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Ravensthorpe Legacy
Now available from New Concepts Publishing! Reviews: Chapter One If her father, Sheldon Townsend, weren't dead, he would kill her for daring to be here. Even in his will, Father had warned her to stay away from the Stewarts, an order Daphne Townsend couldn't obey. Not as long as her brother, Reed, was on the run, accused of killing their parents. She had to find out the truth before someone caught him and hung him without all the facts. Daphne pulled the hood of the cloak tighter around her face, so no one would recognize herdistinctive auburn hair. With a glance left and right, she crossed the dimly lit cobblestone street. Barclay Stewart, the Duke of Ravensthorpe, had been the last person to see her parents alive. She had no idea what was in the letter Ravensthorpe had delivered to them before they died, because her father had burned it. She had been in London for over a week, but had had no luck in her attempts to contact him. He had returned all her requests for a visit unopened. Tonight she would find out why. With that thought, Daphne took a deep breath and walked up the stone steps to Ravensthorpe's townhouse. Here she would find all her answers. When she knocked, the door swung open. How curious. Daphne rechecked the address on the note, backing up to see the numbers. This was it. She pushed the door open all the way, poking her head inside. "Hello! Anyone home?" Only silence greeted her. She glanced up and down both sides of the street to make sure no one outside was watching. If no one was home, then she wasn't going against her father's last request not to contact Lord Ravensthorpe, right? Wrong! Daphne swallowed hard. This might be her one chance to get a glimpse into this mysterious man whose visit to her father had turned her whole life upside down. Rubbing her arms, she stepped inside and closed the door. The house was cold, yet the lamps were all lit. All the furniture appeared staid, as if nothing had been changed in years. Not a thing was out of place. It didn't feel much like a home. Her body tingled. Something wasn't right. Strange that there were no servants to chase her out. Her parents' home in America had had some servants. She'd discovered while staying here in England that the nobility usually had large household staffs. Surely someone as high-ranking as a duke would have a small army waiting on his every need. She rounded the corner to find an open door. Ah, this room filled with books must be his study. Just what she was looking for. It smelled of cigars and leather. Partially closing the door, she stepped inside. Daphne had no idea exactly what she was looking for. Her hands shook as she went through the papers on the massive, dark wood desk. Nothing but unopened correspondence. Apparently, His Mightiness didn't see anyone. That should have made her feel better, but oddly, it didn't. On
a corner table, she spotted a pile of letters addressed to her father
that were returned unopened. Her mother's handwriting boldly stated that
they should be returned. A cold draft swept through the room, making the lamps flicker out. The hairs on her nape stood up. She wasn't alone. Warm breath tickled the back of her neck. Before Daphne could move, an arm clothed all in black snaked around her, pulling her body close to his wiry one. "Well, my lady. What do we have here?" A deep, raspy voice whispered close to her ear. One steely arm secured her as the other took the letters. He chuckled. "You've found just what I needed." He tightened his grip as he fumbled to put the letters in his pocket. As the door in the hallway slammed, she felt the cold blade of a knife at her throat. Then, a burning sensation, followed by a warm trickle of blood down her neck. Merciful heaven, he'd cut her. "Quiet!"
he growled, clamping a leather-gloved hand over her mouth. Getting her elbow free, Daphne poked her captor in the stomach. This movement offered her a moment of extra breathing space before his arm closed tight around her again. "Be still!" His tone infuriated her almost as much as being unable to break free. She stomped down on his foot, but his boots were too thick for her to even hurt him. His
grip tightened. "Now you'll pay." The back of her head exploded with pain. Failure. Everything went black. * * * * Daphne's
head pounded. Her eyes were stuck shut. He was going to hit her again,
unless she stopped him. She felt so helpless. Her arms and legs were like
lead. They would not move. I must fight, but how?
Now available from NCP - Click here for more information Reviews: Also available in this series - Ravensthorpe Heir.
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