
More historical romances are coming your way!
Happy Reading!
Lana
Copyright © 2016 by Lana Williams
All rights reserved.
ISBN-13: 978-1540425676
ISBN-10: 1540425673
By payment of required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this book. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented without the express written permission of copyright owner.
Please Note
The reverse engineering, uploading, and/or distributing of this book via the internet or via any other means without the permission of the copyright owner is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic e
ditions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author's rights is appreciated
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher, except where permitted by law.
Thank you.
Cover art by The Killion Group
http://thekilliongroupinc.com
Rescuing the Earl (The Seven Curses of London Book 3) Page 28
