He must resist temptation or risk losing his honor as a
gentleman and the friendship of those he holds dear.
gentleman and the friendship of those he holds dear.
SCANDAL OF THE SEASON
Liana LeFey
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.
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.
Signed
print copy of To Make a Match by Liana LeFey & $20 Amazon Gift Card
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