Wooing the Farmer Read online

  Penelope Huntingdon-Stewart, highly successful clean-eating food vlogger and owner of the website Penny’s Kitchen, is looking for a new direction for her brand. At least that’s what she tells herself when she retreats to Axedale to record a new web series and write a cookbook. That sounds so much better than damage control after her only live, on-screen interview ends in an oh-so-public epileptic seizure.

  Farmer Sam McQuade is immediately attracted to Penelope, but the ultra femme and high maintenance city girl seems way out of her league. When Penelope struggles to get her health on track, Quade insists on being her knight in shining armor, much to Penelope’s displeasure. Quade is annoyingly good-looking, not to mention kindhearted, and falling for her would be so easy. If only it didn’t force Penelope to face the secrets she’s hidden from everyone. Can love alone bring a complex city girl and a simple rural farmer together?

  What Reviewers Say About Jenny Frame’s Work

  Unexpected

  “[Jenny Frame] has this beautiful way of writing a phenomenally hot scene while incorporating the love and tenderness between the couple.”—Les Rêveur

  “If you enjoy contemporary romances, Unexpected is a great choice. The character work is excellent, the plotting and pacing are well done, and it’s a just a sweet, warm read. …Definitely pick this book up when you’re looking for your next comfort read, because it’s sure to put a smile on your face by the time you get to that happy ending.”—Curve

  “Unexpected by Jenny Frame is a charming butch/femme romance that is perfect for anyone who wants to feel the magic of overcoming adversity and finding true love. I love the way Jenny Frame writes. I have yet to discover an author who writes like her. Her voice is strong and unique and gives a freshness to the lesbian fiction sector.”—Lesbian Review

  Royal Rebel

  “Frame’s stories are easy to follow and really engaging. She stands head and shoulders above a number of the romance authors and it’s easy to see why she is quickly making a name for herself in lesfic romance.”—The Lesbian Review

  Courting the Countess

  “I love Frame’s romances. They are well paced, filled with beautiful character moments and a wonderful set of side characters who ultimately end up winning your heart. …I love Jenny Frame’s butch/femme dynamic she gets it so right for a romance.”—The Lesbian Review

  “I loved loved loved this book. I didn’t expect to get so involved in the story but I couldn’t help but fall in love with Annie and Harry. …The love scenes were beautifully written and very sexy. I found the whole book romantic and ultimately joyful and I had a lump in my throat on more than one occasion. A wonderful book that certainly stirred my emotions…”—KittyKat Book Reviews

  “Courting The Countess has an historical feel in a present day world, a thought provoking tale filled with raw emotions throughout. [Frame] has a magical way of pulling you in, making you feel every emotion her characters experience.”—Lunar Rainbow Reviewz

  “I didn’t want to put the book down and I didn’t. Harry and Annie are two amazingly written characters that bring life to the pages as they find love and adventures in Harry’s home. This is a great read, and you will enjoy it immensely if you give it a try!”—Fantastic Book Reviews

  A Royal Romance

  “A Royal Romance was a guilty pleasure read for me. It was just fun to see the relationship develop between George and Bea, to see George’s life as queen and Bea’s as a commoner. It was also refreshing to see that both of their families were encouraging, even when Bea doubted that things could work between them because of their class differences. …A Royal Romance left me wanting a sequel, and romances don’t usually do that to me.”—Leeanna.ME Mostly a Book Blog

  Charming the Vicar

  “The sex scenes were some of the sexiest, most intimate and quite frankly, sensual I have read in a while. Jenny Frame had me hooked and I re-read a few scenes because I felt like I needed to experience the intense intimacy between Finn and Bridget again. The devotion they showed to one another during these sex scenes but also in the intimate moments was gripping and for lack of a better word, carnal.”—Les Rêveur

  The sexual chemistry between [Finn and Bridge] is unbelievably hot. It is sexy, lustful and with more than a hint of kink. Bridge has an overpowering effect on Finn as her long-hidden sexuality comes to the fore. The scenes between them are highly erotic—and not just the sex scenes. The tension is ramped up so well that I felt the characters would explode if they did not get relief! …An excellent book set in the most wonderful village—a place I hope to return to very soon!”—Kitty Kat’s Book Review Blog

  Heart of the Pack

  “A really well written love story that incidentally involves changers as well as humans.”—Inked Rainbow Reads

  Hunger for You

  “[Byron and Amelia] are guaranteed to get the reader all hot and bothered. Jenny Frame writes brilliant love scenes in all of her books and makes me believe the characters crave each other.”—Kitty Kat’s Book Review Blog

  “I loved this book. Paranormal stuff like vampires and werewolves are my go-to sins. This book had literally everything I needed: chemistry between the leads, hot love scenes (phew), drama, angst, romance (oh my, the romance) and strong supporting characters.”—The Reading Doc

  Wooing the Farmer

  Brought to you by

  eBooks from Bold Strokes Books, Inc.

  http://www.boldstrokesbooks.com

  eBooks are not transferable. They cannot be sold, shared or given away as it is an infringement on the copyright of this work.

  Please respect the rights of the author and do not file share.

  Wooing the Farmer

  © 2019 By Jenny Frame. All Rights Reserved.

  ISBN 13: 978-1-63555-382-6

  This Electronic Book is published by

  Bold Strokes Books, Inc.

  P.O. Box 249

  Valley Falls, New York 12185

  First Edition: March 2019

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission.

  Credits

  Editor: Ruth Sternglantz

  Production Design: Susan Ramundo

  Cover Design By Sheri ([email protected])

  By the Author

  A Royal Romance

  Heart of the Pack

  Courting the Countess

  Royal Rebel

  Dapper

  Unexpected

  Charming the Vicar

  Hunger for You

  Soul of the Pack

  Wooing the Farmer

  Acknowledgments

  Thanks to Rad, Sandy, and all the BSB team for all their hard work behind the scenes. Big thanks to Ruth Sternglantz for her endless encouragement and always making the editing process fun.

  As always, thanks to my family for their continuing support and encouragement.

  Lou, thank you for your unshakable loyalty and belief in me. Thank you for taking care of me and always doing more than you should. To my other true love, my dog Barney, thank you for keeping me company while I write. You are the bestest boy!

  xx

  Dedication

  To Lou.

  My inspiration and my love.

  xx

  Chapter One

  “Your car’s here, Little Pen.”

  Penelope zipped up the last bag on her bed and shouted, “I’ll be down soon, Mummy.”

  She looked around her bedroom in her parents’ Victorian mansion
in Mayfair and let out a sigh of relief. As much as she adored her parents, she’d had enough of being Little Pen. Once she got outside their door, she wasn’t Little Pen, the baby—she was Penny Huntingdon-Stewart, successful businesswoman and social media personality. Penny knew more than anyone the power of names, both on herself and others. The Huntingdon-Stewart name had been like a weight around her neck all her life.

  A bark from her little dog brought her attention back to the bed. Princess Baby Bear, to give the dog its full name, was Penny’s brown toy poodle, and her baby. She co-starred on Penny’s YouTube channel, her Instagram account, and in the books and TV series she did, not to mention being the love of Penny’s life. They were a team and Penny didn’t go anywhere without her. She groomed her like a cute teddy bear and not like a traditional poodle, but Princess was never seen without the cutest little clothes that complemented Penny’s style.

  “What is it?” Penny said to Princess. “You want to go and see Grandpa?”

  Princess adored her father and enjoyed nothing more than lying on his lap by the fire. “Wait, I just need one photo and you can go.”

  As if understanding what Penny needed, Princess sat on the suitcase on the bed while Penny gathered a few things to set up the picture she wanted for social media.

  “Okay, we got the cute, the hint of new beginnings, and now…”

  Penny grasped the copy of Lady Chatterley’s Lover she had borrowed from her parents’ library and placed it on the case.

  “For the hint of sex.”

  Penny held up her phone and, happy with the set-up, said, “Smile, Princess.”

  After the click, Princess barked again excitedly. The photo was exactly what she needed so she said, “Off you go then. I’ll meet you downstairs in a few minutes.”

  There was a knock on her door as Princess rushed out, and her big brother Hugo came into her room. “Are you ready, Pen? Let me take your bags.”

  “Thanks Go-Go. It’s these last two.” Penny had found it difficult to pronounce Hugo when she began to talk as a child, and so Hugo became Go-Go, and it stuck.

  She checked one of the bags for the hundredth time it seemed, to make sure her large stock of medication was all there. The medication that ruled her life, that she couldn’t have a life without.

  Everything was there, so she put her book in her holdall and zipped it.

  Hugo picked them up and said, “Are you sure you don’t want me to come with you, just to help with the bags and boxes?”

  Penny loved her big brother and her big sister very much, but she needed space. She needed space after living back with her parents for the past six months. Penny was fiercely independent, ran her own business, and she had not expected to be back in her old bedroom at age thirty, but her health problems had forced her to be.

  “I’ll be fine with the boxes. I’ve got my two drivers. I’m more worried about the mud and muck than the heavy boxes.”

  Hugo laughed. “I’m sorry, I just can’t imagine my little sister as a country girl. You live for shopping, art galleries, lunch with the girls at the best restaurants. I don’t know how you’ll survive.”

  Penny frowned and looked down at her Gucci pumps and despaired at the thought of getting them dirty.

  “It’s not my idea of a good time, Go-Go. The mud, the strange smells. Yuck. It’s Olivia’s idea, and she’s never steered me wrong yet…well, hardly.”

  Olivia, Penny’s friend from school and business partner, had helped build Penny’s Kitchen from a small YouTube cookery show and vlog, to TV shows, branded food in supermarkets, and a social media sensation.

  But since Penny collapsed on live TV and was taken to hospital with an epilepsy attack, she had withdrawn from her social media empire, and rumours and lies had spread about her health. So now Penny was ready to get back out there after recuperating with her mother and father.

  Olivia suggested a country cooking web series to shoot while Penny wrote her own country cookbook.

  Penny added, “It’s only for a few months, and it looks good to the public. Penny Huntingdon-Stewart, city girl, going back to basics and living in the country to renew myself and the brand. I’ll do anything to drive the business on.”

  Hugo sighed. “When will it be enough? You don’t have to keep proving yourself all the time, Pen. Stress isn’t good for you, and your drive to build this business has taken its toll on you.”

  Penny picked up her last Louis Vuitton bag. “So says the youngest ever maths professor at Cambridge. We all have to strive in this family, Go-Go. You know what the Huntingdon-Stewart name means. Besides, you know me—I’ll make the country fabulous,” Penny said with a wink.

  Hugo walked over and kissed her on the cheek. “As long as you’re happy, Pen. Just look after yourself. Let’s get your bags downstairs.”

  Penny nodded and double-checked she had her mobile in her bag. Her phone was the nerve centre of her and her business, and it was rarely out of her hand. She then had a quick look in the large mirror in the corner to make sure her long golden-blond hair wasn’t out of place.

  It was early June, and the weather was warming up, so she’d decided a light duck egg wrap-around dress with pink flowers and a plunging neckline would be appropriate for the country.

  As they walked down the big oak staircase, Penny was faced with the portrait of the man who made the Huntingdon-Stewart name the most famous, and who they all tried to aspire to—their great-great-grandfather, Horatio Huntingdon-Stewart, who was prime minister and one of the greatest statesmen the country had ever produced. He lived over one hundred years ago, but his legacy burned brightly.

  A war hero, a great reformer, and an advocate for the poor—when people heard Penny’s surname they thought of Horatio. It was a difficult reputation to live up to when you were dyslexic, suffered from epilepsy, and left school without any qualifications. That feeling of inadequacy fuelled Penny to constantly strive and prove she was worthy of the name she bore, and now it was time to get back in the saddle.

  * * *

  Quade took the last bite of her bacon sandwich and lifted the local newspaper. She had finished all her early morning chores on the farm and was now eating breakfast before she went back out. Sitting across the breakfast table in her farmhouse kitchen was her black and white collie dog Dougal.

  Dougal sat up on a chair just like her, eating bacon scraps Quade had given her. Apart from the rustle of the newspaper, the only other noises were the crackle of fire from the wood burning oven, and news playing on the radio in the background.

  Quade wasn’t even listening. The radio was just on so there wasn’t silence in the room. She hated silence and being alone. She read through all the local news, from jumble sale notices to charity evenings at the local pub, The Witch’s Tavern. The pub was the hub of her social life, not because she was a big drinker—she wasn’t—but apart from church and special village events, the pub was the only time she got to socialize in this small village.

  Quade got to the adverts page of the paper, and she said to Dougal, “Mr. Jones is selling an antique writing desk.” She looked over the top of her paper at Dougal. “Do we need a writing desk?”

  Dougal cocked his head to the side as if trying to understand what Quade was saying.

  Quade folded her newspaper up quickly and lifted her cup of tea. “If I keep talking to my dog, one day you’re going to reply and I’m going to shit myself.”

  Talking to her dog was just another reminder of how empty this cottage was. Since her uncle died, she had thrown herself into making the farm a success, but as things settled down, she had more free time, and more time to realize she was alone, apart from Dougal. Quade had good friends in the village, friends who would do anything for each other, but when she met her best friends at the pub—Harry and Annie, Bridge and Finn—they each went home with a partner, while she went home to an empty cottage and Dougal.

  She needed a change in her life, some kind of fresh start. Quade looked around her kitc
hen and wondered if she should decorate, do something a bit different. She always kept the cottage in good order and freshly painted but never strayed from the style her aunt had. It was outdated, she knew, but Quade wouldn’t know where to start choosing a new style for her home.

  That was the thing. Since her aunt and uncle died, it didn’t feel like a home. A home needed two or more loving people. Since ever Quade could remember, all she wanted was a wife and a simple life working the farm, but partners were thin on the ground in a tiny English village.

  This had become even more evident to her since her good friend Bridget had found her partner Finn and fallen in love. She put down her tea and sighed. Time for dinner with her ladyship tonight. Quade enjoyed dining with her friends, and Annie’s cooking was amazing, but she felt awkward being the only one not in a couple. Dougal, though, always enjoyed the company.

  “Dougal? We’re going to see Riley tonight for dinner.” Dougal barked and looked at her with a happy bright-eyed look. “It’s all right for you—you get to eat and play with Riley and her puppy.”

  Puppy was a bit of an understatement. Caesar was only six months old and huge already. When Harry had told her stepdaughter Riley she could get any dog she wanted, both Annie and Harry were greatly surprised when she had chosen a blue Great Dane. Although large, he was a daft, goofy dog, and a good companion for Riley.