I Adored a Lord

283 Pages·2014·2.23 MB·English

by  Ashe Katharine

Dedication
For Darlin
Epigraph
“The [ailments] of . . . animals are few and simple, and easily cured . . . for the remedy then consists in
little more than putting the animal upon a direct contrary course to that which brought on the disorder.”
— John Hinds,
The Veterinary Surgeon (1836) “With thyself my spirit fill.”
— Thomas Ken,
Hymn from the monastic Divine Office (1692)
Dearest Reader
M
y first love in fiction is a beautifully written romance. If that romance
includes a bit of high adventure, then I am in alt. I also happen to adore
mysteries set in country mansions and remote castles, especially murder
mysteries. So when Ravenna Caulfield, the free-spirited youngest sister among
my Prince Catchers, suggested to me that she was eager for that sort of
harrowing fun, I welcomed the opportunity to write it. Packing up my fuzzy
sweaters and woolen socks, I headed off to the mountains of France.
France, you say? Why France? Well, I supposed that if Agatha Christie’s
Hercule Poirot, a Belgian, could solve mysteries in England, then my English
heroine could solve a mystery in France. N’est-ce pas? And I had a hunch that
where I was heading I would find the ideal inspiration.
Quel success! Traveling southeast from Paris, I stopped just short of
Switzerland in one of the most poetically beautiful regions of a beautiful
country: the Franche-Comté. Here the ancient Jura Mountains descend into
valleys bathed in sunshine and blanketed with vineyards. In this paradise I
sampled morsels of Comte, a delectably mellow hard cheese, washed down with
the famous yellow wine of the region. I dipped crusts of crunchy bread into
bubbling, steaming fondue pots and savored mouthwatering plum tarts while
looking out upon medieval churches and eighteenth-century chateaux. I studied
the stairwells, furnishings, bedchambers, parlors, stables, carriage houses, even
the plumbing of glorious mansions where princes and princesses once dwelt, and
I wandered the manicured parks of these estates in a state of euphoria. In short, I
fell in love. It seemed the perfect place for my heroine and hero to fall in love
too.
I give you now I Adored a Lord, a house party whodunit wrapped in a tender,
passionate romance and set in a sublimely gracious place. I hope you enjoy
reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Warmest wishes, Katharine
The Suspects
(In order of appearance) Sir Beverley Clark—Our heroine’s former employer
Mr. Francis Pettigrew—Sir Beverley’s friend Prince Sebastiao—Portuguese
prince, host of the party, and younger half brother of our hero Lord & Lady
Whitebarrow—Wealthy English earl and his wife Ladies Penelope & Grace—‐
Their nasty twin daughters Sir Henry & Lady Margaret Feathers—‐
Thoroughbred breeders and social upstarts Miss Ann Feathers—Their
unfortunately mousy daughter General Dijon—Former Napoleonic war hero
(on the French side) Mademoiselle Arielle Dijon—His lovely daughter Duchess
McCall—Highlander widow
Lady Iona—Her stunning and vivacious daughter Wesley Courtenay, Earl of
Case—Heir to Marquess Airedale and elder half brother of our hero Lord
Prunesly—A renowned biologist and baron Miss Cecilia Anders—His daughter
Mr. Martin Anders—His poetical son
Bishop Abraccia—An ancient Italian archbishop Miss Juliana Abraccia—His
orphaned niece
Contents
Dedication
Epigraph
Dearest Reader
The Suspects
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Author's Note
Announcement to I Loved a Rogue
About the Author
Praise for the novels of Katharine Ashe
Romances by Katharine Ashe
Copyright
About the Publisher
Chapter 1