Lady Cecilia Mallory receives a letter that forever changed
her life. That letter announces the loss of her father
which thrusts her barely eighteen year old brother into the
role of Earl of Appertan. It also leaves Cecilia without a
guardian. The appointed guardian begins to make her life
difficult and will not let her access her inheritance which
she desperately needs to help her brother. Through this
life changing events Cecilia has been corresponding with
Sergeant Blackthorne, her father's friend who notified her
of his tragic death. Blackthorn has become a friend to
Cecilia and out of desperation to help her youthful and
irresponsible brother she begs the sergeant to marry her by
proxy from India so that she may gain her inheritance.
Sergeant Blackthorne left his life of aristocracy as
Viscount Michael Blackthorne to enlist in the military
which he feels is his duty to his country. The former Earl
of Appertan was his commander and close friend and on his
death bed Michael promised the Earl that he would take care
of his children. Michael's first letter to Lady Cecilia
informs her of her father's death but her reply is such
that he feels he needs to write another letter. Over the
course of time Michael and Cecilia's letters grow in
frequency and they become friends, so when Cecilia asks him
to marry her by proxy from India he does so. Michael had
previously decided never to marry because he was a soldier
and the life of a soldier's wife is a hard one either
being alone for long periods of time or having to "follow
the drum" but doing the favor for Lady Celia by marrying
by proxy he doesn't believe he will ever meet his wife.
Then Adam is injured and being sent home to recover from
his injury he makes the decision that he must meet his
bride.
When Cecilia's husband shows up on her door she is shocked
to discover he is so young and handsome. Even more
troublesome she discovers he is a Viscount. Cecilia is used
to being in charge of everything and running the Earldom on
her own and she is worried her husband will try and change
everything. Michael is stunned by his Cecilia's beauty and
he longs to make his marriage a true one. Michael isn't
pleased by the young Earl's lack of interest in running his
own estate or how his wife is run down from doing
everything. Mysterious accidents keep happening
threatening his wife's life and Adam feels a sense of
protectiveness and must uncover who is trying to kill
Cecilia.
RETURN OF THE VISCOUNT is a brilliant love story and
unexpected mystery all in one. I enjoyed reading the
letters between Adam and Cecilia; I could witness their
relationship's progression from strangers to friends by
their words to one another. I also was fascinated by the
mystery of who was trying to kill Cecilia and Author Gayle
Callen threw a twist at the end that I never saw coming.
Once again Callen gives us a delightful novel that has you
glued to the pages from beginning to end.
Her marriage of convenience seems far too convenient . . .
Desperation drove Cecilia Mallory to seek a union with a
stranger—one who would wed her sight unseen and grant her
full access to her inheritance with no expectations
whatsoever. She anticipated, perhaps, an older,
undesirable, equally desperate husband—never the young,
vibrant, and devastatingly attractive man who answered her
call. What could such a man really be after?
Unknown to Cecilia, Viscount Michael Blackthorne, a soldier
and gentleman, owes a debt of honor to Lady Cecilia's
father, and granting her unusual request to wed seemed a
worthy way to repay it. But an unseen threat perilously
close at hand is convincing Michael thathis true
responsibility is to protect the beautiful, warm-hearted
lady he has married . . . the woman he is unexpectedly
coming to love.
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