Secrets of a Scandalous Heiress (28 page)
Read Secrets of a Scandalous Heiress Online
Authors: Theresa Romain
This startled a laugh from him. “Do you? I wasn't aware I had ever been known for being pleasant.” Brusque, yes. Mad, undoubtedly. Pleasant? Never.
“I did not say you had been pleasant, only
more
pleasant. But if you are capable of laughter, perhaps there is hope for you yet.” She smiled, this time without the flinty look. “And I do thank you for your help in disposing of Lord Stratton. He is extremely tiresome about trying to convince me to marry himâas if persistence alone would ever change my mind.”
“Persistence?” He had not considered this tool for capturing a wife.
“More than persistence, sadly. He's not above using threats. But then again, neither am I. Last time Stratton proposed, I
accidentally
hit him in a sensitive area with my knee.”
Michael winced.
“Exactly. He did not soon forget that, but it hasn't kept him from proposing again. He wants the fortune left to me by my late husband. This time, he knew enough to shield his sensitive area when he asked, though my answer was no different. Men can be so single-minded when it comes to retrieving property they regard as rightfully theirs.”
He managed a clipped, disinterested voice. “I suppose.”
When he had said she hadn't changed at all, that had been untrue. The planes of her face were stronger than he remembered, or maybe memory had softened the hard edges. Now her features were as beautifully constructed as a draftsman's plansâthe arc of her brow over tilted eyes, a straight nose, and high cheekbones.
At the age of nineteen, she had been fresh-faced and turbulent, the diamond of her debut season. In her way, as brilliant an engineer as any pioneer of steam power: balancing friendships between the wealthy, the notorious, and the bright. Maintaining a clockwork-perfect state of checks and balances.
Such brilliance had always tugged Michael like a lodestone. But he could not afford to become distracted by fleshly desires. He kept such urges soldered up, for they were ready to vaporize him if given the slightest weakness.
Caroline tossed him a grin, and he felt a rivet pop.
“You suppose,” she repeated. “For my part, I
suppose
that you are also seeking a bit of property. If the scandal sheets are to be believed, which they sometimes are, you are in London to find a wife. Perhaps you and Stratton can share ideas, not that he has any that are worthwhile.”
“That makes two of us.” Ah, he could have bitten his tongue.
But she didn't laugh; she simply looked at him. “You have had no luck yet?”
He did not perceive any pity or mockery in the question, and so he answered it. “Very little luck of any sort this year.”
As if to underline his sentence, a blast of chilly wind slapped their faces, then subsided again.
She turned to lean against the balustrade next to him, then tilted her head back, faint moonlight limning her profile. In the breeze, wisps of flaxen hair fluttered around her face. A faint floral scent wrapped around Michael like a scarf. Somehow the air seemed lighter, cooler.
Maybe because, for a few seconds, he had served as Galahad instead of Merlinâthough his thoughts were none so pure as those of the fabled knight. He felt Caroline next to him as surely as he'd have felt a fire; heat seemed to prickle up and down his body. His disobedient heart stuttered, speared by a shaft of desire, then resumed pounding all the more quickly.
“The weather is strange this year,” she said. “So cold, for so long. It has complicated matters for you, has it not?”
“A man who hangs his fortune on irrigation must have something to irrigate.”
“Or another fortune with which to build?”
“Or that.”
“I should have known that nothing but business and dire need would draw you back to London.” She cut a glance at him, and her lips bowed into a bewitching smile that made him forget his surprise. He forgot everything except the color, plum-dark in the warm lantern light, and their shape. She was a promise and a threat. She gave him a siren's smile, and he would be crushed on the rocks, gladly, for a taste⦠the mere possibility of a taste.
No
.
He would not. He had already been crushed, in the economic sense; that was why he was here in London to begin with. Nothing could come from reckless desire except disaster. Nothing could save himâsave his dukedomâexcept careful thought.
“Business and dire need are among the most worthwhile reasons for visiting a city.” True, but even to his own ears, he sounded stuffy.
“I've no doubt of it. I didn't intend to mock you. Those aren't the only reasons one might visit, though.” She kept her gaze trained on the moon, now almost obscured by a passing cloud. “You know, you never told me good-bye.”
“If you are referring to the last time I was in London, I bade no one good-bye. As my father was in desperate health, I left in a hurry. I was understandably preoccupied with other matters.” Still stuffy, but now he sounded annoyed too. That was acceptable. Better she think him annoyed with her than with himself.
Because his father's health had been no more than an excuse. The late duke had been dreadfully ill for a long time, and there was no reason to think he would ever improve, nor any reason to expect that he would suddenly die. No, Michael hadn't left London for his father's sake, but for his own.
His time in London had been an escape, a chance to prove the rumors wrong. But in the end, he had proved them right, and Lancashire was not far enough to flee from this dreadful knowledge.
After a long silence, Caroline spoke. “The reason should hardly signify at this distance in time. I understand that a duke, or even the heir to a dukedom, has many responsibilities. Far too many to grant him space to think of those he leaves behind.”
“I left no one of significance behind.”
Too harshâfar too harsh. He realized that even before her head snapped back, almost as though he had slapped her.
“I see,” she said calmly. “As we are not friends, then, and never were, it only remains for me to thank you for your service tonight in freeing me from Stratton.” She dipped into a curtsy. “I shall return to the ballroom now, Your Grace.”
Was there a tremor in her voice? Had he wounded her feelings? Michael had no idea how to tell. But he had gone wrong somehow, for she was already walking away.
“Wait, Caro.” The words burst from deep within him. “Please.”
She stopped but did not turn to him. Her shoulders were squared, held high and confident. They looked far too small to carry all his burdens.
This was a mad idea. Or perhaps it was genius. Or perhaps it was nothing but a frail hope.
“Will you marry me?”
Thank you for reading
!
We hope you enjoyed
Secrets of a Scandalous Heiress
by Theresa Romain.
Help others find books they'll love by writing a review or lending this book to a friend.
The book you've just finished is Book 3 in the
Matchmaker
trilogy. In case you missed them, the first two books in the series are
It Takes Two to Tangle
and
To Charm a Naughty Countess
. If you loved
Secrets of a Scandalous Heiress
, check out our mailing list for updates on new releases and access to exclusive content.
Sign up now to be one of the first to get the scoop on Theresa Romain, her latest books, and other great titles from Sourcebooks!
With deepest thanks to my husband, for his love and support; to Amanda, for her wonderful critiques; and to Farihah, advisor on all things Anglo-Indian (and, of course, Bengali!).
As we wrap up the Matchmaker trilogy, my gratitude goes out to the entire Sourcebooks team, who create such beautiful cover art and who guide the production, publicity, and marketing of my books with such savvy. Special thanks to my editor, Deb Werksman, who has an unerring instinct for how to make my books stronger. Thanks too, to my agent, Paige Wheeler, who always offers wonderful insight and guidance.
And to you, dear readers. My stories are for you; I'm so grateful you found them.
Historical romance author Theresa Romain pursued an impractical education that allowed her to read everything she could get her hands on. She then worked for universities and libraries, where she got to read even more. Eventually she started writing, too.
Secrets
of
a
Scandalous
Heiress
is the third book in the Regency Matchmaker trilogy. Theresa lives with her family in the Midwest.
Must Love Dukes
by Elizabeth Michels
***
She can't resist a dare
Lillian Phillips could not imagine how her quiet, simple life had come to this. Blackmailed by the Mad Duke of Thornwood into accepting one wild dare after anotherâ¦all because of a pocket watch. Desperate to recover her beloved father's pawned timepiece, Lily did something reckless and dangerous and deliciousâsomething that led to a night she'd never forget.
He has a reputation for scandal
When Devon Grey, Duke of Thornwood, runs into the mesmerizing, intoxicating, thieving woman who literally stole from his bedchamberâwith his new pocket watchâDevon plots his revenge. If the daring wench likes to play games, he's happy to oblige. After all, what's the use of being the Mad Duke if you can't have some fun? But the last laugh just might be on himâ¦
***
Look for more titles by Elizabeth Michels:
Desperately Seeking Suzanna
How to Lose a Lord in 10 Days or Less
For more Elizabeth Michels, visit:
Desperately Seeking Suzanna
by Elizabeth Michels
***
Her Cinderella Moment
Sue Green just wanted one night to be the pretty one. But a few glasses of champagne and one wild disguise later, she's in some serious trouble. At least she blamed her mischief all on her new personaâ
Suzanna
âso Society's most eligible bachelor will never find out the truth.
All Holden wants is the truth. Who was that vixen who seduced him so thoroughly, then disappeared? Luckily, Miss Sue Green has promised to help him find his mystery woman. But the more time Holden spends with Sueâwitty, pretty, and disarmingly honestâthe more he realizes he may have found exactly what he's been looking for all alongâ¦
***
A potent mix of love, laughter, and poignancy.” â
RT Book Reviews
, 4 Stars
“Elizabeth Michels is an author that will be at the top of this genre, and I can't wait to see what else she has in store for us!” â
Historical Romance Lover
For more Elizabeth Michels, visit:
How to Lose a Lord in 10 Days or Less
Tricks of the Ton
by Elizabeth Michels
***
Their love sparks in the stables
After years away from home, Andrew Clifton, Lord Amberstall, is attacked by a hired hit man on his way back to London. But with an injured horse and no shelter, Andrew becomes the unintentional houseguest of the Moore family.
But it's bound to be a bumpy ride
Katie Moore could always be found at the stablesâuntil her riding accident. Now she locks herself away from Societyâembarrassed by her injuries. While Katie tends to Andrew's horse, the two are at odds about everything, except their feelings for one another and the danger that they're about to discover on the road aheadâ¦
***
Praise for
Must Love Dukes
:
“Michels's fast-paced debut is sweet andâ¦accurately depicts the difficulties faced by nineteenth-century aristocratic women.” â
Publishers Weekly
For more Elizabeth Michels, visit:
When You Give a Duke a Diamond
by Shana Galen
***
He had a perfectly orderly lifeâ¦
William, the sixth Duke of Pelham, enjoys his punctual, securely structured life. Orderly and predictableâthat's the way he likes it. But he's in the public eye, and the scandal sheets will make up anything to sell papers. When the gossips link him to Juliette, one of the most beautiful and celebrated courtesans in London, chaos doesn't begin to describe what happens nextâ¦
Until she came alongâ¦
Juliette is nicknamed the Duchess of Dalliance, and has the cream of the nobility at her beck and call. It's seriously disruptive to have the duke who's the biggest catch on the Marriage Mart scaring her other suitors away. Then she discovers William's darkest secret and decides what he needs in his life is the kind of excitement only she can provideâ¦
***
For more Shana Galen, visit:
If You Give a Rake a Ruby
by Shana Galen
***
Her mysterious past is the best revengeâ¦
Fallon, the Marchioness of Mystery, is a celebrated courtesan with her finger on the pulse of high society. She's adored by men, hated by their wives. No one knows anything about her past, and she plans to keep it that way.
Only he can offer her a dazzling futureâ¦
Warrick Fitzhugh will do anything to protect his compatriots in the Foreign Office, including seduce Fallon, who he thinks can lead him to the deadliest crime lord in London. He knows he's putting his life on the lineâ¦
To Warrick's shock, Fallon is not who he thinks she is, and the secrets she's keeping are exactly what make her his heart's desireâ¦
***
Praise for
When You Give a Duke a Diamond
:
“A lighthearted yet poignant, humorous yet touching love storyâwith original characters who delight and enough sizzle to add heat to a delicious read.” â
RT Book Reviews
, 4½ stars
For more Shana Galen, visit: