Petronela
Ungureanu is a journalist and a writer of romance and fantasy living in a
picturesque part of poetic Romania. She takes great pleasure in simple things
like walking barefoot in the grass, or reading Jane Austen in front of a good
fire, surrounded by her numerous purring cats. When the time feels right, she
mysteriously withdraws in her favorite corner where she concocts fantastical
stories about elves, fairies, gnomes and other wondrous creatures.
You can
find her blogging at:
on
Facebook at:
https://www.facebook.com/UnikornaBlog Petronela's latest release is Historical Romance , A Lot of Pride and some Prejudice
“On the verge of losing her home and her position in society, Miss
Portia Thorpe is fighting all her battles with her very heart. When Lord
Salisbury is offering his friendship and support, she develops a most
unsuitable inclination towards him. Surrounded by uncertainty and some very
strange events, Portia must face the future where her estate, Valhalla, lost at
poker by her father, gets a new mysterious owner. Will she manage to find her
place in the new order of things? Will she accept an unexpected marriage
proposal, just to save her home? With some pride, a little prejudice and all
the courage in the world, she will eventually find a solution.”
Read an excerpt from “A lot of pride and some prejudice”
-
“My dear miss Clairon I am
mortified, I cannot explain how such an abominable mistake could have been
produced. Please allow me to apologize profusely, I intend to take drastic
measures for this unforgivable negligence.
Lord Salisbury was indeed very mortified, since the luggage of his
guest, Miss Clairon, had been misplaced, and the old governess was purple with
embarrassment. Lord Salisburry was ceaselessly waving his short chubby arms
like he was trying to express the magnitude of his regret, yet Miss Clairon
seemed to be unmoved. Through the peephole of the dining room’s door, Portia
was observing with tremendous amusement the entire commotion from the hall, when she suddenly
realized that she was not alone. She turned around in a startling rush and she
saw a tall, imposing man observing her with an amused expression on his face,.
There was no reproof in his eyes, just a cheerful flicker of extreme diversion.
When he spoke, his voice was kind and his tone excessively polite.
-
Were you listening at the door, Madame, or were you looking
through the peephole?
-
I am sorry, sir…I was…
Portia couldn’t find her words, her face colored with
embarrassment. The gentleman kept smiling at her, vastly enjoying her moment of
discomfort.
-
Do not worry, I promise I won’t share your indiscretion with
anyone. You must be the new bride…miss Thorpe, am I right?
She finally lifted her eyes from the ground and answered defiantly:
-
And who might you be, sir? You should have made your
presence known…
- Indeed I should …I am Phillip
Salisbury, and I shall soon have the honor of being your future brother in law.
So, you see, you must not feel uneasy, for this is a family matter…
- I wasn’t spying on anyone,
sir, I was merely trying to find the dining room….you have such a big house,
one could get lost in it.
- I am sure you have…Let us not
quarrel about that, miss Thorpe, I would rather enjoy the opportunity to get to
know each other and surely to have the privilege of hearing you play, my
brother says you are a most extraordinary piano player.
- I fear he has exaggerated my
talents, Lord Salisbury. May I ask when shall I have the honor of meeting Miss
Salisbury, I hear she shares my enthusiasm when it comes to music and I would
exceedingly cherish a musical companion…
- She keeps to her room for the
moment, she has a frightful cold and I am afraid we shall not have the
privilege of seeing her today. Did you make any plans for your wedding, miss
Thorpe? I hear my brother wishes to get married in the family chapel near
Portsmouth, I am sure it will agree with you…although the family mausoleum is
dreadfully near…
- I was not aware…I did not have
the chance to explore any plans, but I am sure we have enough time to consider…
- One more week until the happy
event, one might see it as being too soon…
- Indeed too soon.
-
Portia lowered her eyes, for fear he might observe her
sadness, but he seemed too much preoccupied analyzing her hands.”
- I don’t see an engagement ring on your finger, Miss
Thorpe, was my brother so careless as to overlook such a crucial detail?
Portia smiled and hid her hands behind her back in a
childish impulse.
- It was my mistake, Lord Salisbury, for I have forgotten
it at home, back in Bedfordshire, it is my fault indeed…
- One might suspect that you dislike the ring, miss
Thorpe.
- No indeed I do not, it is the most glorious piece of
jewelry I have ever laid my eyes on.
- Then my brother is a very lucky man, he has secured
your affection along with your admiration for his taste in jewelry, he must be
a happy man indeed. Pray, do tell me, do you know each other long?”.
Buy the book:
what a pleasure to be a guest on your blog...
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