Title: The
Most Dangerous Duke in London
Author: Madeline Hunter
Genre:
Historical Romance
About the book
NOTORIOUS
NOBLEMAN SEEKS REVENGE
Name
and title: Adam Penrose, Duke of Stratton. Affiliation: London’s
elite Society of Decadent Dukes. Family history: Scandalous.
Personality traits: Dark and brooding, with a thirst for revenge.
Ideal romantic partner: A woman of means, with beauty and brains,
willing to live with reckless abandon. Desire: Clara Cheswick,
gorgeous daughter of his family’s sworn enemy.
FAINT
OF HEART NEED NOT APPLY
Clara
may be the woman Adam wants, but there’s one problem: she’s far
more interested in publishing her women’s journal than getting
married—especially to a man said to be dead-set on vengeance.
Though, with her nose for a story, Clara wonders if his desire for
justice is sincere—along with his incredibly unnerving intention to
be her husband. If her weak-kneed response to his kiss is any
indication, falling for Adam clearly comes with a cost. But who knew
courting danger could be such exhilarating fun?
Excerpt:
Clara
quickly read her morning mail while eating breakfast in Gifford
House, the family’s London home. Two letters in particular received
very brief attention.
Her
grandmother had written a scold. I
am told that you have refused to receive Stratton twice since you
went up to London ten days ago. I must insist that you cease such
provocations.
Theo’s
letter said much the same thing. We
are unlikely to make progress with Stratton if you continue insulting
him. Think of Emilia’s future. Think of mine. Surely you can find a
modicum of gentility where he is concerned.
She
was
thinking
of Emilia’s future. And the family’s. This whole idea of bridging
the divide between her family’s and Stratton’s struck her as
ill-advised and disloyal. Let them try it if they wanted to, but she
was not going to cooperate. Grandmamma knew that. It was why no one
had told her about this plan before embarking on it.
Donning
her pelisse and her bonnet, she lifted a wrapped package and
descended to the reception hall. Eschewing the family carriages, she
told a footman to get her a hackney.
She
took some air on the portico while she waited. Unfortunately, while
she did, a carriage pulled into the drive. She cursed under her
breath.
Stratton
again. And here she was in plain view. She could hardly have the
butler tell him she was not at home.
On
the other hand, it should be obvious she was leaving. A few polite
words and he would be on his way.
The
duke stepped out of his carriage and approached her. After a
greeting, he stopped with one foot on the lowest step of the portico
and eyed her.
“You
go out a great deal.”
“I
may be in mourning, but I am not dead.”
He
gestured to his carriage. “Allow me to take you to your
destination.”
“Very
kind of you, but my carriage is on its way.”
“It
may be some time before it arrives.”
Indeed
it might. With an inward groan of resignation, she turned to the
house. “Since you have called on me, let us go inside and have a
proper visit while I wait.”
She
led the way into the house and deposited her package in a footman’s
hands. Up the stairs she led the duke, and into the drawing room.
She
perched herself on a chair and hoped she appeared at least half as
formidable as her grandmother.
The
duke took a seat in the chair closest to hers and settled in
comfortably. His hair had been styled since she last saw him on that
hill. His now disheveled cropped locks brought more attention to his
liquid dark eyes and to that sensual mouth and hard jaw.
“It
is kind of you to receive me, Lady Clara.”
“Since
you saw fit to report to my family that I did not receive you
previously, I now feel obligated to pretend I am amenable to this
inexplicable desire of theirs to form a friendship with you.”
“You
are a very direct woman.”
“You
are a most persistent man.”
“Persistence
in man is a virtue, while directness in a woman—”
“Is
a nuisance. Which begs the question of why you have bothered being so
persistent with this nuisance of a woman.”
“That
is an excellent question. If you had seen me on my first call, by now
you would have a full understanding of my intentions.”
What
an odd way to put it. Whatever his intentions
were.
“Perhaps
you will enlighten me now, and quickly, so I can resume my own
plans—plans which you have interrupted.”
He
laughed quietly, as if at a private joke. “Your brother called you
shrewish. I can see why.”
Shrewish?
Why, that spoiled, disloyal boy. “I prefer being called direct. As
a gentleman, I am sure you prefer
that
word too.”
“Of
course. Allow me to be direct in turn, so you can be about your day’s
business.” He leaned forward and set his arms on his knees. It
brought his fine face quite close to her. “You know your
grandmother’s plan to have me marry Lady Emilia.”
“I
do.”
“I
have decided to decline the offer.”
It
was all she could do not to cheer with relief. Thank heavens someone
in this sorry business was using some sense.
“I
have decided that you will suit me, and the dowager’s plan, much
better.”
A
stillness rang in the chamber. It took a good long moment for her
mind to absorb what he had said. Even then it sounded too bizarre to
be accurate.
“Your
sister is too young for me, and whatever settlement is offered with
her, it will never be as good as a wife with her own property and
income.”
Good
heavens.
She
gathered her wits, but it took some serious groping through her
stunned reaction. “Have you even met Emilia?”
“No,
but it does not signify. I am quite sure that while she is lovely,
she is not the bride for me.”
“How
can you say that when you have not even—”
“I
know.”
“You
had better know differently, and quickly, because I am not available
instead.”
He
sat back in his chair, not the least impressed by her definitive
rejection. “It is understandable that you are surprised by my
proposal. I am confident that you will come around, however.”
Too
agitated to sit, she stood and glared at the presumptuous idiot.
Regrettably that brought him up too. Instead of what had been a
satisfactory staring down, she now had to look far up at a face that
hovered over her own.
“I
heard no proposal. I heard an edict. I cannot imagine what gives you
cause to think I would obey it. You are the last man I would marry,
should I marry at all. Indeed, my father would turn over in his grave
if I even considered the idea. Now, sir, I thank you for your call,
but I must be about my day’s business. Already I will be late.”
She
pivoted and strode out of the drawing room and down the stairs. She
retrieved her package from the footman and headed outside. She sensed
the duke on her heels the entire way.
Her
hackney coach waited behind the duke’s carriage.
He
gazed hard at that hackney. “Why are you not using the family’s
equipage?”
“I
chose not to.” She descended the stone steps and aimed for her
coach.
He
walked alongside her. “You are going to a secret assignation, I
assume. One that you prefer the family servants not know about. There
is no other explanation for using a hackney instead of a family
carriage.”
She
truly wanted to hit him with her package for saying that within
hearing of the footman waiting to hand her into the coach.
She
settled herself on the seat while the footman closed the door. The
duke rested his forearm on the window’s edge and waited while the
servant walked away.
“I
will not demand an explanation now,” he said. “However, if you
are going to meet a man, that liaison must end immediately, now that
we are engaged.”
She
stuck her face to the window. “We. Are.
Not. Engaged.”
She was almost yelling by the end of it, but the coach had rolled
away by then, and only the air heard her.
About
the Author
Madeline
Hunter is
a New York Times
bestselling author with more than six million copies of her books in
print. She has twenty-nine nationally bestselling historical romances
in print, including most recently, The
Wicked Duke, Tall,
Dark, and Wicked, His
Wicked Reputation,
and The Accidental
Duchess. A member of
RWA’s Honor Roll, she has won the RITA Award twice and been a
finalist seven times. Her books have appeared on the bestseller lists
of the New York
Times, USA
Today, and Publishers
Weekly, and have been
translated into thirteen languages. She has a PhD in art history,
which she has taught at the university level. Madeline also writes
the Romance Unlaced column for USAToday.com’s Happy Ever After
site.
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