One masquerade. One proposal. One vow that changes everything.

Historical romance author Ruth A. Casie often says her stories begin with questions. In the case of A Vow for the Viscount, that question was quietly devastating:
What happens when the life you vowed to return to is no longer waiting?

The fourth installment of her Barrington’s Brigade series features a hero who once made a promise before he left for war — and a heroine who carried that vow for years, only to learn how to let go.

But what happens when the past comes home again?

The romance is not one of sweeping declarations or easy choices, but of emotional reckoning — of remembering what it meant to love someone before the world changed you, and daring to rediscover what’s still true in the aftermath.

In this excerpt from Chapter Three, Mary-Ann — now engaged to another — begins to realize the ache she thought buried might be something far deeper.

Excerpt (from Chapter Three):
She hadn’t meant to betray anything. Only to remember. But remembering felt like a betrayal all the same.

Mary-Ann’s fingers touched her lips. She could still feel the pressure of his kiss, the promise that it held. He had mounted his horse, turned back once to tip his fingers in salute, and then he was gone down the lane, his red coat disappearing like a flag swallowed by the mist.

But yesterday’s man was different. The fire that once blazed so brightly had tempered into something quieter and more deliberate. He had been tested, shaped by things he had not yet spoken aloud. The boyish laughter was gone, but in its place stood a man forged by experience. And somehow, that made him no less hers.

Quinton hadn’t begged. He hadn’t tried to reclaim her. And that unsettled her more than if he had. It left room for questions she wasn’t ready to answer and feelings she had buried too deeply to ignore.

She thought of the way he looked at her, the way his hand had closed around hers like an anchor. If Mrs. Bainbridge hadn’t appeared… would he have kissed her? And what unsettled her more was the quiet flutter in her chest at the thought.

****

Mary-Ann didn’t speak for a long while. “I don’t know how to feel. I should be furious. I waited so long… and then I stopped. I had to. There were days I told myself I was foolish for waiting and that I had wasted too much time already. When I stopped looking… I felt guilty. But also… I felt lighter. And now I regret that I didn’t do more… Instead, I gave up. I let myself move on. And now…”

“And now your heart is remembering what your mind tried to forget.”

****

A Vow for the Viscount 

He never intended to ask her.
She never intended to say yes.
But under the glitter of a thousand candles and the weight of a hundred eyes, one vow bound them together.
And in the morning, when the truth comes out, neither of them will ever be the same.

Ruth A. Casie’s A Vow for the Viscount releases on October 16. With its tender slow-burn romance and emotional stakes, it is a must-read for fans of historical love stories built on promises, second chances, and the longing we dare not name.

Preorder links coming in September.

Meet the Author

Ruth writes historical romances that are like a wild dance at a Regency ball, full of edge-of-your-seat suspense, mind-boggling drama, and heart-melting emotions. Her heroines? Well, they’re the ones who’d rather duel with wit than curtsy, and the men who cross their paths? Let’s just say they’re in for a delightful challenge! Ruth hopes her stories are your next favorite adventures!