Fire In My Heart: Fire of My Past by C.L. Bush

Now that Laurie and Franny are engaged, the need to find out the reason for the fire at Waltham six years ago is more important than ever. So is the need to catch the culprit. 

When a new witness comes forward, Laurie returns home to see if he can finally figure out the mystery that has plagued him for so long. One that has also put himself - and his wife to be, Franny – in danger. 

With his stepmother and half –brother descending on his townhome prior to his returning home, Franny is left to deal with the rumors they are circulating about Laurie’s past and their reasons for marrying so quickly. 

Can the real culprit for the deadly fire be found before Laurie puts himself more at risk? Can Franny sort through the rumors about her new love and hold fast long enough for Laurie to return with answers? 

Read an excerpt:

The next morning Laurie awoke refreshed and rang for Billingsworth to come help him dress. After he was shaved and dressed for the day, he headed down to the breakfast room. After the months of recovery following the fire, where Laurie would regularly loose what he ate, he had learned to give his stomach time to adjust to the day before a hearty meal at midday. His staff knew he didn't like a large breakfast usually.

This morning however there was a large repast laid out with eggs, sausage, ham, toast, coffee, tea, six different kinds of jam and preserves, clotted cream, fresh scones, and juice.

“What is all this?” Laurie asked the footman, Arthur, after he had seated himself.

“Mrs. Sheridan made it clear her expectations on meals prior to you coming back last night, Sir. Put Mrs. Collins in a right fine mood as well, having her position took. Cook wasn't happy either, Sir.” Arthur rushed to impart this information to his master.

A clearing of the throat had Arthur blushing and moving back to his post.

“Hargrave is this true?”

“Yes, Sir I'm afraid it is. This happened prior to your arriving home from your evening out. Mrs. Collins and Cook were upset, but felt it was better to acquiesce to Mrs. Sheridan’s requests. They remember how things were when she ran the house.” It was obvious that Hargrave himself was none too pleased, and that was saying much.

“Well, I bow to their good suggestion. Please make sure any leftovers are shared with the household staff. After all, they've worked above their normal duties for this and should be able to reap some rewards. I also know there is no way my stepmother and brother will be able to eat all this.”

“I will spread the word, Sir. Thank you.” Hargrave exited the room to make sure the house was running correctly and, Laurie suspected, to continue smoothing the ruffled feathers of his housekeeper Mrs. Collins and his cook.

Laurie proceeded to his morning repast of coffee and toast with butter and was just finishing up when Hargrave returned with a letter on a silver platter.

“It came by express, Sir. I thought you would want it right away.”

“Yes, thank you, Hargrave” Laurie said and took his the letter opener off the tray to slit the letter open.

Sir-

I have received word from Mr. George Smythe, owner of the Three Legged Dog Inn in Tidworth. He has told of a man who comes in to drink irregularly lately. In his drunken ramblings, he talks of the incident from six years ago. Knowing your desire to investigate more from Mr. Gerring, he felt it should be made known to the house. Mr. Gerring and I have discussed it and I have chosen to write to you express so that you may return immediately and question this man before he possibly disappears. I await your answer on the particulars.

Your servant,

Thompson

“Well this is a boon!” Said Laurie as he called for Hargrave. “Have Billingsworth pack my bags and my horse prepared. I must head back to Waltham immediately.”

“Right away Sir. And your…guests?”

“Oh damn. I'd forgotten about them. Please make sure they are comfortable - but watched. Especially my stepmother’s lady’s maid.”

“It will be done, Sir. Safe travels.” And with that and a nod, Hargrave left to prepare for his master’s leaving.

Laurie headed into his study to prepare a quick note for Franny. He didn’t want to leave abruptly with no explanation to her and have her fear he had called off the wedding without notice. He felt a stirring in his groin as he thought of his fiancé.

My Dearest Franny-

I came home to unexpected guests last night. It seems my brother has neglected to pay for his lodgings and has been put out. My stepmother, fearing I will poison her son, has come with him to my townhome to stay indefinitely. Rest assured I am having them watched and all is being done to see them gone as soon as possible.

There is more. This morning I received and express from my butler, Thompson, at Waltham. It seems there is a witness that has been spotted at a local inn in Tidworth that I must return to speak with. He has been seen and heard discussing the fire and not knowing more, I must leave for there at once to make sure I do not miss him.

I know you will share this information with your aunt and cousin. Give them my kind regards and keep a large part for yourself. I cannot wait for you to be my wife.

Faithfully Yours,

Laurie

After seeing the letter sealed and addressed to Franny, Laurie went upstairs to change into his traveling clothes and prepare for the journey to what could be the first answers he had had in six years.

You can now get books 1 and 2 together in this specially-priced bundle! Look for it at these fine retailers:

Amazon / Kobo / Smashwords / Barnes & Noble

About the author:

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! www.Facebook.com/authorclbush

Also find her on Goodreads.

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After three years, Silvia Undine dares to return to the oceans from which she's been banished, seeking some piece and quite, only King Erik doesn't see things her way.

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About the author:

Once Upon A Time, there was a little girl who just loved telling her own stories. Fastforward about two decades? Not a lot of change, there.

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Find her on Amazon and Facebook.

Preview 'The Heart of Now' from the Fire In My Heart Bundle by C.L. Bush

After a deadly fire six years ago in which he lost his father, Lawrence Sheridan is finally going back to London. With a hateful half-brother and a venom spitting stepmother, he is determined to figure out if the fire was just an accident or something more.

Francis Hudley has been brought to London by her Aunt Livingston and she, at eighteen, is finally having her coming out. She is shy and anything but overjoyed at the prospect of finding a husband. While enjoying the season, she meets an old family friend of her aunt's and is captivated by his love of the same things that interest her most.

Neither are seeking nor interested in marriage, but when a connection happens their passion is kindled. Can Laurie find the person who is responsible for murdering his father and trying to kill him while following his heart with this young woman who has so captivated him? And if he chooses her, can he keep her safe until the mystery is solved?

Read an excerpt:

PROLOGUE

All was quiet as Lawrence Sheridan walked up from the library late one spring evening. At twenty-five he was young and fit and had just spent the night with a bottle of Madeira and a good book.

His father lamented him not enjoying his youth, but Laurie could tell he appreciated that he handled responsibility well as he was heir to Waltham, an estate of some 5,000 acres.

Laurie’s younger brother Theodelphius, at fifteen lacked all that Laurie had in terms of temperament and good sense Edmund Sheridan had said. It was only two weeks ago that Laurie reconciled with his father over his marriage to his stepmother. Edmund, at fifty-seven, had married the eighteen year old Cecilia and six months later she gave birth to Theo. If it wasn't for the Sheridan gray eyes, many would suspect that child wasn't his. 

Laurie thought about this as he walked up the steps to his room, pleased with another pleasant evening with his father.

As he reached the second floor of the west wing he paused. Something smelled off. Smoke, yes because it was spring the fires would be lit. But it was stronger than normal.

Following his nose he rounded the corner and saw it.

The smoke was seeping out under the door of an unused guest room. He was surprised as the room wasn’t in use and thinking it could possibly be a clogged flue, Laurie opened the door. Flames licked at the entire room as the thick smoke enveloped him and stole his breath.

He quickly tried to close the door, but not quick enough as the renewed oxygen fueled the fire. The room had already been fully alight and now, the fully engulfed flames followed him into the hall, setting the carpet on fire. Before Laurie even had time to wonder why this room was on fire, he realized that the situation was out of control and the whole wing was at risk of going up.

Laurie quickly ran down the hall, yelling at the top of his lungs that there was a fire. Servants and his stepmother ran in to the hall as he yelled for a servant to notify the fire brigade while he directed the others to exit. He grabbed the butler and his valet, Billingsworth, to help with buckets of water and to prevent the spreading of the fire to the rest of the house.

As Laurie started pouring the water, he realized it was useless. He quickly told Billingsworth and the butler, Thompson, that they needed to exit and make sure that everyone was safe while they waited for the fire brigade.

Leaving the smoke and exiting to the group outside he saw his stepmother was in hysterics. After inquiring what the situation was, he found out that her lady's maid was still inside. His stepmother was ranting that the maid had been using the unused room for a tryst with one of the other servants.

He quickly asked Thompson if everyone was accounted for and got a response that they were still counting. Knowing it was the only way to calm his stepmother and that he couldn't allow an innocent woman to burn when he could rescue her, Laurie removed his coat, covered his mouth and ran back into the burning west wing.

He got as far as the stairs before the smoke reached him. As he tried to navigate through the thick smoke, he started climbing to the first floor. The smoke was lighter here, but still had the ability to make him cough.

He knew the maid usually was in his stepmother's room at night because she slept on a cot in the dressing room, but if she were having a tryst as his stepmother said, he had best check the main area where the fire had started to see if he could spot her.

As climbed to the second floor and he headed in that direction he was met with fire. It was all around him - climbing up the curtains, on the carpet, burning through the tables along the wall. The fire was spreading so fast there wouldn’t be much of a west wing left by the time the fire brigade got there.

Laurie realized the situation was hopeless. He turned to go back, but at once he saw that the fire had already spread behind him. The curtains had fallen, swinging to light ones further down the wall on fire, setting more of the carpet alight as well.

He could feel the flames starting to burn his hair. The side of his face was getting hot. Knowing there was no other choice, he ducked his head and ran through the wall of raining debris, still lit with flames that licked out at him. He could feel their white hot fingers melting his flesh.

As he reached the other side he tried to scream. There was no air left in his lungs. They felt burnt. He knew he needed to move, but fear and pain were freezing him in place. Just as he thought to give up, he found one final breath and groped to get up only to find Billingsworth there grabbing his arm.

He felt his valet pulling him down the stairs, making it down to the first floor, all the while the blinding pain making him want to scream. Coughs racked his body.

Once outside he collapsed into Billingsworth’s arms and the man laid him down on the ground while calling to the housekeeper to bring water and bandages. The aged woman rushed over as fast as a girl of twenty and poured water on Laurie’s fresh wounds.

He felt himself fading into darkness, but he had just enough strength to grab Billingsworth’s hand and ask, “My father?”

Billingsworth gave him a long look and said, “Sir, we will take it as it comes.” 

The last thing that Laurie remembered was the burning pain of his skin as they peeled his clothes off of him and the burning in his heart knowing that his father was gone. He let the blackness consume him.

You can now get books 1 and 2 together in this specially-priced bundle! Look for it at these fine retailers:

Amazon / Kobo / Smashwords / Barnes & Noble

About the author:

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! www.Facebook.com/authorclbush

Also find her on Goodreads.