In Victorian England, a wealthy businessman and a governess with a dangerous past must reveal their darkest secrets or risk losing everything.
Warrior’s Grace
(The Barnes Family 2)
by Kate Hill
Format(s): Ebook
Heat Level: Some Sensuality
Pairing(s): M/F
Genre/Themes: Historical Romance, Victorian Romance, Suspense, Slow Burn
Length: Novel
Ebook cover art created at Canva.com
Purchase Links:
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Blurb:
When wealthy businessman Max Barnes takes in two orphans to rear as his own, he has no idea that the governess he hires to care for them will change his life.
Grace Martin has spent years protecting her country. Now she’s ready for a quiet, normal life as governess to a pair of young orphans. What she doesn’t count on is the children’s charming father stealing her heart and a vengeful assassin from her past targeting her through Max and his children.
Max and Grace must reveal their darkest secrets or risk losing everything.
Note: This book contains references to sexual abuse, child abuse, and mental health issues in a historical setting. It also has some sensual scenes and some violence.
Excerpt:
Grace had learned to expect the unexpected, but she was still surprised when she met Maxwell Barnes. Andrews, the butler, escorted her to the parlor to introduce her.
She had been wrong about Mr. Barnes being an older man. He was not only young, but incredibly attractive. Tall and lean with dark, curling locks, he carried himself with an air of confidence. Still, the sparkle in his blue eyes revealed a sense of humor.
He stood by the hearth, examining the brass clock resting on top of it, but his gaze shifted toward them and fixed on Grace. She couldn’t help noticing how his large eyes were far too beautiful. He had probably seduced half the female population of London
with those eyes.
“Sir, may I present Miss Grace Martin.”
Mr. Barnes nodded and flashed a charming smile. “A pleasure to meet you.”
“Good afternoon, sir.” Grace held his gaze.
Andrews left them alone to talk.
The thought crossed her mind that maybe the children weren’t orphans after all. Maybe they were Maxwell Barnes’s illegitimate offspring and he was trying to be decent by caring for them.
Speaking of the children, the pair sat side by side on the brown velvet couch. Though well dressed, they were rather thin, but Andrews had told her that they had been sorely neglected before Mr. Barnes took them in just under two weeks ago. He had quite literally taken them off the street.
Both children had straight, silky brown locks and large blue eyes. The girl looked a couple of years older than the boy, who had yet to lose his baby-like innocence.
“Miss Martin, please meet Jane and Sam.” Mr. Barnes gestured toward the children.
Grace offered them a slight smile. “Hello, children.”
“Hello,” they replied in unison.
“I understand you worked for the same family for the past year,” he continued.
“Yes, sir. It was only temporary, since I replaced their usual governess while she attended to family business in France. Once she returned, my services were no longer required.”
“Even so, they spoke highly of you. Please sit.” He motioned for her to take a chair near the couch.
She did as he asked, and he walked to the couch and sat beside Sam.
For the next half hour, the interview went smoothly, though Grace and Jane did most of the talking. Sam was rather timid, but after a while he responded to her more openly. She noted that he seemed particularly attached to Mr. Barnes.
The children were engaging and intelligent, but their poor background was apparent in their speech. Since they were so young, this would be relatively simple to correct.
Maxwell Barnes spent most of the interview observing her interaction with the children. He sometimes joined the conversation with pleasant and even humorous comments as well as questions about her previous post and her views on teaching. As she had guessed, he was a charmer. In her career, she had known all kinds of men and found his sort to be the most dangerous. Outwardly, he was easy to like, but what was his true nature beneath the handsome looks and boyish charm?
Finally he said, “Thank you for your time, Miss Martin.”
Was he dismissing her? Grace scolded herself for already imagining herself in this house, teaching these children and warding off the charming Mr. Barnes.
Author Bio:
Kate Hill is a vegetarian New Englander who loves writing romantic fantasies. When she’s not working on her books, Kate enjoys reading, working out, watching horror movies, and researching vampires and Viking history. She runs the Compelling Beasts Blog that is dedicated to antagonists, antiheroes, and paranormal creatures. Kate also writes as Saloni Quinby.
Visit her online at https://www.kate-hill.com. Join her newsletter at https://kate-hill.com/index.php/newsletter.
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