Reckoning & Haunted Bride by Maggie Tideswell

Desperately in love with one man, yet she planned to marry another.
Why?

Welcome to the November 10th stop on the blog tour for Reckoning by Maggie Tideswell with Silver Dagger Book Tours. Be sure to follow the rest of the tour for spotlights, reviews, and a giveaway! More on that at the end of this post.

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About the Book

Reckoning
Moragh’s Ghost Book Two
by Maggie Tideswell

Published 30 October 2021

Genre: Paranormal Romance
Page Count: 403
Add it to your Goodreads TBR!

Desperately in love with one man, yet she planned to marry another.
Why?

Nicole – Joshua replaced her when he married a stranger. Over her dead body would he get away with her inheritance as well. He was going to have to marry her before the month was out, as Daddy stipulated in his last Will & Testament – his marriage to Holly wasn’t real anyway.

Ned – He never tried to hide his feeling for Nicole, but this was ridiculous. But he was a patient man – he’d hang around to see how her plans panned out, and pick up the pieces when she spectacularly failed. She was carrying his child, after all.

Joshua – Nicole’s ship had sailed – there was no way he’s put Holly, his brand new wife of barely a week aside to marry Nicole. Her father knew what he was doing.
No one seemed to understand Nicole’s priorities. She had to reclaim what should have been hers before she could be with Ned. He expected her to be independently rich.
If only the ghost of her mother would give her peace to concentrate on planning the wedding of the year for her and Joshua. She only had a month.

Daddy never said anything about staying married to Joshua.

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Excerpt

Black umbrellas followed the three coffins up the slippery slope. The pallbearers stumbled under their burden, the snaking line of mourners squelching after them, the footing uncertain. The torrential downpour was unrelenting, unforgiving even, the thunder drowning out the hymn.

In the clearing, the freshly dug graves slowly filled with water.

The ground, trampled into a quagmire, sucked at her feet. Her unbent head was covered by a black veil, but her eyes were dry. Standing alone, slightly apart from the others, she protected her broken wrist from the damp against her chest. Severe in black—black boots, black jeans, black silk shirt—the only color about her was the auburn of her hair.

From the surrounding forest, misty fingers reached for the woman. She didn’t know she was being singled out.

Dust you are and to dust you shall return.

May God grant you eternal rest.

A sudden gust of wind pushed the veil into her lip gloss, rustling soggy, dead leaves into the graves, and piled them against her ankles.

When the caskets started their descent into the black maws, lightning struck the tallest tree in the copse, thunder following instantly. A black smudge hovered over the rain-spattered lid of the coffin in the middle, but no one saw.

Wind that tore at umbrellas and raincoats didn’t disperse the smudge, and no one noticed when it swathed the woman, not even the woman herself.

One more must die.

Then I, too, can rest in peace.

Revenge was sweet, Tragic Lady.

Ironic it was to be interred between the two who had wronged you. Eternal slumber should now be easy.

But it wasn’t.

Dead. Gone. But not forgotten.

Chapter 1

Sunday, October 13th

Dark moon in Libre

Relationships in the balance

“To my daughter and only child, Nicole Emily Jones, I bequeath the love and goodwill of her husband, Joshua Jordan. If not yet married at the time of this reading, I allow them one month in which to be joined in holy matrimony. I charge Joshua with the tender care and happiness of my daughter, and any children she might bear him. No further arrangement is therefore necessary for Nicole Emily Jones under this testament.

“To Joshua Jordan, I entrust all my property, including the estate of Willowgrove with all it encompasses—the vineyards, winery and house—as well as the balance in my banking accounts, and all insurance policies under which he is named beneficiary. Provision has been made for the payment of the Willowgrove staff in the event of my death.

“To my faithful companion of many years, Pearl May, I bequeath the trust fund set up in her name. She is to be allowed to remain at Willowgrove for the remainder of her natural life. On her death, the balance of the fund is to revert to Joshua Jordan.”

When Philip finished reading, the sound of rustling papers was all that could be heard over the drumming of the rain on the roof. After a short pause, he said, “Joshua, as I have the death certificate for Pearl May, the trust fund will pass directly to you.”

Joshua noticed how Philip avoided looking at Nicole.

She sat ramrod straight, her eyes enormous in her pale face. In the silence, her composure crumpled. “Daddy left everything to you,” she whispered. Her eyes, red-rimmed and stiff in her head, fixed on Joshua’s face. “He disinherited me.”

Clutching her broken wrist to her chest, her breath came in sharp, short puffs over dry lips. If possible, she was even paler by the time she pushed to her feet and planted herself in front of him.

“What did you do, Joshua? What did you say to Daddy? Did you tell him you needed help getting me into church?” When the lawyer cleared his throat, her head swiveled and she glared at him for a loaded heartbeat. “When did Daddy make this will?”

Philip consulted the papers before him. “A month ago, Miss Jones.”

“He told me recently he felt the need to settle his affairs,” Joshua said stiffly.

Nicole teetered where she stood. She looked like the teenager he remembered so well, ready to launch into a tantrum. Getting to his feet, he gripped her shoulders, but she twisted away.

She shook from head to toe.

“Nicole, you have to calm down. Believe me, this is as much a surprise to me as it is to you. I would never have tried to sway Magnus where your inheritance is concerned. Sit down before you fall over. I’m going to call Graham to give you something for the shock.”

He was on his way to the door when Nicole’s breathy laugh stopped him. “Was that concern, Joshua? Please stop, because you nearly sounded sincere. Just like pretending to love me for all the years we were engaged—I was completely fooled. And you can stop the fake surprise, too. You got exactly what you wanted. As you’re already married, Daddy lost,” she ended, as if she were talking to herself.

Her chest rose and fell rapidly. Crossing her arms in her waist, favoring the one in the cast, she looked him straight in the eye. “Well done, Joshua, well played, but spare me any more pretenses.”

Andrea Jordan, sitting in a chair against the wall watching the scene with both hands on top of her cane, cleared her throat. “Nicole, you’re all over the place. Bear in mind, your father didn’t expect to die so soon. He expected to live many more years, he expected to see you and Joshua happily married, he expected to see your children grow. Only he will know why he did what he did, and we can only assume he thought it best to leave your inheritance to Joshua. By doing that, your father made sure you were well taken care of after he was gone.”

“By making me beholden to my husband?” Nicole snapped, still glaring at Joshua. “How am I supposed to survive with both Daddy and Mother gone, and Joshua married to someone else?”

Joshua couldn’t help feeling sorry for her. “Nicole, your father knew you well. He did what he thought best for the continuance of Willowgrove. He told me once he was worried you’d sell everything the moment you got the chance. It had been his dream for many years to merge Willowgrove with Fairley. I can’t answer for his reasoning, but the safety of Willowgrove had clearly been uppermost in his mind.”

Nicole sank into the chair behind her and Joshua sat next to her, taking her hand. “Magnus knew you were responsible for our very long engagement, just as he knew you weren’t ready for your inheritance. Maybe this was his way of protecting it for you until such time as you were ready.”

Her enormous eyes watched Joshua’s mouth as he spoke. Two bright spots of color appeared on her cheeks.

“Magnus knew I’d never alienate Willowgrove.” It would take a while for the fact he was now the legal owner of the neighboring winery to sink in. Pleasure clashed violently in his chest with pity for Nicole.

“I didn’t hear any plans or wishes for a future in which Willowgrove reverted back to me—once I am ready for my role. Or did I miss that part?”

“No, there was nothing like that, only the hope we’d be married soon.”

Nicole slumped over the armrest and covered her face with her hands. A loud roll of thunder nearly drowned her already muffled wail. “I’m a penniless orphan. Why didn’t Daddy change his testament after you came home with a wife? He had a whole week to do it. He should have known it wouldn’t provide for me at all in these circumstances. Instead, all he did was to make you an even wealthier man than you were ten minutes ago. Nothing in the testament benefits me.”

Try as he might, Joshua couldn’t stop the corners of his mouth from lifting. He quickly got up to light a cigarette in front of the window so that Nicole wouldn’t see the threatening smile.

The clearing of her throat turned him back to her. Her head was tilted to the side, a speculative glint in her eyes. “Unless Daddy knew something about your marriage, or your wife, no one else did?”

That wiped the pleasure off his face. “Yes, he was planning Holly’s murder, Nicole. Only, things went wrong and instead of my wife dying at his hand he died himself. And I’m still married and out of your reach.”

He had no reason to doubt the sincerity of her rising panic.

Twisting her fingers awkwardly together in her lap, she whispered, “What am I supposed to do now? How must I live? Where shall I go?” She straightened and looked up at the lawyer. “Is my apartment in Cape Town still mine, or is it part of Daddy’s estate?” She looked at Joshua. “If it is, you own it now and I’m out on the street.”

He’d forgotten her very upmarket apartment in Sea Point. For his own peace of mind, he didn’t want Nicole homeless, because, as he knew her, she’d make her home here at Fairley. In all fairness to Holly, he couldn’t have his ex-fiancée under the same roof as his new bride. The weather rumbled over the drumming of the rain on the roof when Joshua turned to the lawyer for his verdict.

“Yes, the apartment and the Mercedes Benz A200 were part of the Jones estate, and now belongs to you, Joshua,” Philip confirmed gravely.

“Please, have the necessary papers drawn up for the immediate transfer of the apartment, the car, and Pearl’s trust fund into Nicole’s name.” That was the least he could do to keep the woman he’d hoped for four years to marry off his back.

Nicole got to her feet and wiped her face, her eyes strangely dry.

He’d expected tantrum tears at least, or tears of self-pity, but although pale, she was too composed for Nicole as he knew her.

Even her voice was steady when she said, “Both the car and the apartment were gifts from Mother and Daddy. He should have registered them in my name at the time. But I don’t want your money, Joshua. You can’t buy me off.”

“I didn’t mean it as a payoff. You’ll need cash for your daily living—food, bills, that sort of thing—until you find a steady source of income.”

“Until I find a job, you mean,” she sneered, then dropped her chin. “I’ve never worked for money in my life. What can I do to earn a living?” A shudder ran through her. “I thought Daddy loved me. How wrong I was.”

Joshua’s mother pushed out of her chair and, leaning heavily on her cane, put her hand on Nicole’s shoulder. “Nicole, you mustn’t think that. Magnus loved you very, very much, but he also knew you as only a father can know his only child. Earning an honest living won’t do you any harm.” She sounded as tired as she looked. “I’m going to find a cup of tea and then I’ll be in my room. Call me when lunch is ready.”

Joshua took her elbow. “Are you feeling all right, Mother? Do you want Graham to give you something?”

They had been her friends, Magnus and Pearl, even Moragh, and to bury the three of them on the same day must have been hard, especially under the shadow of mystery surrounding their deaths.

“No, I’m just tired. I wish your father were here today.”

When the door closed behind Andrea, Joshua asked, “Will you be staying for lunch, Philip?”

The lawyer glanced up from shuffling his papers into his briefcase. “No, I’d better be off. Thanks, anyway.”

Alone in the study, Nicole and Joshua stared at each other until he tucked her hand into his elbow, turning her to the door. “You might not understand your father’s reasoning now, Nicole, but I’m sure one day it will make perfect sense. I’ll take very good care of his dream, of that you can be assured.”

She jerked her hand away. “Which dream would that be?”

“The same dream my father had, to merge Willowgrove with Fairley into one large, productive wine estate. The idea of accomplishing it with our marriage came later. Now Willowgrove will prosper like never before.”

“Daddy clearly trusted you more than he did me.” Canting her head to the side, she chewed the corner of her mouth.

Sorry as he was for her, Joshua didn’t trust the gleam in her eyes. “He did, where Willowgrove was concerned.”

Nicole drew herself up to her full height, and poked her finger into his chest. “Before you congratulate yourself too much on your good fortune, you’d better follow Daddy’s instructions.”

Joshua’s heart dropped into his shoes. This was what he had been afraid of, that Nicole wasn’t going to accept her father’s last will and testament quietly, without causing another upheaval.

“And that is?” But he knew before she answered what form her troublemaking was going to take.

“You shall marry me—within the month!”

About the Book

Haunted Bride
Moragh’s Ghost Book One
by Maggie Tideswell

Publishing 30 September 2021

Genre: Paranormal Romance
Add it to your Goodreads TBR!

“Excellent read! Maggie Tideswell’s book is impossible to put down. This writer is skilled in evoking deep emotions in the readerA pleasure to read.” – Amazon Reviewer

A marriage of convenience – no strings attached – suited both Holly and Joshua just fine; a virgin marriage, so that they could both walk away… But they made a crucial mistake: they didn’t take chemistry into account.

Holly —
Seriously? They actually advertised for a husband for her without telling her?
She was going to have to kill them, stone dead.

But having a ‘husband’ behind her would give her an edge she didn’t have now. Donald, her ex, and his wife would have to revise their strategy of keeping her children away from her. That was an advantage worth taking a risk for. But what kind of man was likely to respond to a tiny ad in the newspaper no one reads anymore?

Joshua —
Nicole had to marry him now or let him go. He was done waiting, but he did not know what else he could do to persuade her to his way of thinking. Until he saw the little ad in the paper. A plan fell into his head as if he’d snapped his fingers. This woman who audaciously advertised herself as available would do perfectly. Married to another woman would make him irresistibly attractive to Nicole – as was the case with everything she wanted and couldn’t have.

From the moment Holly accepted Joshua’s offer of marriage, strange things started happening to her, and the strangeness followed her to her new (temporary) home. She was going to have to unravel a decades-old mystery before anything else.

A ghost, a wronged fiancée, and trouble with everyone around them. Will Holly and Joshua get what they’ve set out to achieve?

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Excerpt

Joshua closed the door behind the last of the guests and steered Holly into what he called the morning room. A friendly fire now burned in the grate, the flames dancing energetically in the wind whispering down the chimney.

He handed Holly a glass of wine. “You’re going to drink this one. I’ve been watching you all night. Not much made it down the hatch, did it? Bettina is going to be hurt to know how little the bride appreciated her cooking.”

“I couldn’t eat. And I’m not much of a drinker,” Holly mumbled. She’d eat and drink and be merry when she felt like eating and drinking, when there was something to be merry about. Tonight was not one of those occasions. Now they were finally alone, she was nervous, if that kiss in the study was any indication…

One question kept going through her mind. Was she strong enough to resist Joshua’s considerable charms? If not, where would that leave her in the scheme of things?

The silence in the room finally penetrated and she looked up. Joshua was staring at her and the expression in his eyes dried her mouth. His face was impassive, but the hunger in those gray eyes burned her skin where they touched.

If only she could shake the feeling of strangeness enveloping her so she could concentrate on Joshua.

He raised his glass to her. “Thank you for marrying me. I hope everything turns out exactly as you wanted it to.” His voice was very low, but her nerve endings had no trouble picking up the timbre.

“No, thank you for marrying me. Do you really think your plan is going to bring Nicole around?”

Glass in hand, pulling at his tie, he sauntered toward her. “Oh, yes, it most certainly will work. You see, tonight was the shocker. Next, she’ll go into denial and try everything in the book to discredit you, then will come the tears and tantrums and finally, there will be capitulation. But enough about Nicole. I told you, I have no intention of spending our wedding night discussing my ex-fiancée. Tonight is yours, Mrs. Jordan.” He touched his glass to hers. “Please, tell me about your children.”

No children.

She shivered and moved a step closer to him. She didn’t doubt anymore that Moragh had followed her to Fairley, but what did she have against children? What did she have against her boys, specifically? “Donny is ten and Matt eight. They’re lively, happy boys. At least they used to be.”

“Why did you get divorced?”

“Umm, Donald must have gotten bored with me. He employed Gwen as a temp when his secretary went on maternity leave. They must have started their affair almost immediately. I thought it would fizzle out, but it didn’t. Donald wanted a divorce, and there was no point fighting it. He married Gwen a month after the divorce was finalized.” Holly glanced into the dark corners. Nothing was lurking there, but someone was in the room with them, she felt the presence.

“He didn’t waste time, did he? Why did he get custody?” Because she was, Joshua also glanced about.

“We have joint custody. To minimize the trauma of the divorce for them, I wanted the kids to stay in their familiar environment. For that reason, we didn’t sell the house, so Donald and the kids could live there, close to their school. It was just easier that way. I had the kids every other weekend and we used to alternate school holidays.”

“Sounds like a good arrangement. What happened to change it?”

Holly tried to concentrate on the conversation. “It started to go wrong about eight months ago. Suddenly, Donald had an excuse every time I arrived to pick up the boys. Then two weeks ago, the same day you proposed, Gwen accused me of trying to get Donald back and of poisoning the boys against her. She told me I’d never see my kids again.”

“She can’t do that.”

“I know, but she is, and Donald is letting her.” Holly swept another glance about the room. It was empty except for the two of them, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that someone else was in the room with them, someone she couldn’t see.

Joshua glanced over his shoulder. “Phillip will tell us what we should do about the kids and your ex. Now, back to us. You seem nervous. Are you scared of something?”

“Yes, very,” Holly said without thinking. She gulped some wine and managed to choke herself. Next thing she knew, the glass disappeared from her hand and Joshua was vigorously patting her back.

Eventually, she wiped the tears from her face. “Thank you,” she croaked, trying to put some distance between them. But Joshua didn’t let her go.

“Are you sure you’re all right?” His hand was warm on her back. With the other, he lifted her chin.

“It went down the wrong way.” Her voice was still not her own.

“Oh, dear, sounds like I’ll have to resort to mouth to mouth, after all.” He pulled her up against his chest. “You’re not scared of me, are you?”

Holly swallowed hard. “Should I be?” She glanced over his shoulder.

Noticing, Joshua turned to follow her glance.

“That depends.” He grinned. “Do you think a kiss very dangerous?”

He was making fun of her. She pushed against his chest. “Joshua, we shouldn’t…we have a deal…and you said…you said…”

With his hand cupping the back of her head, he pulled her closer. “Forget what I said.” He smiled, homing in. “You’re my wife at this precise moment, and I want to kiss my wife.”

But he didn’t kiss her immediately. As he studied her face, his smile dwindled. His hands moved down her back, pulling her closer. It had been a very long time since she’d felt a hard male body against hers. Anticipation dried her mouth, objection pushed to the farthest recesses of her mind.

His breath, tinged by cigarette smoke and wine, warmed her skin in the moment before he brushed his lips over hers, then closed them over her mouth.

When he lifted his head to look questioningly at her, she was the one to draw his head back down to hers, pressing herself to him. The air kissed her back, and she vaguely registered her wedding dress slipping from her shoulders. Without breaking away from his devouring mouth, her fingers found the buttons on his shirt, and it joined her dress on the floor.

He groaned deep in his throat when they came together, skin to fevered skin. He lifted his head when the hard ridge of his erection pressed into her.

She barely recognized his voice. “I want you very badly, but are you sure, Holly?”

She didn’t want to talk, she didn’t want to consider the implications of what they were doing. All she knew was that she wanted him. Her answer was to unclasp his belt and push his pants to his ankles.

He grinned as he lowered her with utmost care to the thick carpet.

About the Author

Maggie Tideswell, internationally acclaimed bestselling South African author, has a passion for romance. All over the world people are falling in love, making it love, not money, that makes the world go round.

Ghosts just can’t seem to leave her alone and she combines things that can’t be explained, sweaty bodies and rumpled beds in a way that will make your toes curl and your hair stand on end.

Maggie just can’t do without perfume, coffee and the internet. She is nearly as passionate about food as she is about creating alpha heroes every woman will fall in love with, just as she does, every time.
The strangest thing is that cats have never played any kind of role in her stories, as she is owned by three of them.

That might change soon.

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