The
Falcon & the Philosopher Inn, Cambridgeshire – December 1814
Flickering
light from the hearth at the far end of the taproom cast a warm glow across the
floor, wooden beams, and six very serious gentlemen gathered in a circle around
one of the tables. Only an occasional pop or crackle from the fire made any
sound in the otherwise vacant tavern.
“Richard
would want us to drink to his name,” Rowan Findley announced, lifting a glass
of whiskey out before him.
Robert
Hurst, the Earl of Northcotte, snorted. “Richard would want to be alive,” he
grumbled under his breath, but the others heard him clearly. And on that point
they were all in agreement.
Richard
Hollace, the late Lord Arrington, had lived life to its fullest. He embodied
the sentiment “eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we may die.” And
unfortunately, the latter was true in his case. It was the way Lord Arrington
had passed that had caused such a pallor to be cast upon the taproom. No man liked
to think about his own passing, and certainly not passing before one’s time,
but to be killed so viciously, and by one’s own wife…
“Which
is why we should drink to his name,” David Hounslow, the Marquess of Preston
said softly, lifting his glass of whiskey as well.
“Here,
here.” Sebastian Stanwick raised his glass.
The
other three men followed suit as Findley said, “To Richard Hollace, a damn good
friend.”
“With a
generous heart,” Preston added.
“And a
wicked sense of humor,” Nicholas Beckford, Lord Edgeworth tossed in.
“The
life of every party,” agreed Everett Casemore, the Marquess of Berkswell.
“Knower
of all things equine.” Northcotte smiled sadly.
“Knower
of all things female.” Stanwick frowned.
That
last bit swirled about the room, each man ruminating over the truth of it. Had
Arrington known fewer females, he might very well be alive this night. He
wouldn’t be lying six feet under with a hole in his head in the shape of a fire
iron. The six of them wouldn’t have driven through the snow to Cambridgeshire
on short notice. And they wouldn’t have sat through their old school chum’s
funeral, wondering how such a tragedy could have befallen the man.
One by
one, they swallowed the contents of their glasses, each wondering how the world
had stopped making sense. Ladies didn’t murder their husbands. They just didn’t
do such things, except… Well, except one
did. Something the lot of them would have thought unfathomable a fortnight
earlier had become a tragic and quite frightening truth.
“What’s
going to happen to her?” Preston asked, his voice just loud enough to be heard
over the crackling fire.
“She’s
been taken to Newgate,” Edgeworth replied. “I expect they’ll hang her.”
“Richard
should have been more careful of her sensibilities,” Stanwick said, raking a
hand through his midnight black hair. “He should have taken care that she not
find out about his paramours.”
“I doubt
he thought his wife was capable of such a thing,” Berkswell returned.
“I doubt
any man thinks so.” Findley sighed.
“And yet
women are very clearly capable of such things,” Northcotte began, “One only has
to look as far as Richard for proof.”
Again,
silence befell the six men. One only did have to look as far as Richard to see
that women were very clearly capable of murder. Northcotte had never spoken
truer words.
“Well,
that settles it then—” Findley broke the silence, slamming his glass on the
table in front of him a little harder than was necessary “—I’m never getting
married. That’s the best and only way I can think of to avoid Richard’s fate.”
It only
took half a second for Preston to say, “I couldn’t agree with you more.”
“Well,
then, what about you?” Findley glanced from Berkswell to Northcotte to
Edgeworth to Stanwick.
Berkswell
scrubbed a hand across his jaw and shook his head. “Certainly not worth the
risk. My brother can inherit.”
“As can
my cousin,” Northcotte added solemnly.
“Never
planned on marrying anyway.” Edgeworth shrugged.
“Nor I,”
Stanwick agreed.
“Then
we’re agreed,” Findley announced, lifting his glass in the air once more. “I,
Rowan Findley, hereby solemnly vow to never take a wife.”
The
other five lifted their glasses and repeated the vow in unison.
Famous
last words, most assuredly…
In AVA STONE's A Bit of Mistletoe, Everett
Casemore, the very serious Marquess of Berkswell, returns home for Christmas,
slightly shaken by the death of an old friend. Determined not to suffer the
same sort of fate at the hands of a woman, Berks resolves himself to eternal
bachelorhood. Unfortunately, both his resolve and his peace of mind are
threatened by the arrival of a beautiful, thoughtful, but mostly unsuitable
lady. * Miss Theresa Birkin knows better than most that an error in judgment
can lead one down an unfortunate path. If only she'd been wiser when she was
younger. If only she hadn't followed her foolish heart. If only she'd met Lord
Berkswell long before now.
In JANE CHARLES's Lady Disguised, Mr. Sebastian Stanwick never intended to
marry. It was bad enough that his father gambled away everything they owned and
then drank himself to death, leaving his mother broken until she could not go
on. But the death of his good friend at the hand of the man’s wife only
solidifies Stanwick’s decision to remain a bachelor. Women were simply
unpredictable and unstable if not taken care of properly. * Hélène Mirabelle
wants few things in life. One, is to perform on the stage, and the other, is to
be out from under the roof of her overbearing new family: Lord Bentley and the
Trent brothers. Since her mother’s recent passing, Hélène's desire to return to
Milan and the stage has only grown. A husband could never fit into the plans
because no decent man would take an actress as a wife. * One fateful night
leaves Hélène questioning if being an actress is the only thing she wants,
while Stanwick begins to wonder whether all women are truly prone to madness
and if they are, he may never get Hélène off of his mind.
In CATHERINE GAYLE’s Thick as Thieves, David Hounslow, the Marquess of Preston, will not stand aside while those he loves are hurt. When it becomes clear his brother-in-law’s guest is up to no good, Preston determines to scrutinize every move of the would-be thief. Not that he minds such a task—Lady Frederica is as beautiful and intelligent as she is enigmatic. Considering her close relation to a wastrel brother and her current proclivity for the less-than-savory, Preston never expected to be won over to the lady’s charms. Yet she just might steal his heart. * Desperation has become Lady Frederica Bexley-Smythe’s constant companion due to her brother’s recent affinity for gambling and carousing. With the fate of both her mother and sister resting upon her shoulders, perhaps the time has arrived for Freddie to bend the rules. How else can she secure their future? Unfortunately, Lord Preston’s scrutiny is complicating her task. Far more perplexing than his perusal is his caring nature, which is distracting her from the treasures she intends to steal. But desperate times call for desperate measures…
In CATHERINE GAYLE’s Thick as Thieves, David Hounslow, the Marquess of Preston, will not stand aside while those he loves are hurt. When it becomes clear his brother-in-law’s guest is up to no good, Preston determines to scrutinize every move of the would-be thief. Not that he minds such a task—Lady Frederica is as beautiful and intelligent as she is enigmatic. Considering her close relation to a wastrel brother and her current proclivity for the less-than-savory, Preston never expected to be won over to the lady’s charms. Yet she just might steal his heart. * Desperation has become Lady Frederica Bexley-Smythe’s constant companion due to her brother’s recent affinity for gambling and carousing. With the fate of both her mother and sister resting upon her shoulders, perhaps the time has arrived for Freddie to bend the rules. How else can she secure their future? Unfortunately, Lord Preston’s scrutiny is complicating her task. Far more perplexing than his perusal is his caring nature, which is distracting her from the treasures she intends to steal. But desperate times call for desperate measures…
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In JERRICA KNIGHT-CATANIA's All He Wants For Christmas, Rowan Findley can't imagine a fate worse than what his friend suffered at the hands of his mad wife, so he's made the decision to remain a bachelor for all eternity. That is, until Olivia walks into his cousin's drawing room for a Christmas party. Her fiery red hair and sweet demeanor remind him of a night so many years ago that he would never forget. * Olivia Edwards can't quite believe her eyes when Rowan Findley waltzes back into her life, as handsome and charming as ever. It's been almost seven years since she's seen him, and the secret she's been harboring all that time has her on edge whenever he's about. Yet she can't deny that she's still drawn to him, nor can she deny the desire she's kept hidden in her heart these many years.
In AILEEN FISH’s Chasing Lord Mystery, Lord Northcotte is not in the holiday spirit when he joins his sister’s family shortly after the brutal death of a friend. Discovering a matchmaking scheme is afoot, he tells them he will never marry Lady Miriam or any other woman. Now if only his heart would listen. * Lady Miriam’s mother accused her of chasing Lord Mystery after a noble act by a handsome stranger six years ago became the measure of all other men. Now he’s staying at the home where she’d hoped to escape a summons from her grandfather, the Duke of Danby. Terrified Northcotte will recognize her and reveal the contents of the scandalous letter she wrote him years ago, she can’t decide which is the bigger threat: the duke armed with a special license, or Lord Mystery, who carries a secret she’d never live down.
In JULIE JOHNSTONE’s ’Tis The Season For Surrender, Lillian Lancaster would
rather catch the plague than a husband. Unfortunately, her abusive, recently
deceased father’s will stipulates her inheritance hinges upon her marrying a
lord. With time running out, Lillian proposes to the guilt-ridden,
marriage-adverse Lord Edgeworth after securing his agreement to a marriage in
name only. * Edgeworth feels responsible for his former betrothed’s death and
believes he doesn’t deserve love, which makes Lillian’s proposal oddly perfect.
Commanded by his grandfather to marry by Christmas or become penniless, the
obviously perfect choice is a woman who wants nothing to do with him. * When
Lillian displays a brave and true heart and Edgeworth reveals his honorable,
protective side maintaining a marriage of convenience becomes harder than these
two wounded souls imagined. Now, Lillian and Edgeworth must decide if they are
courageous enough to risk their hearts and surrender to love.
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