A Most Excellent Adventure

By Jude Knight

Lorna Dashwood, spinster schoolteacher, chances upon adventure when she rides out to retrieve a run-away pupil. Adventure is nothing like she had dreamed. Before it is over, she has been shot at, knocked out, assigned a pretend husband, locked up, forced to marry at the point of a gun, and more.

On the other hand, she cannot argue with the outcome. Perhaps adventures have something to be said for them, after all.

Paul Baldwin, Baron Baldwin of Ormswood, is no stranger to adventure. However, he is looking for investments, not adventure, and certainly not marriage, when he comes to the rescue of two damsels in distress, one a schoolteacher who is far too pretty for his peace of mind.

Peace of mind is overrated, and when danger towards her threatens again, he does not hesitate to ride, once more, to the rescue.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jude Knight
• Release date: Jun 18, 2024
• ISBN: 9781991290069

Jude Knight

Have you ever wanted something so much you were afraid to even try? That was Jude ten years ago.For as long as she can remember, she's wanted to be a novelist. She even started dozens of stories, over the years.But life kept getting in the way. A seriously ill child who required years of therapy; a rising mortgage that led to a full-time job; six children, her own chronic illness... the writing took a back seat.As the years passed, the fear grew. If she didn't put her stories out there in the market, she wouldn't risk making a fool of herself. She could keep the dream alive if she never put it to the test.Then her mother died. That great lady had waited her whole life to read a novel of Jude's, and now it would never happen.So Jude faced her fear and changed it--told everyone she knew she was writing a novel. Now she'd make a fool of herself for certain if she didn't finish.Her first book came out to excellent reviews in December 2014, and the rest is history. Many books, lots of positive reviews, and a few awards later, she feels foolish for not starting earlier.Jude write historical fiction with a large helping of romance, a splash of Regency, and a twist of suspense. She then tries to figure out how to slot the story into a genre category. She’s mad keen on history, enjoys what happens to people in the crucible of a passionate relationship, and loves to use a good mystery and some real danger as mechanisms to torture her characters.Dip your toe into her world with one of her lunch-time reads collections or a novella, or dive into a novel. And let her know what you think.

Book preview

A Most Excellent Adventure

A MOST EXCELLENT ADVENTURE

THE GOLDEN REDEPENNINGS

BOOK 5.5

JUDE KNIGHT

Titchfield Press

CONTENTS

A Most Excellent Adventure

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Regency books by Jude Knight

Meet Jude Knight

Copyright 2024 Judith Anne Knighton writing as Jude Knight

This work has been written by a human being. Generative artificial intelligence has not been used to produce any part of this work.

Publisher: Titchfield Press

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ISBN: 978-1-991290-06-9

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A MOST EXCELLENT ADVENTURE

Lorna Dashwood, spinster schoolteacher, chances upon adventure when she rides out to retrieve a run-away pupil. Adventure is nothing like she had dreamed. Before it is over, she has been shot at, knocked out, assigned a pretend husband, locked up, forced to marry at gunpoint, and more.

On the other hand, she cannot argue with the outcome. Perhaps adventures have something to be said for them, after all.

Paul Baldwin, Baron Baldwin of Ormswood, is no stranger to adventure. However, he is looking for investments, not adventure, and certainly not marriage, when he comes to the rescue of two damsels in distress, one a schoolteacher who is far too pretty for his peace of mind.

Peace of mind is overrated, and when danger towards her threatens again, he does not hesitate to ride, once more, to the rescue.

In the epilogue to The Flavour of Our Deeds, the fifth novel in The Golden Redepenning series, the hero’s brother arrived home with an unexpected bride. This novella is the story of that romance, and is dedicated to those who asked what happened to Paul.

CHAPTER 1

Horncroft Manor, Tyne Valley, August, 1830

Paul was doing his best to honour Lorna’s mood by remaining serious as he continued to tell her about the house they were approaching and the people she was about to meet. However, she could see his suppressed delight bubbling out of him in sparkling eyes and occasional grins. Of course, he was happy. He was going home to family.

Lorna was more nervous with every turn of the coach’s wheels. What would they think of her? It was all very well for Paul to say they would love her at first sight, as he had, but the owner of Horncroft Manor was the brother who had raised Paul; the brother he loved like a father. And the lady of the house was the daughter of an actual earl, even further out of her class than Paul, who was a baron.

What if they did not like her? What if they wanted a better match for their beloved Paul? She wished the confrontation was over. She wished it could be postponed; that they had bypassed Horncroft Manor and gone straight to Paul’s home further north.

The carriage drew up in front of the house, and it was already too late to retreat. Paul swung the door open without waiting for the groom to let the steps down, and a boyish voice shouted, Uncle Paul!

Lorna sat frozen for a moment, doing her best to convince her suddenly uncooperative muscles to move. Paul had leapt down to greet the two boys who were welcoming him, questions and comments tumbling out of their mouths so fast he didn’t have space to reply. They were much of an age, but Lorna guessed the one doing most of the talking was Paul’s nephew, Stephen, while the other must be Steve’s closest friend and cousin, Mark.

Paul had finally found a gap in the flow to answer a question. I have brought someone to meet your parents, Steve. Don’t tell them, though. I want it to be a surprise. Are they inside?

Father is fishing and Mama is picking berries. We will tell them you are here, Steve declared. We won’t mention your guest. Come on, Mark. I’ll race you.

And with that, they were gone. Riding away at a gallop, for she could hear hoofbeats.

Paul turned to put down the carriage steps and offer her a hand, and she gathered her courage and her dignity and descended.

He tucked her hand into his elbow and led her up a short flight of stairs to the door. Come along, darling. If they are down at the river, they will be at least fifteen minutes. Time for us to refresh ourselves from the journey before we tell them our story.

He lowered his head to place a kiss on her cheek. You will feel much better when you have met them. They will love you, Lorna.

Lorna hoped so. She managed to smile and nod at the servants as Paul introduced her and instructed them not to spoil his surprise by telling their employers. They were shown to a comfortable bedchamber and a few minutes later a series of servants delivered their trunks, hot water, and a tea tray.

Paul was soon washed and couldn’t sit still. Go and meet your relatives, darling, she told him. I shall have a cup of tea while I wait for you to fetch me. She would sit and remember