i 57c498df09d8d058

‘‘A light, adorable
Emma
-style romance destined to delight anyone looking for a witty, engaging plotline and utterly delightful characters who get caught in meddling, madness, and mayhem on the way to a happy ending.’’

—
Romantic Times

‘‘Delightful from first page to last, full of superb characters, clever dialogue, and laugh-out-loud situations. This is a fun-tastic Regency romp you won’t want to miss.’’

—Reader to Reader Reviews

‘‘Very funny and extremely romantic. I loved all the characters and especially adored Juliana and James. I highly recommend this book.’’ —Fresh Fiction

‘‘This book has everything a great romance should have: a delightful historical setting, humor at all the right places, and a host of memorable characters.’’

—Fallen Angel Reviews

‘‘Ms. Royal has penned a wonderful tale. . . . New readers will not be disappointed, and fans are probably waiting anxiously to get their hands on this title.’’

—The Romance Readers Connection

Lost in Temptation

‘‘After brilliantly evoking the splendor of Restoration England in her six previous books, Royal brings her flair for mixing richly detailed historical settings with sinfully sexy romance to the Regency world in the beguiling start to a new trilogy featuring the Chase sisters.’’

—
Booklist

‘‘A deeply satisfying and original read.’’

—Historical Romance Writers

‘‘This deliciously humorous, tender, touching romance, with a dash of recipes from the era that you can try, is a delight for the heart, soul, and stomach. Royal takes history out of the doldrums and gives the era brightness and color that draws readers straight into the story.’’

—
Romantic Times

Praise for Lauren Royal’s Flower trilogy

Rose

‘‘Bringing her Ashcroft sisters trilogy to a delightful close, Royal vividly details the seductively glamorous court of Charles II.’’ —
Booklist

‘‘A rip-roaring tale.’’ —Romance Reviews Today

Lily

‘‘Another triumph of deliciously sensual romance played against the fascinating world of Restoration England.’’

—
Booklist

‘‘A refreshing story, told with much humor . . . a real joy to read.’’ —Romance Reviews Today

Violet

‘‘A delightful story starring two . . . endearing, brilliant eccentrics.’’ —
Midwest Book Review

‘‘[Royal] entertains. . . . This breezy summer read will satisfy her rapidly growing fan base.’’

—
Publishers Weekly

Praise for Lauren Royal’s Jewel trilogy

Amber

‘‘Lively . . . energetic . . . filled with likable characters.’’

—
Publishers Weekly

‘‘The glitter of Restoration England is expertly evoked in Royal’s latest romance.’’ —
Booklist

Emerald

‘‘A passionate tale that brings late seventeenth-century England vividly alive . . . fast-paced and filled with action from the very first page to the climax.’’

—
Midwest Book Review

‘‘With strong characters and an action-filled plot,
Emerald
is a Royal flush.’’ —
Affaire de Coeur

‘‘Brimming with action, adventure [and] love. Ms. Royal brings Restoration England to life right before the reader’s eyes. I highly recommend
Emerald
.’’

—Romance Reviews Today

Amethyst

‘‘An accomplished debut.’’ —Patricia Gaffney

‘‘All of these characters are so well drawn and developed.... A promising debut.’’

—
The Romance Reader

Also by Lauren Royal

Lost in Temptation
Tempting Juliana

SIGNET ECLIPSE
Published by New American Library, a division of
Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street,
New York, New York 10014, USA
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Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices:
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First published by Signet Eclipse, an imprint of New American Library,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

First Printing, October 2007

SIGNET ECLIPSE and logo are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.

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http://us.penguingroup.com

For June Jørgensen Schelde-Mollerup,
who has been part of my family
for more than (gulp!) eighteen years.

I cannot believe you have
three children of your own now!

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I wish to thank:

My editor, Laura Cifelli, for her unfailing insight; my critique partner, Terri Castoro, for her patience and talent; Deborah Alexander, MD, for helping me choose an appropriate illness and spending much precious time describing all the pertinent details; Andrew Potter, research assistant at the Royal Academy Library, for the list of Academicians on the 1817 Selection Committee and historical information on the selection process; Devonie Royal-Gordon (best daughter in the world), for reading bunches of old Minerva Press novels and pulling out quotes for me; Brent Royal-Gordon (tied for best son in the world), for designing and maintaining my Web site; Ann and Andrew Scott, for hosting wonderful book signings at Highland festivals; Jack, Brent, Blake, and Devonie, for putting up with hearing, ‘‘Not now, I’m writing,’’ way too many times; my official First Readers— Ken and Dawn Royal, Herb and Joan Royal, Taire Martyn, and Karen Nesbitt—for invaluable feedback; my incredible, hardworking Street Team (many more names than I can list, but they’re all on the Street Team page on my Web site), for their ongoing enthusiasm and support . . . and, once again, my readers, because I do this for you.

Thank you, one and all!

Prologue

IRISH WHISKEY CAKE

Take butter with sugar and put in this eggs and flour and a bit o’ coffee to make a nice flavour. Put in your pan and bake in your oven. Make a syrup of coffee with much sugar and a wee dram o’ whiskey and pour this into your cake. Bring to table with sweet whiskey cream and a sprinkle of nuts.

My mother used to caution, ‘‘Who gossips with you will gossip of you.’’ Nonetheless, she surely did love to gossip. She used to serve this cake when the womenfolk came for tea. She claimed it loosened ladies’ tongues.

—Deirdre Delaney Raleigh, 1819

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