First Chapter Peak of Jenny's Choice by Patrick Craig

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book! 

You never know when I might play a wild card on you! 

Today's Wild Card author is:

Patrick E. Craig

and the book

 Jenny’s Choice

harvesthousepublishers

***Special thanks to Ginger Chen   of Harvest House Publishers for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Patrick E. Craig is a lifelong writer and musician who left a successful songwriting and performance career in the music industry to follow Christ in 1984. He spent the next 26 years as a worship leader, seminar speaker, and pastor in churches, and at retreats, seminars and conferences all across the western United States. After ministering for a number of years in music and worship to a circuit of small churches, he is now concentrating on writing and publishing both fiction and non-fiction books. Patrick and his wife Judy make their home in northern California and are the parents of two adult children and have five grandchildren.

www.patrickecraig.com

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:

In the concluding novel to the Apple Creek Dreams series, Jonathan and Jenny Hershberger are settled on the farm Jenny inherited from her grandfather. But when an accident takes Jonathan’s life, Jenny and her daughter, Rachel, return to Apple Creek to live with her adoptive parents, Reuben and Jerusha Springer.

Book trailer:

http://youtu.be/iuEZL1sUdho

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER: 

The Departure

November 1978

Jenny Hershberger walked slowly into the room and surveyed the piles of boxes waiting to be moved out to the wagon. Her eyes turned to a heap of clothing spread across the bed. With a weary sigh she brushed back an errant curl that had escaped from her kappe. Each item she looked at seemed to have a mouth clamoring for her attention, each with a story to tell or a memory to unveil.

This will be the hard part.

She went to the pine dresser—the first big project Jonathan had undertaken after Grandfather Borntraeger began to teach him woodworking. The detailing was coarse and the lines of the piece a bit awkward, but she had loved it from the moment Jonathan moved it into their room. She remembered him standing proudly beside it as she ran her hands over the top and opened each drawer as though it were a treasure trove. She loved the smell of the linseed oil he had rubbed into the wood, and when she had spread a lace piece over the top and placed her things there, it had become a symbol of all that Jonathan had left behind from his old life and all that he had become to be with her.

Now she picked up one of the objects on the top of the dresser, a small box. A sharp, almost physical pain touched her heart as she opened the lid. Inside were several folded pieces of paper. She took one out, slowly spread it open on the dresser, and began to read.

My precious Jenny,

It’s the end of another long day here in Paradise. I’ve been in the fields since daybreak with Grandfather Borntraeger. As soon as the thaw came and the soil started to warm, we began preparing the ground for spring planting. This is the hardest work I’ve ever done, yet at the same time it is the most fulfilling. Your grandfather is a kind man, but he’s very strict and doesn’t put up with any complaining or questioning of his methods.

Since I’m so new to this, he must teach me as we work. I feel like a little boy all over again, but he’s very patient with me even when I make mistakes.

I’m beginning to comprehend so many things, especially about God and His Son, Jesus. The Bible is a wonderful book. Did you know that God made the first man out of dirt? I wonder if that’s why I feel so at home on the land. When I’m out in the fields with Grandfather Borntraeger, walking behind the plow, I feel as though my life finally means something, as if this is the most natural and real way I could ever be. As I work, I remember the words of a song I heard the Amish men singing when I first came to Apple Creek.

Let him who has laid his hand on the plow not look back! Press on to the goal! Press on to Jesus Christ! The one who gains Christ will rise with Him from the dead on the youngest day.

That’s who I want to be—the one who lays his hand to the plow and doesn’t look back!

Jenny didn’t finish reading, but folded the letter and placed it back in the box. Tears formed in her eyes as she stood alone in the room, lost in her sorrow.

“Mama?”

A quiet little voice spoke from the doorway. Jenny turned to the young girl who stood there. She was small, with dark hair and deep, sea-blue eyes.

She has his eyes—she’s so much like him.

Jenny went to the girl and stooped down as she took the little one in her arms and lifted her into a hug. The girl softly touched Jenny’s face.

“Why are you crying, Mama?” she asked.

“It’s nothing, my Rachel,” Jenny answered. “I was only reading your papa’s letters, the ones he wrote to me before we were courting, when he lived here with your great-grandfather and learned the Amish ways. He wrote to me every day of the two years we were apart. I kept the most special letters in this box so I could read them now and again and let du lieber Gott remind me how much He blessed me by sending me your papa.”

“Is Papa happy in heaven?” Rachel asked.

“Oh, yes, my dearest; Papa is very, very happy with Jesus and all the angels.”

“Why do we have to move to another house, Mama? I like our house. What if Papa decides to come back from heaven and he can’t find us? Won’t he be sad?”

Jenny sat on the bed and set Rachel down beside her. “Papa won’t come back from heaven, darling. Heaven is so wunderbar that once you’ve gone there, you don’t ever want to come back. And we wouldn’t want to call him back to this world once he’s been with Jesus. He will wait for us there, and one day we will join him and be with him again.

“In the meantime, we’re sad that he’s gone…very sad. We must move because it’s very hard for your mama to live here without Papa. There are so many things that make me remember him, and my heart breaks again each time I see them. I need to go back to my old home and be with my mama and papa so they can help me not to feel this way. And they will help you to be happy again. Your grossdaadi can’t wait for you to come, and Mama, my mama, has prepared a special room just for you. You will love being with them. Thanksgiving and Christmas will be here soon, and it will be comforting to be in Apple Creek with our family and friends for the holidays.”

“Oh, yes, Mama, I love Grossmudder and Grossdaadi. It will be nice to see them. But won’t we ever come back to Paradise?”

“Only der vollkluge Gott knows the answer to that question, my darling. Now, do you have all your things packed up like I asked you?”

“Mostly, Mama. Can you help me with the rest?” Rachel asked.

“Yes, dearest. I’ll be there in a bit, when I finish here. Run ahead.”

Rachel bounced off the bed and ran from the room. Jenny smiled as she watched her go.

She has her papa’s eyes and my bounce!

Jenny sighed again as Jonathan crowded back into her thoughts. She stood up, grabbed an empty box, and quickly put the letter box and the rest of the items from the dresser top into it. Then she folded up the lace piece, placed it on top of her other belongings, and closed the box. She set it with the others, piled the clothing on a chair by the door, and then pulled the quilt and the linens from the bed. She folded them and put them into the last remaining empty box. She surveyed the stack of boxes and then went to the closet and took out her suitcase. Carefully she packed her clothing in it and snapped the latches shut. The click of the latches echoed in the room like tiny gunshots. Finished.

She took a deep breath.

There, I’m done. That wasn’t so bad. Cousin Borntraeger can carry all this out for me and take it to the storage place. Mama said to just bring our clothes for now.

She heard boots on the front porch, and her heart leapt. Then just as quickly, reality dashed her hopes. Another deep sigh. How many times had she heard Jonathan coming up the front stoop and walking across the porch to the door? It was always such a comforting sound at the end of the day. But now…

There was a knock and then a voice calling. “Jenny? Are you ready, then?”

“I’m here, Cousin, in the bedroom. Can you help me with these boxes?”

Lem Borntraeger walked down the hall and into the room. He glanced around at the emptiness and pulled his black hat from his head.

“Jenny, are you sure this is what you want? We all want you to stay. I know it won’t be the same without Jonathan, but you have family here.”

Jenny looked at her tall cousin. He had been one of the blessings God bestowed on Jenny and Jonathan when they had come to Paradise ten years before. He had taken her into his heart from the first day they met, and after she and Jonathan married, he became their good friend and helper. She reached over and patted his arm.

“I have to go home, Lem. I need to be with my mama and papa. You will run the farm, and it will prosper in your care. For me, there are too many memories. Sometimes my remembrances of Jonathan and our days here feel like cobwebs that stick to me and hold me fast. They keep me from going on with my life. And I need to go on now or I’ll die inside.”

“Will you ever come back?” Lem asked.

“Right now I would say no,” Jenny answered. “But who knows the road ahead? We may come back someday when I can be in this house without weeping every time I turn around.” Jenny managed a weak smile.“I need to go, Lem.”

“All right then,” Lem said. “I understand.”

He stood for a moment with his hat in his hands. “Jonathan was a good man, and he was my friend. I will miss him deeply.” Then Lem put his hat back on and smiled. “It’s enough. Now let me load these boxes.”

Jenny watched him as he picked up two boxes and went out. She took one last look at the room and then turned to go.

“Jenny…”

She stopped and turned, thinking she had heard Jonathan’s voice. But it was only the echoes of unspoken longings that filled her aching heart. She went one last time to the bed and touched it softly.

“Jonathan, oh, Jonathan. You are my true love. There will never be anyone like you for me. Thank you, my dearest, for loving me so deeply. Thank you for being a good man, a wonderful husband, and a loving father to Rachel. May Gott be with you on your journey.”

Jenny stood silent for a moment and then picked up her suitcase, turned, and left the room. She went into Rachel’s room, gathered up the few remaining things that were still unpacked, and laid them in her daughter’s suitcase. Then she took Rachel’s hand, and together they walked down the hall, through the empty front room, and out onto the porch. A buggy waited for them in the driveway. She boosted Rachel up as Lem put the suitcases in the back, and then she climbed in. She nodded to the driver, who clicked his tongue and set the horse in motion.

The buggy rolled slowly down the driveway. Jenny looked straight ahead. She would not look back. But then just as the horse turned onto the main road, her resolve crumbled, and she turned. The blue two-story house stood in the middle of the harvested fields. As she looked she could see Jonathan behind the plow, waving to her as the rich soil turned and broke beneath the sharp blade. She could see his smile and his blue eyes. She could feel his strong arms around her as they stood together on the porch, looking out over the land—their land—in awe of the blessings of God. She put her face into her hands and silently began to weep. The clopping hooves beat out a slow and mournful cadence—“He’s gone, he’s gone, he’s gone.”

Book Spotlight of God's Daughter by Heather Day Gilbert

God's Daughter by Heather Day Gilbert

From Netgalley.com

One Viking woman. One God. One legendary journey to North America.

In the tenth century, when pagan holy women rule the Viking lands, Gudrid turns her back on her training as a seeress to embrace Christianity. Clinging to her faith, she joins her husband, Finn, on a voyage to North America.

But even as Gudrid faces down murderous crewmen, raging sickness, and hostile natives, she realizes her greatest enemy is herself—and the secrets she hides might just tear her marriage apart.

Almost five centuries before Columbus, Viking women sailed to North America with their husbands. God's Daughter, Book One in the Vikings of the New World Saga, offers an expansive yet intimate look into the world of Gudrid Thorbjarnardottir—daughter-in-law of Eirik the Red, and the first documented European woman to have a child in North America.

Author Bio:

Heather Day Gilbert writes character-driven novels that go beyond the vows, capturing the triumphs and heartaches unique to married couples. A graduate of Bob Jones University, she's been married to her sweet Yankee husband for over sixteen years. After ten years of homeschooling and six years of writing, she really doesn't have many hobbies. Born and raised in the West Virginia mountains, she believes that bittersweet, generational stories are in her blood.

Book Spotlight of The Workhouse Girl by Dilly Court

The Workhouse Girl by Dilly Court

from NetGalley.com:

Eight-year-old Sarah has never known a place to call home. Circumstances force Sarah and her widowed mother to enter the notorious St Giles and St George’s Workhouse. When her mother dies in childbirth, the independent-minded Sarah falls foul of the workhouse master, Trigg, and his cruel wife. Sarah’s ordeal seems to be over when a sugar mill owner takes her into his home. But her wealthy benefactor reports Trigg and his wife. And blaming Sarah for their misfortune, in a fit of revenge, the couple decide to take the law into their own hands.

Book Spotlight of Country Heaven by Ava Miles

Country Heaven by Ava Miles

from Net galley:

f you like the hit TV series, Nashville…

A down-on-her luck cook uses food’s magical properties to tame a beastly country singer after he hires her under false pretenses to restore his image.

When famous—and infamous—country singer Rye Crenshaw saunters into the diner where she cooks, Tory Simmons is certain she’s got him pegged. He’s a bad boy who indulges himself in all things, women included. But while she couldn’t care less about country music or arrogant men, Rye makes her an offer she can’t refuse when he asks her to be his private chef on his multi-city concert tour. The job is the answer to all her prayers: it will clear out her debt and finance the fresh start she desperately needs.

Rye is certain his sassy new cook is the last woman who’d ever tempt him, but spending time with the wholesome girl next door will do wonders for his damaged public image, whether she likes being forced into the spotlight or not. Her food also happens to be the best he’s ever eaten, both comforting and seductive. But spending time with Tory on the road shows him a new side to her—one that’s as impossible to resist as her food. And when an emergency in his family whisks him home, he does the one thing he’s never risked: he lets a woman into his heart…

Soon the emotions Rye faked for the tabloids become all too real, but will the country heaven he’s found in Tory’s arms survive in the real world?

Author Bio:

USA Today Bestselling Author Ava Miles burst onto the contemporary romance scene after receiving Nora Roberts’ blessing for her use of Ms. Roberts’ name in her debut novel, NORA ROBERTS LAND, which kicked off The Dare Valley Series and brought praise from reviewers and readers alike. Much to Ava's delight, USA Today Contributor Becky Lower selected it as one of the Best Books of the Year. Ava continued The Dare Valley Series in FRENCH ROAST, which Tome Tender says “raised the entertainment bar again” and then THE GRAND OPENING, which reviewer Mary J. Gramlich says “is a continuation of love, family, and relationships.” The next books in the series, THE HOLIDAY SERENADE, was met with high praise and her ode to the early 1960s, THE TOWN SQUARE, what she calls Mad Men in a small town with a happy ending, melted reader’s hearts. Ava based her original series on a family newspaper, modeled after her own. Her great-great grandfather won it in a poker game in 1892, so Ava is no stranger to adventurous men and models her heroes after men like that—or like Tim McGraw, her favorite country music singer. Now Ava shares the Dare River series, set in the deep South, telling the story of a country singer and a beautiful cook. A former chef herself, Ava used her culinary background to infuse the story with family and personal recipes, but she also used her love for music to write country music songs to set the stage in the novel, creating a unique book experience. Ava—a writer since childhood—now lives in her own porch-swinging-friendly community with an old-fashioned Main Street lined with small businesses.

Book Spotlight of Journey to the Cross by Adam Hamilton

Journey to the Cross by Adam Hamilton

From Net Galley:

Experience the final hours of Jesus’ life in new ways as you take your own journey to the cross. Based on Adam Hamilton's devotions from 24 Hours That Changed the World, this new compilation contains added content to help readers prepare heart and mind for Easter: descriptions of Hamilton’s travel to the Holy Land, historical and scriptural content from each chapter of24 Hours, links to online travel videos and photographs, as well as Scripture and prayers.

Journey to the Cross is excellent for individual devotion and reflection and can also be used in a small group experience

Author's Website

http://www.adamhamilton.org/

Book Info

http://www.abingdonpress.com/product/9781426780615#.UvkY_fldVnF

Book Spotlight of Pigs Can't Swim by Helen Peppe

Pigs Can't Swim by Helen Peppe

From Goodreads.com
With everything happening on Helen Peppe’s backwoods Maine farm: ferocious sibling rivalry, rock-bottom poverty, feral male chauvinism, sex in the hayloft—life was out of control, even for the animals. Despite the chaos, in telling her family’s story, Peppe manages deadpan humor, an unerring eye for the absurd, and a touching compassion for her utterly overwhelmed parents. While her feisty resilience and candor will inevitably remind readers of Jeanette Wall or Mary Karr, Peppe’s wry insight and moments of tenderness with family and animals are entirely her own.

Smitten Book Club by Colleen Coble, Kristin Billerbeck, Denise Hunter, and Diann Hunter

Book Info

About the book: The century-oldGentlewoman's Guide to Love and Courtship is no ordinary book club choice. But for the little book club in Smitten, Vermont, it might be their best pick yet! The thick, leathery tome Heather pulled out of the dusty cardboard box was definitely coming home with her. Not only was The Gentlewoman's Guide to Love and Courtship an appealing curiosity by virtue of its title; it was also written by Smitten, Vermont native Pearl Chambers, a local gentlewoman from three generations back. Little did Heather know the repercussions this little curiosity would have on her and her friends' romantic exploits. When Heather and her fellow book club members begin passing the book around, their respective interpretations are unleashed on their respective love lives . . . for better or for worse. Is it a mystery? An idealist fantasy? An intimation of Jane Austen? As romantic love finds its way to each woman, the Guide proves itself both surprisingly prescient and hilariously irrelevant. What's more, a handwritten inscription indicates that the arcane book might hold the only extant clues leading to buried gold---exactly what one of the members needs to keep her house. How could they not go treasure hunting? In this remarkable collaborative novel, besties Colleen Coble, Kristin Billerbeck, Denise Hunter, and Diann Hunt tackle the tale of the Gentlewoman's Guide by writing for one book club member apiece. Smitten Book Club is a hopeful, hilarious story of friendship and healing, written by friends for friends. Purchase a copy: http://ow.ly/t7BO1 Meet the authors:  RITA-finalist Colleen Coble is the author of several best-selling romantic suspense novels, including Tidewater Inn, and the Mercy Falls, Lonestar, and Rock Harbor series.   Christy Award finalist and two-time winner of the ACFW Book of the Year award, Kristin Billerbeck has appeared on The Today Show and has been featured in the New York Times. Her books include A Billion Reasons Why and What a Girl Wants.   Denise Hunter is the award-winning and best-selling author of several novels, including A Cowboy's Touch and Sweetwater Gap. She and her husband are raising three boys in Indiana.  Diann Hunt has lived in Indiana forever, been happily married forever, loves her family, chocolate, her friends, her dog, and, well, chocolate. Diann lost her courageous battle with cancer in December 2013. My Take; This book is a set of 4 novellas written by four different authors all set in Smitten Vermont.  Each story is a story unto itself but each story interweaves with the other stories.  Each of the women in the stories belong to the Smitten Book club and they each have their own relationship with the current club book selection.  This is a very good book that will give you a bit of romance and alittle mystery. I received a review copy of this book from Litfuse in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Vicar's Wife by Katharine Swartz

The Vicar's Wife by Katharine Swartz

from Goodreads.com
Jane Hatton and her British husband Andrew relocate from New York City to a small village on the Cumbrian coast. Jane has been city-based and career-driven but when her fourteen year old daughter Natalie falls in with the wrong crowd at school in Manhattan, she and Andrew decide to try country living. However Jane has trouble getting used to the silence and solitude of a remote village. Natalie hates her new school, and eleven-year-old Ben struggles academically. Only seven-year-old Merrie enjoys country life. Has Jane made a horrible mistake? The Hattons have bought the old vicarage in the village. When Jane finds a scrap of shopping list, she grows curious about Alice, the vicar’s wife who lived there years before. As we follow the twin narratives of Jane, in the present, and Alice in the 1930s we discover that both are on a journey to discover their true selves, and to address their deepest fears.


My Take:  This is the second book that I  have recently read that dealt with a present day woman delving into learning about another woman in another time period that lived in the same house that she did.  Both books made the stories work and I enjoyed the stories of the two women.  In this book Jane Hatton moves from bustling New York City to a small village in England that is way quieter and the family has a hard time adjusting except for the husband and the youngest child.    Jane finds a scrap of paper and becomes intrigued by the woman who wrote it and Jane starts asking questions about Alice and learning about her and she realizes that she has more in common than she thought.  I really enjoyed the double story line and liked getting to know both of these characters.  

I received a review copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion from Kregel. 

A Promise Kept by Robin Lee Hatcher

Book Info

About the book: God was going to save her marriage, Allison was sure of it. But neither her husband nor her marriage had been saved. What had become of His promise? Tony Kavanagh had been Allison's dream-come-true. They were in love within days, engaged within weeks, married and pregnant within a year. Her cup bubbled over with joy . . . but years later, that joy had been extinguished by unexpected trials. The day Allison issued her husband an ultimatum, she thought it might save him. She never expected he would actually leave. She was certain God had promised to heal; it was clear that she'd misunderstood. Now, living in the quiet mountain cabin she inherited from her single, self-reliant Great Aunt Emma, Allison must come to terms with her grief and figure out how to adapt to small town life. But when she finds a wedding dress and a collection of journals in Emma's attic, a portrait of her aunt emerges that takes Allison completely by surprise: a portrait of a heartbroken woman surprisingly like herself. As Allison reads the incredible story of Emma's life in the 1920s and 1930s, she is forced to ask a difficult question: Does she really surrender every piece of her life to the Lord? Drawing from her own heart-wrenching story of redemption, A Promise Kept is Robin Lee Hatcher's emotionally charged thanksgiving to a God who answers prayers---in His own time and His own ways. Purchase a copy: http://ow.ly/sK3Ti Meet the author: Robin is the author of 65+ novels and novellas. Her home is in Idaho, where she spends her time writing stories of faith, courage, and love; pondering the things of God; and loving her family and friends. Learn more about Robin at:http://www.robinleehatcher.com My Take:  This is a story with a theme that we all need to remember.  God always answers our prayers just not always in the way we think they should be answered.  I loved going on the journey with Allison as she learned about her Aunt Emma and learned about herself and God in the Process.  This book was made even more special knowing the fact that it was based on a time in the authors life when she went through similar situations.  I would highly recommend this book.   I received a review copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Book spotlight and First chapter peak of Swept to Sea by Heather Manning

Swept to Sea by Heather Manning
Historical Inspirational Romance
Length: 254 Pages
ISBN: 9781621352341

Blurb: Lady Eden Trenton never wanted to leave her privileged existence in London—until her father invites a dangerous suitor into her life. Left with few options, Eden devises the best reprieve she can: escape. Chasing freedom, she stows away aboard a pirate ship, praying she will gain her independence in the colonies before she is discovered by the nefarious crew.
Captain Caspian Archer has spent the last five years hardening his heart and searching to exact revenge for the event that tore his life to shreds. When he catches word that his enemy is residing in Jamaica, Caspian steers his ship toward the colonies in all haste. His plans soon change, however, when he discovers the young beauty hiding in his ship’s hold.
Cut from the only lives they have known, Caspian and Eden are pulled together as each pursues a fresh hope upon the sea.


 

---

Heather Manning is a young lady who loves to read—and write. She has won multiple competitions for her writing with “Nextgen Writers” and placed first in some writing contests with the “Go Teen Writers” blog and is a proud member of ACFW. She lives in Kansas City, Missouri where she attends high school, acts in community theatre, eats donuts, and reads every Inspirational Historical Romance she can get her hands on.

Excerpt:

"Hmmmm, what have we got here?" Caspian chuckled, tossing his baldric and weapons onto an armchair rather than putting them away. "Why, I do believe that I have a beautiful young lady hiding out under my desk. Now, is that not a strange occurrence, Reed?" Caspian asked. The child giggled, his eyes sparkling in amusement. "I daresay this has not happened to me before."
Lady Trenton's face flushed to a comely pink. She clambered to her feet, but tripped on her voluminous gown.
"Blast these skirts!" She muttered. Caspian chuckled at the word “blast” coming out of those pretty pink lips.
"Shame on you, Lady Trenton. A lady such as you should not use such loose language. Surely 'tis most improper." Caspian suppressed a grin at her reaction.
Lady Trenton gave him a deadly glare. The woman ceased struggling with her skirts and tried to rise quickly. In the process, she whacked her head against the corner of his desk.
After a moment of looking dazed, she crumpled to the floor in an unconscious heap. `
Caspian immediately sobered and stooped down to take her limp form in his arms.
After a second her head jerked up and she struggled against his grasp. Caspian gently laid the woman on his bed. She moaned and curled onto her side, mumbling something incoherent.
 

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Chapter One

London, England
1696

Lady Eden Trenton dashed into her bedchamber and slammed the oak door. The bang sent an echo through the chilled room. A loud crash sounded behind her, but she ignored it. At one time she would have felt guilty if something broke as a result of her temper, but now she truly did not care. She threw herself onto her four-poster bed and curled into a ball.
She hated Lord Rutger. Hated him and what he had tried to do.
How could he? How could she have let him turn her into this crying, weak little woman she hardly even recognized?
Eden shoved those thoughts from her head even as she pushed herself up onto her elbows.
I will not be his victim. Not now, and not ever again.
She couldn’t just lie here in self-pity. That would get her nowhere. She had to do something or she feared she would not make it through the night without going insane.
Her tear-clouded gaze drifted to the wooden writing desk in the corner. Where a glass vase had once proudly sat, harboring a bouquet of fragrant red roses, a pile of shattered glass now lay. The once-vibrant roses now lay withered, mingled with the glass. Their demise must have been the crash she had heard when the door slammed. Good. When Eden saw it was Lord Rutger’s vase she had destroyed, a thrill of rebellious excitement coursed through her. He had given her the flowers, along with a sapphire necklace, when their engagement had been announced publicly. ‘Twas a shame such a beautiful piece of jewelry was so tainted.
Eden gathered up the shriveling flowers in one hand. She bit her lip when a shard of glass pricked her finger but did not care it hurt her. It was worth the pain to see Rutger’s gift in such a tortured state. Her sole regret was it marked the flowers’ demise and not that of the cruel man himself.
Eden hurried toward the other end of the room and tossed the petals out her open window, willing them to fly away. Fly away and escape this cage they were in—just as she longed to do herself. Bright lightning forked across the night sky. A deafening crack of thunder caused her to jump. The storm seemed to mirror the myriad of emotions churning deep inside her.
Feeling every bit a madwoman, she began to take up a pace around her bedchamber. She had no idea how she could escape this wretched, heartless man, this man to whom her own father had promised her hand in marriage. Her chances of survival were slim if she didmarry him.
Oh, what will become of me?
She sank back onto her bed with a grimace. Her ribs ached from Rutger’s latest assault.
I need to get out of here. I need to leave this town, this country. But where could she go? She had no family but her father here in London and her brother Adam, wherever he had run off to.
An idea burst into Eden’s mind as she thought of Adam. Against their father’s wishes, her brother had visited the colonies in the Caribbean on a sailing trip a few years ago. He had come back regaling them all with fantastic stories of clear turquoise waters, white sandy beaches, and lush, green palm trees. Since then, she had always dreamed of visiting the colonies for herself.
What Eden needed was to talk to her dear friends Aimee and Ivy and ask for their advice, but the evening had grown far too late for a social call. She would have to wait until morning, which seemed ages away. Plopping back onto her pillow, she tried to sleep. A few dragging hours passed before she finally fell into a fitful slumber.

****

When the first rays of daybreak streamed through her window, Eden rose to seek out her friends. She dressed, grabbed her reticule, and tiptoed down the grand staircase, tugging on her gloves as she went.
She winced as a floorboard creaked under her weight.
Although many of the servants had been released of their services because of the Trenton’s dwindling estate, Eden did not doubt the remaining few would notify her father of her activity. No one made social calls this early in the day.
One more step brought her to the parlor. Eden took a deep breath and glided past.
She collided with a tall, hard form.
Fear coiled through Eden as she realized a man towered above her. Her pulse accelerated. Had she been caught?
It took only a moment to recognize Gregory, one of her father’s footmen.
“Gregory, you gave me a scare. I thought you were … I thought …” Eden inhaled shakily. How would she get to Aimee and Ivy now that a servant knew her whereabouts?
“I apologize, Lady Trenton. May I ask, where are you planning to go so early in the morning? You are hardly ever awake at this time of the day.” He clasped his long hands together behind his back.
“I… I…” Eden worried her bottom lip with her teeth. If her father heard she was making mysterious trips out of the manor he would suspect something. But if she didn’t leave the house herself…
“Could you stay here for just a moment, please, Gregory? I will be right back.”
“Of course, Lady Trenton.”
Eden dashed off to her father’s study and grabbed a few pieces of paper from his desk. She dipped a quill in ink and jotted down the same message on both papers: “Meet me in my parlor as soon as you can — it is an emergency.”
She signed the notes and folded them in half. If she couldn’t summon her friends personally, she would have one of the footmen do so.
Eden tucked the notes under her arm, picked up her skirts, and sped back to the entryway. Gregory was waiting as she had asked.
“Yes, Lady Trenton, what may I do for you?”
Eden hesitated, but decided to trust him. It was just Gregory. Nothing to worry about. He had been one of Adam’s best friends when they were youths. Surely he would not tell her father what she was doing if only she asked.
“Please, take these missives to Lady Aimee Dawson and Lady Ivy Shaw. Do not tell anyone you did this for me.” She handed him the notes.
He bowed. “Of course, milady.”

****

"Do you truly think I will simply sit around in London and marry that obnoxious excuse of a man? Do you ladies even know me?" Eden exclaimed, trying to re-pin her hair back into its up-do. She sighed, letting her arms drop to her sides. Her curls never could be tamed by pins.
Aimee and Ivy had finally come to Eden’s home, well after noon.
"No, we didn’t think you would," Ivy laughed, shaking her head.
Eden’s gaze flicked to the window where carriages moved past.
"But we will miss you so much," Aimee pouted, "What will Ivy and I do without you here with us? Who will go shopping for jewelry with me, and who will attend balls with us? We need you." She plopped herself down on the leather-cushioned chair in Eden's parlor room.
"Would you have me marry that insolent cur just so I can stay here with you, Aimee?" Eden jutted her chin out.
"He is an earl, Eden. You know your father needs the money a marriage like that could bring.” Ivy placed her teacup back on its saucer on the table next to her.
"And he is quite handsome," added Aimee, giggling and straightening one of the pink bows on the shoulder of her frilly dress.
Eden inhaled a slow breath. The deep, earthy scent of her father's smoking pipe filled her nostrils. He had always smoked in their parlor room after her mother had died even though it was a habit Eden detested. "Now wait just a minute — whose side are you on, ladies? Lord Clive Rutger—" she imitated his low, nasally voice, eliciting a hearty chuckle from her friends”—is nothing but a shallow cad who wants to marry me simply because he decided he fancies the way I look. Despicable monster." Just thinking about the slimy excuse of a man sent an uncontrollable shiver crawling down Eden's spine, especially after what that fiend had tried to do to her. The fresh bruise on her shoulder throbbed. She could not bring herself to think about it, much less speak of it to her friends.
"But what are you going to do to prevent this marriage, Eden? Knowing your father, I hardly think he would want to cancel the deal. You know what a disgrace it would be for you if the engagement is called off. Besides, your father appeared quite happy with the arrangement at your engagement party." Aimee tossed a golden curl from her shoulder as her emerald-hued eyes reflected in the hand mirror she had grown attached to.
"You are right. Father refuses to back down on this marriage arrangement. I already tried pleading with him. The union would be beneficial to us. 'Twould give us the money we so desperately need to keep living as we are." She opened her arms wide, indicating to her only moderately posh surroundings. Unlike her father, Eden cared not for wealth. Especially if wealth meant being chained to a monster for the remainder of her existence.
"So what are you going to do about it, Eden?" Ivy patted her hair, the rich color of fire in the moonlight. Her lovely waves were the envy of the town, along with her eyes, the cloudy blue of the sky before a thunder storm. Looks like that could get her into a situation like Eden’s.
"I don’t know what to do yet, but I will escape the earl. I promise you I will." Eden shifted her feet from where she stood by the fireplace. She would not sit around and live such a life, married to a man she did not love. Not only did not love, but despised with all of her heart.
"Only you, would be plotting to escape marriage to this man, Eden. Do you know how many women would practically kill to marry a lord, not to mention an earl?" Ivy commented, a stern look on her face.
"I care not if he is an earl. I do not want his title or his money. Oh goodness, all those women who want him can have him. Since Papa won’t help me, I need to leave. I think I would like to visit the Caribbean. You know how I loved all the stories Adam used to return home with. I know I don't have enough money to pay for a passage across the sea yet, but I will find a way to escape. I can assure you of that."
Aimee and Ivy cast each other an exasperated look. Eden knew her friends could read the expression in her eyes as a determined one. She could not be stopped now that she had set her heart on escaping this life her father and Lord Rutger had planned for her.
"Why on earth would you wish to set off for the colonies all on your own? I have heard it is quite a wild, dangerous place. Vicious, cutthroat pirates are rumored to run the seas. They kill and kidnap without a thought. You will have to fend for yourself all alone. Do you even understand what kind of trouble you could get yourself into over there?" Ivy asked.
Eden rolled her eyes and leaned back on the edge of the mahogany fireplace’s mantelpiece. She had come to her friends for support, not a lecture as if she were some guilty child. They were not her parents by any means.
She sucked in a breath, realizing she would have to escape before her father could catch her. "It is not as if I would be venturing to Tortuga or a place like that. I think Port Royal or New Providence would be pleasant. Adam told me they are quite charming little areas, surrounded by the sea. That was a couple of years ago when he went there, but they cannot be half as bad as what I have heard of Tortuga."
"It still must be quite dangerous. Anywhere is a dangerous place for a young woman on her own. How will you ever provide for yourself? You have to understand, we just don't want you to end up hurt in some way," Aimee reasoned.
"I will be able to take care of myself," Eden huffed, sinking down onto the embroidered footstool that sat next to Ivy's chair. "I do not care what everyone else says. I will not marry him. I never want to marry a man. All marriage does is give a man a chance to control a woman. I will not be a part of a union like that, and especially not with Lord Rutger. Have you two not seen the way he looks at me? And he always stands far closer to me than propriety allows." She shivered and glanced away from them, blinking the tears from her eyes.
The room was utterly silent for a few moments until Ivy grabbed her friend gently by the shoulders and peered into her eyes. "Has Lord Rutger harmed you, Eden? Tell me. Tell me everything. What has he done to you?"
Eden shook her head. She couldn't. "Not… exactly. But h-he tried to kiss me last night. When I refused, he got so, so angry with me. I was scared he was going to strike me or worse. He claimed that as his fiancée, I had to kiss him. I owed him a kiss. It was completely horrible. That night — I wish I could forget about that night. And just to think that soon I will actually have to give the monster a kiss… and once he's my husband…" At least that much was true. Eden shook her head again. She did not wish to tell her friends about how the vile man had hit her, frightened that it would happen again if she told them. He had threatened her a handful of times if she told anyone what had happened he would make her regret it deeply. Luckily, her clothing covered the blackening bruise that had spread onto her shoulder and collarbone. The large hand marks on her ribs would not be seen either. Besides, she did not want their pity. She didn’t want anyone’s pity. All she needed was their support. "Why does he even want to marry me? It is not like I have a large dowry or anything. I have the opposite, if anything…"
Ivy studied Eden silently for a moment.
Aimee shook her head.
“I-I don’t know, Eden. I don’t know.” Ivy clasped Eden’s hand in her own, and Aimee patted her on the back.

****

Captain Caspian Archer sped through the streets of London, dodging city dwellers, merchants, and carriages along the way. A muddy man bumped into him and swore before continuing on his way. Caspian clenched his jaw. If they were on board his ship, he would have the man punished for such impertinence. He shook his head and continued on, avoiding a puddle along the way.
Eager to return to his ship, the Dawn's Mist, he quickened his pace. Finally, he had received a Letter of Marque issued in the name of King William to rid the Caribbean of pirates and any of England’s enemies. He had a mission now. No longer would he be a despicable pirate himself. Instead, he would stop the same men who had thus far succeeded in ruining his life. Caspian gritted his teeth. Captain Moore would dearly pay for what he had done.
The invigorating, salty scent of the sea washed over him as he rounded a corner, erasing the grimy odor of the streets he had grown to despise. He brightened at the welcome refreshment.
Caspian looked ahead and scanned the docks, which were bustling with sailors of all sizes, shapes, and nationalities. He spotted the Dawn's Mist in the distance; the main mast of his frigate standing tall above the sloops and dinghies docked next to her.
"Nice to see you, Cap’n." Gage Thompson, his first mate, beamed at him from the starboard rail, his straight teeth white against the tan of his skin.
"And the same to you, Gage," Caspian replied, climbing up the ropes to the foredeck of his ship.
"Are we prepared to set sail tomorrow, or are we in need of another day to stock up on the provisions?" Caspian squinted against the orange rays of the setting sun.
"Nay, we have all of the needed provisions, and I would say she's been completely repaired from our last encounter. We are ready to set sail at first light, Cap’n." He answered, running a hand through his dark, wavy hair.
"Very well." Caspian nodded at his friend before trudging to his cabin to prepare the charts for their next voyage. He could only hope this one would be successful unlike the many before it.