THE SPINSTER'S GUIDE TO SCANDALOUS BEHAVIOR
The Seduction Diaries #2
Jennifer McQuiston
Releasing Nov 24th, 2015
Avon Books
When her eccentric aunt suddenly
dies and bequeaths her the key to a falling-down cottage in Cornwall, Lucy
Westmore is surprised. After all, she scarcely knows her aunt, and her memories
of Heathmore are murky, at best. But even more surprising is the part of Lucy’s
inheritance that doesn’t come with a key: an old leather
journal that provides the details of her mysterious aunt’s life and-for better
or worse-gives Lucy all the instructions she needs to live the life of a
scandalous spinster.
Lord Thomas Branston has spent the
last five years in Cornwall, hiding from his painful past. Nothing has been
tempting enough to lure him back to London…until now. He alone knows the real
value of the property, and he’s determined to buy Heathmore before Miss
Westmore ruins everything and sells it off to the highest bidder.
Emboldened by the guidance in her
aunt’s diary, Lucy refuses to sell the property, not even when Lord Branston’s
offers escalate, or when the house turns out to be truly uninhabitable. Lucy
has no intention of giving up her one chance for independence. And Thomas has
no intention of abandoning his suit.
But is it the property or the
spitfire of a spinster that’s got his heart all tied up? And what is he willing
to offer for both?
Take
her aunt for example. According to the first volume of her aunt’s diary, she’d
taken herself to Cornwall without her parents’ permission and lived for more
than four decades as a scandalous spinster. To Lucy, that sounded like the right kind of ruin, one that was earned
outright, rather than merely presumed. But judging by the tears welling in
Lydia’s eyes, her sister’s definition of ruin was rather different.
“You
mustn’t tell anyone,” Lucy warned, suddenly realizing that between her hair and
Lydia’s knowledge of her plans, a good deal of havoc could be wrought. “I still
need to find a bit more money if I am to do this properly, and that means I
need to hide this from Mother, at least for the near future.” She looked
pleadingly at her sister. “Do you promise not to say anything?”
“You
are really going to Cornwall, then?” Lydia choked out.
“Not
yet. Soon, though. When I can earn a bit more money. And I won’t be gone
forever.” Lucy sat down beside her sister and placed a hand over hers. “I only
want to have a look at my property, to make the decision for myself. In fact, I
predict I will be back before the Season has even properly started.”
But Lydia pulled her hand away. “And what good
would coming back do, with your hair shorn and your reputation in tatters?” she
asked bitterly. “Did you even think this through before you charged into it?”
Lucy
bit her lip, the question hitting a little too close for comfort. No, she
hadn’t thought it through. She’d simply read her aunt’s diary entry last night,
and woken up this morning determined to find something to sell. As per usual, she’d
set her sights on a grand goal and ignored the smaller difficulties, such as
how to explain—or hide—the evidence of what she had done. She might be
impulsive, but she at least had enough self-awareness to look back now and
recognize her usual pattern of impetuousness.
“I
probably should have done a bit of research into how much I might earn first,”
she admitted. “And I should have waited to visit the wig makers until I had
enough money to leave immediately after I had done it.”
Lydia’s
face turned red. “That is what you
see as the lesson learned here? For heaven’s sake, Lucy, how can you be so … so
… blind? I would give anything to be
in your position, you know. To have a chance to find a proper husband, and to
find real happiness.” A tear rolled down her cheek. “And yet you are throwing
it all away for a rat-infested cottage?”
Lucy
felt a spark of irritation. Why couldn’t Lydia see her side of it? For as long
as she could remember, this threatened Season had hovered above her head like a
guillotine. And now, with the encounter with the visiting coach, it was clear
her fears were well-founded. She had only ever consented to suffer through the
drama of this Season to silence her parents’ expectations. It wasn’t as though
she had any intention of procuring a husband anyway—especially not one who only
wanted to give her a ring in exchange for ten thousand pounds.
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A veterinarian and infectious disease researcher by training,
Jennifer McQuiston has always preferred reading romance to scientific
textbooks. She resides in Atlanta, Georgia with her husband, their two girls,
and an odd assortment of pets, including the pony she promised her children if
mommy ever got a book deal. Jennifer can be reached via her website at www.jenmcquiston.com or followed on Twitter
@jenmcqwrites.
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Thank you for hosting!
Crystal, Tasty Book Tours
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