There is Always a Tomorrow by Anna Belfrage
Publication Date: November 5, 2017
Timelight Press
eBook & Paperback; ISBN: 9781788039666
Series: Graham Saga, Book #9
Genre: Historical Fiction/Time-Slip
There is Always a Tomorrow is the ninth book in Anna Belfrage’s time slip series featuring time traveller Alexandra Lind and her seventeenth century husband, Matthew Graham.
It is 1692 and the Colony of Maryland is still adapting to the consequences of Coode’s Rebellion some years previously. Religious tolerance in the colony is now a thing of the past, but safe in their home, Alex and Matthew Graham have no reason to suspect they will become embroiled in the ongoing religious conflicts—until one of their sons betrays their friend Carlos Muñoz to the authorities.
Matthew Graham does not leave his friends to rot—not even if they’re papist priests—so soon enough most of the Graham family is involved in a rescue attempt, desperate to save Carlos from a sentence that may well kill him.
Meanwhile, in London little Rachel is going through hell. In a matter of months she loses everything, even her surname, as apparently her father is not Master Cooke but one Jacob Graham. Not that her paternity matters when her entire life implodes.
Will Alex and Matthew be able to help their unknown grandchild? More importantly, will Rachel want their help?
Excerpt
“What are you doing?” Matthew stepped into the little clearing, eyes travelling up and down her strange attire.
“Exercising,” Alex said, returning to her shoulder workout. “Now that I am sixty, I have to increase my efforts to stay fit.”
“Ah.” He sat down on a nearby log. “You look healthy enough to me.”
“For now,” she replied through her teeth, counting off her repetitions in her head. “First thing to go is shoulder mobility—you know, being able to stretch your arms over your head.”
In reply, Matthew did just that. The worn linen of his shirt allowed glimpses of his torso beneath, and Alex knew for a fact her man was mostly lean and muscled, his shoulders and arms reflecting a lifestyle that allowed little leisure.
He remained where he was as she finished her routine, but began to laugh when she began her yoga moves.
“What is that?”
“Downward facing dog.” Well, she hoped it was. Truth be told, her memories of her yoga classes were very vague, but she recalled something similar to this position, and from the way her buttocks and the backs of her thighs strained, it was obviously good for something. “I have to make sure I keep my trim figure,” she continued once she was upright again. “Don’t want you to tell me my arse is too round.”
Matthew smiled, biting his lip.
“What?”
“Your arse is round. Nice and soft—it always has been, lass.”
“Is that supposed to be a compliment?”
“Oh, aye. I like my women round and bonny.”
“Your women?” she asked coldly. Come to think of it, Kate Jones was also quite curvy, and however ridiculous it was, Alex still had moments when the thought of Widow Jones made something very green and slimy shift through her belly.
“It’s only been one woman for…” He squinted. “Thirty-four years.”
She just looked at him. Kate had happened after they’d been married—no matter how exonerating the circumstances.
“Thirty-one,” he amended in a low voice. “But you know it was out of need and despair, not love.”
She nodded, no more. Her Matthew, abducted and used as a slave, had been certain he would die in servitude, far away from home and family. But it still rankled—even more so given Matthew’s irritating habit of looking Kate up and down with appreciation whenever they met. Sometimes, she suspected the dratted man did it on purpose, enjoying her obvious jealousy.
He took her hand. “Enough of that. I have something to show you.”
“You do?” She bit back a little smile. It was difficult to hide a house, no matter how small. From a distance, she’d seen him work on what had at first looked like a cabin but which recently had become something far more graceful. Every day, she’d been tempted to sneak forward and take a peek, every day she’d stopped herself, not wanting to spoil his surprise.
“A gift,” he said, swinging their hands between them as he led her through the trees, making for the river. He tightened his hold. “A birthday gift, lass.” He drew to a stop and kissed her. “Happy birthday,” he murmured. “And I must say you look not a day older than yesterday.”
“Idiot.” She slapped his shoulder, making him laugh.
They reached the river and he turned left. Months of working on his project had resulted in a neat little path, the ground cool beneath Alex’s bare feet. They ducked under the boughs of an oak, and there, in a clearing, stood her gift, the cedar wood so new it still retained its coppery colour. It was a beautiful house, the door in the centre flanked by two windows. The glass panes glittered in the sun, little squares of greenish glass that he must have smuggled up from Providence.
“So, is it a bungalow?” He pronounced the word carefully, making Alex smile. She pursed her lips but finally shook her head.
“No, it’s a cabin. A cabin with a veranda, but not a bungalow.”
“Well that’s a relief,” Matthew said, coming over to stand beside her. “I didn’t much like the idea of living in something that sounds like the name of a venomous snake.”
“A snake?” Alex laughed, shifting closer to him. “Anyway, it’s a very nice little house and I think we’ll be snug like bugs in it.” Given its size, she guessed at two rooms, with a spacious veranda and the river a stone’s throw away. Yes, she could see them living in comfort here.
“Mmm,” Matthew agreed, sounding less than convinced.
“And,” Alex added with a wink, “it has the benefit of being somewhat isolated.”
“Oh, aye,” Matthew smiled, “all of half a mile to the main yard.”
“A bit more. And look at all these lovely trees that separate us from them all.”
Matthew just chuckled. “Shall we go inside? Mayhap test the bed?”
“Matthew Graham! All of sixty-two and still insatiable!”
“You don’t mind, do you?” He had by now manoeuvred them into the little house, was leading her over sanded and soaped floors to their new bedroom.
“No,” she smiled, “not at all.” And then he opened the door. Alex came to an abrupt halt.
“Oh!” she said. “Oh!” she repeated, and took a hesitant step into the room that was bathed with light. “How?” she asked, trying to understand where all the light came from. There were two windows, both quite large, but it was the coloured light that came from the roof that had her stretching her hands out, revolving slowly on the spot.
“A wee cupola,” Matthew explained proudly. “I used your coloured glass. Do you like it?”
“Like it? It’s wonderful!” She made as if to catch a red reflection and beamed at him. “A cupola, hey?” She craned her head back to see the green and red glass panes—a gift from him years ago, that had since then adorned their bedroom in the big house. Well, apart from these last few weeks when he’d refused to tell her where her precious panes had gone.
“I listen and learn, lass. And I liked the notion, of sun spilling down on us from above.” He grabbed hold of her. “So, does your birthday gift meet with your approval?”
She just nodded, struck quite wordless. Matthew laughed and pulled her close enough to kiss the top of her head.
About the Author
Anna was raised abroad, on a pungent mix of Latin American culture, English history and Swedish traditions. As a result she’s multilingual and most of her reading is historical- both non-fiction and fiction. Possessed of a lively imagination, she has drawers full of potential stories, all of them set in the past. She was always going to be a writer – or a historian, preferably both. Ideally, Anna aspired to becoming a pioneer time traveller, but science has as yet not advanced to the point of making that possible. Instead she ended up with a degree in Business and Finance, with very little time to spare for her most favourite pursuit. Still, one does as one must, and in between juggling a challenging career Anna raised her four children on a potent combination of invented stories, historical debates and masses of good food and homemade cakes. They seem to thrive…
For years she combined a challenging career with four children and the odd snatched moment of writing. Nowadays Anna spends most of her spare time at her writing desk. The children are half grown, the house is at times eerily silent and she slips away into her imaginary world, with her imaginary characters. Every now and then the one and only man in her life pops his head in to ensure she’s still there.
Other than on her website,
www.annabelfrage.com, Anna can mostly be found on her blog,
http://annabelfrage.wordpress.com – unless, of course, she is submerged in writing her next novel. You can also connect with Anna on
Facebook,
Twitter and
Goodreads.
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Giveaway
During the Blog Tour we will be giving away 2 ebook copies and 2 paperback copies of There is Always a Tomorrow! To enter, please enter via the Gleam form below.
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There is Always a Tomorrow
