Mosaic of Wings (Dreams of India) , livre ebook

Baker Publishing Group - Kimberly Duffy

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203 pages

English

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It's 1885, and all Nora Shipley wants, now that she's graduating from Cornell University as valedictorian of the entomology program, is to follow in her late father's footsteps by getting her master's degree and taking over the scientific journal he started. The only way to uphold her father's legacy is to win a scholarship, so she joins a research expedition in Kodaikanal, India, to prove herself in the field.India isn't what she expects, though, and neither is the rival classmate who accompanies her, Owen Epps. As her preconceptions of India--and of Owen--fall away, she finds both far more captivating than she expected. Forced by the expedition leader to stay at camp and illustrate exotic butterflies the men of the team find without her, Nora befriends Sita, a young Indian girl who has been dedicated to a goddess against her will. In this spellbinding new land, Nora is soon faced with impossible choices--between saving Sita and saving her career, and between what she's always thought she wanted and the man she's come to love.

Sujets

Historical romance

Informations

Publié par	Baker Publishing Group
Date de parution	05 mai 2020
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781493425198
Langue	English
Poids de l'ouvrage	2 Mo

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0384€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

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Praise for A Mosaic of Wings
“ A Mosaic of Wings is a beautifully rendered historical novel of depth and emotion. I hope you find it and its heroine as captivating as I have. I’m predicting this is the first of many for this emerging fiction talent.”
—Jerry B. Jenkins, novelist, biographer, and founder of the Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild
“Nora Shipley isn’t your average historical romance heroine. She is an entomologist—a corset-wearing, nineteenth-century graduate of Cornell University who is fascinated by bugs. This unique premise had me eager to dig into A Mosaic of Wings . Painful mistakes, romance, adventure, courage, and an endearing hero kept me engaged and turning those pages until the very satisfying end. An excellent first novel by Kimberly Duffy.”
—Tessa Afshar, award-winning author of Daughter of Rome
“Grab a cup of masala tea and journey to exotic India in the company of two unforgettable characters who learn that love isn’t always what it seems and choices have consequences beyond their wildest dreams. A Mosaic of Wings inspires, educates, and entertains. This is one debut novel you won’t want to miss!”
—Laura Frantz, Christy Award–winning author of An Uncommon Woman
“This vivid, vibrant tale is a powerful journey that will challenge the reader’s heart, mind, and soul.”
—Kristi Ann Hunter, RITA Award–winning author of A Pursuit of Home
Title Page
Copyright Page
© 2020 by Kimberly Duffy
Published by Bethany House Publishers
11400 Hampshire Avenue South
Bloomington, Minnesota 55438
www.bethanyhouse.com
Bethany House Publishers is a division of
Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan
www.bakerpublishinggroup.com
Ebook edition created 2020
Ebook corrections 08.26.2022
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
ISBN 978-1-4934-2519-8
This is a work of historical reconstruction; the appearances of certain historical figures are therefore inevitable. All other characters, however, are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Cover design by Jennifer Parker
Author is represented by the Books & Such Literary Agency.
Dedication
To the Creator of all things.
You heard a little girl’s dream
and wove a story greater than anything she imagined.
And to Grainne, my aspiring entomologist.
I love how much you love creation.
You make me see the world in a different way.
Contents
Cover
Praise for A Mosaic of Wings
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Part One
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Part Two
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
Part Three
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
Author’s Note
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Back Ads
Back Cover
Part One: Ithaca, New York
Chapter One
N ora Shipley’s ears buzzed as though a thousand bees were trapped inside her head. Her back stiffened against the dining chair. She forced her grip on the May issue of The Journal of Eastern Flora and Fauna to relax, smoothing the creases at the corner of the page with her thumb.
Nora placed the journal on the table and gazed at her stepfather, Lucius Ward. Society deemed the house Nora grew up in his. But it wasn’t really. Her father, Alexander Shipley, had bought this house when he secured his teaching job at Cornell University. It would always be her father’s house, yet Lucius sat in her father’s chair across the dining table from her, calmly eating his eggs, not realizing she barely contained an angry swarm behind her pinched lips.
Lucius wiped his mouth with a napkin. “Well, Nora, what do you think of our latest printing?”
Nora took a bite of toast to avoid answering. She flipped the periodical open to the most offensive spot, page sixteen. The advertisement, titled in a ridiculous and fanciful font, called for submissions from those willing to pay to have their articles published. As she chewed her toast into nonexistence, she silently read the destruction of her father’s well-respected nature journal.
Finally, she swallowed and looked up. “Have you turned the journal into a commission publisher?”
Lucius’s eyes darted to Nora’s mother, who sat at the end of the table. Lydia Ward made a small sound in her throat, then placed her attention firmly on her teacup.
Putting his fork down, Lucius coughed. “I had no choice. It was no longer self-supporting.”
Nora raised a brow. “Really? It did fine under my father’s control.”
Red infused Lucius’s face. Nora couldn’t tell if it was from embarrassment or anger—he looked the same with both emotions. “You forget I was his partner. We started the journal together.”
Nora remained silent. She glanced at her mother, who motioned for their housemaid, Alice, to refill her cup. Mother always drank tea when she was upset.
Nora turned her attention back to the periodical and flipped through, slapping it down on the table when she found the offending article. Jabbing at the title, she lifted her eyes from the page. “Is this what you will be publishing from now on? Articles from hobbyists, rife with inaccuracies?” Nora could hardly hear her words, muffled as they were by the furious sound of the bees trapped inside her head. “As a biologist, why would you be willing to promote bad science? It’s misleading. And more than that, it mocks the exceptional reputation this magazine has earned.”
Lucius sighed and scrubbed his thick fingers over his jowls. “I can’t pour more of my own money into it. If it doesn’t generate income, it will become defunct. I know you don’t want that. Neither of us do.”
Nora reached for the napkin beside her plate and twisted it between her fingers. She shook her head. “But you knew the author was wrong. Why didn’t you edit the article? This isn’t the same academic journal you ran with Father.”
Lucius had taught biology at Cornell University for twenty years, until he was abruptly released the winter before. A bright man, he dabbled in all facets of natural science—entomology, botany, chemistry—and knew the difference between solid research and vain posturing. What would their subscribers think when they read this month’s issue? They couldn’t possibly take it seriously.
Lucius waved his hand at the journal beside her plate. “These writers, they’re so fragile. Correct them, and they pull their work and commission.”
Nora shot to her feet, and the bees forced themselves out. “You’ll turn my father’s legacy into a laughingstock. I do not want to publish a journal that compromises his intent.”
Lucius clambered from his chair and placed his knuckles on the table. He leaned forward, and Nora saw the flecks of mahogany flame against his brown eyes. Even though he spoke in a low tone, she didn’t miss the warning in his voice. “It’s a good thing, then, that this isn’t your periodical. Nor is it, any longer, your father’s.”
His words stung, and Nora pressed the napkin to her middle.
“Alice,” Mother called, her voice trembling, “please help me to my room. I believe I’m tired.”
“You’ve upset your mother.” Lucius placed a beefy hand beneath Lydia’s arm. “Let me help you, my dear.”
Mother stood, then swayed.
Nora’s anger fled at the sight of her mother’s white face and quivering lips. “I’m sorry, Mother.”
Mother gave her a little smile, took Alice’s arm, and left the room on silent steps.
Lucius sat and picked up his fork. “You’re always sorry, Nora, but you speak without thought. It’s not entirely your fault. Your father did you no favors in leaving you that inheritance without stipulation. A young woman would do better to marry than pursue a degree she will never be able to use.”
Nora listened to Lucius prattle. She’d heard it before. Four years earlier, when he’d married her mother, Lucius had tried to convince Nora it would be wasteful for her to pursue a college degree. It galled him that Nora had ignored his advice and spent the inheritance her father left her on attending Cornell. In two weeks she’d have her bachelor of entomology. With determined application, Nora had been able to complete her degree in three years. Her money was gone, but what she had used it for would always be accessible in the form of an education.
“Your father should have known better, letting you believe you could—”
Nora blinked. “My father was a man of integrity and intellect.”
Lucius slurped at his cup. When he set it down, tea sloshed over the rim and spread in a circle on the snowy white tablecloth. “Yes. He was also idealistic. Too idealistic, if you ask me. You need to marry, Nora. There’s nothing admirable about becoming a spinster, especially when you’re an only child. Your mother wants grandchildren.” His voice turned almost plaintive, and he leaned toward her. “Let me introduce you to my friend. Mr. Primrose is successful and intelligent.”
Nora groaned. “I’ve already told you I’m not interested in marrying right now. If you’ll excuse me, I have a meeting with Professor Comstock in an hour, and I must prepare.”
She swept from the room, her skirts swishing around her ankles. She couldn’t listen to another word. Lucius was unbearable, and she was glad there were men in the world like her father and John Comstock. Men who viewed a woman’s intellect on par with a man’s. Men who believed God had made women in His image, not as a pale imitation of Adam.
Nora climbed the steps to the second floor and stopped to peer into her mother’s bedroom. Through the dotted Swiss curtains of the canopied bed, she saw Mother reclining atop a pile of pillows, her hand against her head.
“Are you well, Mother?”
“Yes, quite, darling. I’m just going to rest awhil