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    In Her Dreams (Novella)
    In Her Dreams (Novella)
    In Her Dreams (Novella)
    Ebook92 pages1 hour

    In Her Dreams (Novella)

    By Katherine Givens

    2.5/5

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    About this ebook


    A flirty, fun, mix–and–match romance about two sisters who are betrothed to the wrong men...

    Evangeline Vernon is a woman on the verge of spinsterhood – until the prim and proper Duke of Manchester steps in. Her family is pleased with the match, but the duke is not the passionate man Evangeline craves. Her heart belongs to an alluring, golden–haired gentleman, perfect in every way...except one: he doesn't exist.

    Angela Vernon is everything a proper, well–brought–up woman should be. She knows her place and understands society's expectations – which include not being jealous of her sister and not coveting her sister's suitor. But how can she bear the heartache of watching the only man she loves marry not only her sister, but a woman who doesn't see past his exterior to the man he is beneath?
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins Publishers Australia
    Release dateOct 1, 2013
    ISBN9780857990884
    In Her Dreams (Novella)
    Author

    Katherine Givens

    Katherine Givens is a museum employee with a secret. Few know the truth of her greatest passion, but those closest to her know she loves to write historical romances... Alright, maybe more than a few people know she is a writer. Anyone who will listen to her can glean this from a conversation. So Katherine Givens, the museum employee, may not have a devilish secret or a jaw-dropping double life, but the characters in her manuscripts often do. From the withdrawn duke mesmerised by his quiet maid or the savage Viking eager to ravish a Christian girl, her heroes are always bound to have a secret or two. It is often up to the headstrong heroine to unravel the mysteries surrounding the man that has captured her heart. Katherine is a member of the Romance Writers of America and New Jersey Romance Writers. Her short stories and poetry have been published in several print and online magazines. To learn more about Katherine or her writing, please visit her website at http://katherinegivens1.word

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      Book preview

      In Her Dreams (Novella) - Katherine Givens

      Chapter 1

      She was lost in the depths of his emerald eyes, amber drops floating in the seductive pools. The man reclined in a wingback chair, surrounded by shelved books. His head was tilted slightly downwards, his gaze piercing her where she stood. Hair the colour of antique gold shimmered in the dim candlelight. His skin was bronzed like the helmet of an ancient Greek warrior. His harsh features seemed to be chiselled from stone, but laugh lines encircled a passionate mouth. A white cravat covered his neck. The navy blue coat and white waistcoat hid what she imagined to be a perfectly sculpted chest. Pearl grey breeches accentuated muscular legs.

      The man reminded her of a golden lion, the king of a pride. His soul must’ve been older than time itself, for his eyes seemed to hold the secrets of the universe. This man embodied temptation.

      ‘Back again, my dear?’ he inquired, his voice like velvet.

      Although confidence rang in his tone, his bright green eyes revealed the humanity of this divine creature[VG5] . At the bottom of those depths lay an expanse of loneliness, as if he were a traveller lost in a desert with only mirages to keep him company. Blessed with beauty, he was lacking in companionship and love.

      ‘I could not stay away,’ she declared, her voice quaking as the man rose from his chair and stalked across the room.

      Evangeline took a sharp intake of breath, for the full sight of his robust body was more than a woman could take. He was tall, over six feet. His build was as formidable as the strongest castle wall, built to protect from the worst of sieges. That handsome face of his, a face Adonis would’ve fought for, matched the masculine beauty of his body.

      Settling beside her, he said, ‘Nor could I. Not now. Not ever.’

      The two studied one another. Both seemed to find it hard to believe the other was there. The silence that shrouded the room as they studied one another deepened the strength of this ethereal spell.

      ‘Is it because I am a diversion?’

      ‘Nay.’ He raised her hand to his lips. ‘Life would be meaningless without your visits.’

      ‘I could not endure my own existence without you,’ she replied, a bit breathless.

      ‘As a man without friends or comrades, I would be the most lonesome wretch wandering the earth.’ Pain entered his expression, the pain of one who had suffered years of isolation. His voice cracking, he continued, ‘I would be completely alone.’

      Her heart nearly split in two upon witnessing his agony. She lifted a hand and caressed his cheek. ‘You never shall be.’

      ‘You have been vital to my life, my dreams, for these past few months.’ Turning his head, he kissed the palm of her hand. He exhaled, his breath tickling her skin. ‘Without you | — | fear | would not know how to live.’

      ‘Do not say such things.’ Framing his face, she forced him to gaze into her eyes. ‘I shall always be with you.’

      ‘And I with you.’ Desperation was threaded throughout the statement. ‘I am entirely yours,’ he murmured as he angled his head, preparing to taste the sweetness of her lips…

      ‘Evangeline wake up or we will never arrive at the ball in time!’ shouted a feminine voice.

      The command broke Evangeline Vernon from the clutches of the sandman. Her eyelids fluttered open, her gaze finding the irritated eyes of her sister.

      ‘Come on, sleeping beauty. It is time to prepare. Mother wants you to look dazzling so your beauty makes an impression on the Duke of Manchester,’ explained her sister.

      Evangeline groaned at the mention of Manchester. Covering her head with a pillow, her voice was muffled as she shouted, ‘Nay, Angela! I have no wish to see that pathetic man!’

      Angela tore the pillow from her clutches. ‘It is your duty to attend this ball.’

      Glaring at her sister with indignation, Evangeline proclaimed, ‘I regret waking! If only my dreams were reality and reality was but a dream!’

      Her sister whacked her over the head with the pillow. ‘The Duke is the most eligible bachelor in London. As the eldest, our mother is hell-bent on seeing you marry before you become a spinster.’

      ‘Yes! She shall not rest until I am clad in virginal white and walking down a church aisle!’

      ‘Our father is the Earl of Upton. Marriage to a duke with a flawless pedigree shall raise our family’s position in society,’ pointed Angela, impatiently fidgeting from side to side.

      ‘I have no desire to attend, Angela,’ said Evangeline. ‘What I crave to do is return to the world of slumber.’

      Her sister pursed her lips, her annoyance poorly concealed. ‘You have no choice in the matter. Our entire family is attending.’

      Evangeline rose to a sitting position, her back supported by a pile of pillows. ‘I do not want the attentions of Manchester forced upon me.’

      For the faintest instant Evangeline could’ve sworn she saw envy cross her sister’s soft features. But surely to entertain such a notion was pure folly, for what resentments could Angela harbour against her?

      ‘What objections could you possibly have over an attractive fellow like Manchester?’ Evangeline was perturbed by the dreamy glint in her sister’s eyes as she continued, ‘He is more divine than heaven itself.’

      Crossing her arms over her chest with a harrumph, she said, ‘I still remember what happened last week when I was trapped in the seat beside him at the theatre. Throughout the entire first act of the Merchant of Venice he kept ranting about how his valet chose the wrong colour coat for him! On grandmother’s tombstone, I vow I wanted to sew that man’s lips shut.’

      Angela shrugged. ‘So what if he chatters like a chipmunk? Ignore his words and focus on his handsome face. Any other reasonable woman would love to just sit before him, to study him as if he were a painting.’

      ‘There is more to a person than looks, which is all Manchester possesses. I long for excitement, for passion! I want a man that can make my heart quake with just one glance. I want a man that has something interesting to say.’ Thinking back on the outing to the theatre, she added, ‘I want a man, not a preening peacock!’

      ‘Tell that to mother. She will not give two figs what your desires are. All that matters is what she wants, and what she wants is for you to marry Manchester.’ Tired of their bickering and eager to finish her own preparations, Angela ripped the covers off Evangeline. ‘Rise

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