Sneak Peek Sunday … Will she or won’t she?

Welcome to Sara Walter Ellwood’s Sneak Peek Sunday!

It’s hard to believe it’s been weeks since my last peek, but it’s been a busy summer. Much going on with the day job and family (all good, thank you) and I’m happily at work on edits on the first book in my 1920s romantic mystery series. (There will be more news on that to come.)

What have you been up to during these dog days of summer?

In a race to find Excalibur . . .
Who knew they’d find love?

Today, I’m taking a break from edits to offer one last peek from SEARCH FOR CAMELOT, a romantic comedy about a wisecracking American college student and a cool-mannered British bluestocking who find love when they join together to search for the fabled sword Excalibur.

Philadelphia, London, Glastonbury. June 1892.
On the eve of his college graduation, Arthur Pierce comes into an unusual inheritance, a 16th century parchment that contains a clue to the location of King Arthur’s sword. Is it for real? Or a hoax?

To find out, Arthur joins with his arch nemesis from the classroom, the scholarly Chelsea Delafield. It’s Chelsea who holds the key to deciphering the ancient clue and following its trail, which begins in her home town of London.

In previous peeks, Chelsea and Arthur posed as bickering newlyweds aboard a steamship to London, where they confirmed that, not only is the parchment authentic, but King Arthur too is more than legend. He was a mysterious fifth century military leader who once walked the earth in a place called Glastonbury.

In today’s peek, Arthur is leaving for Glastonbury, but Chelsea’s role is done. London is her home, and now that she’s finished college, her loving but conservative family has perfectly reasonable expectations for her to meet. Those expectations don’t include running off with a handsome, totally unsuitable American on a madcap treasure hunt.

Chelsea can’t risk ruining her reputation and scandalizing her dear parents just for the sake of one last fling at adventure, love and passion… Can she?

*

Arthur didn’t answer her. Instead, he studied her face, and Chelsea suddenly felt as transparent as window glass. “Chelsea,” he began, taking a deep breath.

“You should go. You’ll miss your train.”

After a moment of awkward silence, he nodded, then turned and started to walk away. Chelsea squeezed her hands into fists as he took a few more steps, then slowed, then stopped, then swung back around to face her. “Oh hell, why don’t you come with me?”

“What?”

“Come with me.”

Chelsea’s heart thumped. All it would take was one word from her. Yes. Her feet almost moved. Almost. Her heels rose off the ground for one indecisive second. Yes! a voice urged in her mind. But she couldn’t. “I can’t,” she said numbly.

“Why not?” He dropped his suitcase to the ground and then suddenly had her by the shoulders, his fingers burning through the material of her blouse, his mesmerizing blue eyes threatening to make mincemeat of her newfound resolve. “Why not?”

*

What do you think? Has this crazy magical quest come to an end for Chelsea? Is it time for her to grow up and forget childish dreams of adventure and romance?

SEARCH FOR CAMELOT is available at ITUNES, AMAZON, and SMASH WORDS.

For more fun sneak peeks, hop on over to SNEAK PEEK SUNDAY HERE!