The Fire's Center Read online

  The Fire's Center

  Book 1 of The Fire of Love Series

  Shannon Farrell

  Unemployed governess Riona Connolly is willing to do anything to save her family from starvation during the Irish Potato Famine. When she meets the handsome Dr. Lucien Woulfe, who offers her post at his clinic, it seems a dream come true.

  No man has ever stimulated Riona so completely, in mind and body. Yet she knows her burning attraction to her sensual employer is forbidden in the straight-laced, class-conscious society of Victorian Dublin.

  Lucien never imagined he would ever meet a woman who could share his life so perfectly. A dedicated doctor who has been wounded by love in the past, he has no time for relationships. Yet one look at Riona, and he burns with a passion which soon grows all-consuming for them both.

  But as the Famine rages, and brings a deadly series of fevers with it. Riona and Lucien must walk through the fire’s center to secure their happiness before it is destroyed by the enemies aligning themselves against the unsuspecting couple, and by the vagaries of Fate.

  Can their fiery love win through to a bright future, or will it too become yet another casualty of the Great Blight?

  After an hour of quizzing her verbally, Lucien pronounced himself more than satisfied with her medical knowledge, and decided to give her a slide test.

  "Here, you keep looking down the microscope, and I'll hand you the slides one by one, so you can’t peek at the labels," he suggested.

  "All right," Riona agreed, and soon began rattling off the names of the samples he handed her.

  Lucien stood close bedside Riona, as if drawn there by some magnetic force. Try as he might, he couldn’t take his eyes off the tempting flesh of her arms and the shadowy curve of her breasts as they worked side by side.

  Though surrounded by flowers in the study, which the maid had put there to brighten up the otherwise rather dull room, Lucien could also smell her own distinctive perfume, fresh, wholesome, and infinitely more alluring that the Parisian concoctions his female acquaintances practically bathed themselves in for formal functions.

  Suddenly she held out her hand and asked, "Next one, please?"

  Lucien jumped out of his reverie for a moment to hand her the glass slide, but all of a sudden he found himself grasping her fingers tightly instead.

  As Riona looked up from the microscope in surprise, Lucien took a step closer to her and pulled her into his warm embrace.

  Riona’s lips parted with a gasp, so that Lucien had free access to the tempting delights of her mouth, and the hungry kiss they shared soon left them wanting more.

  Lucien ran his hands up and down the length of Riona’s spine, and he thanked God silently that she wore no corsets as he caressed her feminine fullness above and below.

  Riona for her own part tried to remain stiff and unyielding in his torrid embrace, but the heat of his passion melted her reserve. She soon found her arms creeping around his neck, while her lips slanted across his mouth to deepen the kiss even further.

  Lucien laced his fingers through Riona’s hair, scattering pins and her silk ribbon all about the room as her auburn locks tumbled down around her shoulders. He began to kiss her face and neck then, nuzzling her hair, before whispering, "Lovely, so lovely," in her shell-like ear.

  Lucien knew he ought to stop. Had to stop. But the vibrant woman he held in his arms worked on him like some powerful drug. The more he took liberties with Riona, the bolder he became. The more she matched his caresses, and the more inflamed he grew…

  Reviews:

  "This is another beautifully sensual historical novel by the remarkably talented Ms. MacMurrough." -- Carolyn Stone, Under the Covers Book Reviews

  Ms. MacMurrough’s ability to depict people, settings and events is remarkable, making every word of this novel a pleasure. -- Evelyn Trimborn, Harlequin Hearts

  Passionately intense, this a book you will savor every word of, and remember long after you have finished it. -- Jacinta Carey, The Starbuck Series

  REVIEWS:

  The Fire's Centre

  Top 50 ebook at Amazon

  Reviews from bn.com and Amazon

  Captivating

  During the time of the Irish Potato Famine, young Riona Connolly takes a post at the clinic of handsome doctor Lucien Woulfe. She is overwhelmed by his kindness to her; he is awed by her intelligence and beauty.

  But their growing friendship and attraction to each other is frowned upon in the straight-laced society of Victorian Dublin, where social status is everything, and the plight of the poor of little concern to the upper classes.

  Riona shakes the very foundations of Lucien’s world as one by one she exposes his sister-in-law Antoinette, (Lucien’s former fiancee), and many of his colleagues, as the selfish and deceitful frauds they really are.

  Even more cataclysmic, though, is the fiery passion the two of them share. Appalled at his lack of control around Riona, Lucien tries to resist her charms. But the fire between them and within Riona’s heart refuses to be quenched.

  From the moment the couple meet amid a huge storm, we know they are made for one another, but will have a tempestuous road ahead of them. The author takes us with the couple every step of the way, drawing a fascinating portrait of one of the darkest times in Irish history, and the brightest love between two captivating characters.

  The author's ability to depict people, settings and events is remarkable, making every word of this novel a pleasure to read.

  A mesmerizing romance

  Riona Connolly is determined to help her impoverished family by going to Dublin to look for her missing father and find work. A chance meeting with Dr. Lucien Woulfe changes the course of her life forever.

  Lucien is willing to see her as more than just a poor woman, recognizing her intelligence and courage. Asking her to become his nurse and assess the needs of the poor may not be the right thing to do in the eyes of stuffy Victorian society, but as the Famine rages, Lucien decides propriety be damned.

  Riona is thrilled at the opportunity to help others and study with such a fine doctor, but her interest in her employer goes from professional to personal as they spend more and more time together. Soon the passion simmering between them bursts into a full conflagration.

  Lucien, shocked at the depth of his love for Riona and need for her, tries to pretend that none of it ever happened. Riona, hurt but also determined to make something of her life with or without Lucien’s help, forges a career for herself despite the limited opportunities for women, and especially women of her class and religion, in 1840s Ireland.

  Lucien soon realizes that he has underestimated Riona and the genuine love they shared. Can he win her back before it's too late?

  This is a mesmerizing novel of love, loss, suffering and redemption, with a spirited hero and heroine center-stage, drawing the reader into a remarkably well-drawn world. Passionately intense, this a book you will savor every word of, and remember long after you have finished it.

  A beautiful and compelling novel

  Riona Connolly, desperate for work so she can support her family, is thrilled at the chance to work at Dr. Lucien Woulfe’s clinic, even if it is in the poorest slum in Dublin.

  Some of his friends and family look down on her as being a peasant, but Lucien can see things that others can’t: her courage, intelligence, selfless devotion to others, and her beauty and passion. Draw to her like a moth to a flame, he is scorched by desire, and terrified that he is falling in love.

  His last relationship to the faithless Antoinette ended when she married his brother. This is a minor inconvenience to the scheming woman as she plots to win Lucien back as her lover.

  Riona, far from being overawed by Dublin’s upper-class, find
s them vain, selfish, and debauched. As Antoinette moves against her, and the evil Dr. O’Carroll blackens her name, Riona knows that she and Lucien can never be happy together with so many people trying to pull them apart.

  Determined to carve out a good life for herself through hard work and study, she leaves Lucien to return to her family in Donegal.

  Only when Riona is gone does Lucien come to recognize her true worth. But circumstances have raged out of control, and he nearly loses almost everything he has cared about before he sees at last what a wonderful gift of love they share.

  This is a beautiful novel, with two compelling characters and a set of events which propel them toward growth, understanding and love. We are not just following a moving romance and passionately sensual love affair, but the march of history, in this exceptional work by this remarkably talented author."

  Brilliant!

  Couldn’t put it down! Moving and tragic, the heroine copes with everything life throws at her. The hero is stunning as well, to fearful to let love into his life until he almost loses everything. The love scenes are sensual but tasteful, and the novel is sure to be a winner with anyone like myself looking for something that little bit different from traditional romances.

  Fascinating

  This was a fascinating novel of the Famine. The heroine Riona Connolly has to move heaven and earth to save her family and win the man she loves. The dark forces at work against her in the form of Lucien’s ex-fiancee, and a horrible doctor who works with him, nearly cost her everything.

  Lucien is an admirable hero, married to his work, hide-bound by society’s expectations of him. He is an honorable and decent man, if a bit traditional, and terrified of falling in love. The last thing he ever imagines is that he will fall for a young woman from the wilds of Donegal.

  The magic between them is felt by both, resisted by both. In the end it brings them together, for the force of their destiny and the heat of their passion cannot be denied. Both bring out the best in each other, in the worst of times.

  Both show true courage and decency, and the passion which shimmers between them nearly scorches the pages! But don’t worry, there is nothing crude here. The love scenes are really beautifully done.

  A wonderful cast of supporting characters as real to me as my own family and friends, and gorgeous descriptions of their travels in Ireland, make this book well worth reading.

  Awesome

  Another fantastic novel from this talented author. I was moved to tears reading it. The love scenes are fabulous, the hero and heroine made for each other, and the action is superb. I enjoyed every word of it.

  Simply divine

  Another great book from this fantastic author. Gutsy and determined heroine, real life issues, and sultry romance. Don’t miss it.

  The Fire's Center

  Shannon Farrell

  HerStory Books

  Dedication: To my family, with love and gratitude.

  Copyright First Edition 1998

  Originally published in the UK and US as The Fire's Centre

  Second Edition The Fire's Center, with all new additional material, 2009

  ISBN: 978-1-58345-147-2

  HerStory Books

  9511 Shore Road, Suite 514

  Brooklyn, NY 11209

  I think continually of those who were truly great,

  The names of those who in their lives fought for life,

  Who wore at their hearts the fire’s centre,

  Born of the sun they travelled to the sun,

  And left the vivid air signed with their names—

  Stephen Spender

  Chapter One

  March 1847

  Riona Connolly trudged along the muddy road, shifting the bundle on her back slightly to ease its drag on her thin shoulders. She managed to pull her shawl up over her thick auburn waves just before the torrential downpour began.

  Looking left and right through the pelting rain with her large sapphire blue eyes, Riona sought in vain for any sign of shelter. There were no cottages, no trees on this barren stretch of road of southern Donegal. So far as she knew, the next town wasn’t for miles yet.

  She debated as to whether or not she should turn back to Letterkenny. At least there she would be certain to find a stable to bed down in for the night. She had no idea what awaited her up ahead.

  But the pressing need to help her family and find her father caused her to put one foot in front of the other with dogged determination. At least she had wrapped her bundle up well in an old waterproof cloth, she thought optimistically. It would keep the worst of the rain off her back until she could find a place to take refuge.

  As darkness descended rapidly over the bleak northern landscape, the deluge continued unabated, drenching the sedge and gorse. She prayed the land would blossom and grow again once more soon. That the pestilence which had caused the dire Famine would at last ease its stranglehold upon the countryside.

  She crossed herself and offered up a quick prayer for the thousands of victims who had been claimed since the Potato Blight had struck, and another prayer for her lost loved ones.

  Suddenly, Riona paused and turned her head back in the direction of Letterkenny. In the distance, she thought she could hear the clatter of horses’ hooves on the rough road. Soon she espied a dim light heading towards her.

  The rain was still coming down in torrents. Did she dare try to get their attention, and ask for a lift? Surely if they were decent people, they wouldn’t mind her riding on the back or top of the coach?

  She wouldn’t even leave a dog out on a night like this, she thought with a shiver as the last rays of sunlight dipped below the horizon, and the chill spring evening tightened its icy grip.

  Mustering her courage and optimism, she stood by the side of the road and waved. To her relief, the huge black carriage drew to a halt next to her, and the door swung open.

  "Get in quickly, before you drown," a deep voice commanded.

  "No, really sir, I can always ride on the back," Riona protested, stepping back from the circle of light the coach lanterns gave off.

  "Nonsense, child, come inside at once before you catch your death. I’m a doctor. I have no desire to end up with a corpse in the luggage boot. Now get in," he ordered.

  He reached out to pull her up by her wrist as though she were as light as a feather, and deposited her in the seat across from him.

  Then he pulled the door closed, and banged on the roof of the carriage with his knuckles to signal to the driver to move on.

  "Well, Miss, what’s a tiny slip of a girl like you doing walking on the road at this late hour, and in the pouring rain?" the dark-haired stranger inquired, his unusual golden eyes resting upon her dripping form speculatively for a moment.

  "I’m looking for my father, sir. The last I heard from him, he was working in Dublin for a family called Trevor. But we haven’t heard from him for so long now, I'm beginning to wonder if he's fallen ill, or lost his place."

  His elegant black brows drew downwards over his rare eyes. "I see. How long has it been since you last had word?"

  "Since before the winter," she said, settling back into the leather seat a bit more comfortably now that she could see her companion appeared kind and not liable to scold her for soaking the interior.

  "He'd been sending us money, but without his assistance, and the huge rise in the price of food, well, my family and I have had a terrible winter."

  "I can see that. You're skin and bone, lass."

  She blushed at his assessing look, but reminded herself he was a medical man. He was certainly all man, she thought suddenly, trying not to stare at his spectacular dark good looks.

  "So why are you on the road now?"

  "I need to find him. We've been coping the best we can, but we need to know what happened to him. As soon as the weather improved and the roads were free of snow, I began my journey from Dunfanaghy, about a week ago. So far the weather hasn’t been too bad. That is until the sky opened up about a
n hour ago." Riona grimaced as she took off her dripping shawl to reveal her masses of auburn hair, and removed her parcel from her back.