Skip to main content

Excerpt - DEFENDING THE DUCHESS by Rachelle McCalla

Defending the Duchess
By Rachelle McCalla


He'll keep her safe—at any cost

Protecting the royal family is Linus Murati's job. So when the queen's younger sister is attacked, the devoted Lydian royal guardsman goes into action and saves her life. But this was no random occurrence. Danger has followed Julia Miller across the Atlantic from Seattle. Now Linus has two missions: to keep the maddeningly independent future duchess in his sights at all times, and to catch the culprit who threatens the woman whose trust—and love—he desires above all others.

Protecting the Crown: The royal guardsmen serve their country with honor and integrity

Excerpt of chapter one:

Linus Murati stepped into the visual surveillance room of the royal guard headquarters, a three-story brick building located on the Lydian royal palace grounds across the rear courtyard from the garages. "Get me suite 322 on screen, please," he requested.

"I thought you had duchess duty tonight?" Simon accused Linus as he pulled up the view from the surveillance camera.

"I do. Miss Miller has requested an evening in." Linus leaned over the back of his friend's chair and blinked at the image of the white paneled door where he'd left Queen Monica's pretty little sister mere minutes before. "But don't let her catch you calling her 'duchess' just yet. The queen has yet to announce the title—I don't believe Julia knows she's going to be royalty."

"Official or not, that's the name we've assigned to her—wait now." Simon broke off midsentence as the door on the screen opened and the dark-eyed beauty poked her head out, looking both directions before darting down the hall. "Thought you said she was in for the night."

"That's what she told me." Linus watched Julia's progress, switching cameras as needed to keep up with her stealthy excursion down a set of stairs and around a bend in the hall. The woman had changed into shorts and a T-shirt and pulled her thick brown hair into a ponytail. "Do you suppose she's headed to the palace gym?"

"She's going the wrong direction for that."

"Maybe she's lost," Linus nearly growled as the woman took a corridor that led to an outside door. "I told her to page me if she wanted to go anywhere."

"She's out."

The duchess stepped through an exit to the courtyard and skirted a hedgerow, her furtive glances making it clear that she was escaping deliberately—not merely adrift on her way to the gym. "Catch her."

"She won't get through the gates." Linus predicted but ran for the door anyway. The queen's little sister was an American in town on a visit. She wouldn't know her way around the kingdom of Lydia and might get lost if she stepped out alone. Besides that, as the ambush on the royal family just over two months before had taught them, even the most beloved royals could become targets of criminal activity.

Which was precisely why Julia needed a bodyguard.

Linus caught sight of her at the back gate talking to the men in the guardhouse. They wouldn't let her through without a guard. At the very least, they'd check with him before letting her pass.

But as Linus sprinted across the cobblestones, he watched Julia's sweet smile and fluttering eyelashes do their work.

The pedestrian door swung open.

Before Linus could quite recover from his shock, the duchess was through and the door slammed shut behind her.

"What are you doing?" Linus challenged his fellow guards as he bounded up to the open window of the guardhouse.

Galen, a sentinel who'd defied direct orders to save the lives of members of the royal family during the ambush two months before, looked at Linus without chagrin. "She's the queen's sister—"

"I'm assigned to guard her." Linus tugged on the pedestrian door. Locked.

"Open this door." He glared at Galen, and glanced past him to see that another guard was in the booth. Good. There would still be someone to cover the gate if he took Galen with him. "And come with me."

"Why?" Galen did as instructed and stepped out behind Linus.

"We've got to find her." Linus looked down the limestone street. The duchess had already disappeared. "Did she say where she was going?"

"For a jog."

Linus let out a frustrated breath and wished he'd followed his instinct to set up a chair right outside the duchess's suite. But that had felt too much like he was keeping her imprisoned. It still would have been better than having her lost in a foreign country. The woman could have gone in any direction.

"You go that way." Linus pointed toward the foothills. "I'll head toward the beach." He quickly checked his earpiece to be certain he and Galen could communicate with one another. If they were fast enough, they might catch up to the duchess quickly, but they were already wasting valuable time.

As Galen headed uphill, Linus tore down the streets, slowing at each intersection to be certain Julia hadn't taken a side road. He told himself that she couldn't have gone far. It wasn't as though she'd hadthat much of a head start. He was bound to catch up to her any moment.

But as he passed one side street after another, Linus's fear for Julia's safety grew. What had she been thinking? The sun would be setting soon. He understood that she wasn't used to having bodyguards—she'd already expressed embarrassment over the fuss of organizing the simplest outing—but she clearly didn't appreciate that Lydia wasn't entirely safe.

Sure, the sunset looked peaceful as the gentle waves slapped against the pristine white sand beach, and Lyd-ia's crime rates had traditionally been among the lowest on earth, but that was before all the dangers of late. Julia's sister, Monica, had been kidnapped and held hostage just over two months before. And while the man behind those crimes was now dead, that didn't mean the royal family didn't have to take precautions.

Passing the last of the cobbled streets, Linus leaped over the boardwalk and sprinted downhill toward the beach. The sand was riddled with footprints—most of them pointed inland as folks who'd spent the afternoon on the shore returned home for the night. By this hour the beach was nearly deserted.

To his left, the sand gave way to the docks of the Sardis marina. Yachts and sailboats floated peacefully between piers dotted with the occasional human figure, but none of them matched Julia's slender frame. None were jogging.

Linus turned right instead, where the shoreline bent around a jutting bluff, its craggy sides clutching the sandy shore with rutted furrows where children loved to play hide-and-seek. But as the sinking sun gave way to lengthening shadows, the hiding places took on a sinister cast. The duchess could easily disappear behind any of the protruding cliffs. He could pass right by her without even seeing her.

What if she hadn't gone this way at all?

Increasing his pace, Linus raced the sinking sun and tapped the relay button on his earpiece. "Any sign of her?"

"None. You?" Galen panted. His voice carried concern.

"She's not at the main beach. I'm headed toward the bluffs. Let me know if you spot her."

"Should we expand our search?"

Linus checked a chasm between bluffs before answering. No sign of Julia there, either. Should they call for more guards to expand the search? The royal guard had cut loose several men who'd been associated with the former head of the royal guard who'd shot the former king.

They were slowly rebuilding their ranks under the leadership of Jason Selini, the new head of the royal guard. But they couldn't hire just anyone. Royal guardsmen were required to have served four years in the Lydian military. Besides that, after the trouble his predecessor had caused, Jason insisted on carefully vetting all new members of the guard beyond the standard background checks.

Training new recruits took time. Jason had a vision for rebuilding the royal guard stronger than ever, but they weren't there yet. Linus hated to call more men on a case when they were already shorthanded.

And yet, what was that compared to Julia's safety? Linus recalled the stories his grandfather had told him, of his days serving in the royal guard. Those men would do anything to protect the royal family. His grandfather's stories had inspired him to become a guard. More than that, he wanted to make his grandfather proud.

He knew what he needed to do.

As he opened his mouth to instruct Galen to call for more guards, Linus cleared the tip of the farthest-protruding crag and caught a clear glimpse of the northward stretch of beach.

A lone female figure ran stalwartly along the sand, her dark brown ponytail bobbing. Though the evening light was almost gone, Linus recognized the bright pink shorts and pale pink T-shirt Julia had been wearing when he'd watched her on the security screen.

For the first time since she'd gone through the palace gate, he exhaled freely. "No need. I've spotted her. She's jogging on the beach. I'll catch up to her. You can meet up with us—we're north of town where the beach access trails connect with Seaview Drive."

"I can be there in five minutes."

"Great." Linus ended the transmission and focused on approaching the duchess without frightening her. Given the darkness and the isolated spot, she'd be startled if he suddenly bounded at her out of nowhere.

He trotted closer until she'd be able to hear him if he called out to her.

"Miss Miller!"

Julia didn't look back. In fact, she appeared to increase her pace. Was she trying to escape him? Maybe she was frightened at hearing a human voice on the isolated stretch of sand.

"Miss Miller!" He was closer to her already. She had to have heard. "Miss Miller!"

Her steps slowed and she turned back toward him, her brown eyes wide, her lips pursed, focused, questioning.

Linus grinned with relief. She'd heard him. He'd get her back to the palace safe and sound. "Miss Miller, please." He slowed down so she wouldn't bolt away again, and called out so she could hear him in spite of the distance and the sound of the waves. "You're not supposed to be out alone."

As he spoke, Julia came to a full stop, watching him. The setting sun cast its golden light across her. She looked positively radiant.

Linus felt his heart give a lurch. He told himself it was because he was glad to have caught up with her. He certainly didn't feel personal attraction toward her. That would be unprofessional. He'd honorably served the royal family for years without ever feeling anything beyond a fervent desire to do his job well.

Granted, the duchess was beautiful. He'd never argue otherwise. But the fast beat of his heart was due only to the exertion of catching up to her, and the fear he'd felt that he might not find her.

It had nothing to do with the way her pursed lips bent upward in a half smile of relieved recognition.

The duchess cast him the briefest look of acknowledgment, lowering her eyes as if feeling chastised for any trouble her escape had caused. Then she turned her head suddenly toward the craggy bluffs just beyond her left arm.

Her eyes widened in shock and her jaw dropped. She started to scream, but long arms reached from the shadows, covering her mouth, scooping her up and carrying her kicking toward the rocks.

Linus snapped into action, hitting the relay on his earpiece as he dashed toward the duchess.

"Galen! Call for backup. The duchess has been attacked." He listened. Nothing. "Repeat—the duchess has been attacked!"

Had Galen heard? Was his lack of acknowledgment due to an overlapping signal delay in his haste to pass the message along to the other guards?

Linus didn't have time to sort it out. Julia's immediate safety was his first priority. He reached the bluffs in time to see the shadowy figure hauling Julia's writhing form up a trail. No doubt about it, the man's actions weren't welcome. Linus wouldn't hesitate to use force against him if necessary.

But on the steep, rocky trail, he'd have to be careful not to risk injury to the duchess. If she fell from this height, she could be gravely injured, even killed.

Julia opened her mouth to scream, but a gloved hand clamped tightly over her lips. She tried to pull away, but hard arms tightened around her. Julia twisted and flailed, trying desperately to free herself from the tight grip of the leather gloves that covered her mouth and lifted her up. She wanted to scream, but she could hardly breathe.

"Don't fight me," the man warned, his arms tightening as he dragged her from the beach toward the bluffs. "I don't want to have to hurt you. I just need the file."

File? She couldn't make sense of the man's words. What did he mean? Stars danced across her vision. Beyond them, she saw the dark outline of the craggy bluffs that lined the pristine Lydian beach. A deep chasm ran inland, uphill, away from the peaceful coastline. Her captor carried her up and away, out of sight of the guard who was too far away to be of any help to her now.

A fresh shot of terror surged through her. Trails led up the bluffs toward a highway that followed the coastline all the way to the Albanian border. Where was this man taking her? What was he planning to do? The man had come out of nowhere, leaping from the shadows of the rocks and grabbing her the very instant she'd realized he'd appeared.

She had to get free of him before he reached the highway. If he got her in a vehicle, she might never get away.

Her attacker had tight hold of her arms and torso. She tried to jab him with her elbow, to pry her arms free—anything—but his overwhelming size advantage made that impossible. With a desperate lunge, she kicked at him with flailing legs.

Thunk.

Pain shot up her leg as her shin slapped against the protruding rocks of the cliffs.

If she could have, she'd have cried out in pain. Tears stung her eyes, but she refused to give in to self-pity for even a second. The man already had every advantage. She tried again to wriggle free. She couldn't even see her captor. How could she fight him?

Suddenly the man cried out and she felt the arms around her slacken.

"Run! To the beach!" The guard's voice echoed across the rocks.

Twisting and writhing, she lunged free from her attacker as the guard pried him away. Darkness filled the small gorge where the trail cut through the cliffside. Julia lunged back in the direction of the seashore, clutching the rocky sides of the gorge as pain speared up from her injured shin. She half hopped, half dragged herself away, crumbling almost to a crawl as her ankle protested and she scrambled to put distance between herself and the battle being waged behind her.

She looked back to see two shadowy figures fighting in the distance and cringed at the sound of knuckles connecting against bone and flesh. If she could have seen who was who, or even stood on her injured leg, she might have tried to help. Instead it was all she could do to pray silently but earnestly for the safety of the guard who'd come to her aid.

"Who are you?" a harsh male voice demanded. The guard who'd come after her? In spite of the darkness of the evening, she was nearly certain it was Linus. The handsome guard's chivalrous actions the day before—opening doors for her, pulling out her chair, bringing her anything she wanted before she had to ask for it—had left her feeling uncertain of precisely where she stood with him. To her understanding, his gracious behavior was simply part of his job. But at the same time, she wasn't used to it, and had escaped for her evening run alone in part to distance herself from his unfamiliar courtesies.

Now Linus's chivalry had him struggling with her attacker, demanding to know the man's identity and intent.

The masked man didn't answer, but pulled back far enough to throw a punch, sending a stinging blow across her rescuer's face before darting away into the shadows of the craggy cliffs.

Rather than chase after him, Linus spun toward her, the concern on his features only easing slightly when he spotted her.

He ran from the shadows toward her, and for the first time she got a look at his face, certain now of his identity.

Order:
Print books:
Harlequin.com
Harlequin.com (Large Print)
Barnes and Noble
Barnes and Noble (Large Print)
Amazon.com
Amazon.com (Large Print)
Christianbook.com
Booksamillion.com
Booksamillion.com (Large Print)

Ebooks:
Harlequin.com
Nookbook
Booksamillion.com
Kindle
Kobobooks.com
iTunes

You can also purchase this book from any of the stores found at CBA Storefinder.

Also, don’t forget that it’s Free Book Friday over at Harlequin.com--if you order two or more books, you’ll get their weekly featured book for free!

This week, the featured book is: Rodeo Ashes by Shannon Taylor Vannatter (This is a Heartsong Presents Inspirational/Christian romance!)

Comments

Popular Posts

Interview with Tamara Leigh

Captain's Log, Stardate 03.13.2006 Multi-published Tamara Leigh has shifted from Medieval romances to chick-lit! Her newest book is STEALING ADDA published by NavPress. It had been a long time since New York Times best-selling author -- and historical romance writer extraordinaire -- Adda Sinclaire had experienced more than a fictional dose of romance, but when publisher Nick Farnsworth walks into her life, everything changes. Life for Adda ironically reads more like a country song than a bodice-bursting, breathless affair. For starters, she has no actual romance in her life. That might have something to do with the fact that her husband -- correction-EX husband -- ran off with Stick Woman, whom everyone knew would never be more than a mid-list author anyway. To add insult to injury (and another verse to the country song), he not only took their dog but gave it to her. If this isn't enough, Adda's come down with a horrible case of writer's block and finds h

In-N-Out from A DANGEROUS STAGE

Source: tumblr.com via Camy on Pinterest In-N-Out, one of my fav burger joints, makes an appearance in the first chapter of A Dangerous Stage . It's a chain on the West Coast and Hawaii, I'm not sure how far east they have restaurants. They don't freeze any of their food, it's all fresh, including the buns and the french fries. When you order, you can see them use this french fry hand-crank machine to make their fries, it's pretty cool. The specific restaurant in A Dangerous Stage doesn't exist at that location, but there's a couple of them near me and I go there way too often than is good for me, but it's oh-so-yummy!

No Cold Bums toilet seat cover

Captain's Log, Stardate 08.22.2008 I actually wrote out my pattern! I was getting a lot of hits on my infamous toilet seat cover , and I wanted to make a new one with “improvements,” so I paid attention and wrote things down as I made the new one. This was originally based off the Potty Mouth toilet cover , but I altered it to fit over the seat instead of the lid. Yarn: any worsted weight yarn, about 120 yards (this is a really tight number, I used exactly 118 yards. My suggestion is to make sure you have about 130 yards.) I suggest using acrylic yarn because you’re going to be washing this often. Needle: I used US 8, but you can use whatever needle size is recommended by the yarn you’re using. Gauge: Not that important. Mine was 4 sts/1 inch in garter stitch. 6 buttons (I used some leftover shell buttons I had in my stash) tapestry needle Crochet hook (optional) Cover: Using a provisional cast on, cast on 12 stitches. Work in garter st until liner measures

Sweet & Clean Christmas Romance sale

I’m participating in the Sweet & Clean Christmas Romance sale. Check out all the sweet/clean romance books available and stuff your eBook reader! Sweet & Clean Christmas Romance

99c Squeaky Clean Christmas Romance sale

I’m participating in the 99c Squeaky Clean Christmas Romance sale. Check out all the sweet/clean romance books available and stuff your eBook reader! 99c Squeaky Clean Christmas Romance

Year of the Dog serial novel

About Year of the Dog : A month or two ago, I remembered an old manuscript I had completed but which hadn’t sold. It was a contemporary romance meant for Zondervan, titled Year of the Dog . The book had gone into the pipeline and I even got another title ( Bad Dog ) and a cover for it, but eventually my editor at the time decided she didn’t want to publish it, for various reasons. She instead requested a romantic suspense, and so I cannibalized some of the characters from Year of the Dog and thrust them into the next book I wrote, which was Protection for Hire . Honestly, I didn’t take a lot from Year of the Dog to put in Protection for Hire , aside from character names and a few relationship ties. I was originally thinking I’d post Year of the Dog as-is on my blog as a free read, but then it occurred to me that I could revamp it into a romantic suspense and change the setting to Hawaii. It would work out perfectly as (yet another) prequel to the Warubozu series and introduc

Clean Romance Deals

I’m participating in the Clean Romance Deals sale. Check out all the sweet/clean romance books available and stuff your eBook reader! Clean Romance Deals

Daniel 9:9

Dear Lord, Thank you for being so merciful and forgiving to us no matter what we’ve done or where we’ve been. Thank you for loving us so much, even when we find it hard to love ourselves. Even if we have rejected you, you still reach out to us and want us to come to you for love and comfort and forgiveness. Thank you for your magnificent grace. Amen 主よ、 私たちが何をしようと、どこにいようと、私たちを憐れみ、赦してくださりありがとうございます。私たちが自分自身を愛することが難しいときでさえ、私たちをこんなにも愛してくださってありがとうございます。たとえ私たちがあなたを拒んだとしても、あなたは私たちに手を差し伸べ、愛と慰めと赦しを求めてあなたのもとに来ることを望んでくださいます。あなたの素晴らしい恵みに感謝します。 アーメン

Last chance! Jane Austen sweepstakes

Last chance! Win a Library of 30 Historical Romance Novels + Jane Austen Swag Worth $250! This is a delightful surprise I've been eager to share! Join me and 30 extraordinary authors in an enchanting giveaway where we're gifting a vast array of historical romance novels to two fortunate winners! And the cherry on top: The Grand Prize winner will be treated to an exclusive Jane Austen swag pack, worth an impressive $250! You'll get the chance to win a copy of my book, Lady Wynwood’s Spies, volume 1: Archer, as well as novels from renowned authors like Laura Beers and Kasey Stockton. (Please be aware that not all the historical novels in this giveaway are Christian or sweet.) To enter, simply click the magical link below. Wishing you the best of luck and a journey filled with delightful reads! Join Our Giveaway

Grace Livingston Hill romances free to read online

I wanted to update my old post on Grace Livingston Hill romances because now there are tons more options for you to be able to read her books for free online! I’m a huge Grace Livingston Hill fan. Granted, not all her books resonate with me, but there are a few that I absolutely love, like The Enchanted Barn and Crimson Roses . And the best part is that she wrote over 100 books and I haven’t yet read them all! When I have time, I like to dive into a new GLH novel. I like the fact that most of them are romances, and I especially appreciate that they all have strong Christian themes. Occasionally the Christian content is a little heavy-handed for my taste, but it’s so interesting to see what the Christian faith was like in the early part of the 20th century. These books are often Cinderella-type stories or A Little Princess (Frances Hodgson Burnett) type stories, which I love. And the best part is that they’re all set in the early 1900s, so the time period is absolutely fasci