A Perfect Planby Alyssa Drake
Series
Wiltshire Chronicles Book One
Genre
Adult
Historical Romance
Romantic Suspense
Publisher
Independent
Publication DateApril 2, 2019
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An opinionated tomboy must navigate the dangers of society, unaware her brother's killer is lurking in her midst.
When her brother's ship sinks off the coast of France, Miss Samantha Hastings surrenders her quiet, country life to manage his affairs. Suddenly thrust into society, Samantha faces an unfamiliar world and the unnerving green eyes of Lord Westwood-her brother's best friend and her new guardian.
Benjamin, Lord Westwood, never intended on following through with his rash promise to act as guardian to Edward's bratty little sister. Upon learning of his best friend's death, Benjamin's intention was to marry her off to the first acceptable suitor. When he finds himself falling for Samantha instead, Benjamin alights upon the perfect plan; a marriage of convenience.
The plan, however, quickly unravels when they discover Edward's disappearance was due to foul play. Now, Samantha is in more danger than either of them realized and Benjamin is running out of time. Can he save the woman he loves or will murder ruin his perfect plan?
If you enjoy the mystery and intrigue of Amanda Quick and Lisa Kleypas, dive into this spellbinding series filled with history, romance, and suspense.
Enjoy this excerpt:
PROLOGUE
June 19, 1842
He stared
pitilessly, mouth twisted cruelly, as Mr. Matthew Hastings writhed
uncontrollably on the mahogany desk. His arms flopped helplessly; a dull thud,
thud, thud. Heavy green drapes, lining the picture window behind the desk,
blocked any moonlight from streaming into the room. Only the dim light of
fading embers bathed Mr. Hastings and his guest at this early hour. No sound
echoed in the sleeping house. Anonymity cloaked the sole witness to Mr.
Hastings’ excruciating demise.
“It
is unfortunate I had to resort to this unpleasantness.” The man shook his head
with feigned sadness, a sneer hovering just on the edge of his lips. He paused,
deep in contemplation, and then spoke quietly, as if explaining an important
lesson to a child. “I did caution you–several times–over the past few months.
However, you refused to heed my warning.”
Leaning
over, the man slid his fingers through Mr. Hasting’s hair, mostly black, but
highlighted by the graying of age. His grip tightened, and he wrenched Mr.
Hastings’ head sideways. Pressing his lips to Mr. Hastings’ ear, he hissed
intimately. “You have something I want, something that was promised to me when
I was much younger. Since you are unwilling to relinquish possession...”
He
indicated a half empty glass of brandy resting precariously near the edge of
the desk, just out of reach of Mr. Hastings’ twitching hand. The brandy
taunted; its amber color glistened ominously. Mr. Hastings’ eyes rolled wildly
as the toxin caused his body to spasm in a gruesome dance. His tongue remained
paralyzed, locked, unable to form a simple word. Help.
The
man released Mr. Hastings’ head, gently returning it to the desk, and then
stroked his fingers down the side of Mr. Hastings’ contorted cheek. “This
particular poison is quite painful. I must admit, I chose it because I knew it
would cause you to suffer horribly.”
“Ugh,”
replied Mr. Hastings. His flopping body beat its slow rhythm again; a fish
gasping for its last breath of air. The raspy breathing echoed in the study.
Although the sound was not loud enough to raise alarm in the house, the man’s
eyes flew to the closed study door. Grabbing Mr. Hastings by his hair, the man
yanked, crushing Mr. Hastings’ mouth with his hand.
“Stop
this nonsense, this instance,” he hissed.
Jerking,
Mr. Hastings threw his torso forward, ripping out of the man’s grasp, and
stretching for the poisoned snifter. His fingers brushed against the glass,
sliding down the side. The glass scooted further away, teetering on the edge of
the desk. With a lunge, he wrapped his hand around the glass, locking tightly.
Gasping twice, Mr. Hastings’ shuddered and then exhaled, his body slumping onto
the desk.
Cautiously,
the man relaxing his grip, straightening slowly. He studied Mr. Hastings’s with
narrowed eyes, searching for any hint of movement. Nothing. He grinned and
chuckled quietly as his gaze fell on the glass in Mr. Hastings’ grip.
“No
clues.” He clucked his tongue. “A good attempt, however, kindly remember, I am
much smarter than you.”
Prying
the glass from Mr. Hastings’ stiff hand, the man dumped the remaining liquid
into the fireplace. The fire hissed and burned red briefly before returning to
its normal color. Wrapping the glass in a handkerchief, the man placed it
carefully in his coat pocket. He patted the pocket twice before his eyes rose
to meet Mr. Hastings’ empty gaze.
“I
am sorry to steal you so young from your lovely wife. The loss will be
devastating for her.” A horrid smile stretched across his lips. “Please do not
concern yourself with the well-being of your dear wife or your children; I
intend to take good care of your family.”
“Ugh,
ugh.” Mr. Hastings choked. His hand slammed down on the desk. His head rolled
to the side, lifting a centimeter from the desk. His blue eyes rolled madly,
threatening to burst from their sockets. Agony racked his features; his entire
face strained taut from the poison’s brutal assault.
The
man laughed quietly and stepped toward the desk, his voice scornful. “You are a
fighter. Perhaps I did not give you a large enough dose.”
His
hand slid into his breast pocket, fingers closing around a tiny brown vial. A
wheezing breath escaped from Mr. Hastings’ lungs. He deflated, his body twisted
grotesquely over the desk; a lifeless marionette. Eerie silence filled the
study. Mr. Hastings’ empty eyes, permanently frozen in a moment of anguish,
glared accusingly at the man.
Placing
his fingers to the side of Mr. Hastings’ neck, the man nodded with
satisfaction. He leaned over the body and rifled through the desk drawers, his
hands groping into the far recesses. Each empty disappointment brought a growl
to his lips. Taking care not to disturb Mr. Hastings’ corpse, the man slid his
fingers under the desk looking for a secret compartment or hidden drawer. He
found nothing, not a key, not a clue, nothing, just an ordinary desk.
With
a snarl, he stood, his eyes scanning the study, absorbing every detail, every
nook and cranny. This was the only room left in the townhouse he had not yet
had the opportunity to search. Yet they continued to elude him. He shook his
head, chewing his tongue as he glanced over at Mr. Hastings. Such an
inconvenience–this murder business–although this was by no means his first
horrendous act.
His
eyes swept the room again, taking inventory; various trinkets from Mr.
Hastings’ travels decorated the bookshelves along the walls. Mrs. Hastings’s
ornate writing desk, hidden in the far corner, was situated to face the
beautiful garden hidden behind the green curtains, instead of the center of the
room.
Mr.
Hastings once teased his wife at a dinner party that her desk should be in his
office, since she spent most of her time on the business of correspondence and
all business should be performed in an office. In response to his remark, she
requested the staff move her desk from the sitting room into the office the
next morning, where she spent most of her time staring out the window at the
foliage instead of writing letters.
“What
wonderful a distraction!” She often exclaimed the sentiment, her musical voice
bloomed with joy each time. “Surely if ever anyone has a reason not to respond
to a letter, it is due to the beauty of nature.”
Tour Wide Giveaway
To celebrate the release of A PERFECT PLAN by Alyssa Drake, we're giving away a $25 Amazon gift card to one lucky winner!
GIVEAWAY TERMS & CONDITIONS: Open to internationally. One winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card. This giveaway is administered by Pure Textuality PR on behalf of Alyssa Drake. Giveaway ends 4/6/2019 @ 11:59pm EST. Limit one entry per reader. Duplicates will be deleted. CLICK HERE TO ENTER!
About Alyssa Drake
USA Today Bestselling Author ALYSSA DRAKE has been creating stories since she could hold a crayon, preferring to construct her own bedtime tales instead of reading the titles in her bookshelves. A multi-genre author, Alyssa currently writes Historical romance, Paranormal romance, Contemporary romance, and Cozy mystery. She thoroughly enjoys strong heroines and often laughs aloud when imagining conversations between her characters.
Alyssa graduated from the University of the Pacific, with a B.S. in business and a concentration in French literature. Currently she resides in Northern California with her blended family, where she works full-time at a chocolate factory.
She believes everyone is motivated by love of someone or something. One of her favorite diversions is fabricating stories about strangers surrounding her on public transportation. Alyssa can often be found madly scribbling notes on a train or daydreaming out the window as the scenery whips past.
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