Lady Philippa Worthington wants to marry young and sexy.
Her father plans for her to marry stodgy…old…and rich.
What’s a beautiful British heiress to do if she’s going to escape a life of passionless marriage? With her father planning to sell her off to the highest bidder in order to support his own lavish lifestyle, Pippa knows there’s only one thing she can do to save herself.
Lady Philippa dons boys’ clothing and stows away on a London ship destined for the American colonies and a new life. One full of hope, freedom, and the chance to finally live up to her feisty nickname among the rough sailors—‘Pip.’
But instead of finding independence on the high seas, Pippa is plunged deep into the dangerous world of espionage–and the arms of handsome Daniel Simmons, a merchant sailor for the British—who is also an American Revolutionary spy!
Torn between allegiance to her home country and the passion she’s always been searching for, Pippa now faces an unexpected threat—and it may cost Pippa and Daniel the very freedom—and love—they’ve both been searching for.
If they manage to survive the very heart of the beginnings of the Revolutionary War, can the daring spy find love in the arms of A BRITISH HEIRESS IN AMERICA?
EXCERPT
Off the Coast
of England, 1775
The minute the ship began to
move out of the docks, Pippa’s courage faltered, as if it took a swan dive over
the railing and began dog paddling toward the pilings. The shores of her home
country faded in the distance, along with her ability to change her course. She
desperately wanted a cheroot but couldn’t light up and give herself away even
if she had one. Instead, she curled up between the water barrels and closed her
eyes, hoping her stomach would settle if she didn’t witness the rocking of the
ship. She let the up and down motion lull her into a stupor.
“Blimey! What ‘ave we here?” One
of the crew of the Gladys Maria jostled
a barrel away, exposing Pippa’s hiding place. She fell backward, hitting her
head on the deck, the sun blinding her. She winced, at both the crack to her head,
and at the harsh sunlight. One hand shielded her eyes, the other cradled the back
of her head, leaving her body exposed.
A swift kick in Pippa’s ribs
made her yelp in pain. She curled into a ball, but meaty hands grabbed at her
and forced her to her feet. She doubled over and grabbed her midsection, retching.
“Well, iffen it ain’t a little
stowaway.” The deckhand laughed as he grabbed the back of Pippa’s shirt and
tugged her upright. “Cap’n will not be pleased to see the likes of you.”
Pippa swallowed her bile and struggled
as the man grabbed her trousers as well as the nape of her shirt and
half-carried her below deck. “I can walk by meself, guv’ner.” She intentionally
lowered her voice, but still it sounded more like a socialite than a boy to her
ears. Could she pull this off? Her limbs were shaking so badly she wasn’t at
all certain she could walk by
herself.
He dropped her to the floor once
they got below deck but still kept a hand at the nape of her shirt, bunching
the fabric in his large hand. “So walk then, laddie.” He shoved her forward,
and she stumbled, but kept her balance.
He’d called her a lad. She blew
out a breath. At least one man bought her disguise.
Becky, I want to congratulate you on this wonderful tale, and I'm so glad there will be others to follow. The Revolutionary War is such an exciting time period and I love stories set then! A BRITISH HEIRESS IN AMERICA was just excellent, and I look forward to seeing what the next stories have in store for us!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Cheryl. I really enjoy this time period, too. So many great stories, and since I like to put my heroines and heroes elbow-deep in the action, I have plenty of opportunities. Hope everyone enjoys Pippa's story.
DeleteCongratulations, Becky. I got my copy this morning.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sarah. Hope you enjoy Pippa's story.
DeleteSounds like a story I will enjoy. Congratulations. Doris
ReplyDeleteI hope you'll like getting to know Pippa and Daniel, Doris.
DeleteSounds like a really exciting book! Congratulations. I love a story with a spunky heroine breaking the rules.
ReplyDeleteYou've described Pippa to a tee. I hope you'll enjoy the story.
DeleteThis is going to be a wonderful series. Congratulations, Becky!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations, Becky! I very much look forward to reading A British Heiress in America. I too love that time period, and of course I've read every one of your Cotillion series and enjoyed each and every one of them. I'll put it right on my TBR list. Just to give you a laugh for the day,I have to tell you, the first book I wrote while still working as a nurse( no idea of POV or the recommended length), was the same time period with my young woman disguised as a lad who was taking a horse to America, really running away from her uncle. It was waaaay too long (856 pages), but I got encouraging words from several editors--many, many years ago. I look forward to seeing how you handled Pip's adventure. Wishing you much success, know it will be, and I look forward to reading this one for sure.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your release. The storyline sounds exciting and adventurous.
ReplyDelete