Teaser: The Heart Thief

I'd been struggling to think of what to write for my weekend blog post.  I thought a teaser would be fun on Friday. Then I talked myself out of it yesterday. However, come this morning I was convinced it was the right idea again. I am a fickle creature.

As a thank you for your continued support, here is a teaser from The Heart Thief (Devils Light Book 2). In this excerpt from Chapter 3 (unedited) we see the first exchange between the main character Madeline, and her second cousin Gidderoy. As you will see,  they don't  get off to good start.

“Watch where you’re going!”

Gidderoy blocked her path, a sneer curling his thin upper lip. Maddie observed he hadn’t bothered to dress properly, even though it was almost mid-morning.  The loose, cream shirt he wore was undone to the waist, exposing his lean, smooth chest. Ugh, she thought, how inappropriate. His dark breeches, which clung so tightly to his hips, were stuffed carelessly into his boots. There was something about his dishevelled appearance that struck her as odd. Was it possible he hadn’t yet been to bed? His brown eyes fixed on her with disapproval. It was clear he was awaiting some kind of response.

 “Is that how you were taught to treat a lady?”

Resting his hands insolently on his hips, he arched one of his dark blond brows, “That’s you, is it?”

“I beg your par-?”

He cut her off with a taunting laugh.

 “What gives you the right to - ?”  

“Lady? Lady Madeline,” he jeered. “You need to understand who’s in charge here.”

“That’s you, is it?” Maddie bit back, mimicking his words from a moment before.

 “I am the gentleman of the manor.” he returned smugly.

“Gentleman?” she couldn’t help but laugh at this, “You’re no gentleman. Obnoxious little weasel, is more like.”

“Tut-tut!” he drawled, “Name calling? What unladylike behaviour.”

Maddie resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at him. Instead she kept it behind her tightly clamped teeth. She scowled at him in the vein hope he might back off. It didn’t work.

“You don’t actually think you have a say in things, do you?” he spoke with a lazy, inflated confidence. It made her blood boil. She watched with increasing irritation as he tipped his head back, shaking his blond waves from his face, muttering: “Silly girl.”

If she’d had any respect for him at all, it was now obliterated. His foppish arrogance was irksome, but his rudeness? Unacceptable! Unable to hide her annoyance, she spoke her mind, “Just because your pompous, drunkard of a father has always been after Hynegarry, doesn’t mean-”

“Daddy” he cut her off sharply, “Is more concerned that you pair of nitwits are running this estate into the ground.”

“Nitwits? I’m sure Aunt Charla would have something to say about your low opinion of us.”

“Auntie Charls knows her place,” he looked her up and down, resting his gaze brazenly on her breasts, “You’d do well to listen to her.”

Angrily, Maddie folded her arms, protecting herself from his intrusive stare. Smirking, he raised his eyes and was met by her blazing blue ones. “If you think I’m going to take orders from a conceited, snot-nosed little boy like you, you’re mistaken.”

“I’m no boy!” Anger coloured his cheeks. “I’m a year older than you. I am of age, and a gentleman!”

Maddie inwardly patted herself on the back for finally having ruffled his feathers. “Then why don’t you act like it.” 

 

 

Excerpt Chapter 3, The Heart Thief. Copyright 2013. All Rights Reserved. No part of this post may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without written consent from the author.