Pride Not Prejudice, page 1
Pride Not Prejudice
JENNIFER ASHLEY
KERRIGAN BYRNE
RUBY DIXON
CAMILLE DUPLESSIS
MILA FINELLI
KRISTAN HIGGINS
AMALIE HOWARD
PIPER HUGULEY
ROSALIND JAMES
DARYNDA JONES
MIRA LYN KELLY
KIM LORAINE
KATHY LYONS
CLARE REBECCA MCCARTHY
JANNA MACGREGOR
HILDIE MCQUEEN
SARA NEY
ROBYN PETERMAN
ERICA RIDLEY
CYNTHIA ST. AUBIN
APRIL WHITE
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be sold, copied, distributed, reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical or digital, including photocopying and recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without the prior written permission of both the publisher, Oliver Heber Books and the authors, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
PUBLISHER'S NOTE: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
The Price of Lemon Cake Copyright © Jennifer Ashley
Invincible Copyright © Kerrigan Byrne
When She’s Shy Copyright © Ruby Dixon
The Kraken and The Canary Copyright © Camille Duplessis
Mafia Brute Copyright © Mila Finelli
To Be Fair, They Were Pleather Copyright © Kristan Higgins
Lady Waverly’s Lover Copyright © Amalie Howard
The Sweetest Chocolate Drop Copyright © Piper Huguley
Escape to New Zealand Copyright © Rosalind James
Billionaire and the Beast Copyright © Darynda Jones
Dirty Dare Copyright © Mira Lyn Kelly
Drive Me Wild Copyright © Kim Loraine
Werewolves save a Kitten Copyright © Kathy Lyons
Always Love Me Copyright © Clare Rebecca McCarthy
What Lovers Do Copyright © Janna MacGregor
Caelan: Guards of Clan Ross Copyright © Hildie McQueen
Potential New Girlfriend Copyright © Sara Ney
Johnson Jones’s Diary Copyright © Robyn Peterman
Her Princess at Midnight Copyright © Erica Ridley
Love Wins Copyright © Cynthia St. Aubin
The Inspector and Mrs. Mac Copyright © April White
Published by Oliver-Heber Books
0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Contents
The Price of Lemon Cake
Jennifer Ashley
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
About the Author
Invincible
Kerrigan Byrne
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
About the Author
When She’s Shy
Ruby Dixon
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Epilogue
About the Author
The Kraken and The Canary
Camille Duplessis
Author’s Note
Chapter 1
About the Author
Mafia Brute
Mila Finelli
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
About the Author
To Be Fair, They Were Pleather
Kristan Higgins
Chapter 1
About the Author
Lady Waverly’s Lover
Amalie Howard
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Epilogue
Author’s Note
About the Author
The Sweetest Chocolate Drop
Piper Huguley
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
About the Author
Escape to New Zealand
Rosalind James
Author’s Note
Escape to New Zealand: Past Characters Appearing in This Book
1. Nowhere to Run
2. Nowhere to Hide
3. Cold as the River Tyne
4. Obviously Gay
5. Strong as Oak
6. Stakeout in the Parking Garage
7. Fine for Penguins and Bonobos
8. Cavuto Nero, Sixteen Dollars
9. Ruining the Cashmere Jumper
10. Not How We Do a First Date
11. The Daddy of Your Dreams
12. He Toa Taumata Rao
13. Change of Plan
14. A Bad Idea All Around
15. A Hard Bargain
16. Everybody Fronts Up
17. Seeing Stars
18. Splinters
19. Not Quite Hallmark
20. The Man
21. Easy Come, Easy Go
22. Anesthetize My Heart
23. Stand Your Ground
24. The Auld Enemy
25. A Murmuration of Swallows
26. Epilogue
Explore More
About the Author
Billionaire and the Beast
Darynda Jones
Chapter 1
About the Author
Dirty Dare
Mira Lyn Kelly
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
About the Author
Drive Me Wild
Kim Loraine
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Epilogue
About the Author
Werewolves Save a Kitten
Kathy Lyons
1. It’s Raining What?
2. Don’t Meet Your Idols. They Remember Every Time Your Offering Sucked
3. Some Things Don’t Shrink in Water
4. Why Do Aliens Care about Assholes?
5. And the Winner of the Wet T Is…
6. Deal? What Deal? Did Someone Make a Deal?
7. When Is a Diary Not a Diary?
8. Werewolf Captain America?
9. One for the Money, Two for the… Holy Hell, What’s That?
10. Warm Kitty, Soft Kitty, Little Ball of Fur
11. I Thought I Saw a Pussy Cat
12. Wild Thing. You Make Me Sing
13. Who’s on Top?
14. Bob Barker Did It Better
Epilogue – Why Business Trips are the Best
About the Author
Always Love Me
Clare Rebecca McCarthy
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
About the Author
What Lovers Do
Janna MacGregor
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Epilogue
About the Author
Caelan: Guards of Clan Ross
Hildie McQueen
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
About the Author
Potential New Girlfriend
Sara Ney
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
&nbs
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Epilogue
About the Author
Johnson Jones’s Diary
Robyn Peterman
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Epilogue
About the Author
Her Princess at Midnight
Erica Ridley
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
About the Author
Love Wins
Cynthia St. Aubin
Author’s Note
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
About the Author
The Inspector and Mrs. Mac
April White
Chapter 1
Author’s Note
About the Author
The Price of Lemon Cake
A BELOW STAIRS MYSTERY
JENNIFER ASHLEY
Chapter One
OCTOBER 1883
“That’s a fine one,” Bobby Perry said as she lounged in the studio at the top of Miss Judith Townsend’s London townhouse. She regarded the painting taking shape under Judith’s capable hands with admiration.
Judith added highlights—or whatever it was she was doing—to the golden hair of the lady in the portrait. Said lady was draped across a chaise, lavender skirts billowing, the painted bodice shimmering as the real one would when a beam of sunlight danced upon it.
“I’m pleased with it,” Judith said in her modest way.
Bobby kicked her legs over her chair’s cushioned arm and suppressed her longing for a cheroot. No smoking, not in the studio. Judith’s rule. Too many paint fumes, darling, Judith had explained the first time Bobby had been ushered into this sanctum. You’ll blow us all up.
The deprivation was worth it. Bobby would give up tobacco altogether to bask with the dark-haired Judith in her aerie, watching those skilled fingers work.
“Surprised you persuaded good old Cyn to sit still that long.” Bobby sipped the fine brandy Judith always stocked. There were compensations for not being able to smoke.
“A large slice of Mrs. Holloway’s lemon cake and a bottle of Beaujolais.” Judith’s lips quirked into her gentle smile. “It helps that I can make a sketch very quickly.”
The subject and their mutual friend, Lady Cynthia Squires, was a restless soul, more at home, like Bobby, in trousers and suit coat than skirts.
“For her family, is it? This portrait?” Bobby waved her glass at the painting.
“Indeed. Something nice to hang in the hall, said her aunt.” Judith’s brush halted in midair as she tilted her head to decide her next stroke.
“Her aunt means something that won’t embarrass them.” Cynthia’s aunt was horrified that her niece put on men’s clothing and went about with Bobby, though she’d already realized she couldn’t stop Cynthia doing exactly as she pleased.
“I believe that is the intent.” Judith’s eyes narrowed as she made a precise dab.
Bobby lifted the brandy to her lips once more, then froze in dismay. “Hang about. You won’t let my family bribe you into painting me like that, will you? In a frock and all?”
Judith’s silvery laughter rang out. “Never, darling. You are much different from Cynthia.”
“I don’t wish to placate my family, you mean?”
Judith glanced at Bobby, her dark eyes coiling need through Bobby’s limbs. Bobby blessed her luck every day that Judith Townsend even considered looking at her at all.
“Cyn is in love with her mathematician,” Judith said. “The fact that he might gaze upon this painting of her allowed me to coax her into sitting. Not that either of us admitted such a thing.”
“I wish them happy,” Bobby said with sincerity. “The pair of them would be good for each other. I hope they produce twenty-seven bouncing babies for Uncle Bobby to spoil rotten. Then I’ll hand them back when they need changing and bathing and whatnot.”
Another glance from Judith, this one assessing. “You are fond of children, aren’t you?”
Bobby shrugged, trying to hide her embarrassment. She often referred to her brother’s children as squalling brats, but in truth they were charming little lads. “They’re all right.”
“Hmm.” Judith returned to the painting, leaving Bobby nonplussed. Judith’s hmms always held a world of meaning.
“Ever think about having babies yourself?” Bobby asked in curiosity.
