A fast paced historical romance,
By
This review is from: Patriot's Pride (Paperback)
Ms Marzec knows how to spin a good yarn - and a
historical romance at that. Margaret is on her way to the UK on board
the American ship, Prosperity (the name bodes well for the inheritance
she's going to find in England). She soon makes the acquaintance of the
ship's doctor, Derrick who unfortunately firmly believes in
leech-bleeding to cure ailments - unfortunately because Margaret just
lost her fiancé to over-leech bleeding doctors. Derrick himself if a
wounded soul, having just lost his brother in battle and unable to save
him despite being a doctor. The story romps along at a good pace with
twists and turns at every corner from dangerously rough seas, evil
British naval attackers, highwaymen and an unscrupulous aristocrat third
cousin who is out to get her inheritance.
Anyone looking for a lively, historical romance need look no further. I thoroughly recommend Patriot's Pride
Anyone looking for a lively, historical romance need look no further. I thoroughly recommend Patriot's Pride
By Penelope Marzec
Historical Romance
$3.99 eBook/$13.99 print
ISBN:978-1-943104-09-3
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With knowledge, he believed he could find answers. She had only faith. Derrick, a surgeon, is haunted by his brother’s death. When his prayers went unanswered, he turned his faith to science. He believes studying with an esteemed surgeon in England will return meaning to his life. Margaret’s fiancé died at the hands of a doctor who bled him to death. On board the Prosperity, she meets the arrogant Doctor Fortune who considers her no less than a milkmaid. She considers him a butcher. Though she must journey to England to hear the reading of the will of her grandfather, the Earl of Broadcraft, she finds herself constantly confronting Derrick on his methods of healing. Yet, there is something about his soulful eyes that attracts her. When a British ship presses the Prosperity’s sailors into service, Margaret and Derrick must work together if they are to reach England. But can they ever learn to trust each other enough to allow love into their hearts? |
$3.99 Ebook
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EXCERPT
Copyright
2015 © Penelope Marzec
Margaret
McGowan watched the distance between the ship and the pier widen
into a watery chasm. Swamped by an overwhelming sense of
loneliness, she clenched her teeth and scolded herself for being
such a ninny. She had the opportunity to go to England. She
would visit Broadcraft Hall, the ancestral home where her mother
was born and her grandfather had died. In all her eighteen
years, she had seldom traveled far from Leedsville, New Jersey,
until now.
A grand
adventure awaited her.
Despite
reasoning with herself on the importance of this enterprise, a
renegade tear rolled down her cheek as she leaned on the rail.
She loved her family, but they barely scraped by after losing
the house and the livestock during the war. The doling out of a
hundred acres for every soldier in the Continental army had been
an empty promise. Worst of all, though Uncle Fitz had returned
from his service, her father never did. He died on a prison
ship.
She offered a
heartfelt prayer for her dear ones. In truth, this journey was
for them too.
Calmer, she
opened her eyes and took in a ragged breath. The harbor blended
into the line of hills in the distance, and she turned away from
the rail. She pulled the shawl tighter about her body and set
her jaw. This trip was essential. In his last will and
testament, her grandfather, the Earl of Broadcraft, stipulated
that either Margaret or her sister must be present for the
reading of the will. The solicitor explained much concerning the
entail in a long letter. Since her mother had married a
commoner, neither Margaret nor her sister would inherit the
estate or, as women, the title.
Therefore,
the entail and title belonged to Lord Isaac Whittington, the
earl’s first cousin, once removed. Yet everyone assumed Margaret
and her sister would receive something of value. Otherwise, why
should one of them be present when the will was read?
Margaret
hoped for a portrait of her mother, whom she had never known,
and perhaps even a portrait of the earl himself. In the past six
years, they had corresponded by letters. She would value a
likeness of her grandfather as a true treasure.
Her gaze
swept the deck, and a shiver of apprehension moved through her.
Though the ship was far larger than the McGowan’s barn, the vast
ocean surrounding it made it appear quite small. What if it
sank?
She shoved
the frightening idea to the back of her mind and watched the
other passengers strolling on the deck. In the front of the
ship, she spied the two women who were to share a tiny cabin
with her and her companion. Cecelia Cavendish, who was blind,
and her cousin, Louisa Boulton, were young, probably near to
Margaret’s own age of eighteen. Cecelia intended to go to Paris
to meet Franz Mesmer, who claimed his treatment cured blindness.
Margaret never heard of Franz Mesmer. Furthermore, she doubted
his method. Only the Lord performed the miracle of giving sight
to the blind.
Louisa’s
behavior disturbed her. Shying away from everyone, Louisa
muttered to herself. She sat tucked between a mast and a barrel,
staring at her fancy shoes. It seemed apparent the two women
with their silk gowns came from wealthy families. Cecelia wore
dark glasses but possessed fine features. She sang in a sweet
voice, entertaining the sailors as they went about their chores.
Margaret
glanced down at her plain brown frock which she wore to church
on Sundays. The midwife had given it to her three years ago in
exchange for her baked goods. Cecilia and Louisa came aboard
with two large trunks each, while Margaret’s necessities fit
into a single small one. Still, the cousins must travel farther,
for the ship would be going on to France after it stopped in
London. Cecelia claimed she and her cousin spoke fluent French.
Margaret did
not know French. She’d acquired several German words from
Hobart, her family’s hired man, and some Latin from her
brother-in-law, but few Frenchmen stopped for any length of time
in the small town of Leedsville.
She rubbed
the top of each shoe on her stockings to remove the dust.
Despite her common clothing, she was the granddaughter of an
earl. With her head held high, she decided upon a promenade
around the deck. However, walking became difficult when the ship
reached open water. Monstrous waves soon stymied her plans.
She stumbled
twice, holding onto railings as the ship went up and down. Out
of nowhere, something hit her in the face. Unprepared for the
force of the blow, she lost her balance and fell backwards. Two
strong arms caught her, which prevented her from crashing on the
wooden deck in an ungracious heap.
“Are you
hurt?” The deep male voice came from behind her as he set her on
her feet.
She stared at
the rather elaborate hat on the deck in front of her and touched
the welt swelling on her forehead. “No. Startled, though. I
didn’t realize I needed to watch out for flying hats. Thank you
for catching me.”
“My
pleasure.” He steadied her as she straightened her skirts. “If I
may introduce myself, I am Derrick Fortune, of Philadelphia.”
He carried an
unmistakable note of pride in his tone. Did he think she had
heard of him? Well, she had not.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Penelope Marzec
grew up along the Jersey shore. She
started reading romances at a young age and fell hopelessly in
love with happy endings. Two of her inspirational romances won
EPIC’s eBook Award and another was a finalist in that contest.
Her paranormal, Irons in
the Fire, was a nominee for a
Romantic Times
Reviewers Choice award. Visit her website at
http://www.penelopemarzec.com
for more information.
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