Lady Sabrina's Secret

LADY SABRINA’S SECRET.

BY JEANNIE MACHIN.

PUBLISHED BY ROBERT HALE LONDON.

ISBN9 978-0-7090-8657-4



Mrs Deborah Marchant, twenty seven years old and a widow for three years, struggled to fight her tears. It was a wild, windy day in March and Deborah was watching the angry sea. The bitter March wind whipping up enormous waves, it was on just such a day that her young ,Navel Captain husband and his entire crew, had been cruelly snatched by the relentless sea, after only three gloriously happy years of married life. Their dreams of filling the Manor with lots of happy children had died with him and so had the Marchant name, as there were no boys in the family to carry on the line. Wheeling her horse around she rode wildly back to the village and the sanctity of her home, ST Mary Magna.

Every one in the house knew their mistress’s sorrow and they all felt very sad for her, especially as it was the very day on which the tragedy had happened, three years before.

A package had been delivered for her that morning, which she had not yet seen. Her butler Brigg’s had given her a few minutes to compose herself on her return, before mentioning the package. He had taken tea to a sitting room for her and then he gave her the package. Deborah was surprised as it was from her brother who never ever contacted her by letter he was used to turn up whenever he felt like it, with no prior warning. Which was not very often because he was annoyed with her for still being in mourning after three years and refusing to join in any entertainments in London or anywhere else, preferring to live a quiet retired life in her beloved St Mary’s Magna, on the Dorset coast.

Deborah undid the package and was startled by what she read there, her brother was about to be arrested for theft and he had decided to disappear to avoid this, although he swore that he was innocent of the crime. But he wanted to safeguard the reputation of a certain lady he named only as Sabrina, the love of his life and as innocent as a babe, so he stated. Also in the package was a beautiful gold pocket watch, surrounded by pearls and diamonds and was inscribed with the message To My Beloved Richard my love always, the tenth of March 1811. Deborah frowned that was only one week ago, what could have happened? What had taken place in Bath, where her Brother had been staying with their lifetime friends, Henry and Jenny Masterson and their Aunt, Mrs McNeil?

Deborah was devastated by what she had read and after only a few minutes she decided that she must go to Bath to clear her Brother’s name and find out about this mysterious Sabrina, how she had no idea but she was determined to succeed. Her own misery pushed aside, she must not let her brother down, although he had not asked for her help, just asking her to keep his treasured watch safe at St Mary Magna.

The next morning Deborah set off for Bath, determined to solve this mystery. Upon reaching Bath her coach was involved in an accident with another coach which was being driven much too fast and was hogging the road. After exchanging very angry words with the driver of the other vehicle Deborah decided he was the rudest man she had ever met and hoped she might never meet him again. This was not to be unfortunately it was to become one of many angry meetings she was to have with the Duke of Gretton. The journey she was to have in Bath to try to clear her brother’s name was to be involved with intrigue and treachery and some heart break.

Can Deborah solve this mystery and clear her brother’s name and herself learn to live again. This novel grabs you from the first page until the last, I could not put it down, it has all the ingredients needed for a good Historical Romance, I loved it and cannot praise it too much. I award this book five Red Roses PLUS, it is a lovely story which I know I shall read again and again AS.