Where something unexpected happens…

Welcome to the first installment of Sunday Snippets and Weekend Writing Warriors.  Weekend Writing Warriors is a blog hop where writers post a brief snippet of a work in progress (WIP) or published novel.  Only eight sentences are allowed each week.  Click on the link above to check out snippets by other authors.
This scene is towards the beginning of book one in my Regency series, The Seduction of the Duke.  Enjoy!

Ignoring the shouted protests and curses being thrown at her, Delaney shoved her way into the thickening crowd, hoping to lose her pursuer, and a quick glance over her shoulder showed nothing but mob-caps and wigs.  She yelped in surprise as a large hand ensnared her wrist in a vice-like grip and hauled her down a nearby alley.  By instinct, she dug her heels down in an attempt to halt his movement, but the worn heels of her boots slid over the ground, unable to get a purchase among the muck and refuse littered below.
“None o’ that, now, ye ‘ear?” he growled over his shoulder as she began yanking against the hand holding her and lashing out with her feet.  She opened her mouth to scream, but his big, meaty hand swung around and knocked the side of her face.  The bright, metallic tang of copper blossomed in her mouth as her teeth bit down on her lip at the contact.
It was futile, she knew.  He was a great bear of a man, the top of her head coming nowhere near his shoulders and, judging by his size, he must have outweighed her by at least ten stone.

*****

I’ve had this particular story bouncing around for a while, but for some reason, I was having serious trouble with it.  I had the first chapter, the major plot points and the ending, but I couldn’t figure out what the Hero’s motivation was.  I knew the Heroine’s but his was a mystery until a couple of months ago.

After talking to some of the ladies from my local RWA chapter, I posed a question on Twitter:  In romance and especially Regencies, why is it that the man is always celebrating bachelorhood while the woman is always seeking love and marriage? Why couldn’t it be the other way around?  What happens if the woman does not want to marry, but has no other alternative?

As soon as I asked the questions, things began to change.  Suddenly, everything started to fall into place and the character motivations made sense. I had to change some things around and eliminate others.  The scene above went through some changes and while I love it in its entirety, it’s future in the story is still in jeopardy.

Much like the Heroine.

*****

To find out what happens next, click here.