Stolen Bride For Sale by Lois Carroll

Stolen Bride For Sale

by Lois Carroll 

Book Blurb: 

In 1670, Lady Elizabeth and other women were kidnapped from the streets of London and shipped to Virginia Colony. The women who survived the voyage were sold to colonists seeking wives or unpaid household workers. Each one was given a piece of paper saying they were married to the man who bought them, but no ceremony was performed. Lady Elizabeth certainly never agreed to any marriage as she was engaged to a Lord back home. Unable to escape, she is auctioned to widower, Glen Maclean, who promises to send her home to England in the spring if she’ll stay on his farm for the winter to cook and care for his young daughter. The fact that Liz’s mother died young and Liz spent her childhood years playing in the kitchen where she learned to cook means she can do what he asks. She wants only to return home to England, but she has no option but to accept Glen’s offer and pray he keeps his word to send her home in the spring. 

Arriving at the farm, she is shocked to see the farmhouse has only two rooms…a kitchen and one bedroom. Given no choice, she must live in the sparse conditions so unlike living in her rich father’s manor. She can only hope Glen will return her to England in the spring, or that her father will send someone to rescue her. 

Excerpt:

Frantic that no one around her was willing to help rescue Lady Elizabeth, Mary renewed her grip on the bundles of wedding dress fabric and ran back to get help from the shop owner.  

Mary found the shop closed already, and the door locked. She pounded on the door and shouted. “Quick! We must get help,” she said, gasping for a breath between her words. “Lady Elizabeth was just kidnapped right before my very eyes. We must get word to her father at once.”  

The shop owner unlocked the door and allowed Mary to come inside. “Oh, no, not another one. But I cannot believe they would take a Lady,” the woman cried, grabbing Mary's arm and dislodging one of the bundles. Trying first to hand the bundle back to Mary to hold with all the others in her full arms, she gave up and kept hold of that one.  

“What do you mean, ‘not another one'?” Mary asked, still breathless from running.  

“I hear of other young women taken away in this manner. They disappear into the air, some say. But I know they are stolen by sailors who carry them out to their ship.”  

Mary couldn't believe what she was hearing. Lady Elizabeth couldn't possibly be in such trouble.  

Author Bio:

 

With a bachelor’s degree in English Literature and a master's in Theater, Lois Carroll began her writing career as a copy editor at a publishing company. Now writing historical and contemporary romance and mystery novels, this is her 49th novel to be published. Lois lives in Arizona with her husband. They have three children and eight grandchildren. 

All the profits from her book sales go to her service project, Sophie's Smocks. Lois has made and given away nearly 1000 free feeding smocks to kids and adults with Angelman Syndrome. For more information about her books and Sophie's Smocks, or to email her, go to: LoisCarrollBooks.com .