From the diary of Cornelia, Comtesse de Vane.
England, 1803
Affection died with my mother. My father, a minor country
baronet, didn’t want me because I wasn’t a boy, so he found himself a second wife
who gave him what he wanted. Then he died, leaving me to deal with my shallow
stepmother. The vapid woman would rather have a house in London so she can find
another husband than take care of her own son, my half-brother, the one person
I love the most in the world, the one person who loves me, except, perhaps
Rafe. Or so I once thought.
Rafe Densmore, 5th Baron of Densmore, was the
only man at Lord Perry’s card party who didn’t eye me like a sweet meat as I
stood behind my father, before his death, watching him gamble away the last of
our money. I was wearing a too small, hand-me-down dress and Rafe smiled at me,
not with the lascivious look all the other men threw at me, but with one of
understanding. It was as if he alone knew the humiliation I was suffering. Then, when my father ran out of blunt
and the disgusting Lord Edgemont suggested he wager me instead, it was as if
the world had turned upside down. My father, the one man who should have
protected me, sat there and laughed with the others as old Lord Waltenham won
the game then yanked me out into the dark garden.
I cursed my father as I fought the old man’s gnarled hands,
but he was stronger. Just when I’d
lost all hope, Rafe stepped from the shadows and gave Lord Waltenham a thrashing.
He sent the dirty codger scurrying back into the house. I didn’t know what to
think of the handsome Baron standing before me, the one with a reputation for
gambling and shouldering the debts of his father. As I rubbed my aching wrists,
I expected him to be like Edgemont and demand something in return for his
kindness, but he had a much more interesting proposal in mind.
“Working together, we could take the Paris card rooms by
storm,” he said with a smile to make my toes curl with excitement.
After the Peace of Amiens, all English society was flocking
to France. I’d never been farther than Lord Parry’s estate. Rafe promised to
teach me how to act and dress like a lady, an education my mother and
stepmother had failed to provide. It was an escape from my wretched life, a chance
to slip away from my father and reinvent myself. It tore at my heart to leave
my half-brother behind, but if I won in the card rooms of Paris, perhaps I
could save myself and him from a life of poverty.
The partnership Rafe and I agreed to was never about love, only
business. I blossomed under his tutelage. I’d never met a man so honest, or one
who looked on me as though I was a treasure and not a burden. Together, we lost
ourselves in the whirl of London, and then Paris society. In the heady
excitement of the card rooms, with Rafe strong, sure and confident by my side,
I also lost my heart to him.
It was the biggest mistake I could have made.
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by Georgie
Lee
Available October 1, 2014 from
Harlequin Historical
Uncovered:
a list of noblemen's names—each one guilty of treason.
To
save his family legacy, Rafe Densmore must seize a courtesan's infamous
register. No one can ever know how his father betrayed his country! One person
stands in Rafe's way—the beautiful Cornelia, Comtesse de Vane.
In
the card rooms of Paris, Rafe and Cornelia made an unbeatable…intimate team.
Until, convinced of Rafe's desertion, desperate Cornelia married an elderly
comte.
Now, returning to London an impoverished widow, she'll do anything to possess the register.
Now, returning to London an impoverished widow, she'll do anything to possess the register.
Even
if that means becoming Rafe's partner once again….
Buy Links: Amazon
http://amzn.to/1lrOwBr Barnes &Noble
http://bit.ly/TmooMK
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If you found yourself in Cornelia’s place and had to choose between following a handsome stranger and staying where you were and hoping for the best, would you follow the stranger? Keep in mind, the Peace of Amiens failed fast, trapping English citizens in France for over ten years, and there is no guarantee that you will win at the card tables. By following the stranger, you could end up in a worse situation than before.
Commenters: Would you still follow the stranger? Let me know in the comments below.
Also, anyone who signs up for my newsletter will be entered into a drawing to win an ebook copy of my second Harlequin Historical, Rescued from Ruin. Follow the link http://bit.ly/1uzeNCJ to sign up and then leave a comment below to let me know you did it.
Thanks for stopping by, and thanks to Get Lost in a Story for having me, and the Comtesse here today.
Social Media Links:
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@GeorgieLeeBooks
Website:
www.georgie-lee.com
