A Redemption for the Baron - Excerpt

 

A Redemption for the Baron

Redemption isn’t given. It’s earned through truth, trust, and love.

When Lady Bridget McConnell arrives at Alastair Court, she expects nothing more than a somber house party. Instead, she finds the shadows of a buried conspiracy, a cryptic journal, and a murder that no one seems eager to solve. The last man she wants to rely on is Captain Thomas Grenville, the brooding war hero whose loyalty is rivaled only by the walls he keeps around his heart.

Thomas has his own reasons for coming to Northumberland, reasons he cannot share with anyone, not even the woman who challenges him at every turn. But when their search for answers draws them into a dangerous game with the remnants of the Order, Bridget and Thomas must confront more than old secrets. They must confront themselves.

As tension at Alastair Court rises, the truth edges closer. Every clue unearths betrayals long buried, and every look between them deepens a connection neither expected.

But the closer they come to justice, and to each other, the harder it is to separate duty from desire.

Can love survive when the truth is finally revealed?

Or will the sins of the past demand more than they can give?

A Redemption for the Baron is a gripping tale of love and sacrifice, where the path to justice leads straight through the heart.

Excerpt

Bridget ran her fingers over the worn parchment. “This is the book Miss Gray read Friday evening. She said it was disturbing.”

Together, they paged through the book. The script was painstakingly written, archaic in style, the meaning just out of reach. Then they stopped. Several pages had been violently torn from the binding, leaving ragged edges where words had once been recorded.

Bridget inhaled sharply. “Whatever he found in here,” she murmured, “he believed it was worth risking everything.”

Grenville studied the missing pages, his brow furrowed. “And whoever wants it back will kill again if necessary.”

Bridget let out a sharp breath. A sound that carried shock, fury, and wild exhilaration. “We were right,” she said, her eyes blazing. “We bloody well—” She struck the desk with her open palm, her energy sparking into motion. “He left a trail, and we found it. We did.”

Her voice rose with conviction, and Grenville turned toward her, staring not at the parchment now, but at her.

It wasn’t just the Order. It wasn’t just danger. It was the way she stood before him, fierce and unyielding, her voice still ringing in his ears. It was the way she believed. The way she knew.

She was the fire that made the storm make sense. And suddenly, Grenville didn’t want sense at all. He wanted her.

The Order. The threat. The choice Alastair had made and what it had cost him. But also, Bridget.

Her voice. Her fire. Her belief in this moment. In him.

Grenville's control, so carefully kept, broke. Not violently. Not wildly. But with absolute clarity.

He reached for her, one hand catching her waist, the other rising to her cheek. His lips captured hers in a kiss. It was fierce and breath-stealing, born of too many held-back thoughts and the pounding rush of truth finally seen. Her breath caught, then melted into his, her fingers gripping the front of his coat.

When they broke apart, just long enough for air, Grenville saw her, truly saw her. Flushed. Her green eyes were wide, flickering from surprise to something deeper. Certain. She reached for him, fingers fisting his coat, and kissed him back.

This time it was slower. Richer. A question asked and answered without a word.

When they finally parted again, the silence that followed was no longer heavy. It vibrated with something new. Something neither of them had dared name until now.

The room hadn’t changed. But everything had.

Bridget drew in a shaky breath, and Grenville watched her chest rise, the color still high in her cheeks. Her fingers had curled slightly at her sides, as if part of her wasn’t ready to let go.

Neither was he.

His thoughts reeled, but one truth shone through like firelight. He hadn’t meant to kiss her. Not yet. Not now. But holding back had become impossible.

The heat of her lingered on his lips, and behind his ribs, something kicked to life, something too unruly to name. Not just desire. Not just relief. But recognition. As if something in him had been waiting for this, for her, without realizing it until that very moment.

She stood before him, flushed, breath unsteady, and utterly unafraid. And Grenville felt… undone. Not weakened. Not distracted. Just… honest, in a way he hadn’t been in years.

He opened his mouth, searching for the words that might make sense of what they’d just done. But there were none.

“I didn’t plan—” he started. Then stopped. His voice wasn’t steady enough.

Bridget’s lips curved into the barest smile, soft and knowing. “I know.”

The silence that followed held no regret. But he recognized it was something new, something fragile, just born.

Without thinking, he reached for her hand. Not to pull her close again. Just… to feel her warmth, the proof that she was real, and so was their kiss.

Bridget didn’t flinch. She didn’t step away. Her fingers curved around his, not tightly, not possessively, but deliberately. As if anchoring them both.

It lasted only a second. Then the moment shifted, and the room came back into focus with the books, the torn pages, and the truth still waiting in the shadows.

But Grenville would remember that second. The way her hand felt in his. The fire behind her eyes. The kiss that had stopped time.

A Redemption for the Baron is Book 3 of Barrington's Brigade

Buy Link: https://books2read.com/BB-Redemption

Barrington's Brigade, the series

From duty to devotion to King, Country, and the women that they love.

Against the dramatic backdrop of the Peninsular War, the lives of six courageous retired officers unfold in a world markedly different from the one they knew. These seasoned men soon realize that their most significant challenges extend far beyond the battlefield.

United by an unbreakable bond and led by their revered commander, Lord Barrington, these officers proudly don the title of “Barrington’s Brigade.” Their commitment transcends the chaos of war as they pledge unwavering support not only to Barrington's service for England but also to each other. Together, they embark on a journey to overcome both the visible and concealed scars of war, navigating a society on the brink of profound social and cultural transformations.

Tied by a loyalty beyond question, these extraordinary comrades stand ready to support each other in times of need. A distinctive gold coin becomes the symbol of their unwavering brotherhood, commemorates their unbreakable bond, and serves as a unique calling card, summoning their assistance whenever it is presented.

Step into a world where honor, loyalty, and love intertwine as the remarkable men of Barrington’s Brigade and the women who captivate their hearts traverse the intricacies of Regency society, forging their paths to happily ever afters.

Barrington's Brigade
Book 1 - A Marriage for the Marquess
Book 2 - A Dilemma for the Duke
Book 3 - A Redemption for the Baron
Book 4 - A Vow for the Viscount
Book 5 - A Reckoning for the Earl
Book 6 - A Masquerade for the Baron

No comments:

Post a Comment