Tremaine's True Love by Grace Burrowes

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Exclusive Excerpt – Tremaine’s True Love

Lady Nita Haddonfield has grudgingly accepted Tremaine St. Michael’s escort when she visits a new mother of humble and dubious station. Nita hopes Tremaine will wait for her outside, but Tremaine isn’t the kind to wait outside—to wait anywhere—when there’s hard work to be done.

Mr. St. Michael dumped a load of split wood into the empty wood box.
“So that’s the new arrival?” he asked, peering at the baby in Nita’s arms. “Pretty little thing. Ladies of that size always look so innocent.”
In this household, the child’s innocence was doomed.
“Her name’s Annie,” little Mary volunteered.
“And you’re Mary,” Mr. St. Michael said, dropping to his haunches. “Your brothers are quite in awe of you. They say you can cook and clean, and should go for a maid in a fancy lord’s house because you work ever so hard the livelong day.”
Mary’s brows drew down at this flattery, though Mr. St. Michael’s words were true enough. The cottage was tidy—the dirt floor swept, the baby’s linens folded in a short stack on the table, the hearth free of excess ashes. Most of the sausage Nita had brought last time hung from the cross beam, between sheaves of herbs, and a rope of onions.
“I couldn’t leave our Annie,” Mary said. “The boys want me earning coin. They wouldn’t know how to help with Annie, though.”
Mr. St. Michael rose, his expression displeased.
“Give me that baby, my lady,” he said, plucking Annie from Nita’s arms. “Mary needs a spot of fresh air, you’re dying to fill that stewpot, and the water for the laundry will take some time to heat.”
“Ma said we wasn’t to do laundry,” Mary murmured, passing Mr. St. Michael the baby’s blanket. “We need the wood for heat.”
“Get your coat on,” Tremaine told the girl as he wrapped Annie snugly in the blanket and put the baby to his shoulder. “Two of your brothers are gathering more wood to keep the fire under the laundry tub going, the third is walking the horses one at a time. If you can figure out how to climb onto my gelding, you’re welcome to walk him out for me.”
Mary sent Nita one glance, the merest brush of elated disbelief, then dashed for her cloak and was out the door.
“You’re spoiled here in the south,” Mr. St. Michael said, stroking the baby’s back gently. “You have hours and hours of sunshine, regardless of the season. If the sun’s out, those children should be catching a glimpse of it.”
He wasn’t exactly wrong, and he moved around the cottage with that child affixed to his shoulder as if…
“You like babies?” Nita asked, as he took down the length of sausage.
“Who wouldn’t like a baby, for God’s sake?” Next he took down the onions, and from a basket near the hearth he selected a fat turnip, all one-handed. “This will be sharper than anything you can find here,” he said, passing Nita a folding knife.
He could have put the child down, of course, but Nita didn’t suggest this. Annie seemed to know very well she was safe in his arms?
“I liked your poem,” Nita said, starting on the sausage. Small pieces, because the children would bolt their stew rather than chew it, and of course, the meat had to last as long as possible.
“Mr. Burns’s poem,” Mr. St. Michael retorted. Outside, some child shrieked with laughter. “Mary will come to grief if she tries to trot, but then her brothers will take a turn. Every child should know how to sit a horse, and my gelding loves children.”
His gelding loved children?
“My new friend remains fast asleep,” he went on, “a testament to my limitless charms.”

***

Book Information

Title: Tremaine’s True Love
Author: Grace Burrowes
Release Date: August 4, 2015
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Genre: Historical Romance

Summary

He’s had everything he could ever want…until now

Wealthy wool magnate Tremaine St. Michael is half French, half Scottish, and all business. He prowls the world in search of more profits, rarely settling in one place for long. When he meets practical, reserved Lady Nita Haddonfield, he sees an opportunity to mix business with pleasure by making the lady his own.

Nita Haddonfield has a meaningful life tending to others, though nobody is dedicated to caring for Nita. She insists the limitations of marriage aren’t for her, then Tremaine St. Michael arrives-protective, passionate, and very, very determined to win Nita’s heart.

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Author Biography

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Grace Burrowes’ bestsellers include The Heir, The Soldier, Lady Maggie’s Secret Scandal, Lady Sophie’s Christmas Wish and Lady Eve’s Indiscretion. Her Regency romances have received extensive praise, including starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Booklist. Grace is branching out into short stories and Scotland-set Victorian romance with Sourcebooks. She is a practicing family law attorney and lives in rural Maryland.

Social Media Links

Website: http://graceburrowes.com
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Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4152482.Grace_Burrowes