Kennedy Scandalous

1. Auflage 2017
ISBN: 978-1-946212-20-7
Verlag: Title Wave Publishing, LLC
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: Adobe DRM (»Systemvoraussetzungen)

E-Book, Englisch, 260 Seiten

During tumultuous times in Virginia 1860, shipping mogul Adrian Casimir, who is also known to those on the high seas as pirate Captain Bain Navarre, meets the young, saddened Farrah Devore. Farrah, the daughter of a recently widowed plantation owner, is heartbroken over the loss of her mother and struggling with her looming courtship to a man she does not want, Ethan Abrams. Before long, she finds herself feeling the first stirrings of womanhood for a man she barely knows-the dashing and very sexy Adrian Casimir, who immediately expresses his interest in courting her. However, there are those who will do anything to stand in their way-even those whom she calls family.
During a time in history when the nation is being torn apart by hatred, and brothers fight against brothers, can love conquer all no matter what the odds?

Autoren/Hrsg.

Kennedy, Alexis

Leseproben

One
May 1860
Foxbrook Plantation
  Farrah Devore walked the grounds of the small plantation with her dutiful servant, Rosa, a finger crook away. She bent to pick some flowers, which were painting the Virginia plantation in shades of deep purples, blues, pinks, and yellows, but her heart wasn’t in it. It was an activity she did purely out of habit; it was an activity she’d done with her mother, who had passed away only a month ago. “The garden needs tending,” Rosa, who was a freed slave and educated by Farrah’s mother, broke the silence. “I’ll let Caleb know.” “It doesn’t matter”—Farrah sighed and dropped all that she had picked—“They are all going to die anyway.” She looked up at the darkening clouds looming. They, along with the gathered bluebirds in a nearby tree, told her a powerful storm was coming. Good. She wanted a fierce squall to brew. She enjoyed having nature express its anger in a way that she couldn’t seem to do. Her feelings bottled up inside her, but she was brought up to be a lady, and ladies didn’t shout or throw things like she wanted to. “Child, don’t be so glum,” Rosa lightly chastised just as Kendrick, their stable hand who was also a freed slave, came running up to them. “Missus, the mare she-she”—he panted and wiped away beads of sweat from his forehead with a red kerchief—“she be foaling now.” Farrah gathered her skirts up and turned on her heel to face the direction of the stables. “My goodness she’s early!” she exclaimed while peering into the distance. “Well don’t just stand there, get on back to her,” she barked. “Yessum,” he responded and took off running again. Farrah looked at Rosa and asked, “Will you go tell Father? I want to go watch.” Rosa didn’t think that kind of behavior was befitting for a lady, but it was the first time she’d seen the young woman light up since her mother died. “Yes, I’ll go tell him. Watch where you step in there, Child,” she said while looking at Farrah’s satin ankle-high boots. “Oh, I will,” Farrah shouted over her shoulder as she ran toward the stables. Macy was her favorite horse, and she’d been looking forward to the pony’s arrival for weeks. When she got to the stable, Kendrick and Caleb were both there kneeling down by the distressed mare. “Won’t be long now, Missus,” Kendrick said with a broad grin. Caleb just nodded in agreement. He was a drifter her mother had offered shelter to five years ago, and her father eventually hired him to be the grounds keeper. He also oversaw the negroes, who, at her mother’s insistence, were all set free two years ago, before trouble and serious talks of secession had begun brewing in the South. Farrah did her best to follow in the footsteps of her well-respected mother, but she had a free spirit that was hard to tame. “Missus, she be crowning,” Caleb announced, and she leaned in to see for herself. “Farrah!” her father bellowed sharply from behind. “Should you really be in here?” She spun around and begged, “Oh, Father, please let me stay and watch. It doesn’t bother me in the least, and she is my mare after all.” She looked up at him with pleading green eyes. Jonah Devore was no pushover with most people, but his daughter was an exception—especially since the passing of Grace. With a sigh, he yielded. “All right, you can stay.” Before she could turn back around, Kendrick shouted, “She here! Da’ pony—she here, sir n’ missus.” He was grinning like a possum and tenderly stroking the slick coat of the new foal. Macy whinnied loudly and began to lick the pony’s muzzle. “Well,” Jonah’s voice bounced off the walls, “what do you want to call her?” He looked at Farrah with a big smile gracing his mature but handsome face. She put her index finger to her chin. “Hmm, I think I’ll call her Sapphire. Yes, that will do”—she beamed at him like a child on Christmas morning—“What do you think, Father?” He cocked his head and sized the pony up. “I think that’s a fine name for her.” “Sapphire,” Kendrick repeated on a low whisper. “Sho be a fine pony, missus.” Farrah knelt down to pet both horses, glowing with pride. “Farrah, darling, we are having a guest for dinner,” her father stated and rested a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Be sure to clean yourself up right quick.” That meant it was a man. She was nineteen now, and she knew he intended to find her a husband, despite her many objections.     Farrah selected a teal satin dress for the evening, and Rosa cinched her waist in the painful corset. She also helped by putting tendrils and ribbons in the young woman’s silky hair. Finally, Farrah put on a pair of satin shoes that were all the rage in Paris. She heard an unfamiliar male voice downstairs and assumed it must be the visitor her father spoke of. Feeling quite shy, she slowly descended the stairs after a gentle nudge from Rosa. She found her father and the other man in the parlor. “Darling,” her father addressed her, “won’t you welcome Mr. Abrams into our home?” “Yes, of course, Father,” she replied softly. Turning slightly to her right to face the visitor, she curtsied and said, “Welcome to our home, Mr. Abrams. We are delighted you could join us for a repast.” “I am honored to be in such a lovely home and in the company of such a handsome woman,” he replied. “And please, call me Ethan.” “I don’t know if being on a first name basis this soon would be proper, Mr. Abrams.” Her father interjected, though, “Oh, I think it’s all right, Farrah. You may address him as Ethan if he so wishes.” She looked meekly down at her hands and mumbled, “Very well, Father. Ethan, welcome to our home.” She looked into his eyes now. She could tell he was much older than she was, but he wasn’t necessarily unattractive. Ethan proffered his arm and murmured, “May I escort you to the dining hall?” Farrah hesitantly accepted his gesture and forced a smile....