Betrayal Read online

  “Welcome home, Lady Ashburnham,” he whispered into her ear.

  THE END

  Author’s Note

  The inspiration for Betrayal came from one of my favourite children’s books, Erich Kästner’s Das doppelte Lottchen (1949), which was adapted by Hollywood as The Parent Trap. However, my favourite movie adaptation of Kästner’s novel is the German black and white film from 1950 with Kästner himself as the narrator and Jutta and Isa Günther as the nine-year-old twins who meet by accident in the holiday camp in Seebühl am Bühlsee and decide to switch places. All the women in my family loved this film, and it holds an extra-special place in my heart, for it reminds me of my gran. I also like to imagine that my own twin sister, who died during our birth, would have enjoyed this film as well.

  For the German setting I used the house that has bewitched me since I was three or four years old and during a summer party of the local rowing club in the grounds of the Villa unter den Linden stumbled across an old playhouse. Though its door was locked, I could catch a glimpse through the small, dirty windows at the interior, covered by dust and cobwebs like Sleeping Beauty’s castle. The playhouse is now long gone, but for thrill-seekers I recommend stepping into the old ice-house.

  The present Villa unter den Linden, which was also the model for my fictional Villa under the Linden Trees, was built in 1904 by the industrialist Herbert von Meister. From his balcony he had a fantastic view of his factory across the river Main. Around 1900 the “Farbwerke” had already become world famous for the colours it produced and had also become one of the most important employers in the area. Over the years, the owners of the factory, and in particular Herbert von Meister, did a lot of things to improve the living conditions of their workers: e.g., they built special houses with small gardens, founded a school, and for the factory’s centenary in 1963, a concert hall was built. The fact that Herbert von Meister chose to build his new villa in such close proximity to his factory rather than moving to a posher town further away, shows the close connection he felt for the community. After his death in 1919, his wife Else von Meister—whom the locals lovingly called “Frau Else”—and his daughter Elisabeth continued to do good in the community.

  As you can probably guess, the warmhearted Else von Meister was the model for my fictional Frau Else. However, I lent her some of the physical attributes of my two grans as well as one of my gran’s somewhat grubby deck of mysterious cards. In addition, I gave her the last name of the silk merchant Karl Franz von Allesina, who in 1760 bought the land on which the present Villa unter den Linden stands. His heir transformed the more simple country house into an Italianate villa with a grand park and a drive lined by linden trees (the present and fictional drive are both lined by chestnut trees).

  The English setting, too, is partly inspired by a real country estate. When I started writing Betrayal I was preparing a class on the Old English epic Beowulf and came across the fact that the only existing manuscript had been severely damaged in a fire at Ashburnham Hall in 1731. “What a fine name for a romance hero!” I thought. Incidentally, I later found a website for Ashburnham Place, the country estate of the Earl of Ashburnham, with old photographs and lists of servants from the nineteenth century (in 1881, the housekeeper was a Mrs. Cornwell) (www.ashburnham-past.co.uk). Most of the old house was demolished in 1959, and the remaining structure is now a religious center.

  Thank you for reading Betrayal! I hope you’ve enjoyed Ash and Georgina’s story. If you have, please help other readers find this book, for example by lending this book to a friend or by writing a review.

  Want to find out more about my books? Visit my website at www.sandraschwab.com, and sign up for my newsletter at eepurl.com/xqyU1 in order to receive updates about new releases.

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  Also available

  BEWITCHED

  Sweet passion...

  After a magical mishap that turned her uncle’s house blue, Miss Amelia Bourne was stripped of her powers and sent to London in order to be introduce into polite society – and to find a suitable husband. Handsome, rakish Sebastian “Fox” Stapleton was all that and more. He was her true love. Wasn’t he?

  ...or the bitter tase of deceit?

  At Rawdon Park, the country estate of the Stapletons, Amy began to wonder. Several inexplicable events suggested that one sip of punch had changed her life forever – that this love, this lust, were nothing but an illusion. She and Fox were pawns in a mysterious game, and black magic had followed them out of Town. Without her powers, would she be strong enough to battle those dark forces and win? And would she be able to claim her heart’s true desire?

  Praise for Bewitched

  “Enchantment and romance abound in Schwab's captivating tale of a spell gone wrong, a love potion gone right, deceit, revenge, black magic and redemption. Her romance captures the aura of the Regency and the essence of a paranormal, which should make it a surefire hit with fans.”

  Kathe Robin,

  Romantic Times

  4-star review

  “Sandra Schwab can always be relied upon to deliver a spectacularly original read that is liberally sprinkled with plenty of fun, ingenuity, freshness and charm and Bewitched is certainly no exception! An enchanting tale featuring a lovely heroine, a gorgeous hero, lots of drama and plenty of gripping twists and turns to keep the readers turning the pages, Bewitched is a magical tale that will certainly brighten up anybody’s day.”

  Julie Bonello,

  Single Titles

  “I know a love potion in a romance story is not new ground, but when Sandra Schwab gets hold of a worn-out plot like that, she breathes new life into it. This author never disappoints me. Her books are always innovative and, of course, romantic, and her characters are alive and real. Bewitched is no exception. [...] Once again Ms Schwab has given us a romance filled with joy and strife, characters you fall for right away and root for when things go awry, and a storyline with writing so different from anyone else. It’s the little extras in her books that make you keep turning page after page.”

  Sandy M.,

  The Good, the Bad and the Unread

  A- review

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  Coming soon

  SPRINGTIME PLEASURES

  Caught between duty ...

  George Augustus Griffin, Viscount Chanderley has to marry—fast: His father has ordered him to find a suitable wife this very season. Alas, the only woman Griff has eyes for is the very unsuitable Miss Carlotta Stanton, who is not only unbecomingly tall, but also wears the ugliest spectacles in all of England. Still, Griff is utterly bewitched by her intense green eyes. Yet, however much he feels drawn to her joie de vivre, duty and honour demand that he stay far away from Miss Stanton.

  ... and desire ...

  Dubbed “the Giantess” because of her unfortunate height, Charlie Stanton finds the London season far less glamorous than she had thought it would be—not least because she is consigned a place among the wallflowers. But then she befriends Lady Isabella and become acquainted with her dashing brother, Lord Chanderley, whose life is overshadowed by a terrible tragedy in his past. Ever ready to help others, Charlie is determined to rid him of his Sad Melancholia—even if it means taking on wild boars and highwaymen. However, the biggest challenge might be the elusive viscount himself and his belief that he is beyond all redemption.

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  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

  Cha
pter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Author’s Note

  Also available

  Coming soon

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  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

  Author’s Note

  Also available

  Coming soon