A Poisoned Season (37 page)

Authors: Tasha Alexander

Tags: #Fiction, #Thrillers, #Suspense

“Colin—”

“Emily, will you have me?” he whispered.

“I’ve done an excellent job resisting you up to now, but when faced with your books and your port…” I took his hand. “You were quite right when you told me a person could find in
The Greek Anthology
a passage appropriate for nearly any situation.
‘
I am armed against Love with a breastplate of Reason, neither shall he conquer me, one against one; yes, I a mortal will contend with him the immortal: but if he have Bacchus to second him, what can I do alone against the two?’”

“I knew you wouldn’t be able to pass up the port,” he said.

“Does this mean I get my kiss?”

He bent down and brought his lips to mine, but not before he had slipped the ancient band of gold and lapis lazuli onto my finger. I can say without hesitation that all the time I’d waited had served only to heighten the moment; never before had there been such a kiss.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Myriad thanks to…

Jennifer Civiletto and Anne Hawkins, my two favorite people in the world of publishing: editor and agent extraordinaire.

Danielle Bartlett and Tom Robinson, tireless publicists who work miracles.

Laura Klynstra, for the stunning cover design. Nobody does it better.

Kristy Kiernan and Elizabeth Letts, who read, edit, neurote, comfort, celebrate, and still manage to write their own books. What’s wrong with talking on the phone three times a day?

Marcus Sakey, who not only found a title for this book (a seemingly impossible task) but also led me to the wonderful poem by W. H. Auden that so perfectly frames the story.

Jon Clinch, Rachel Cole, Zarina Docken, Melanie Lynne Hauser, Renee Rosen, and Sachin Waikar, for keeping writing from becoming an isolating endeavor.

Bente Gallagher, for reading an early version of this manuscript in record time and providing almost instantaneous feedback.

Shiloh D’Orazio and the crew at the Five Points Starbucks, for
keeping me well supplied with chai and letting me sit for hours on end. Jon Allen, we all miss you!

Christina Chen, Tammy Humphries, Carrie Medders, and Missy Rightley, for being the most steadfast friends a person could have.

B.S.R.: Yes, I could have finished the book without your mountain retreat, but the experience wouldn’t have been nearly so idyllic.

Gary and Stacie Gutting, who consistently go above and beyond the call of parental duty, even volunteering to read for me in the middle of the night.

Anastasia Sertl, for constant inspiration.

Matt and Xander, who are forced to tolerate substandard meals and a house full of dust buffaloes, not bunnies, while I’m writing. You deserve far more than thanks.

About the Author

TASHA ALEXANDER is a graduate of Notre Dame and the author of
And Only to Deceive.
She lives in Franklin, Tennessee.

Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins author.

P
RAISE
FOR
A POISONED SEASON

“Tasha Alexander’s Emily Ashton is a heroine for the ages: her own and ours. She stretches the boundaries of both worlds and fits comfortably into neither—and therein lies her considerable charm.”

—Jon Clinch, author of
Finn

“The vivacious and well-read Emily is back in rare form…. Alexander has vividly captured Victorian mores, and the society intrigues are fascinating.”

—
Nashville Tennessean

“Lady Ashton would be an amazing woman in any era. You’ll be rooting for her all the way as she outwits a clever thief, a ruthless killer, a boorish would-be king, and a scheming mother determined to see her daughter claimed in the Marriage Mart. I was sorry to see the
Season
end!”

—Victoria Thompson, author of
Murder in Little Italy

“Solving the artfully developed mystery at the heart of
A Poisoned Season
is only a small part of the pleasure it affords. The clopping of horses through Hyde Park, the swish and swirl of taffeta skirts to the strains of a waltz, a play of light against white shoulders and pink diamonds—all delight the senses, transporting the reader to the crowded ballrooms and promenades and elegant drawing rooms of Victorian England. And what fun to see the hypocrisies and scandals and petty ambitions of nineteenth-century London society through the eyes of Lady Emily Ashton. I feel as though we are old friends, and I can hardly wait until the next time she comes ‘calling’ with a new adventure.”

—Brenda Rickman Vantrease,
author of
The Illuminator
and
The Mercy Seller

“Alexander’s witty treatment of the trivial pursuits of the aristocracy, coupled with an engaging mystery and a deliciously flirtatious romance…makes for entertaining reading.”

—
Booklist

“Readers looking for a lighter version of Anne Perry will be well rewarded.”

—
Publishers Weekly

“
A Poisoned Season
is a rollicking romp through Victorian London’s high society, encompassing romance, scandal, thievery, and murder most foul. It all comes right at the end, and is loads of fun to read.”

—Judith Koll Healey, author of
The Canterbury Papers

“Tasha Alexander’s exciting and cleverly plotted new novel transports us to late nineteenth-century London and a world of hansom cabs, glittering society balls, brazen theft, and murder. Emily Ashton is undoubtedly one of the most spirited and fascinating heroines to appear in years, and we cannot help but cheer her on as she cleverly unravels the twists and turns of a bold and determined killer. Romance, suspense, and remarkable historical detail add to the richness of Alexander’s tale.
A Poisoned Season
is pure delight!”

—Shirley Tallman, author of
Murder on Nob Hill
and
The Russian Hill Murders

“A delightful Victorian cozy with a charming heroine that devotees of the genre will want to meet again.”

—C. S. Harris, author of
When Gods Die

“Sometimes touching, sometimes funny, and always absorbing, this Victorian-era mystery hits all the right notes.”

—
Romantic Times

“Lady Emily Ashton is clever, lovely, and thoroughly entertaining…. I couldn’t put down
A Poisoned Season
and look forward to many more of Lady Emily’s adventures.”

—Sujata Massey, award-winning author of
Girl in a Box

“
A Poisoned Season
draws the reader into the glittering Victorian age with its society balls, Worth gowns, hansom cabs, and proper manners. Throw in a complex mystery with several intriguing twists, and you have the ingredients for a charming historical cozy with a clever heroine readers won’t soon forget.”

—
BookPage

“One first-rate history mystery,
A Poisoned Season
mixes spot-on dialogue, manners, and mores, with a splash of erotic friction in a lively, delightful tale. Alexander’s sweetly choreographed plot dances between her wonderfully drawn sleuth, Lady Emily Ashton, and Victorian high society.”

—Julia Spencer-Fleming, Edgar Award finalist
and author of
All Mortal Flesh

Also by Tasha Alexander

AND ONLY TO DECEIVE

Credits

Cover illustration by James Jacques Joseph Tissot/Getty Images

This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the author?s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

A POISONED SEASON
. Copyright © 2007 by Anastasia Tyska. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

ePub edition December 2007 ISBN 9780061749711

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