Generations of Delbraith lords loved the siren call of
chance and wagering was in their blood. Handsome to a
fault, the young Lord Julian Roscoe Neville Delbraith was
no exception and he loved to play the proverbial game of
wine, women and even more gambling. Yet, underneath this
wastrel exterior was a steel trap mind for calculating the
risks and a protective heart for all he held dear. Shocked
to find that his elder brother George, despite his serious
exterior, had wagered their extensive Dukedom family
holdings and had left his mother and three sisters in a
precarious position, Julian did the only thing he could
do. He would gamble himself to regain what was nearly all
lost; however, to protect his family from the taint of
scandal, he had to sacrifice his true identity and social
standing.
After the death of their parents, 29 year old Lady Miranda
Clifford had taken care of her younger brother, Roderick.
Despite the fact that he is now 23, her longtime habits of
concern can not be so easily erased. Hiding in the
lengthening shadows of her aunt's garden where they now
live, Miranda is intent on finding out where her brother
is going in the evenings, if only to reassure herself.
Shocked to find him entering the huge mansion of the
notorious Neville Roscoe, Miranda's protectiveness takes
over. Quietly, she follows behind him as she is sure he has
been smitten by the allure and wild life of the King of
Gambling. But, as she creeps along the corridor, she meets
the infamous man himself.
As Roscoe senses what concerns Miranda, he allows her to
see for herself what is happening. Stunned by what she
witnesses, she apologies to Roscoe. As they chat into the
evening, they both sense a growing attraction, but with
the guilt of her strict upbringing and need for
respectability overshadows her feelings, Miranda vows never
to see Roscoe again.
Later, when Roderick goes out and doesn't return, Miranda
gets frantic. While her aunt doesn't want to alert the
authorities to avoid the faintest whiff of scandal, Miranda
refuses to simply wait. She instinctively knows something
has gone terribly wrong and she turns to the only person
who can help her find him. Roscoe instantly agrees, yet
does a double take on her conditions. She has taken care
of her brother all her life and nothing is going to stop
her from doing that now. How can Miranda find a way to go
looking for Roderick? How can she protect her heart and
reputation from Roscoe?
Set in 1823, well known and best-selling Regency romance
writer Stephanie Laurens instantly pulls you into the dark
shadows in the garden with Miranda and then into the
underworld of London not normally visited by society. This
romance is intriguing as both Roscoe and Miranda are older
and both used to calculating the odds of how they will end
up in their own lives. The enigmatic, yet caring 38 year
old gambler finds out that the lovely and sweet Miranda has
a backbone of steel and a brain as strategic as his. As
they look for clues to solve the mysterious disappearance
of Roderick, they learn more about the other and like the
strength of what they see. Historical romance fans who
like the twists and turns of mystery and suspense,
combined with a slow and sensuousness unfolding of the
petals of a blossoming romance, are sure to enjoy the
depths of this unusual relationship!
The passionate new love story from # 1 New York Times
bestselling author of The Capture of the Earl of Glencrae,
Stephanie Laurens
Neville Roscoe, notorious and enigmatic, lives resolutely
outside society, bound only by his own code of honor—until
challenged by his desire for the one woman he cannot have.
Miranda Clifford is a lady imprisoned by rigid
respectability—until tempted by a passion beyond her power
to deny.
Flung together in peril, through danger and intrigue, they
discover a love impossible to ignore . . . or keep.
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