Just out of the mourning period for her late husband, Baron
Cheshire, the still very young and stunningly beautiful
Lady Cheshire, the former Viola Bennington-Jones, was ready
to kick up her heels and re-join London society. Only 23,
her marriage to Lord Henry had lasted only eleven months,
but she had produced an heir and the wee lad was her pride
and joy.
Viola was not the only one waiting for her to complete
the long and expected mourning period. Ian Wentworth, now a
respected Duke with tremendous wealth at his disposal,
wanted his long held vengeance and the moment he
had been eagerly awaiting had finally arrived. Haunted for
years by nightmares and shadowy recollections from a drugged
induced hostage situation that had left him mentally scarred
and the target of gossip from the London ton, he was
determined to bring Viola down any way he could. Why had she
gotten off scot-free while he suffered as a result of his
horrible confinement? Only her two
older sisters (one totally mad), had been charged and
punished, but not Viola. He knew she had been there and
was not innocent. She had done very well for herself, too,
and that made Ian's blood boil. Viola was definitely not
going to escape his retribution for her evil deeds!
The joy quickly left Viola at the Ball when she spotted Ian
Wentworth there with the Duke of Fairbourne. When
introduced to him, he didn't seem to know her and only
complimented Viola on her reputation as a painter. Could
he really not remember all the times she had cared for him,
despite her fears of her sisters who didn't want her to
help him? How could he have forgotten all the times she
bathed him, feed him and keep him warm with her young body?
Though Viola wanted to get away from him at all costs, he
managed to get her to commit to painting him. Contact
between them would be unavoidable. She had her son to
protect and she was going to ensure that Ian could not harm
her. What did he really want?
Adele Ashworth has penned a very intriguing sequel to her
earlier Victorian novel, A Notorious Proposition in
which Ian Wentworth's sister, Ivy, was the heroine. The
action is comic and dark, even criminal at times, yet the
writing is lively and the interaction between Ian and Viola
is rapier sharp while they each privately pondered on the
other's perspective. It is a novel hard to read and hard to
put down at the same time. Might be best to read both
books for the full flavor of this romance!
Ian Wentworth arrives in
London with one goal: revenge. Now a duke of enormous
wealth, he should settle down to the business of marrying
and producing heirs. But nightmares of an ordeal from his
past haunt him at every turn. All those he believes
responsible have paid with their lives. All but one: Viola
Bennington-Jones, the lovely Lady Cheshire. And he will not
rest until he sees the tempting beauty suffer.
Viola
keeps her secrets--and there are many--safe from society's
prying eyes. When she first spies Ian at a glittering ball,
the rush of recognition immediately turns to panic. Does he
remember the tender touches that once passed between them?
Does he feel the electric passion that binds them still? Or
does he blame her for the awful horrors her kin bestowed
upon him? The enigmatic duke holds her captive: in desperate
thrall to his powerful sensuality, her future--and her
heart--in his hands.
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