In Love With Your Best Friend?
What would
that be like? Fabulous if your love is returned, not so good if it isn’t!
In my soon
to be released third book in the Invitation To series, INVITATION TO PASSION,
that’s the situation
my heroine, Madeline Knight, finds herself in. She’s in
love with her best friend, Richard John Craven, the twin brother of Anthony
James Craven, Lord Wickham; from book one, Invitation to Ruin.
Richard and
Maddy have a very unconventional relationship considering it’s the early 1800’s.
Richard has been Maddy’s friend and protector since she was a child of
thirteen, when he saved ‘the traitors daughter’ from the neighboring bullies.
He is ten years older and sees her more as the little sister he never had.
To make
matters worse, Madeline’s only sibling, Rufus Knight, Lord Strathmore, is
Richard’s best friend. Rufus was never home while she was growing up as he was
off trying to clear their father of treason (read book two, Invitation to
Scandal). Richard was her substitute brother until she turned seventeen and almost
overnight something changed. Suddenly she viewed Richard in an altogether different
light!
I tried to
imagine what it must be like to suddenly have deeper and inappropriate feelings
for a best friend. If you act on those feelings and they aren’t reciprocated it
could ruin everything. But if you don’t, you might miss out on something
wonderful. I took that decision away from Maddy. Richard and Madeline are
forced to marry (read the book to find out why).
It was scary, but also fun, wondering how they both would act on their wedding night. Madeline was nervous but excited, Richard was..? What would he have felt?
It was scary, but also fun, wondering how they both would act on their wedding night. Madeline was nervous but excited, Richard was..? What would he have felt?
I asked a
couple of my male best-friends how they would feel if faced with having to bed
their female best friend. What do you think they said? I received a very typical
response from all of them.
“Is she good looking?”
I said, “Of course – she’s beautiful.”
“No problems at all then.”
“What if it ruins the friendship?” I asked.
They simply shrugged! “We’d work past it.”
Men! I wonder if it says more about my male friends!
Anyway,
here’s a snippet of INVITATION TO PASSION, due out 30 June 2014..
…Richard moved and retook his
seat opposite Madeline. “That’s my girl. Are you feeling up to discussing our
situation?”
“I’m quite composed, thank
you.”
He nodded. “Good.” Sitting
forward in his chair he leaned his elbows on his knees and cupped his chin in
his hands. Earnestly he spoke. “I will try to make the next few days as
painless as possible for you. The wedding will take place here at Hascombe, in
two days time.”
“So soon?”
“Rufus thinks that is best.”
“You must think me very
ungrateful.”
“Not at all. You forget,
sweeting, I know you very well. I’ve watched you grow in to a beautiful young
woman.” He heard her breath hitch.
“Beautiful?”
He chuckled. “I remember
telling you many years ago that one day I’d have to protect you from the male
of the species. I just didn’t think it would be me.”
A gorgeous flush raced up her
décolleté, but a frown marred her features.
“Hmmm, that leads me onto a
question.” He watched her fidget. This
couldn’t be good.
“Go on. You know you can
always ask me anything. Nothing will change our friendship. I won’t let it,” he
added sternly.
“That’s part of the problem.
Friendship. I am rather curious about how our relationship will be after we
marry.”
“I suspect it will be much
the same as it is now…”
Her pinkish flush turned into
a full blush. “Umm, I’m not sure you fully understand my concern. We will be
husband and wife…Will you expect us to behave as such?”
Richard let a wolfish smile
envelop his lips. “Are you referring to the fact that you will have to share my
bed? I’m sure I’ll cope, sweeting. I have had a bit of experience in this
area.”
She raised an eyebrow. “A bit?”
He had to laugh at her
affronted reply. That’s what he loved about his relationship with Maddy. They
had always been able to talk about anything. His laugh died. He hoped their
marriage would not change that. “I know you. You’re not one to hide your
thoughts from me. What is it you’re really concerned about?”
Her eyes became pleading. “I
want children. I want a lot of children.”
Richard shrugged. “I still do
not grasp the problem…”
“You won’t expect the
marriage to be in name only then.”
Bloody
hell. “Where on earth did you get that idea? I suspect we will live as
most husbands and wives do.”
She sat up straighter and
looked him in the eye. “I don’t want to be bedded out of obligation or duty”-
-“You think I’d bed you
because you’re an obligation? A beautiful woman? Come now, Maddy. You know me
better than that.” She remained silent. Where
in God’s name would she have got this absurd notion from? “You’re
beautiful. Bedding you will be no obligation. It will be my pleasure. Our mutual pleasure.”
“Mother and Rheda have
already told me I’ll have nothing to worry about on my wedding night. That I
should leave everything to you and that no doubt I’ll enjoy your attentions.”
She wrung her hands. “But you mentioned that our marriage will be like most
other marriages. What if I don’t please you?”
“Please me? As in the
bedroom?”
She nodded seriously.
“I taught you how to shoot
and ride astride. You’re better than most men I know. You’re a fast learner.
How can you not please me when you’ll have the best teacher?” he hoped his
teasing tone with allay her fears.
“I know your heart belongs to
another. What if… what if you grow tired of bedding me?” She raised a hand at
his sound of outrage. “Promise me one thing.”
“Maddy you’re being silly”-
-“I know your reputation,
Richard. You have enjoyed a lot of women. I don’t see how I’ll hold a man of
your—appetites—interested when I don’t own your heart. Promise me that when you
no longer enjoy my bed that you’ll tell me. I couldn’t bear to hear you’ve
taken a mistress from anyone else. The one thing I’ve treasured most in our
friendship Richard, is the fact you’ve never lied to me or hidden the truth
from me—even if the subject was unpleasant. Rufus would most likely hit the
roof if he knew some of the things I’ve asked and you’ve answered with no
hesitation. Being stuck in the country, growing up alone, I can’t tell you what
your honesty meant to me. It gave me the world even if I couldn’t see it, or be
a part of it.”
“I’ll show you the world if
you’ll let me.”
INVITATION TO PASSION is out in 30 June 2014
3 comments:
Love the comments of your male best friends! Laughed out loud - and I can see your use of that information in the scene you shared. Thanks for an tantalizing taste of Invitation to Passion!
Loved, loved the excerpt! Unfortunately, or fortunately men don't think the same as us women when it comes to SEX. Great blog1
I teach a class on writing believable men which involved a bunch of research on the so-called male "mind." Trust me, your male friends are typical. If she's good looking, and sometime if not, the friendship thing is no problem at all. They easily separate sex from anything else, and when there's a conflict of interest - come on guys, it's sex. I have a female character explain to one of her female friends - Men have two heads, and when one starts working the other stops.
Anyway, I really like what you've done with your story, and may they be forever happy.
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