Introducing Alexander St. Clare, Part 1

I’ve been neck-deep in revisions and new software, and all of a sudden October is upon us. How the heck did the last few months pass so quickly?

The sixth book in the Baleful Godmother series, Discovering Miss Dalrymple, comes out in two weeks, so I’d like to introduce the hero to you. Here he is, blissfully unaware that his life is about to be tipped upside down…

Alexander St. Clare, seventh Duke of Vickery, found his father’s diaries by accident. He was working at the massive oak desk in the study, reading through the latest report from the bailiff on his Lincolnshire estate and jotting down notes, when the tip of the quill split.

“Drain the north paddock,” he muttered under his breath, while he opened the top drawer of the desk and searched for a penknife. The penknife was at the very back of the drawer. Alexander groped for it, banged his knuckles against wood—and then the wood yielded and the penknife skittered out of reach, deeper into the desk.

Damn. He’d broken the drawer.

Alexander carefully removed it—and discovered that the drawer wasn’t broken at all; the back was hinged, with a little catch that he must have knocked open.

What the devil?

He got down on his knees and peered into the gaping slot. Was that a secret compartment? In his father’s old oak desk?

He reached in and felt carefully. Yes, a secret compartment. The penknife was in there, and . . . books?

Alexander drew the books out. There were six of them, bound with calfskin. He opened one and saw his father’s handwriting. June 17, 1808.

I would love to find a secret drawer in a desk. Wouldn’t you? But poor Alexander is going to regret it. Well, not finding the drawer itself, but finding his father's diaries…

Here's a picture of Alexander's father—and yes, that's one of the diaries!



[Image courtesy of the Rijksmuseum collection of public domain images.]