Oops! Here is Chapter 12, which I accidently left out of Thursday’s instalment. Apologies for that, but it has now been added here and also there. I will post the final 3 chapters on Monday!
Please enjoy my festive romance novel, Sleigh Ride . Set in Regency England, and including some authentic language of the times, the reader is taken on a truly magical Christmas journey. Miss Sophia Vale faces poverty. Enter the Earl of Breconbridge, renowned as a rake hell with a conscience. New chapters will be posted every Monday and Thursday.
In Memory of my Mother, Dylis Walker, who sadly passed away on the 20th December 2020. With traditional Welsh tenacity and vigour she lived a rich and full 99 years.
Bye Mum… I shall miss you.
Other Chapters
Don’t worry if you miss any chapters, since you will find links to other posted chapters here:
Sleigh Ride: Chapter 12
Chapter 12
Time Alone
Sopha sighed. ‘Tis these early evenings, why today it was fast drawing in at four of the clock.’
‘If we were at Breckonbridge, I would whisk you away on a sleigh ride,’
‘Oh my lord, I would love that. Our papa took us for sleigh rides; we had so much fun. He would pile us in together, with hot bricks for our feet and cover us with rugs; we loved it. Before I lost my two brothers, we had two sleighs. Papa would take us girls, and the boys would follow with our mama.’ Her voice softened, ‘how I miss those days. He was the kindest of fathers.’
Jake bit his lip, thinking of his own selfish pater who’d lived for the gaming hells and loose women.
Seeing his change of mood, Sophia put her hand gently on his broad chest. ‘My lord is all well with you; you look saddened?’
‘Nay – just a few memories rising, but enough I am here, and in your delightful company. Now tell me, do you keep horses?’
‘Nay, my lord, sadly we had to let them go. The sleighs lie unused in the barn; they are in a sorry state.’
‘Well then, I shall have a carpenter look at them.’
‘I don’t think it is possible to repair them, my lord; the wood is rotting.’
‘At least let me have a look at them.’
‘I will just go and tell mama.’
Sophia returned, an astonished look on her face. ‘Mama is actually allowing us to go to the barn with only Augusta as a chaperone. I thought it would entail Patience as well, and even herself.’
He beamed. ‘Come then, but wear a cloak, tis icy out there.’
Picking their way carefully in the falling snow, she led him to a barn some fifty yards from the Manse. As she went to the huge doors, he stepped in front of her. ‘Allow me.’
With Augusta and Freddie close behind them, Jake glanced over the neat bales of straw stacked against the walls and looked to see yet more on the upper floor. Seeing the rickety ladder, he frowned. ‘Tell me you do not use that?’
‘Well, tis sturdy enough, my lord.’
‘Hmm.’ was his only reply as he walked over and tested it.
He almost glared at her. ‘Sophia, promise me you will not use this again until my carpenters have seen to it. Indeed, we will provide you with a new one. That is until….’ He didn’t finish the sentence; for now, he firmly resolved to marry her as soon as possible. He would then take the whole family to live at Breckonbridge. He was determined to keep this precious girl safe.
‘Very well, I won’t be using it for a while, so yes, I promise. However, come, the sleighs are over here. He followed her to a dark corner, where lay two sleighs in a sorry state. Seeing the rotting timber, he pursed his lips; there was not much worth saving. He straightened up, ‘These are beyond repair – fit only for the fire.’
She nodded. ‘I only keep them in memory of papa, really, and all those wonderful times we had together as a family.’
‘Forgive me if I have upset you in any way.’ Jake reached out and drew her close.
Looking up at him, she murmured. ‘My Lord, you are too kind, of course, I forgive you, for you were not to know.’ He nodded; he’d already planned a surprise for her; it would be his wedding gift. He gulped, astonished at his ardour for this young woman. Two days ago, he was unaware of her existence; now, she was constantly in his thoughts.
He felt a rush of delight; he’d found his true love; he’d never thought to find such a woman or to experience these intense feelings. He felt he’d known her forever, that his soul lay waiting until she appeared. The old cliché of love, at first sight, was indeed true. His mind swept back to see her seated at the Baron’s dining table, her beauty outshining her drab attire. He wanted to hold her tighter, feel her curves blend to his body. He glanced over to see Augusta was nowhere to be seen. He bent to Sophia. ‘Where is your sister.’
Sophia grinned impishly. ‘She is giving us some privacy, my lord.’
Seeing her sweet upturned face, he wasted no time. His lips sought hers, his heart racing, as her curves did indeed blend with his angles. Gently, he licked her top lip seeking entrance, and was rewarded with a hesitant tongue responding, the sweetness of honey pervading his senses. Feeling her arms reach up and slip around his neck, he grasped her firmly, feeling the soft, generous mounds rest against him. His hands slipped down to pull her hips against his but then regretted it; his groin responded much too hastily. It was already burgeoning in his breeches. Darn it, moving slightly away, so as not to disturb her innocent responses, he stroked her back, pulling off the cape and allowing it to drift to the straw. He felt her tremble as their tongues now slowly waltzed together. He drew away, his lips following the curve of her slender neck, feeling the veins pulse, as his hands reached her bosom. Gently, he tipped his finger into the modest décolletage; as she did not back away, he stroked the soft nipple to arousal. Shifting his hips, so she would not feel the growing hardness of his member, he drew her in further until she was hard against his thigh and knee. He heard a moan as her body swayed and melted into him. His hands ached to release her breast, to lift those skirts, but he restrained himself. Why risk things now and perchance frighten her away with his lust.
As Sophia arched her body to his, he heard Augusta call to them, ‘hurry – hurry mama is on her way over.’
Copyright.
No part of this book may be stored, reproduced, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the express permission of the author.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and events are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © Katy Walters
All rights reserved
Other Chapters
Don’t worry if you miss any chapters, since you will find links to other posted chapters here:
