He must resist temptation or risk losing his honor as a gentleman and the friendship of those he holds dear.
Scandal of the Season
Liana LeFay
Releasing May 30 2017
Entangled Select Historical
Five years
ago, Lord Sorin Latham fled England’s shores to avoid heartbreak and scandal in
the form of one Lady Eleanor Cramley. On returning home, he finds the young
miss he used to scold for lack of decorum is now a stunning woman who fires his
blood. But he must resist temptation or risk losing his honor as a gentleman
and the friendship of those he holds dear, including Eleanor.
Lady
Eleanor is determined to be the paragon of propriety Sorin urged her to become.
But now that he’s back, the man she once thought of as an older brother makes
her long to be anything but proper. She must make Sorin see her as worthy of
his heart and his desire without losing his good opinion, or her Season will
end in disgrace.
“Eleanor, Charles has told me of your many rejected suitors. You have, to his utter bewilderment and despair, refused to consider any and every gentleman that has expressed interest in you, and I cannot help but feel that the fault is in some way at least partly mine. While it is true that I’d hoped to impart to you a sense of decorum, I never intended that you should withhold yourself so entirely as to become isolated.” In the silence that followed, Sorin braced himself.
But in spite of her reddening face, she spoke with
chilling calm. “You confuse reserve with a lack of feeling. Reserve is the veil
behind which we conceal those sentiments inappropriate to display, is that not
what you said?”
“It was indeed,” he replied, now regretting the
fact that he’d ever broached the subject.
“Then consider it fortunate that I maintained my
reserve, because to have displayed my true feelings for those so-called suitors
would have been insulting to their dignity and very likely ruinous for me.” Her
eyes flashed, belying her cool tone. “I’ve given every gentleman before which
Charles has paraded me an opportunity to prove himself worthy of my regard.
It’s not my fault that all have failed to meet my standards. If I’ve been reserved,
it is because I have yet to find a gentleman possessing the qualities necessary
to engender my trust and affection.”
Prudence warred with curiosity—and promptly lost.
“Might I inquire as to these…standards you’ve set forth? Because it seems to me
you’ve set some lofty requirements, if indeed no less than four—six if you
count the good reverend’s repeated attempts—proposals of marriage have been
turned down due to lack of their fulfillment. Are you certain the fault lies
with the gentlemen?”
In an instant, he knew he’d gone too far. Her eyes
widened, and the flags in her cheeks brightened to a cherry red that spread to
the tips of her ears.
“Perhaps I am too harsh a critic,” she said a bit
unsteadily. “My only excuse is that my expectations have been set by the
examples with which I was provided in my youth. My father, Charles, and…” A
suspicious brightness rimmed her lower lashes for a bare instant before she
averted her gaze.
Comprehension dawned. “If you mean to say that I am
at fault for—”
“Who else was there?” she snapped, glaring at him
through leaf-green eyes that glittered with unshed tears. “Had I been exposed
to lesser men, I should perhaps be more willing to accept such a one. However,
as I was not, I shall continue to hope for better. Had you been here to see
what has presented itself thus far, I would like to think that you would agree
with my decision.”
The words had been spoken softly, and yet they cut like the sharpest steel. He took a step toward her, intending only to offer comfort and reassurance, but she quickly edged away.
The words had been spoken softly, and yet they cut like the sharpest steel. He took a step toward her, intending only to offer comfort and reassurance, but she quickly edged away.
Liana
LeFey delights in crafting incendiary tales that capture
the heart and the imagination, taking the reader out of the now and into
another world. Liana lives in Central Texas with her dashing husband/hero and
their beautiful daughter. She’s also privileged to serve one spoiled rotten
feline overlord. Liana has been devouring romances since she was fourteen and
is now thrilled to be writing them for fellow enthusiasts.
Thank you for hosting!
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