Free Christian Regency Romantic Suspense This post is part of my serialized novel, The Spinster’s Christmas. If you’re new, you can begin with the summary and complete chapter list on the Intro Page . *** Chapter 8 Gerard had been helpless. Too helpless to do anything for her. He had wanted to shout at them all to stop laughing at her, or perhaps go to her, take her hand, and pull her from the dining room. But anything of the sort would only embarrass her further. He saw the pain in her eyes, and he saw the mask of calm settle over her face. He had never fully realized it was a mask until that moment. There was a great deal about her that he didn’t know. That he hadn’t cared to know. He wanted to know all those things now. Perhaps not at this exact moment. First he had to walk again, properly, without this cursed cane. He wanted to be whole again, and independent, and regain some measure of self-respect. Also at this exact moment, he had to somehow escape the two c...

Free Christian Regency Romantic Suspense This post is part of my serialized novel, The Spinster’s Christmas. If you’re new, you can begin with the summary and complete chapter list on the Intro Page . *** Chapter 7 December 25th “You look pretty,” Ellie said to Miranda. “Thank you.” She stood in front of the small mirror on the wall of Miss Teel’s room, pinning her dark hair. She had made several narrow braids and coiled them in a simple pattern that looked like a more complex one, at first glance. Miss Teel had already dressed and was helping some of the older schoolgirls with their toilettes, since the entire family were to dine together again tonight before the ball. Miranda normally took very little heed of her own dress, but tonight she wanted to look … different. Even though she knew there was no reason for it. Not that she had much choice in what to wear. When she had been living with her parents, they had attended parties and dances, but Miranda had not always ...

I got a chance to review this Chinese black tea from MastersTeas.com. It’s not what I would normally drink, and it’s much finer in quality than what I drink at Chinese restaurants, so it was a fun new experience. From the website: Qimen Caixia or “Sunrise Keemun” is a unique black tea made from early spring leaves which are gently rolled to create a whole leaf tea. The semi wiry leaves do contain some tips as well. The dry aroma offers the classic Keemun orchid note. The cup itself is a medium-light bodied one that is delicate, sweet and complex with notes of orchid, honey and toast. While it is rather delicate, it presents a nuanced experience with a soft finish. About the leaves: Grown between 800 and 1200 meters above sea level this Twig Leaf cultivar was hand plucked at the end of April from 60-year-old trees. Known locally as "keemun maofeng", is consists of one bud and two or three leaves approximately 2-3 cm in length. This tea contains a high level of caffe...

Free Christian Regency Romantic Suspense This post is part of my serialized novel, The Spinster’s Christmas. If you’re new, you can begin with the summary and complete chapter list on the Intro Page . *** Chapter 6 Gerard pulled his mouth wide in what he hoped looked like a smile and passed Miss Church-Pratton a fir branch. “Oh, Captain Foremont, are you certain your leg is not paining you?” She gave him a soulful look that brought out the blue of her eyes. “I am perfectly well, Miss Church-Pratton.” Gerard ignored the ache in his knee. “I do appreciate your help but I would not wish to cause you further injury.” He tried to stretch his leg without drawing attention to the action. He seemed to be mostly recovered from the events of this morning in the woods. He moved a little more slowly and he could not climb the ladder to decorate the chandelier, but he was perfectly able to collect greenery and deliver it to the women who arranged it around the house. Unfortunately...

Free Christian Regency Romantic Suspense This post is part of my serialized novel, The Spinster’s Christmas. If you’re new, you can begin with the summary and complete chapter list on the Intro Page . *** Chapter 5 Miranda welcomed the distraction of picking Christmas greens to decorate the house. Everyone was in a merry mood, no one paying attention to her, and she could calm herself. She had thought Gerard would not expend much effort for her request to his mother, and had expected that path to be closed to her. His actions in enlisting the help of Cousin Laura had not only surprised her, but had caused hope to blossom in her chest. She ought not to hope. It always led to disappointment. And yet what else could she do when two people were suddenly championing her? She was unaccustomed to such consideration, for her parents’ treatment of her had taught her to avoid depending upon others. Therefore, it had been particularly difficult for her to ask Aunt Augusta for hel...

Free Christian Regency Romantic Suspense This post is part of my serialized novel, The Spinster’s Christmas. If you’re new, you can begin with the summary and complete chapter list on the Intro Page . *** Chapter 4 December 24th The morning had dawned crisp and cold, but clear enough for the annual Christmas greens collecting. Laura, Lady Wynwood, finished tying the scarf about Sally’s neck. The little girl had grown so much since Laura had seen her last Christmas here at Wintrell Hall. “There, now you are ready to gather mistletoe.” “William says mistletoe is for grown-ups.” “And who is William?” “He is the rector’s son. Back at home in Sussex.” Laura smiled and smoothed the brown curls peeking out from beneath the girl’s hood. “Mistletoe is for the kissing bough, so I suppose he’s right, after a fashion.” Sally made a face. “Why do grown-ups like kissing so much? William said that sometimes when grown-ups kiss, they make babies.” Laura choked back a laugh. “No,...

Today I tried the Formosa Ruby 18 Black tea from Mastersteas.com . They sent me several black teas to try and review for my blog, but I got so busy that I never got around to this until now. I was excited to be trying for the first time a tea I normally wouldn’t have bought—new tasting experiences are always fun for me. From the website: A very fine version of the Ruby 18, otherwise known as Red Jade, it is intense with surprising licorice notes. The long, dark leggy leaves, contain some lovely buds. The licorice cup also has a cooling menthol effect. There are notes of spice, a hint of caramel, and a whisper of toasted vanilla bean. The dry finish completes what is a very interesting, dynamic experience. In a word, excellent. Ruby #18 is a unique cultivar from Taiwan, and a relatively new invention, only surfacing in the late twentieth century after over fifty years of research. A cross between a wild Formosa tea plant and an Assam from Burma, it was developed specifically with...