After five years on the Marriage
Mart, Miss Aquilla Knox is ready for spinsterhood until a benefactress steps in
to help her secure a husband. Only Aquilla doesn’t actually want to marry—her
failure is entirely on purpose. When the earl she’s nicknamed the Duke of
Deception sets his sights on her, she refuses to be drawn in by her attraction
to him. If there’s one thing she knows it’s that a gentleman is never what he
seems.
Edward Bishop, Earl of Sutton, has
a reputation for courting young misses and dropping them without a second
thought. This has earned him a reputation for deceit, a description he can’t
refute because he does in fact, harbor secrets and will do anything—deceive
anyone—to ensure they don’t come to light. As he comes to know the charming
Miss Knox, his resolve is tested. However, trust comes at a price and Ned won’t
pay with his heart.
“Did you come to take Miss Knox on a
promenade?” Lady Satterfield asked, prompting him before he could ask.
“Indeed I did.” He looked to Miss
Knox to gauge her reaction.
Her eyes still possessed a somewhat
guarded look, but she was quick to respond. “That would be lovely, thank you.”
He barely presented his arm before
she clasped it, and they were on their way. He noticed she didn’t even look at
her mother. Her grip was tight; she was nearly clenching his forearm. “Why do I
have the feeling I’ve rescued you?” he asked softly.
Her hold loosened. “You saved me
from my mother. Oh, damnation, I didn’t mean to say that. Nor did I mean to say
damnation.” She shook her head and breathed, “Damnation.”
Ned suppressed a smile. “Your secret
is safe with me, on all counts.”
She looked up at him from beneath
the brim of her bonnet. It was ivory and decorated with yellow flowers and a
dark coral ribbon. “Is it?”
He laid his free hand over his
heart. “On my honor.” They walked in silence for a moment. He began to wonder
if there was some rift between her and her parents and that was why they’d
stopped funding her Seasons. Since he preferred a wife who wasn’t particularly
close to her family, this suited him just fine. However, he was bothered by it
troubling Miss Knox. Which it clearly did. “Why do you need saving from your
mother?”
“I don’t. Not really. I just… We
aren’t close.”
“I see. I admit I did wonder why
you’re sponsored by Lady Satterfield. Why isn’t your mother here with you in
Town? Is she ill?”
“No.” She seemed to hesitate before
adding, “She doesn’t like London.”
He wasn’t sure if that was the
truth—or at least the entire truth—but he didn’t want to press her. “I hope you
don’t mind my asking. Like you, I’ve no interest in gossip. I’m merely trying
to get to know you better.”
“Yes, to see if we’ll suit.”
He still couldn’t tell if she
returned his interest. “I’m sorry to hear you and your mother are estranged.
Both of my parents are dead. I miss them.” He kept his gaze trained straight
ahead.
“How long have they been gone?” Her
query was soft, comforting.
“About thirteen years for my mother
and about eight for my father.” While he missed them both, the emotion was
tainted. They’d both changed so much after George’s illness had struck.
Especially his father. By the time Father had died, they were barely speaking.
“It’s odd because we look up to them—our parents—so much, but in the end,
they’re just people.”
Her gait slowed, and she turned her
head to look at him. “Yes, I suppose that’s true. I don’t really look up to
mine, however.” She winced, and he could see she wanted to take that back.
He stopped, turning toward her.
“It’s all right,” he said. “Our secret.” He glanced around. “No one can hear
us. Feel free to tell me your heart’s deepest desire.” He hadn’t meant for that
to sound provocative or for it to generate heat in his belly, but it did. Her
eyes flashed with something that kindled that warmth, and now he wouldn’t
regret it either.
“I just want to be free.” It came
out as a whisper and was instantly carried away on the breeze. She lowered her
gaze. “But I know that’s a ridiculous notion. No one—no woman, anyway—is ever
truly free.”
No man either. Everyone had obligations,
commitments, loyalties. Well, he supposed some didn’t. He wasn’t free by any
means, but he wouldn’t trade it. He wouldn’t trade George.
“Free is a state of mind, I think.
Like you said, no one is truly free, and I’m not sure I’d want to be. I like
being tied to things. To people.” He looked at her intently, thinking he might
like being tied to her. All sorts of lurid images invaded his mind.
She returned his gaze without
flinching, stoking the flame inside him. “What of your heart’s deepest desire?”
“I’m still trying to find it.”
A great addition to the series that can be read as a standalone, though I would recommend to read them in order. Overall, Ned and Aquilla's story is light and fun even with elements of domestic abuse and mental illness. I loved that even though their attraction to each other was instant, their relationship started out as a friendship before it turned into a romance.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book. I was not compensated for this review, all conclusions are my own.
Darcy
Burke is the USA Today Bestselling Author of hot, action-packed historical and
sexy, emotional contemporary romance. A native Oregonian, Darcy lives on the
edge of wine country with her guitar-strumming husband, their two hilarious
kids who seem to have inherited the writing gene, and three Bengal cats. Visit
Darcy online at www.darcyburke.com and sign up for her newsletter,
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