Hope's Betrayal
by Grace Elliot
Blurb:
One
wild, winter's night two worlds collide.
Known for his ruthless efficiency, Captain George Huntley is
sent to stamp out smuggling on the south coast of England. On a night raid, the
Captain captures a lanky lad, but finds his troubles are just beginning when
the lad turns out to be a lass, Hope Tyler.
With Hope as bait, the Captain sets a trap to catch the rest
of the gang. But in a battle of wills, with his reputation at stake, George
Huntley starts to respect feisty, independent Hope. Challenged by her sea-green
eyes and stubborn loyalty Huntley now faces a new threat - his growing
attraction to a sworn enemy. And a love where either Hope betrays her own kind,
or Captain Huntley is court-marshalled, is not an easy destiny to follow.
Available from:
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Excerpt:
Injured on a smuggling run, Hope wakes to face the naval officer who
captured her.
Hope kept her eyes closed as she
became conscious of a man's heavy tread pacing the room. She waited until he
was at the window and opened her eyelids a fraction. With the light behind him
she saw an athletic man with wide shoulders, tall enough to have to stoop under
the sloping eaves. Her stomach felt hollow with foreboding, for without doubt,
this was the same man who'd pursued her over the dunes.
He must have sensed a change in
her breathing, for suddenly he turned. He stared, with piercing blue eyes that
penetrated her soul. Dressed in a naval uniform, the jacket cuffs ringed with
gold braid, the man exuded authority. He continued to stare, his face
unreadable; wilful, she decided, and yet uncommonly handsome. She blushed and
reached for the covers, pulling them up to her chin.
"So, enough pretending. You
are awake at last." His voice, deep and melodic, brooked no argument.
"Please, sir, where am
I?"
"Under house arrest."
He growled, obviously no friend. And yet, she touched her bandaged head,
someone had taken care of her.
"You are in pain?" His
consideration was surprising.
"Not so much now."
The answer pleased him.
"Good, then you have some explaining to do."
"Please, sir, who are
you?"
The man threw her a sideways
glance and started to pace.
"Captain Huntley, RN. And
you are?"
She decided against lying, her
name alone couldn’t incriminate her family.
"Hope Tyler."
"Well Miss Tyler, have you
the slightest idea how much trouble you're in?"
"Yes."
The Captain stared at the
ceiling. "A man died because of your felony. A Revenue man. He leaves a
wife and three children."
"I'm so sorry." She
whispered in distress.
"His fellow officers are
baying for blood."
Hope trembled, things were worse
than she imagined.
"Someone must hang for his
death."
Her throat closed over.
"Be it you…or the man who
pulled the trigger….my men don’t care." Captain Huntley stepped closer,
his presence dominating the room. She couldn’t breathe, he seemed made of
granite, his eyes like flints, sparking with anger. "But I'm
different." His expression softened imperceptibly. "I like to think
of myself as a fair man."
Hope nodded, to encourage him.
"Any fool can see you are
just a bit-player, a lackey. The men I want are the leaders, those who finance
the contraband and organise the landings. Tell me who they are, and I shall
intercede on your behalf with the authorities."
"What if I don’t know their
names?"
His wide mouth twitched downward.
"Then I cannot help you."
She would have shaken her head
had it not been too painful. "The men you speak of aren't stupid. They
will know I am taken, and know if I betray them. If I do… they will come for my
family."
"Then put them behind
bars."
"It's too risky. This way,
it's only me."
He tried to hide it, but he
looked surprised. She saw him drinking in the logic of her words and a shadow
darkened his face. Clasping his hands behind his back, he turned to stare
through the window.
"Tell me," he said
benignly, "what does it feel like to be abandoned? Because that's what the
smugglers did. Sailed away without a backward glance and left you to your
fate."
~ * ~
Bio:
Grace Elliot leads a double life
as a veterinarian by day and an author of historical romance by night. Grace is
an avid reader and believes intelligent people need to read romance - as an
antidote to the modern world. She works in a companion animal practice near
London and is housekeeping staff to five demanding felines.
"Hope's Betrayal" is
Grace's third historical romance novel - to find out more please visit: https://www.amazon.com/author/graceelliot
Blog: "Fall in Love With History" http://graceelliot-author.blogspot.com
Twitter: @Grace_Elliot
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