Good morning!

I’ve been working on Handling Susannah‘s sequel, which is tentatively titled Catching Betsy, and I wanted to give you a little sneak peek of the dialog between these new characters. Hope you enjoy.

“I lied about my age because I wanted to be courted by someone older and without folly,” Betsy explained. “I behave in a manner more mature than my age would suggest, and I wanted to meet someone compatible with me.”

“Ha!” he laughed. “If compatibility is what you seek, I’m afraid you might be on the wrong track, my dear. We’re nearly exact opposites.”

She considered that a moment. “Yes, I would agree in part. We are as different as a wolf from a lamb, but just because we’re different doesn’t mean we’re incompatible. Don’t two opposites of a magnet cling together?”

He leaned back. “Spoken like a woman who is wise beyond her years,” he mused with a small smile. “But you must know that a wolf generally eats the lamb, so I’m not sure your example is entirely relevant in this instance.”

“It’s relevant,” she insisted. “Just not literal.”

“You think so? Then tell me, do you believe me to be the wolf or the lamb, Miss Blake?”

Without smiling, she said, “That depends, Mr. Mason. Are you inclined to bleat?”

Roderick’s eyes widened before he threw back his head and laughed. He did not stop laughing for some time, and when he finally did, he wiped tears from his eyes and said, “I rather think it will be you who does the bleating.”

She quirked her head. “Oh?”

He uncrossed his legs, leaned forward, and stared into her eyes, his gaze now sober. “What I feel inclined to do, Miss Blake, is to take you over my knee and teach you a painful lesson about honesty. That way, you will know my expectations for a woman I court. What say you now?”

She swallowed and studied his dark eyes, which glimmered with intensity that was no longer laced with humor. When she found her voice, she said softly, “I say you are most definitely the wolf, Mr. Mason.”

He nodded slowly. Straightening, he patted his leg. “Come on then, little lamb, and take what you have coming.”

I can’t wait to share the rest with you. In the meantime, if you haven’t read it yet, be sure to check out Handling Susannah!