The Courtship (Sherbrooke Brides 5)

And so they carefully wrapped the lamp in soft, warm clothes and put it into the iron cask. Spenser could not bear to hide the scroll again. It was a historic find. It was meant to be studied by scholars into the future.

They buried the iron cask in a meadow about one mile east of Shugborough Hall. They buried it very deep. They did not mark where they had buried it.

No one would ever find it.

In the years to come, they remembered the lamp only when they received letters from scholars asking to examine the leather scroll. Or when Helen chanced to visit the graveyard and pause at Mrs. Freelady’s grave.

Local people made up tales about the lamp to while away the long winter evenings. But even they, after a time, forgot that it had ever sat atop the mantel at Shugborough Hall. It passed into local lore.

Lord Prith ceased experimenting with his fine champagne, saying that the mimosa was perfection itself and he could not hope to outdo it, although he could not like the name.

And, over the years, to no one’s surprise, one of the Beecham children’s favorite stories was “Aladdin and the Magic Lamp.”

Dear Reader:

I’ve got an unexpected treat for you. Just turn the page and read an excerpt from Stardoc, the first novel in a science fiction series by Sheila Viehl. You’ll meet Cherijo, an Earth doctor, and Kao, a Jorenian, as they deal with each other and with an array of wildly fascinating otherworldly characters. This novel will keep you laughing, and the love story will make you smile.

I’m not a regular science fiction reader, but this novel transcends the genre. I was hooked from the first page.

Give it a try and let me know what you think of my recommendation.

Get ready for superb cosmic entertainment.

BEFORE I REALIZED IT, I was out the door panel and walking, so wrapped up in my thoughts that I didn’t notice where my feet were taking me. That had happened a lot to me since Karas had died. Absently, I followed one of the pathways leading to the Cultural Center. A few minutes later I found myself in some type of gallery.

It was the flickering light that finally drew my complete attention. I had wandered into the Hall of Art and Expression, which was filled with works by some of the most talented paint sculptors, and light manipulators in the colony. I’d never found the time to tour it properly. It was beautiful.

I stopped before a particularly fascinating illuminated sequence of deep-space microorganisms. The tiny critters, found in asteroid belts, hosted even smaller parasites. The purity of the blues and greens intermingled with the most astonishing bursts of bioluminescent light.

“Beautiful,” a deep voice said quietly next to my ear. I yelped and nearly jumped out of my skin. Jorenian males had the pesky ability to be absolutely soundless whenever they wanted.

“Don’t do that!” I snapped. He smiled at me, and my irritation diminished a few degrees. “Sorry, I didn’t hear you.”

“I know,” he said. “I have been following you since you entered the gallery, and twice I have called your name.”

Had I been that lost in thought? “I thought you were going to signal me when you got off work,” I said.

“I attempted to. You were not in your quarters.” He studied my face. “You are distressed.”

“Are Jorenians capable of telepathy?” I said.

“Empathy is not uncommon among those who Choose,” Kao said. He gave me a significant look, then folded my hand in his. “Walk with me.”

We made our way down the long hall, and Kao quietly commented on the artworks we passed. I didn’t concentrate on the compositions or even what he said. It was soothing just to be with him, to hear the deep music of his voice. At last we stopped at an observation dome, where the entire night sky of K-2 sparkled above us in a glittering display of moons and stars.

Kao turned me to face him and cupped my shoulder with one large hand. “Tell me about what has happened.”

I didn’t want to talk about Maggie, or the tense moments with the Binder. Instead I found myself describing the unpleasant encounter with Harold Springfield.

“Cherijo, did he harm you?”

Something in Kao’s voice made me look up. My eyes widened. His expression was ominously still.

“Of course not.” Why was he acting like this? I knew Jorenians didn’t appreciate someone hurting their relatives, but I wasn’t part of the family. “He never laid a hand on me, Kao. Even if he had, I could have handled him.”

He ignored that. “Did he threaten you?”

Evidently I did qualify for the same ferocious protection. “No.” As much as I disliked Kyle’s father, I didn’t want to see him in a lot of small pieces all over the colony. “He didn’t do anything to me. Stop it.”