TAKEN BY THE EARL #3
After attending the wedding of one of her closest friends, and celebrating the betrothal of another, Mrs. Felicity Randall is looking forward to spending a peaceful summer at her house in the country. Several months when she may do and say as she wishes, without having to constantly be aware of her place in London Society as the respectable young widow of Major Stephen Randall.
But before Fliss can manage her escape to the country, she overhears a conversation in which two people discuss the murder of the new Earl of Winterbourne. Unable to see or identify either the man or the woman from her hiding place, but aware of where the murder is to take place, Fliss finds her plans for the summer changed completely, and requiring she procure an invitation to the infamous house party hosted every summer by the notorious Lady Eckles. A house party at which no respectable widow would normally dare to show her face.
Sinclair Montgomery has no time or patience for London society, as it had no tolerance for his mother so many years ago when she eloped with her Scottish Highlander, Sin’s own father. But when Sin unexpectedly inherits the title of the Earl of Winterbourne, he has no choice but to go to England to view his new estates. It was certainly not his intention, once there, to find himself the guest at a summer house party. Although the rumors of debauchery and licentious behavior to be had there were certainly enough to pique his interest.
Finding the beautiful Mrs. Felicity Randall waiting for him in his bedchamber the second night of his stay, leads Sin to believe that perhaps all is not lost after all, and he proceeds to make love to the delicate beauty. Until she informs him the only reason she came to his bedchamber, has attended this house party at all, is to warn him his life is in danger. That there is a plot afoot to murder him whilst he is there.
Sin has only been in England a matter of days, certainly not long enough to have antagonized anyone into wishing to murder him, and leading him to wonder if the poor woman can possibly be deranged.
It would be a great pity if that were to be the case, when the sexual attraction between the two of them is instantaneous and highly combustible…
Lord Daniel Somersby, the Earl of Latham, is relieved to be returning to his country estate in Kent after suffering through the boredom of yet another tedious London Season, as well as avoiding the more determined women set on marriage. He certainly doesn’t appreciate arriving home to find a brawl taking place in his stable yard.
Having disguised herself as a young boy in order to escape the unwanted marriage being forced upon her by her cousin, heiress Lady Josephine Kendall is set upon by thieves within days of her desperate flight, and her money and possessions stolen from her. A week later, with no money to buy food or lodgings, she is in dire straits, and that night seeks refuge in the stables of the absent Earl of Latham. The head groom finds her asleep there in the morning and takes pity on her by offering her employment. Giving her name as Jo Turner she continues to dress in her male clothing, and quickly learns to swear and curse like the rest of the men working on the estate. The only fly in the ointment is the jealousy of one the other stable lads when Jo’s horsemanship finds favour with the head groom. Unfortunately the earl arrives home unexpectedly at the very moment Jo punches and bloodies said stable lad’s nose.
Lord Daniel Somersby is more handsome than any man has a right to be, and it sets Jo’s heart aflutter just to look at him. He also brings a swift end to the altercation in his stable yard, and afterwards announces it is his intention to take a personal interest in “taming” Jo Turner into more acceptable behaviour. Faced with the choice of returning to the open road, along with possible detection by her cousin, or accepting the earl’s “taming” of the lad Jo Turner, she decides to opt for the latter. For the moment. Because if the earl discovers the stable boy is not a boy at all then Jo knows she will have no choice but to run again.
Will Daniel discover Jo’s secret? And if he does what will he do about it? Or will Jo’s cousin find her first and drag her back home to marry a man she could never like let alone love?
PURSUED BY THE VISCOUNT #4
Lady Rachel Shaw had believed her unhappiness to be at an end once her husband died, but now she finds herself caught in the clutches of a cruel and relentless blackmailer. Totally at a loss as to who she can turn to for help, her friend the Countess of Winterbourne, advises Rachel to go to Lucien Brooke, Viscount Brooketon, a gentleman who was recently of assistance to Fliss and her husband.
Rachel doesn’t know Lucien Brooke personally, but she has seen him many times at one Society event or another, and knows him to be an aristocratic and handsome gentleman who has avoided every attempt by the beauties of the ton to be lured into matrimony. Gossip and reputation say the viscount as being a cold and arrogant gentleman who does not suffer fools gladly. And Rachel has been very foolish indeed. Left with no other choice, Rachel finally decides to risk the viscount’s scorn and ask for his help.
Lucien Brooke, Viscount Brooketon cannot deny Lady Rachel Shaw’s beauty or desirability, but unfortunately she is also as flighty and flirtatious as his mother, a woman who has been embroiled in one scandal after another for most of his life. That being the case, Rachel Shaw is the type of woman whom Lucien has always avoided having any personal involvement.
Looks can be deceiving, however, and within minutes of Rachel calling at his home and explaining her current predicament, Lucien realizes he was wrong to have judged the lady without really knowing her, or her circumstances. He now not only wants to help Rachel in her current predicament but he also wants her. In his arms. In his bed.
Persuading Rachel into accept any of those things from him is going to be a battle Lucien has every intention of winning.
SEDUCED BY A MARQUIS #8
Bella is tired of being forced into obeying her older brother’s dictates, but each time she tries to rebel he uses the one thing he knows will make her agree to do anything he asks of her. Her younger sister, Esther.
Lord Lysander Falkner has only been the Marquis of Trent for a matter of months, and already he’s grown tired and jaded, of Society and the over eager mamas and their daughters all trying to tempt him into marriage. When he meets Isabella Reynolds he believes she’s different, that he might finally have found a woman who isn’t only interested in his title and fortune.
Within a matter of days he discovers how mistaken he was.
When Bella finds herself actually betrothed to the handsome marquis, a man she is deeply attracted to but she knows has every reason to distrust her, her future looks bleaker than ever.
But someone doesn’t want to see the two of them married, and when an attempt is made on their lives the only people they can trust is each other.
PLEASURED BY A DUKE #7
Sebastian Falkner, the Duke of Stowmont, having only recently rid himself of the guardianship of one ward, by marrying her off to the man she loves, has now learned he has been named as guardian to a seven year old boy. To makes matters worse, that young boy is to be accompanied to Sebastian’s London home by his stepsister, Miss Horatia Chelford.
From the moment Sebastian meets the plain but outspoken Tia he knows she is going to be a thorn in his side. But one he does not intend to suffer for any longer than he has to.
Except he very soon forgets he ever thought of her as being plain and unattractive, and sees only the fineness of her indigo eyes, the silkiness her ivory skin, and the sensuous allure of her highly responsive body.
Having suffered the recent and violent death of her beloved stepmother, Tia is determined she will not lose Martin, her young stepbrother, too. With that in mind, she is determined to establish a place for herself within the household of Martin’s new guardian, Sebastian Falkner, the Duke of Stowmont.
But she had not expected that gentleman to be quite so coldly haughty and aristocratic, or so devilishly handsome. Indeed, Sebastian Falkner causes a hitherto unknown warmth and desire within Tia which blazes out of her control at the least provocation. And Sebastian can be very provoking.
But the person who murdered Tia’s stepmother has followed her and Martin to London, putting both of them in danger. As a consequence, Sebastian is also put at risk, from a man who will stop at nothing to acquire what he believes was stolen from him.
Will Sebastian be able to keep Tia and Martin safe?
Or protect his heart, which he had believed was too cold and cynical to ever be given to any woman?
CAPTURED BY A GENTLEMAN #6
An unhappy marriage, to an adulterous wife, has left widower Mr. Ranulf Montgomery immune to the wiles of women. He certainly has no time, or sympathy, when the young and beautiful Miss Darcy Ambridge, is found hiding in his carriage, as he makes the long journey from London back to his home in Scotland.
Darcy Ambridge acts out of desperation when she decides to throw herself on the mercy of Ranulf Montgomery. Convincing that hard and cynical gentleman of her dire circumstances seems impossible, however. Can Darcy break through the hard shell that now surrounds Ranulf’s emotions, and find the warm gentleman she once found so intriguing? Or will Ranulf simply abandon her to the attentions of the lecherous gentleman determined to bed her?
As desire rages out of control between the two of them, Ranulf dearly wishes to rid himself of Darcy’s company. Something he knows he cannot do, in all conscience, until he finds the culprit of the series of ‘accidents’ now threatening to injure or kill both of them.
Who could possibly want to see one or both of them dead? The unscrupulous gentleman Darcy is running away from? Or perhaps someone from Ranulf’s past, set on revenge?
