Now what? Abigail has a lifetime ahead of her. She is raising three children. One lady, and two lords. She is up to the task, but will she have to do it alone?
With her newfound freedom in Australia, she decides to build an estate for herself and her family. Lord Worthington, her oldest son, will inherit his father’s estates in England. Her second son, Lord Brentford, will inherit the estate she is building. Her daughter may find an eminently suitable man here, or perhaps she may prefer to go back to England, where society understands nobility, men are plentiful, and she can easily find someone among her peers.
Abigail’s choices though, are limited, because the men who would advise her feel compelled to protect the delicate woman they believe her to be. Her determination, her decisions, and her money are her own, and she refuses to allow a man—any man—to keep her from making her dreams a reality.
But as she chips away at her mental lists to realize those dreams, someone, somewhere, has decided the Dowager Countess of Worthington, Lady Abigail, must die.
Genre: FICTION / Action & AdventureThis series sells very well. It's a western but taking place in Australia.
CHAPTER ONE
Abigail gazed at the cobblestone streets that looked so much like those back in England. The smell of the ocean was strong off the bay. But the different tang in the air told her she was not back in her home country.
Eucalyptus trees were one of a million strange things she had never seen before moving to Australia. She loved to hear the native Australians say the name with their thick accents, although most referred to the plants as gum trees. She had also been told there were some eight hundred different species, native to Australia. Some were even rainbow in color, and the trunks peeled back their own bark.
Even more fascinating were the various birds she saw in their branches. There seemed to be brightly colored birds in every brilliant in the full spectrum of the rainbow. They were incredible, nothing like common sparrows, tits, or blackbirds back in England. They were loud, numerous, and entertaining to watch, sometimes they acted almost human. Their intelligence showed in everything they did, which was absolutely fascinating.
Parramatta Road went out past the brickyard and market. As she watched the farmers at the market discuss the merits of sheep, cattle, pigs, and horses, Abigail recalled her forays into the market before she went to the Outback, remembering the excitement of bargaining with the vendors, handling her own money, and buying some of the freshest fruits and vegetables for their table. She would never have done something like that back in England; it wouldn’t have been allowed. She turned her fine horse, her escorts on either side turning with her as she headed for the rented house.
