Bound by Freedom, Unbound by Love
Category:
Romance
Chloe Adderley is on the run from an unwanted marriage and a father who is far more dangerous than she realizes.
After finding herself with an ultimatum that she can't accept- marry the man or starve to death in her room- running to her grandmother's house in Italy seems the only thing to do. She will pretend to be a governess, and hire a ship to take her there. It is a flawless plan. When she is attacked and knocked unconscious, however, she never suspects that the man who finds her will mistake her for a harlot.
Captain Darion Bannon is dismayed to discover that the unconscious woman he has taken aboard is actually an innocent lady. When they find themselves falling in love, Darion admits that he is a Privateer for the Sons of Liberty. After being arrested for piracy, as the Crown calls it, they face a cruel prison and transportation to the Colonies. When they are finally able to relax and be together, her father sends a man to come after her, and Darion finds himself fighting to keep the woman he loves. Only their love can help them survive the cruel twists of fate.
This is a historical romance based in the late 18th century. This is the first novel I ever wrote, and will enter publication soon. Please check out Breathless Press or my website to find out more about this Bound by Freedom, Unbound by Love.
Excerpt
Chloe was sitting on the bed when Darion came back in the room. She had just finished her preparations for bed, and was about to pull back the blanket when she noticed the box he held. Eyeing him curiously, she stood, and walked silently to stand before him. He didn't say anything, just stood there watching her eyes. She reached out, taking the box from him slowly. His eyes were shining, but she couldn't tell what with.
She turned back to the bed, carrying the box. Something told her that this was a very important gift. As she sat, he leaned on the desk directly across from where she sat, watching her every movement. She looked at the beautiful red ribbon that tied the box closed, wondering what could be as important as this seemed to him. Her hands trembled slightly as she pulled the ribbon from the box, and then carefully removed the lid.
A gasp of surprise came from her as she ran into his arms. “Thank you so much, you shall never know how touched I am, or how much this means to me.”
She practically skipped back to the box, and pulled out the contents of her satchel. She had told him the story of her mother's brush while they had bathed each other one evening. He must have found her satchel in one of the men's rooms. She found her mother's brush, holding it out to him reverently, wanting him to see the item that seemed to embody the memory of her mother. He took it without a word, and looked it over. He stared at it as though he were trying to see into her past. To see the mother and daughter, and their precious moment in time.
When he handed it back to her he looked at her, and said wistfully, “Beautiful.”
Chloe wasn't sure if he meant the brush, or her, and she didn't care. The love that she had for him welled in her heart, and threatened to spill over in the form of tears. He had remembered her story about the brush, and cared for her enough to find it. She knew at that moment that even if he never said it, he loved her. He had to, she thought, or he wouldn't have gone to the trouble.
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