The
Duke and the Lady in Red
Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James #3
Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James #3
By: Lorraine Heath
Releasing April 29, 2015
Avon
Blurb
Sparks fly in the finale
of the Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James Place series, as the last wicked rogue
meets his match.
When
Rosalind Sharpe gains the attention of the deliciously wicked Duke of Avendale,
she’s torn between her distracting attraction to the notorious rogue and the
knowledge that he—rich as Croesus—is the perfect target for a deception that
will put her swindling days behind her.
However,
Avendale is no fool. After he discovers the tantalizing lady packing up to
leave London with his coins in tow, he confronts her with a scandalous
proposition: she can have all the money she requires…for a week in his bed.
Desperate
for the funds, Rose agrees, but on one condition: he must never question her
motives. Avendale quickly sees beneath her mask and discovers she is more than
passion and pleasure—she is everything he has ever desired. But claiming her
requires he unveil her secrets and lose her forever. Unless he can put his own
dark past aside and risk everything for a chance at love.
My
apologies, Mr. Darling,” she said softly. “I am Mrs. Rosalind Sharpe.”
Link to Follow Tour: http://www.tastybooktours.com/2015/03/the-duke-and-lady-in-red-scandalous.html
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22864442-the-duke-and-the-lady-in-red?from_search=true
A
dark eyebrow arched over dark eyes. “You know who I am?”
“You
had an invitation delivered to me. I made inquiries after I arrived here and
someone pointed you out. I had planned to make your acquaintance straightaway
but you seemed rather busy.” Smiling, doing all she could to blush, she looked
at the woman.
“Yes,
I was rather,” he admitted.
“You
do realize you’re going to have to marry Lady Ophelia now,” Avendale said,
“after that spectacle you made earlier.”
Rose
fought not to show her surprise that a commoner had snagged nobility.
“I
shall do so with great pleasure. And I’m being rude. Lady Ophelia Lyttleton,
allow me to introduce Mrs. Rosalind Sharp.”
“A pleasure,” Lady Ophelia said.
“The
pleasure is all mine, my lady. I do hope we may have an opportunity to know
each other better,” Rose said. “I am quite fascinated with the place. I can see
myself spending considerable time here.”
“I’m
sure I’ll pop by from time to time, but for the immediate future I’m going to
be extremely busy arranging our wedding.” She looked up at Drake Darling with
adoration, and Rose fought back the little bite of envy. Love was not for her
and well she knew it.
“If
you’ll excuse us,” Mr. Darling said, “we need to finish making the rounds.”
Their
arms linked, they wandered off.
“And
so another one falls,” Avendale said somberly.
Rose
looked up at him. “You seem to be friends, which surprises me. He is a commoner
and based upon the manner in which people greeted you, you are a duke.”
He
shrugged laconically. “Our families share a past and a deep friendship.”
“That
makes it even more odd.”
“We
are quite a mixture of commoner and nobility, far too complicated to explain
with few words. I’m not in the mood for words, but rather drink.” He snatched
two glasses containing amber liquid from a passing footman and offered her one.
“Something darker than champagne.”
“Thank
you.” She took a small sip. “Excellent brandy.”
“A
woman who enjoys the finer things.”
“Oh,
I am most certainly that.” She glanced around. “So within this room, men drink,
smoke, read, and converse. Where do they play cards when they don’t wish to
remain civilized?”
He
nodded toward the back of the room. “A door over there takes them to another
room where they gamble to their heart’s content without ladies seeing how
dashed awful they are at gambling, and how much they lose without blinking an
eye.”
“You
don’t strike me as someone who loses.”
“You
don’t have to flatter me, Mrs. Sharpe. You have my attention.”
“But
for how long without flattery?”
He
chuckled low. “Until I grow bored. And flattery bores me.”
“Well,
then, without further ado, I would like to finish my tour of the place. You are
welcome to accompany me or not. Makes no never mind to me.” She could be as
cool and aloof as he required. She did like that he didn’t crave adulation, but
it did leave her a bit discombobulated, as she’d never before dealt with a man
who didn’t react to being fawned over.
He
showed her the gaming room that was for men only. It was much like the salon:
dark and ominous. Masculine. It spoke of power and wealth. How she would like
to be a fly on the wall in here.
Link to Follow Tour: http://www.tastybooktours.com/2015/03/the-duke-and-lady-in-red-scandalous.html
Goodreads Series Link: https://www.goodreads.com/series/110654-scandalous-gentlemen-of-st-james
Author
Info
LORRAINE HEATH always dreamed of being a writer. After graduating from the University of Texas, she wrote training manuals and computer code, but something was always missing. After reading a romance novel, she not only became hooked on the genre, but quickly realized what her writing lacked: rebels, scoundrels, and rogues. She’s been writing about them ever since. Her work has been recognized with numerous industry awards, including RWA’s RITA® and a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award. Her novels have appeared on the USA Today and New York Times best-seller lists.
LORRAINE HEATH always dreamed of being a writer. After graduating from the University of Texas, she wrote training manuals and computer code, but something was always missing. After reading a romance novel, she not only became hooked on the genre, but quickly realized what her writing lacked: rebels, scoundrels, and rogues. She’s been writing about them ever since. Her work has been recognized with numerous industry awards, including RWA’s RITA® and a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award. Her novels have appeared on the USA Today and New York Times best-seller lists.
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