Gloved Heart
Can she ever trust again?
Amy Miller is struggling to come to terms with her new life as a mother, while
being a reluctant guest in a rigid gentry household. A victim of abuse, she is
determined to never trust a man again.
Henry Russell has loved Amy for as long as he can remember, but his family want
nothing to do with her. A chance encounter with Amy rekindles a friendship
which might save them both.
The discovery of a secret which holds the key to Amy’s past will change them
forever, and jeopardise any chance they have for happiness. Can Henry show Amy
that true love will give her everything she could ever need?
Note, although this is
a 'sweet' read, there is some subject matter that may offend sensitive readers,
including mention of a rape and very mild violence and coarse language.
A word from the author
I hope readers enjoy the
second book in the “Hearts of Amberley” series. GLOVED HEART can be read as a
standalone but if you’ve read THE VAGABOND VICAR you’ll enjoy seeing your
favourite characters again.
As a mother of a young
baby, I was able to pour my heart into this story of a new mother, Amy Miller,
adjusting to her life in less than ideal circumstances. She has sworn off men
for good, but she comes to rely on the friendship of Henry Russell. She resists
her growing feelings for him, building walls around her heart. Just as she
begins to trust, the revelation of a secret will ruin everything.
This is also a book about
strong women and the relationships between them. It’s really the women who
drive the story and I loved exploring their unique bonds despite their
different stations in life. The men provide the sparks and also the problems,
just like in real life!
Charlotte Brentwood
Read an excerpt
Amy was glad of the ride
back to Briarwood. She was so weary she thought her legs might give way. Her
emotions were close to the surface, threatening to brim over. Henry had touched
on more than one nerve with his innocent line of questioning just now. He was
right to wonder why a respectable couple such as the Fortescues, who she had
hardly said a word to in her life, would stoop so low as to house an unwed
mother when no one else wanted her. She had asked herself that question many
times; it was reasonable for him to wonder too.
She wanted to
believe his assertions that they wanted to make her more like them so she would
belong. But she couldn’t bring herself to foster such a happy illusion; she was
no more an innocent young girl who would see the best in people first. She knew
most people were hiding something, and their actions were not always a good
indicator of their motivations or intentions. In fact, sometimes they acted to
deliberately deceive. She couldn’t believe the Fortescues would intentionally
hurt her, as there was undeniably an altruistic motive for most of their
actions. But their efforts to re-make her in the image of a lady were an
affront to her very identity.
“Miss
Miller?”
Amy turned to
see Henry waiting for her on the cart. She laughed at him. “Come now, Henry,
don’t address me as if you were my chauffeur. It’s only Amy, and it always has
been.”
She stepped towards the box
and he automatically offered his hand to help her up. She stared at it,
dismayed.
It was
perfectly natural for him to help her up into her seat, but despite her recent
familiarity with him, she still could not stand to let their hands touch. She
tried to fight the irrational terror which overtook her. Nothing bad would
happen, it would be over in a matter of seconds and Henry was not going to
abuse the situation, was he? But she could not bring herself to put her hands
in his.
“I’m sorry,”
she said.
He shook his
head as if to dismiss her apology. “It’s nothing, just put your foot here, and
hold on here, and you can pull yourself up.”
She nodded,
did as he instructed, and managed to hoist herself up onto the seat.
Henry took up
the reins. “Are you comfortable?”
She met his
eyes and nodded again, startled by how close his face was to hers. “Thank you.”
Her voice came out as a squeak and she immediately felt herself colouring. She
focussed on the lane ahead as Henry brought the cart around and steered the
mare down towards the road.
He sat as far
as he could to the right of her while still maintaining control of the cart,
but the seat was not very wide, so their thighs were still only inches apart.
She could see his muscles flexing within his buckskin trousers. Suddenly she
was unbearably warm.
Comfortable?
Perhaps too comfortable.
She could not
resist taking sly glances at him as they bounced along towards her home. The
freckles across his nose had multiplied, giving him a boyish charm. His shock
of fiery hair was tossed about in unruly waves like a turbulent sea. He caught
him looking at her, and threw her a bashful smile, which she couldn’t help
returning before forcing her eyes to her lap. She caught a whiff of his scent;
he smelled of the grasses and earth and a rich, masculine aroma.
The motion of
his hands guiding the reins caught her attention as they rounded a corner, and
she took in his strong, toned forearms. He’d rolled his shirt up above his
elbows, and even beneath all that fabric his upper arms bulged. His chest
strained against his waistcoat. He was a robust working man, of course he would
be… strapping. It was just that she’d never had such leisure to observe all
this before. Or perhaps she had just never taken notice, never appreciated him in
his masculinity. She’d been a slip of a girl when she’d last spent any length
of time with him, without any notions of forming attachments. Now, she was all
too aware of him, and the nearness of him. She began to feel a little
light-headed, and her heart seemed to be pulsing through her entire body.
She hadn’t
felt like this since… her breath quickened as a painful pang hit her heart.
She’d rather not remember the last time.
“Amy? Are you
all right?”
Henry was
looking at her seriously as he guided the cart through the gates that led to
Briarwood.
She tried to
slow her breathing, but the rising panic could not be quelled.
The last time
she had felt this way, it had nearly destroyed her. It had made her giddy,
blind, defenceless. She’d been a gullible fool, and she had paid the price for
her infatuation with her innocence.
Fear closed
over her heart in a vice-like grip, and she clutched the sides of the seat with
white knuckles. She could not explain to him, could not summon any words lest
she begin to cry.
The cart came
to a stop outside the house, and she leapt to the ground, nearly falling over.
“Amy!” Henry
cried, dismounting in a flash and coming around to her side. “What on earth is
the matter?”
She darted
away from him, wishing she hadn’t let her fancies get the better of her, that
she could go back to the simplicity of their recent friendship. Perhaps she
still could if not tempted in such a way.
“Goodbye,
Henry,” she called as she began walking away from him. “Thank you.”
Then she
turned and took quick steps up to the front door, banging until she was granted
admittance. Once inside, the house felt like a safe place for the first time.
She was in no danger of being overcome by treacherous feelings here. She went
to her room and closed the door, leaning back against it. She would have no
reason to see Henry again, and it was just as well. She could not risk putting
her heart in danger again.
About the Author
Charlotte Brentwood developed serious
crushes on a series of men from age fifteen: Darcy, Knightley, Wentworth and
Brandon. A bookworm and scribbler for as long as she can remember, Charlotte
always dreamed of sharing her stories with the world.
Earning a degree in communication studies, she was seduced by the emerging
digital world and has since worked with the web and in marketing. She is a
member of the Auckland chapter of RWNZ.
Now mother to an adorable human tornado, Charlotte is trying to find the time
for reading, seaside walks, warbling at the piano and quaffing far too many hot
chocolates.
Links
Author website: www.charlottebrentwood.com
GLOVED HEART on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07P1QF65D
Twitter: https://twitter.com/charbrentwood
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/charbrentwood/
5 comments:
Thank you for having me on your blog, Maria!
Another book added to my TBR piles!
Thank you for sharing the excerpt. I thoroughly enjoyed this. It is now on my wishlist. Thank you for the give away.
Fun to read this. Now I want more!
Enjoyed the excerpt. Thanks for the giveaway!
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