Forgotten No More: A Lady
Forsaken, Book Two
by Christina McKnight
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
A lady forgotten by all...
Ruby St. Augustin must find the truth of her past to
determine what her future holds. She only has a short time in London to uncover
the identity of her real father and the secrets behind her birth. If anyone
learns of her mission, she will disgrace everyone she holds dear. What she
doesn’t expect is to draw the attention of a man who doesn’t care about his
reputation or her past.
A man mesmerized by one...
Harold Jakeston is a man without wealth or title. Resigned
to a life he loathes, Harold has the chance at a few weeks of freedom before
being trapped in a future he wants no part of. When he’s drawn into the
mysterious quest of a woman from his past, he embraces the opportunity to
forget the life that awaits him. What he never anticipated is falling in love
with a woman who ignites his desire to create a new future for himself and for
her.
A love neither can abandon...
EXCERPT:
London, England
January 1816
Ruby
took a deep breath before trying the final drawer that could hold all the
answers to her past, her true heritage. Her lungs expanded; she held the air
inside. She didn’t exhale until it burned. With trembling fingers, she reached
for the last drawer and pulled.
Her
nicely trimmed nails nearly snapped when her grasp on the handle slipped from
the force of her tug. The drawer hadn’t budged.
Locked!
“Oh,
poppy cocks!” she hissed. Moving her hands to the folds of her evening gown,
Ruby procured a small pouch tucked neatly into a hidden pocket. Setting it on
the desk, she pulled out her array of lock-picking devices, really only
hairpins and small wires she’d collected since her first night—and her first
failed attempt at breaking into a desk—to help her disengage the drawer.
She
had to know what secrets this lord
held. Would she find an envelope inside labelled ‘Abandoned Daughter,’ or a
report from the Bow Street Runners with details about herself—her hair color, the
particular green shade of her eyes, places she’d been, perhaps the details of
her activities over the course of her life?
Nothing worth
finding was that simply ascertained.
No man, married
or not, would leave record of their nefarious past. It was more likely her
father had not spared her, or her mother, a second thought after throwing his
pregnant mistress from his townhouse in the middle of the night with no coat
and no means to get home.
Ruby
was anything but a fool, but she found herself continuing to search regardless.
She didn’t need a signed confession—she just needed that letter opener.
Picks
in hand, she knelt before the locked drawer and eyed the keyhole, blowing a
wayward strand of hair that had fallen across her face. She’d been unsuccessful
more often than not when attempting to open locked drawers. But luck may have been
on her side this evening. She’d entered the ball with little fuss, shortly
after the host and hostess had quit the receiving line. It was surprising how
similar the layout of most London townhouses were. Ruby had navigated the halls
of the second floor and found the room she sought fairly quickly, encountering
not a soul.
The
pins slipped into the lock and her tongue darted out of her mouth to lick her
lips as she concentrated on moving them exactly right to click the lock over.
She fought to keep her hands steady when sweat broke out across her forehead.
She was running out of time.
Ruby
applied a bit too much pressure and the pin snapped, falling uselessly into the
locked drawer. “Damn you to hell, mother!” she cursed and sat back, wiping her
slick brow.
She’d
always viewed herself as a sensible girl, a dutiful daughter, and an honest
friend. She could only imagine the horror on Vi’s face if she saw her now. A common
thief. A midnight prowler. A defiler of privacy.
Although,
it could not be helped.
She
sought answers and at the moment all she had was an endless list of questions.
Gaining
her feet once more, she bundled her kit and slipped it back into her pocket.
She turned her attention to the long table against the wall behind the desk.
Leaning over, she ran her hand along the underside of the ornately carved
piece, feeling for hidden compartments or—if her luck returned—a forgotten
folder of papers.
“Sherry,
Miss Ruby?” an oddly familiar voice asked behind her.
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AUTHOR Bio and
Links:
Christina McKnight is a book lover turned writer. From a young age, her
mother encouraged her to tell her own stories. She’s been writing ever since.
Currently, she focuses on Historical Romance, Urban Fantasy, and Paranormal
Romance.
Christina enjoys a quiet life in Northern California with her family,
her wine, and lots of coffee. Oh, and her books…don’t forget her books! Most
days she can be found writing, reading, or traveling the great state of California.
Follow her on Twitter: @CMcKnightWriter
Keep up to date on her releases: www.christinamcknight.com
Like Christina’s FB Author page: ChristinaMcKnightWriter
Add Forgotten No More to your Goodreads List:
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awarding a $25 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn winner, and a $15 Amazon GC to another
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Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here:
I'm looking forward to reading this book. Thanks for the excerpt!
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