Parthena's Promise

**England, 1815**

London barrister and gentleman, Jerome Fender, has just returned to England after five years as a Captain in the killing fields of the Napoleonic Wars.

With the harrowing scenes of battle still haunting his every thought, he sets out to start a new life and to find a wife who will share it with him.

Meanwhile recently orphaned 21-year-old Miss Parthena Munro has also arrived at a North Yorkshire market town.

She has been sent away by her scheming sole relative, cousin Bertram, to be governess to a local family, only to find that the family has already moved away from the area.

Left stranded far from home with no job and no place to stay, Parthena encounters Mr Fender outside an inn, where she takes a chance to steal his money in a witless moment of desperation.

She whispers a promise to return the money one day and makes off across the wild Yorkshire moors.

But it’s not long before Fender catches up with her.

However, on learning of her plight they set out on a plan to seek justice against the wrongs plotted by Bertram.

With Jerome’s help, Parthena returns to her home to the great surprise of Bertram, who, thinking that Parthena, the rightful heir to the estate, was now out of the way, was about to clear his debts by selling the family estate.

Jerome endeavours to hatch a new plan to thwart Bertram, but Parthena’s rightful inheritance can only fall to her if she marries within the month.

Parthena and Jerome discover the flame of love has been kindled between them, but is it already too late?

Set during 19th century England, *Parthena’s Promise* leads the reader on a spirited journey to consider if justice and true love are possible in a society on the turning point of change.

**Valerie Holmes** has had thirty-five titles published, both historical and contemporary. Two of which have been shortlisted for awards by the Romantic Novelists' Association. Valerie is an experienced creative writing tutor of manuscript appraisals for the RNA or independently. She also works as an online tutor for the London School of Journalism and Writing Magazine. As well as being an author herself she enjoys being a reviewer of books for the Historical Novel Society and is also a member of the Crime Writers Association and the Society of Authors.