Collection of Older Works

Flashbacks of a Fool: Prologue

                                        Flashbacks of a Fool

When Annabelle meets William Hamilton, Earl of Lanceford, she quickly recognizes him as Nathaniel Hawkins, a boy from her past. The boy who promised to come back for her.  But he now has a new name and a new life as the Earl of Lanceford. Confused as to the change and ashamed of what she has become  Annabelle decides not to reveal her identity and forget all about their past love. 

Brooding William Hamilton, Earl of Lanceford, believes Annabelle to be a simple servant girl—a stubborn but beautiful one. He doesn't remember her as the young girl whom he promised to come back for when he was better known as Nathaniel Hawkins. So when Annabelle is appointed as a nurse for his son Logan, the earl finds himself torn. Will he be able to keep the promise made to a love from his youth or will he lose his heart to the beautiful nanny?  

Finding themselves caught by events that ultimately unite them, will the secrets they keep to be together, be the ones to tear them apart?

                                                       ***

Prologue-

Summer 1828

Violent thunderclaps roared through the dense, dark forest rendering what had started as a glorious summer night, a terrifying nightmare. Annabelle screamed, her small fingers gripping Nathaniel's slightly larger hand even tighter as together they ventured through the forceful, veiling rain. Shrinking closer to her companion, her heart thundered in horror at the shadows cast by the faint light of her lantern and the frightful branches grazing at her skin. A sharp scoff drew her from cowardice.

"Typical for a girl to be scared." Nathaniel snipped coldly over his shoulder, refusing her a glance. Holding his lantern higher he uselessly surveyed the blackness of the night; the lanterns pitiful glow brightening but the very hand grasping its handle.

Annabelle replied, "I'm not scared." though her voice wobbled terribly, betraying her spoken affection. Hearing Nathaniel snort she readied her defense, intending to blame her quavering voice on the cold rather than her crippling fear of thunder. But in recalling the circumstances surrounding their nightly escape, Annabelle shook her head and yieldingly pressed on.

A sharp crackling cut through the sky, a deafening boom closely following. Startled, Nathaniel roughly jerked Annabelle's arm nearly dropping the lantern that now quavered in his hand.Annabelle grinned.

"Typical for a boy to be scared." she taunted lowly in shy retaliation, but in crossly pulling her forward, Nathaniel conveniently ignored her. Continuing their treacherous trek through the downed trees and muddy earth, the two children finally reached the safety of their trusted fort.

Swinging the rickety wooden door open, Nathaniel stepped aside and for the first time in all their years of friendship held it open for Annabelle to enter. She paused. Regarding the flustered boy with a gentle bemused glance, her head canted. Could it be she was falling ill or was the boy that relished in stuffing frogs down her dress actually doing something, dare she think it, gentlemanly? Shocked, yet pleasantly flattered, Annabelle colored, biting back any words that would take from the rather gallant display. Nathaniel however wasted no time in sabotaging the unusual courteous gesture.

"Well?” he blustered, motioning irritably toward the darkened shelter. “Are you going to enter or do you plan on being struck down by lightning?"

What? Eyes narrowed in shocked disbelief, Annabelle scoffed. “Someone clearly needs to work on their manners now that they’ll be living with those of status." she royally brushed past into the damp shelter. Setting the lantern beside the door, Annabelle strode across the hay blanketed room, falling at her usual straw pile tucked within the shadowed recesses of the small room. The door soon closed with a curious gentleness. Nathaniel however never joined her, instead lingered behind facing the dampened closed door.