My first novel Love Engineered is due to be published very soon, and I’m naturally very excited. Here is an extract from the book.
When the dancing started after the meal, Charles knew exactly where she was – seated amongst the elderly ladies and spinsters, those who didn’t dance any more. He made his way over to her, but had to ask several of them to move out of the way in order to get to where she was. Eventually, he was in front of her. She was talking to his great aunt.
She noticed his presence and looked up at him enquiringly.
“Miss Thomas. Would you do me the honour of dancing with me?”
Her eyebrows rose in surprise. She turned to her companion, but the old lady looked away, as if trying to make herself invisible. His anxious look of enquiry melted her veneer of studied indifference and Louise found herself replying, “Yes.”
He held out his hand to her; she took it lightly and stood up. The dance was the first waltz, and as it started he noticed that she was only a few inches shorter than he. But it was the touch of her hand once more and the feeling of holding her near that made his attempts at conversation falter. Both were overawed by the situation they found themselves in, yet neither could utter a word of their feelings.
Eventually, Charles spoke, determined to try to begin to win her. “It was a fine wedding.”
“Yes. Jane is the most beautiful bride I have ever seen. She and Mr Boyd make a handsome couple. Their children will be very beautiful creatures.”
“I can still keep a close eye on her and make sure she is treated well. It will be a little strange having a partner as a brother, but he will be kind to her and look after her as she deserves.”
“I’m sure he will. And if he does not, he will have both of us to answer to, I’m sure.”
“You’re a loyal friend.”
“You’re a loyal brother.”
Even after this conversation, there was still a certain reserve in her manner towards him, despite the passion of the speech she made. He wanted to break through to the woman he once knew, but could think of nothing to say, until he remarked, “Jane tells me you have forgiven Mr Boyd for his inappropriate comments. You have a generous nature, forgiving us both.”
“Thank you, but you’re wrong. It’s not in my nature to forgive. It’s something I was taught at an early age. Is it not one of the basic biblical principles? Forgive others, if you wish to be forgiven yourself. However hard it is.”
He looked down at her. “I cannot imagine what you could ever do that would need forgiveness.”
“A great many things, I assure you, although I shall not tell you what they are. But, when I forgive, I do not think that punishment should be avoided. Mr Risinger has taught me that lesson.”
Suddenly his countenance became more serious. “No, and I deserve a great deal of punishment for my behaviour to you. When I think of what I said that day, you should hate me.”
“Jane assured me in her letters that she had punished you enough!”
“Yes, I suppose she did.”
They were silent for a while, until Charles decided to change the subject. “I took your advice, Miss Thomas, and recently published an article on the Tamar bridge in the Engineering Journal. Did you read it?”
“Why no, I-I didn’t. When was it published?”
“A month ago. I’m disappointed you haven’t read it. You are, after all, the reason I wrote it.”
“I haven’t been reading that journal of late.” Louise thought of the pile of unread journals in her workroom. She had neither the time nor the inclination to read that particular publication recently.
“You have lost interest?”
“No, I have been too busy interfering with my tenants’ affairs to read anything,” she smiled.
“I see,” he said in a low tone. “I still have other matters in which I need your forgiveness.”
“Perhaps.”
But he was secretly pleased. Her manner was slowly softening and it reminded him of the conversations they had had when they first met.
“I had no idea you danced so well, Mr Lucas,” she said, after an awkward pause.
“Thank you. I’m not an engineer all the time.”
“You dance better than you play billiards, I feel,” she said nonchalantly.
“You know about my billiards playing?”
“Ashton told me,” she said, smiling up at him.
“He delights in telling everyone. But I must thank you for the compliment on my dancing ability. I assure you, most engineers do dance, but we choose our partners very carefully.”
“I must admit, I prefer country dances.”
“Really? Next you will be saying you prefer to dance the polka instead of the waltz!” he said, laughing, but then suddenly stopped when her expression gave away the truth of his remark.
For the rest of the dance, their conversation was stilted. Louise felt her deepest wishes once more re-surface and with determined effort tried to detach herself from being held in his arms. Speaking was the last thing she could possibly attempt now that she was actually dancing with Charles.
