Snow White and the Seven Rogues

Book 2: Fancytales Regency Romance Series

by Leighann Dobbs

Genres: Fairy Tales, Folk Tales, Legends & Mythology; Historical Romance

Synopsis

Once upon a time, the greedy second wife of a wealthy lord who had passed away some time ago decided to steal her stepdaughter's dowry - a dowry locked safely away inside a jewelry chest whose only key lay within the greedy wife's lovely stepdaughter's heart. The greedy wife was not willing to give up the fortune at her fingertips, so she hired an evil man to take the heart from the girl...

Snow White

Lady Sonoria White is horrified to find herself whisked down a dark London alleyway and off into a dense, murky forest by a band of crafty rogues...

The Seven Rogues

Answerable to a man known only as "the Boss," Derrick, Warren, Anthony, Richard, Vincent, Edward, and Simon take it upon themselves to rescue Snow from her stepmother's evil plans.

Leaving behind her one chance at love, Snow is forced to spend her days hiding inside the dark, timber-framed bulk of an abandoned hunting lodge under the rogues' protection - and her nights dreaming of the Marquess whose heart she can no longer win.

This is a short, sweet novelette of around 10,000 words

Release date: November 17, 2013

Print pages: 39

Sample

Marquess Kelsing had kissed her!

Not just once, but several times, and though nigh a week had passed, Lady Sonoria White, or “Snow” as her father had called her, still felt the urge to twirl about in blissful abandon every time she thought of it.

She had attended the duke of Sutterleigh's ball with her step-mother, Lady Davina, as chaperone and much to the surprise of most of the duke's guests, his usually reclusive son had attended as well.

Snow hadn't been surprised, but then, she had had prior notice of his plans because, unlike the others who had attended the night's festivities, she had received her invitation from the Marquess himself.

Why? Because he found such assemblages a dead bore, he had confided to her outside the theater several days before, but he promised to not only attend but to dance every dance if she agreed to join him for the festivities – and he had kept his word, she recalled.

He had danced every dance. With her.

A dreamy smile played about on her lips as she made her way along the sidewalk, glancing now and then through shop windows to admire the merchandise on display.

Her eye caught on a lovely lace hat trimmed with downy white feathers, and she stepped inside the milliners to admire the piece a bit more closely. She wouldn't be allowed to purchase it, however. Lady Davina had warned her about spending her allowance on such frivolities, but Snow could not resist a closer look.

In the end, she had not only looked at the gorgeous creation, but purchased it as well, along with a matching gown covered with embroidered lace at another shop, and slippers of fine satin at yet another.

She would wear the ensemble to Countess Adderley's ball, provided the modiste could have everything prepared on such short notice. Snow had given her extra coin to ensure she could because the marquess would be there, and she wanted to be the most beautiful woman at the ball.

Stepping onto the sidewalk once again, Snow lifted her gloved hand to shield her eyes from the glare of the bright afternoon sun.

She really should return to White Hall, she knew, but the day had turned off so lovely, she decided to stroll for a bit instead. Her maid, Lissie, trailed behind her, stopping now and again to admire a bit of ribbon or fringe but she was never far behind should her mistress need her.

Or so she had been, but when Snow turned to confer with the girl over her chosen attire for the countess's ball, Lissie was nowhere to be found.

“Lissie?” Snow called out, her gaze scanning the crowd of shoppers milling up and down the sidewalk. Concern drew her brows downward and she began to retrace her steps, calling out now and again as she went. “Lissie?”

Concern swiftly becoming something akin to panic, Snow increased her pace, frantically searching the crowd. “Liss-”

The hand clamped over her mouth was surprisingly strong, but not as strong as the arm suddenly encircling her which had trapped her arms against her waist.

Startled atop her already frantic panic over the disappearance of her maid, Snow was left with no time to gather wits enough to resist before being dragged down an alleyway – and then came the real attack.

“Get 'er arms!”

“Not too tight, ye dunderhead! The boss'll have our hide!”

“Don't hurt her. She's a girl, remember?"

"Girls are too delicate. Yuck!”

Sonoria heard the voices as if from a distance because, in the blink of an eye she had been forcibly restrained. Her wrists were bound, her mouth gagged, and to add further insult, she had been blindfolded with what she could only suppose was an old grain sack which her attackers had hastily tugged over her head.

She was then hauled her over the side of a rickety old wooden hay cart – she knew it to be a hay cart because had caught the briefest glimpse of it at the end of the alleyway an instant before the sack had been dropped over her head.

Struggling to free herself despite the many hands holding her still, Snow was swiftly covered with heaps of smelly, prickly, damp straw. Finally, the many hands she had felt ceased their pulling and tugging, and the conveyance began to move.