LITMIR.BIZ

      ZEBRA BOOKS

      KENSINGTON PUBLISHING CORP.

       http://www.kensingtonbooks.com

      For Linda,

       best friend,

       confidant,

       partner-in-crime,

       beloved sister.

       What would I ever do without you?

      For Mom and Dad,

       my guardian angels,

       and for John,

       whom they loved so much.

      A special thank you to my editor,

       Audrey LaFehr

       at Kensington Books,

       for taking a chance on me.

      Contents

      Chapter 1

      Chapter 2

      Chapter 3

      Chapter 4

      Chapter 5

      Chapter 6

      Chapter 7

      Chapter 8

      Chapter 9

      Chapter 10

      Chapter 11

      Chapter 12

      Chapter 13

      Chapter 14

      Chapter 15

      Chapter 16

      Chapter 17

      Chapter 18

      Chapter 19

      Chapter 20

      Chapter 21

      Chapter 22

      Chapter 23

      Chapter 24

      Chapter 25

      Chapter 26

      Chapter 27

      Chapter 28

      Chapter 29

      Chapter 30

      Chapter 31

      Chapter 32

      Chapter 33

      Chapter 34

      Chapter 35

      Chapter 36

      Chapter 37

      Chapter 38

      Chapter 39

      Chapter 40

      Chapter 41

      Chapter 42

      Chapter 43

      Chapter 44

      Chapter 45

      Chapter 46

      Chapter 47

      Chapter 48

      Chapter 49

      Author’s Note

      Chapter 1

      London, May 1814

      “I’ve heard Lord Walling has depraved appetites in the bedroom.”

      Isabel Cameron’s lips twitched at the words whispered into her ear by her close friend and fellow debutante, Charlotte Benning.

      Isabel scanned the glittering ballroom, noting the magnificent chandeliers, the priceless artwork, and the crush of well-dressed people all vying amongst themselves for attention.

      At Isabel’s silence, Charlotte touched her arm. “What? Do not tell me that you of all people find such talk shocking?”

      Isabel pushed a wayward dark curl off her shoulder and turned to Charlotte. “It’s not the information that shocks me, but the thought of where you learned such private concerns regarding Lord Walling’s bedroom antics. Have you been eavesdropping on your mother and her friends again?”

      Charlotte chewed on her lower lip. “I cannot help myself. Those gossipers are an endless source of education.”

      Isabel glanced at Charlotte as her friend vigorously fanned her red cheeks. Charlotte was a petite, slender girl with a wealth of frizzy blond hair and round blue eyes.

      Charlotte leaned close, covered her lips with her fan, and lowered her voice. “They even said Lord Walling pays a woman in Cheapside to indulge his fancy.”

      Isabel couldn’t control her burst of laugher. “I pity the woman forced to endure his attentions, paid or not.”

      “Speaking of the man,” Charlotte said. “Your soon-to-be betrothed waddles toward you as we speak.”

      Waddles.

      Isabel’s humor vanished, and she frowned. Lord Walling was indeed waddling. A portly man with fleshy jowls and a sagging stomach, he had strands of thinning hair, which he parted on the side and combed over a growing patch of shiny scalp. At fifty-three years of age, he was thirty-three years her senior.

      “Can you imagine him intimate with a woman?” Charlotte asked.

      Isabel’s gut clenched tight.

      Charlotte reached out and grasped her hand. “Dear Lord, what will you do if you cannot persuade your father against the match?”

      Bloody hell! Isabel thought. What will I do?

      “I’ve tried speaking with my father,” Isabel whispered urgently. “He’s unrelenting on the subject and insists that at my age I should be suitably settled. I’ve even attempted to dissuade Lord Walling of the notion that I would make a good wife, but to no avail. It’s clear he is keenly interested in my family’s reputation, title, and wealth. I’m afraid I have to take matters into my own hands.”

      “Oh dear,” Charlotte said. “Not again, Isabel.”

      Lord Walling walked forward, directly toward her, nodding when she met his stare. His beady brown eyes reminded her of a ferret she had once seen at a country fair.

      Walling bowed stiffly as he stood before Isabel and Charlotte. “Good evening, ladies. I trust you are enjoying Lady Holloway’s ball.”

      “The evening is most entertaining, Lord Walling,” Charlotte said.

      He turned his attention to Isabel. “May I have the honor of the next dance, Lady Isabel?”

      “I’m afraid I’m not feeling well tonight, Lord Walling, and would not be a suitable dance partner.”

      He looked at her in utter disbelief. “Oh? Your father told me that you had attended an exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts just yesterday and that you were positively blooming.”

      “I found the art inspiring and must not have felt the effects of my illness until I arrived home.”

      “You shouldn’t bother yourself with such artistic nonsense. A true lady, especially one of your age, should focus on domestic matters.”

      Charlotte took a quick sharp breath.

      Isabel opened her mouth, then snapped it shut, stunned by his bluntness.

      “My

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