Sunday, June 2, 2013

#SPeekSunday

A month ago, I introduced Lady Elinor Ashworth, heroine of Lady Elinor's Escape, in a Sneak Peek Sunday post. Today's snippet introduces Stephen over breakfast at a country inn, after reuniting the proprietors with their runaway daughter Nancy.

Lady Elinor's Escape
Sweet Regency Romance
by Linda McLaughlin

Nancy fisted her hands on her hips. “Now that isn’t enough breakfast for the long trip to London. I’ll bring ye some of our fine Wiltshire bacon, too.”

Stephen laughed. Ever since he’d arrived, one Wainwright or another had been pressing food and drink on him. “Very well, Nancy. Toast and bacon.”

She turned and walked away, weaving between the crowded tables. She seemed like a different girl than the half-starved waif his housekeeper had taken in two months ago. He frowned, remembering her tale of being lured to London by a smooth-talking stranger only to be abandoned as soon as she had conceived. What kind of cad deserted a woman in a delicate condition? The only thing worse was a man who used his fists on a female, like that blackguard Northam.

Stephen closed his mind to that line of thought. Deborah had been gone for six years now, and if not forgotten, at least the pain of her death had faded. At her funeral Stephen had vowed never again to walk away from a woman in need, which was how he found himself at an inn in Wiltshire during the Season.

When Nancy returned with his breakfast, he applied himself to the large slab of bacon and toast dripping with butter, and then washed it all down with strong black coffee.

Rescuing damsels in distress was hungry work.

Lady Elinor's Escape is available at Amazon, All Romance eBooks, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Smashwords.

Click here to read more Sneak Peeks.

Linda

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

LOL, love that last line! He's shaping into a character I'd like to read about. :)

Lyndi Lamont said...

I love a man with a sense of humor. Stephen's good nature will be tested when he meets Elinor though!

Linda

Delynn Royer said...

"Rescuing damsels in distress was hungry work." (Indeed, Stephen, it is!) What an appealing hero. Now I'm looking forward to his meet with Elinor.

D'Ann said...

I love a gentleman who rescues damsels!

Linda McLaughlin said...

Glad you approve, Delynn & D'Ann!

Anonymous said...

I love how clearly the hero's personality and sense of humor comes through in such a small slice of the story. Great snippet. :)

Linda McLaughlin said...

Oh, what a lovely thing to say, Jayne. Thanks for visiting.

Anonymous said...

Don't get me wrong, I loved this scene and this story, but I had to laugh when I saw that at the end of your snippet, right under that bit about a plate laden with bacon and toast dripping with butter, was an add that began "LOSE BELLY FAT NOW"...

Linda McLaughlin said...

ROFL, the genius of Google ads! I thought it was pretty funny, too. Right now there's a corset ad to fix the big belly problem!

Unknown said...

Love that last line...LOL Great sneak peek!