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    A Hand in Love and Murder: FIRE IN MY HEART, #4
    A Hand in Love and Murder: FIRE IN MY HEART, #4
    A Hand in Love and Murder: FIRE IN MY HEART, #4
    Ebook119 pages1 hour

    A Hand in Love and Murder: FIRE IN MY HEART, #4

    By C. L. Bush

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    About this ebook

    War, blood, love, and murder. 

    Lucy Livingston has dreamed of finding someone to complete her life after seeing her cousin Franny find and fall in love with the man of her dreams. She is now at their estate, helping Franny learn the ropes and taking a break from the marriage mart in London. She thinks she is free from the distractions of men. That is until Simon Tucker, an old acquaintance she has had less than pleasant dealings with in the past, comes on the scene. 

    Simon Tucker arrives at Waltham subdued. Having been injured in the war, he is forced to accept the position of land agent to a friend of his cousin’s, Franny's husband Lawrence Sheridan, and live a normal life after the trials of battle. 

    Riddled with guilt over leaving his best friend, Marshall Gray, behind after he was injured, Simon is haunted by the memories of blood and violence and what could have happened to Marshall, missing two years now. 

    An unlucky encounter forces Simon into the most compromising position he has ever been in… found next to a murdered man. 

    This book is a part of a series! 

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherC. L. Bush
    Release dateJun 15, 2016
    ISBN9781533723345
    A Hand in Love and Murder: FIRE IN MY HEART, #4
    Author

    C. L. Bush

    C. L. Bush started reading at a young age. Since then she has voraciously read all she can get her hands on. As a mother of two boys and three grown stepdaughter's, as well as the wife of a soldier in the U.S. Army, her life is busy, but she has always kept her love of reading and writing. History is also a passion of hers and she regularly goes on trips with her family to experience it firsthand. She looks forward to bringing her love of reading, writing and history to her readers with her new 'Fire In My Heart' series.  Please feel free to visit her author page on Facebook for updates on new releases!   

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      Book preview

      A Hand in Love and Murder - C. L. Bush

      LIST OF CHARACTERS AND LOCATIONS

      ––––––––

      Lawrence Sheridan, Laurie – Owner of Waltham Estate, engaged to Francis Hudley.

      Francis Hudley, Franny – Engaged to Laurie, niece to Augusta Livingston and cousin to Lucy Livingston.

      Augusta Livingston – Aunt to Franny, mother to Lucy, best friend to Laurie’s deceased mother.

      Lucy Livingston – Cousin to Franny, daughter to Augusta Livingston and childhood friend of Laurie’s.

      Simon Tucker – Land agent to Lawrence Sheridan at Waltham Estate

      Vincent Tucker – Cousin to Simon and Lord of Malmesbury Estate

      Dr. Marshall Gray – Best friend to Simon and served in the War of 1812 with Simon and Vincent. Missing since the attack on Washington D.C. in August 1812.

      Billingsworth – Laurie’s Valet.

      Thompson – Butler at Waltham Estate.

      Marie – Lucy Livingston’s lady’s maid.

      Mr. Gerring – Stable master at Waltham Estate.

      Mr. Smythe – Owner of an inn in Tidworth, The Three Legged Dog.

      Timmy Flannel – Servant and errand boy at The Three Legged Dog.

      Mr. Roun – Bow Street Runner hired by Laurie.

      Theodelphius Sheridan, Theo – Half-brother to Laurie.

      Cecilia Sheridan – Second wife of Laurie’s father, Edmund.

      Edmund Sheridan – Laurie’s deceased father, husband to Cecilia and father to Theo.

      Marty – Stable hand at Waltham let go by Laurie a week prior to the fire.

      Flitwich – Butler at the Livingston townhome on South Audley Street in London.

      Hargrave – Butler at Laurie’s townhome on Curzon Street in London.

      Waltham Estate – Owned by Laurie, located in Kent.

      Malmesbury – Estate of Simon’s cousin Vincent, about ten miles away from Waltham.

      Tidworth – Small village two miles from Waltham, where Simon has his lodgings at The Three Legged Dog Inn, owned by Mr. Smythe.

      Wimpole Hall – Owned by Franny’s father, located in Yorkshire.

      South Audley Street Home – Owned by Augusta Livingston and where she, Lucy and Franny are staying.

      Curzon Street Home – Owned by Laurie and where he stays when in town.

      Kennet Hall – Estate of Augusta Livingston’s late husband and now her son, Frederick. Laurie used to visit there for holidays when he was a child until his mother passed.

      PROLOGUE ONE

      August 1814

      ––––––––

      Simon Tucker stood frozen as he watched the tornado spawn from the violent storm and make its opinion known by storming down Constitution Avenue. It seemed that Mother Nature had made her choice when it came to this battle, and Simon was on the wrong side.

      All he could remember was the fierce wind swirling around as the tornado blew down the road, flinging muck and objects—even some people. He gasped in horror as he saw cannons that weighed more than twenty men, lifted in the air and thrown onto unsuspecting people—soldiers and civilians alike—who didn’t have the wherewithal to get out of the way. Their crushed bodies lying there, bleeding on the road after the capricious whirlwind had moved away. He felt something hard slam into his right knee and fell to the ground in pain. A pain which was overshadowed and soon pushed aside by the carnage he saw happening before him.

      What have we done that God has decided to end our victory so quickly? I knew we were wrong and should have left well enough alone. England has enough land and what right has our king to determine how a nation that he no longer governs should be run?

      He knew this would all end in disaster the moment his unit was given their orders to march on the capital. The American forces were weakened and had left the city to the British army’s destruction, but he suspected, deep in his heart, that they must have known how this would all end.

      It had started with the march into the city. People—women, children and men all running for their lives, leaving their belongings trailing behind them in the streets. Clothing, shoes, dishes and jewelry. He saw a fur coat that must have belonged to some rich woman at one point; the shoe of a small child left on its side in the muck and a chest of silver cutlery that someone had abandoned haphazardly in their attempt to flee the brutal British army.

      Some say this war was about the United States wanting to gain more land; others say it was due to the British navy’s reliance on pressing American sailors into service, but Lieutenant Simon Tucker knew this was more about pride. The British army had been defeated thirty years ago in the Revolutionary War and lost the American colonies. The king now wanted to stop those same former subjects from taking more of Britain’s land and not allow them to slap them in the face with victory again.

      They had forced the American army out and then set to burning their beloved capital. They had burned the presidential mansion and many other buildings that held importance to the Americans.

      If only they hadn’t successfully won that attack on Port Dover last month, we wouldn’t be here, Simon Tucker thought.

      The jubilance of the soldiers as they burned the buildings and looted what was inside was soon overshadowed less than twenty-four hours later as a storm like no one had ever seen in England came through, drenching the city in rain and damping the fires—and cheers—that the British army had brought upon the Capital.

      Simon cried out in anger and turned to look at the destruction behind him, where the tornado had unleashed its wrath first, and saw a sea of red. British uniforms mixed with blood were everywhere, creating a painting that looked like the artist only knew how to use one color.

      Simon moved towards the carnage, scarcely acknowledging his own wounded knee, and saw his cousin, Vincent, among those down on the ground. Running over and kneeling beside him, ignoring his own agony, he saw that his cousin was trying to speak.

      Don’t talk, Simon said

      He pushed Vincent’s coat aside and undid his vest to reveal a long piece of wood sticking out of his abdomen. Simon gulped at the sight of the blood gushing out of the wound.

      It will be all right, he said, ripping off his own coat, vest and shirt. He started to rip his shirt into long strips to be used as bandages to press against the wound and stop the bleeding, ignoring the rain and hail that were pelting his own bruised skin.

      Surgeon! I need a surgeon! Simon tried to keep the frantic tone from his voice.

      Glancing back at Vincent, he leaned in close and gave a small smile. Not what we expected when visiting the capital, is it, cousin?

      Vincent tried to laugh, but only a bubble

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