To Catch an Heiress

Dear Reader—

Every author dreads the question, “Where do you get your ideas?” because the truth is, most of the time we just don't know. All we can do is hope and pray that they keep coming.

But sometimes we do actually know where those precious ideas come from, and To Catch an Heiress is one of those cases. I was struggling with the manuscript, thinking that it had to be the worst thing I'd ever written. (But of course I think that about every book while I'm writing it!) Most troubling, I wasn't sure I really knew Caroline, my heroine, and if there is one thing I need, it's to know my characters inside and out.

And then, right when I was just about ready to tear my hair out, my father did something really vexing. He subscribed me to the “A Word a Day” listserv. As if I weren't busy enough trying to finish a troublesome manuscript, now I was getting unsolicited vocabulary lessons via email!

But then it all fell into place. I knew who Caroline was, and I knew how to make the reader know, too. Caroline would keep a sort of diary—a personal dictionary, really, in which she jotted down new words and then used them in context. And every new entry would provide the reader (and me!) with a little more insight into her character. Flip to the first page of any chapter in this book, and you'll see what I mean. From that moment on, the-manuscript-that-wouldn't-behave became the-book-that-wrote-itself. I hope you enjoy it.

With my warmest wishes,

For Mama Chiks, Sister Song, Freener, and Nosk from Bools

And also for Paul, even though it's a miracle I got this book finished at all since be kept stealing my computer to play DOOM.

Contents

Dear Reader

Chapter 1

Caroline Trent hadn’t meant to shoot Percival…

Chapter 2

Blake Ravenscroft wasn’t certain what he…

Chapter 3

Caroline coughed through the night.

Chapter 4

Blake left her alone for the rest of the day.

Chapter 5

“Oh dear,” Caroline croaked, forgetting…

Chapter 6

Caroline was so delighted about being allowed…

Chapter 7

By the end of the day, Caroline had the garden…

Chapter 8

Freshly cut flowers were strewn on the floor, a …

Chapter 9

Caroline's ankle was much improved the following…

Chapter 10

By mid-afternoon Caroline had come to two…

Chapter 11

One moment Caroline was crawling on all…

Chapter 12

Blake clamped his hand over Caroline's…

Chapter 13

It was Caroline's fiercest desire to avoid Blake…

Chapter 14

An hour later Caroline was feeling quite refreshed…

Chapter 15

Penelope smiled breezily at him and strode…

Chapter 16

It occurred to Blake as he was eating supper…

Chapter 17

Caroline awoke the following morning to a…

Chapter 18

Utter silence ensued, followed by a burst of…

Chapter 19

“You!” Penelope accused. “What are you…

Chapter 20

Caroline was sitting on the sandy portion of the…

Chapter 21

They were married one week later, much to the…