Exclusive: Promised by Leah Garriott Excerpt

We are very excited to bring a new author to Frolic’s readers: Leah Garriott. Her début book, Promised, is a Regency-set story that is a wonderful historical romance with authentic period details.

About Promised:

Fooled by love once before, Margaret vows never to be played the fool again. To keep her vow, she attends a notorious matchmaking party intent on securing the perfect marital match: a union of convenience to someone who could never affect her heart. She discovers a man who exceeds all her hopes in the handsome and obliging rake Mr. Northam.

There’s only one problem. His meddling cousin, Lord Williams, won’t leave Margaret alone. Condescending and high-handed, Lord Williams lectures and insults her. When she refuses to give heed to his counsel, he singlehandedly ruins Margaret’s chances for making a good match — to his cousin or anyone else. With no reason to remain at the party, Margaret returns home to discover her father has promised her hand in marriage — to Lord Williams

Under no condition will Margaret consent to marrying such an odious man. Yet as Lord Williams inserts himself into her everyday life, interrupting her family games, following her on morning walks, winning the good opinion of her siblings and proving himself intelligent and even kind, Margaret is forced to realize that Lord Williams is exactly the type of man she’d hoped to marry before she’d learned how much love hurt.

When paths diverge and her time with Lord Williams ends, Margaret is faced with her ultimate choice: keep the promises that will protect her or break free of them for one more chance at love. Either way, she fears her heart will lose.

Frolic-Exclusive Excerpt:

“What was my cousin so desperate to speak to you about?” Mr. Northam asked.

“He warned me against you.”

Mr. Northam met my gaze with interest. “Did he?”

“Yes.”

“Yet here you are.”

I settled further into my chair. “Here I am.”

We listened in silence a moment more before he said, “Tell me, Miss Brinton, do you play?”

“I do,” I admitted, caught off guard. “But I am not much of a performer.”

“Do you sing?”

“Only when alone.”

He smiled at my response. It was easy to picture him breaking hearts when he smiled like that, warm and with a hint that he knew a secret he might be willing to share. “Then I will not ask you to sing. But will you do me the honor of playing something?”

I laughed quietly. “Most certainly. Perhaps tomorrow when the room isn’t quite so crowded.”

“There is a lull. You could play now.”

I realized the young woman had finished her performance and the crowd awaited the next.

Yet had he not just exclaimed how much he disliked such a display? “You wish me to perform in front of all these -people?”

“You come across as someone with great skill at the things you do. I think most of this audience would appreciate hearing from you.” He stood and held out his hand.

This was too unexpected. I shook my head. “Please sit down.”

“It is too late. People are beginning to stare.”

I glanced around. People were beginning to stare. And had I not come for this? To see if there weren’t a few gentlemen in this crowd who would suit me? While it would only take one, there was that notion of eggs and baskets and all that.

“Very well.” I took Mr. Northam’s proffered hand and stood.

“What will you play?” he asked, guiding me to the piano.

I shrugged and looked out at the crowd, searching for Daniel. He’d moved from where he’d been before, but I located him near the back. His eyes were wide, mirroring the surprise I felt by finding myself before the crowd. My attention slipped to Lord Williams, whose expression was in its perpetual frown. He was surrounded by women touching his arm, whispering in his ear, straining to secure his notice, but the whole of his attention was directed toward me and Mr. Northam.

Though he may have found fault with my intentions, I vowed Lord Williams would find no fault in my performance. I smiled to the crowd and took my seat on the stool. Mr. Northam placed some music in front of me. “Do you know this?”

It was a song my father had purchased for me the year before. I knew it by heart. “Yes.”

“Shall I turn the pages?”

“If you’d like.”

He nodded and stayed standing by my side as I began to play. The crowd hushed appreciatively, and I worked to contain my smile of self-satisfaction.

A few minutes into my performance, though, murmurs rippled through the crowd. I glanced over, trusting my fingers to continue playing on their own. Lord Williams was standing, fists clenched at his side. Our gazes met and the coldness in his expression pierced my confidence.

My fingers stumbled on the keys. I stopped playing.

He stared for a moment, anger and determination in his narrowed eyes. The whole room seemed to hold its breath with anticipation of his next move.

His attention shifted to Mr. Northam and a look of disgust entered his expression. He turned and marched from the room, slamming the door behind him.

A shocked stillness filled the ballroom. The next second, the party turned as one to stare at me. Murmurs started in the back, words like “cut” and “disgraced” carrying across the crowd. Then the room erupted with conversation.

Lord Williams had walked out. On my performance.

This was a disaster. I could never live this down. Who would have me after a direct slight from a baron?

I searched for Daniel. We would have to leave. I couldn’t stay. Even the time it took to walk from the room would be too long to spend among this company now.

Lord Williams had ruined everything.

I started to stand. Mr. Northam placed a hand on my shoulder and bent to my ear. “Keep playing.”

I turned to him in astonishment. “Your cousin walked out on me, sir.”

“Yes. And if you do not keep playing, it will be seen as the insult it was likely meant to be. But if you continue, if you show his leaving had no effect on you, the audience will change their opinion and instead attribute his actions to extreme rudeness. Trust me.”

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