She Returns From War by Lee Collins - Sample Chapters

Victoria’s lungs emptied as her mother’s elbow landed on her midriff. Struggling for breath, she tried to roll out from under the weight, but her mother clung to her in a panic. She was dimly aware of her father’s surprised exclamations as he regained control of the horses.

After a few agonizing seconds, Victoria managed to climb out from beneath her mother and reclaim her seat. “What on earth was that?” she asked.

“I haven’t a clue,” her father replied. “The girls must have spooked at a fox, I suppose.” He took a deep breath to steady himself.

Victoria reached down to help her mother up.

Before their hands met, the team let out a chorus of frightened whinnies and broke into a gallop. Caught off guard, her father tumbled backward into the buggy, landing squarely on his wife. She cried out in pain and desperately tried to shove him off. The carriage shook and rattled as the horses picked up speed, and the motion kept knocking him off balance as he tried to gather himself. His struggles only provoked further cries from his wife, who started crying.

Climbing over her fallen parents, Victoria pulled herself into the driver’s seat. The reins bounced along the floorboards, coming dangerously close to sliding out of the buggy completely. She made a grab for them and missed, nearly tumbling off her perch.

Righting herself, she tried again. This time, a bump on the road shook the buggy’s frame, knocking the reins into her outstretched hand. Clenching the