"Continues the tales of three sisters looking for answers to their parentage."
Reviewed by Suan Wilson
Posted June 15, 2007
Romance Historical
Anne Royle makes her London debutante debut intent on
proving she and her sisters are the daughters of the Prince
Regent. Anne and her sisters are convinced that the Prince
Regent and Maria Fitzherbert wed secretly, but for
political reasons, the marriage was never acknowledged.
Gossips murmur that the results of the union are the Royle
sisters. Their search has led them to letters hidden in the
current Earl of MacLaren's home. As the sister who fades
into the woodwork and is considered invisible, Anne is
chosen to sneak into the earl's bedroom to look for the
letters. Since inheriting the title of Earl of MacLaren, Laird has
strived to repair his beleaguered reputation. As he grew
up, Laird could never achieve the goals his father set
forth. Tired of trying, he spent his youth carousing and
getting into trouble. Finally, Laird finds a woman he
loves; only she leaves him at the altar appalled by his
previous behavior. Laird catches a stranger sneaking into
his room and all his hard work at reforming go awry when
they're caught. Anne and Laird pretend they're betrothed, hoping to prevent
a scandal. Laird assures Anne that at the end of the
Season, she can break off the engagement. By then he will
have convinced society that he's worthy of his title.
Anne's guardians, known as the "Old Rakes," agree with the
arrangement with a sly wink and a nod among themselves. The
scheme goes as planned until Anne realizes it's become more
than a ruse. HOW TO ENGAGE AN EARL is a fun and entertaining tale as
three sisters search for the answers to their parentage.
Ms. Caskie delights readers with her clever chapter titles
and the endearing "Old Rakes," who manipulate behind the
scenes to ensure excellent matches for each of their
charges.
SUMMARY
She thought she was alone in the bedchamber...until he
stole a kiss and her breath away. Nothing ever goes right for Anne Royle—the fair-haired
middle sister no one ever seems to notice—especially on the
night of London’s most anticipated society rout. Thinking she's learned of evidence that might prove her
noble heritage, Anne slips unnoticed into an earl’s
bedchamber to search for a bundle of secret letters.
Suddenly, she is embroiled in a scandal with the rakish
earl, one from which even her clever sisters and the Old
Rakes of Marylebone can’t extricate her. Laird Allan, the newly belted Earl of MacLaren, enjoys the
life of a consummate bachelor. And, after one disastrous experience being publicly jilted,
he intends to keep it that way. Until, during a rout at his
home, Laird and Anne’s lives unexpectedly collide, when he
stumbles upon her—a woman he’s never seen before— rifling
through his bedchamber. Suddenly their worlds are cast into turmoil, when they are
discovered, by all of society, wrestling atop his tester
bed—and when questioned about her identity, the young
woman has the audacity to claim she is his betrothed!
ExcerptMy God, could it be? Laird slid from the massive tester bed and blinked his
bleary eyes, unable to believe what he was seeing. But there she was. His ethereal angel, here, standing in the moonlight in his
bedchamber. She spun around, turning from the brightness of the window
to stare into darkness. Her form became a dark silhouette
framed by quicksilver. “Who is there?” Her voice was weak, her stance tremulous.
She leaned forward out of the well of light behind her so
that her gaze might better pierce the darkness. She couldn’t see him but she knew he was there. After all, she had come to him. Why, he didn’t know. Didn’t damn well care. His mind floundered in the swirl of brandy his emptiness
had bid him to consume. Walking was nearly beyond him, and
he barely managed to remain on his feet as he slowly made
his way toward her. She sensed his presence as he drew closer, and nervously
slid a foot backward as if to escape him. “Please, who is
there?”
There was loud creak as her heel slammed into the skirting
board beneath the window. A thump, as her back met a pane
of rippled glass. She could retreat no farther. “It’s only me,” he told her. “No need to run.” Laird came into the light and stood directly before her. She did not look up at him at first, but peered, furtively
down at her slippers. Her chest rose and fell rapidly. Her
quick, shallow breaths fell softly against the wedge of his
bared chest, where his shirt had come opened as he had
unsuccessfully attempted to sleep off the potent effects of
the spirits. “Do not worry,” he said to her. He smoothed a
hand down the length of her arm. A small gasp broke through her lips and finally, she lifted
her chin. As she turned her eyes to peer at him, a whisper
of moonlight to caress her face. “I...I...I can’t—” Laird eased his fingers over her cheek, then cupped her
chin in his hand and angled her mouth upward toward
his. “Yes, you can. You possessed the boldness to come into
my bedchamber.” “No. You don’t understand. I can’t—” she protested thinly. He covered her mouth with his own then, and muted any
feeble protest. Her lips were soft and warm, and, after a
moment, he felt them moving against his. Laird groaned and slipped his right arm around her slim
waist, and drew her closer so that he could feel her body
against him. She responded with a firm hand against his bared chest,
pushing against him at first, but then he felt her fingers
ride up his skin and catch the half-tied neckcloth she
found there. Her grip tightened around it and she pulled
hard. It took him a half tick of the minute hand to realize
she was trying to hold herself upright. Confused, Laird drew back a hand’s width. Her frightened
eyes met his gaze for a scant moment before her knees
buckled beneath her.
Her free hand scrabbled at her stays beneath her bodice. “I-
I can’t breathe,” she managed, before her grip upon his
neckcloth loosened and her eyes closed as she collapsed in
his arms.
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