Lucien and Katherine have known each other since she was
born, Lucien has always been in love with Katherine, but
he never thought he was good enough for her, and when she
married someone else, he joined the army then travelled.
When they meet again, four years later, she's just coming
out of mourning, and it's only fitting that Lucien, who
had always been such a good friend, accompany Katharine
on her first outing since she became a widow, at the
Kingsborough Ball. It seems everyone but Katherine knows
how much Lucien is in love with her, but Katherine
herself. Then Lucien decides to make her notice him, and
pretends to set his sights on the lovely Lady Julie, who
is eying an untitled rake; they agree their spending some
time together might serve each other's purpose. Katherine
is shocked that she should care, but then a most
unexpected event changes everything.
THE DANGER IN TEMPTING AN EARL is the third instalment in
the Kingsborough Ball series, but can easily be
read as a
standalone. Ms. Barnes is such a splendid writer, this
book should be read by anybody who can appreciate how
beautiful the English language is when handled by an
author of such breathtaking talent! Ms. Barnes' attention
to detail sweeps the reader right into the period and the
setting, the dialogues ring true. The author's prose
is elegant, refined and effortlessly fluid, and just when
you are drifting on waves of loveliness, a stunning and
violent event occurs in a shocking plot twist that has a
significant impact in the story line.
THE DANGER IN TEMPTING AN EARL features well-developed
and interesting characters, and Katherine and Lucien are
rather unlike those we often come across in historical
novels: the male is the protagonist who is hopelessly
infatuated, he behaves like a gentleman, and the heroine
does not suddenly mutate from a skittish prude into a
wanton hussy; the romance is believable, tender and
honest. THE DANGER IN TEMPTING AN EARL is a spectacularly
well-written romance that will please those who enjoy a
bit of mystery and adventure as well!
Sophie Barnes does it again in this sizzling Regency-set
romance where anything can happen at the Kingsborough Ball.
Lucien Marvaine never thought he was good enough for
Katherine. As the younger son of an earl, he didn't have a
title or prospects. Then fate steps in and gives him a
second chance, and this new Earl of Roxbury is determined to
make the beautiful Kate his own . . . one touch . . . one
kiss at a time.
Katherine never thought of herself as a temptress, certainly
not with Lucien. Why, she's known him almost all her life!
Yet as she waltzes in Lucien's arms
at the Kingsborough Ball, she can't help but be drawn to
him. Has he always been this hard and masculine? And where
did those dimples come from? Kate is not looking for a
husband . . . but how can she not surrender to Lucien's
charms when love is at stake?
Excerpt
On the way to the Kingsborough Ball
1817
“Do you think she’ll be all right?”
“Who? Sophia?” Lucien asked. “She’ll be fine. She’s with
her nanny, after all.” Resting against the squabs of the
carriage as they tumbled along the country road, both
dressed in their evening finery, he regarded the woman
who sat across from him. It seemed as if he’d known her
forever—ever since her mother had allowed him to hold her
in his arms at her christening. He’d been seven years old
then and terrified of dropping her, so he’d stood there
stiffly and unsure of himself until his own mother had
taken Katherine from him, allowing him to run along and
play.
“I’m sure you’re right,” Katherine said, jolting him out
of his reverie. “It’s just that it’s the first time I’m
away from her like this and . . .” She turned her head
toward the window and was silent for a moment before
quietly saying, “I feel a great responsibility weighing
on my shoulders.”
Lucien hesitated a moment before responding. Her
situation could not have been easy, recently widowed as
she was and with a child to raise on her own, but in his
opinion she deserved better than Charles Langdon,
Viscount of Crossby. Lucien had never cared for the man
who’d been married to Katherine for just over a year
before meeting an early death. He’d been a cowardly
bastard, acquiring an honorable discharge from the army
for an illness that Lucien had known to be staged. And
then there was his character to consider. Growing up only
half an hour’s ride from Cresthaven, Lucien had seen
Crossby frequently over the years. As young men, they had
even attended Eton together. But Lucien had always found
Crossby both arrogant and pretentious, flaunting his
title wherever he’d gone. And that was without
considering his keen determination to best Lucien at
everything, even if it had meant cheating. The fact that
he’d married Katherine made Lucien wonder if the viscount
had ever suspected the depth of Lucien’s feelings for
her. It was unlikely, he decided, for he’d made every
effort to hide them. But if that hadn’t prompted the
wedding, what had? He was unable to understand
Katherine’s reason for marrying Crossby.
From what he gathered, their mothers had always been
friends, visiting each other regularly for tea, for
although their properties didn’t border each other the
way Katherine’s and Lucien’s did, the Crossbys still
lived relatively close by. Perhaps it was this
friendship that had led to a courtship and eventual
marriage? Lucien was damned if he knew.
Stretching out his legs, he decided that there was no
point in dwelling on the past and allowing his dislike of
Katherine’s late husband to cloud the evening. This was
to be her first social event since becoming a widow, and
Lucien was determined to make the evening a smashing
success for her. “You have many friends who, I’m sure,
will be happy to help you shoulder any burdens you may
have,” he said. He paused before adding, “Myself
included.”
Her head, which had been at a slight angle since their
departure from Cresthaven Manor, turned now so she could
meet his gaze. She leaned forward slightly, bringing his
attention to her green eyes, which were large and
searching. The corner of her mouth lifted to form a
crooked smile. “Truly?”
Lucien knew what was coming, but he refused to look away.
He would not be a coward.
“Because if you ask me,” Katherine continued, “a true
friend does not disappear from one’s life for almost two
years without word. Had it not been for the kindness of
your mother and your grandmamma, I would probably have
thought you dead!”
He winced. There was no denying that he had acted poorly
toward her. “And I have apologized, have I not?” As if a
mere apology would ever repair the breach he’d caused in
their friendship. He ought to thank his lucky stars that
she was even willing to talk to him, let alone share a
carriage. He crossed his arms and sighed. “You know that
I’ve always wanted to travel, so as soon as the war ended
and I was relieved of my duties as captain, I decided to
take advantage. I hadn’t intended to stay away for so
long.”
“I never received so much as a letter from you,” she
whispered, her tone bleak. She’d leaned back again,
hiding her face from him in the shadowy darkness.
“In all honesty, I thought it would be a waste of time,”
he said. He heard her scoff. “After all, you were
recently married and off on your wedding trip when I
returned from Waterloo. Frankly, I didn’t think you’d
notice whether or not I was back in England.”
“You’re right, of course. Charles was everything I ever
dreamed of in a husband, and I was elated to be his wife.
The day he asked me to marry him was the happiest of my
life.”
Her words made Lucien’s stomach curdle. “I know,” he said
more bluntly than he had intended. “And I’ve never been
happier for you.” How he managed to say that with
sincerity was beyond him. Perhaps he ought to take up
acting as a profession? Hell, he’d been doing it long
enough by now to know that he could be convincing.
“Hmm . . . and you didn’t think that I would need you as
a friend anymore, is that it? That I wouldn’t want to
welcome you home from the war?” Her tone was not
accusatory but filled with curiosity and hurt. When he
didn’t respond immediately, she reached for his hand,
squeezing it gently as her voice whispered through the
darkness, “That I wouldn’t want to offer you comfort
after—”
“Don’t!”
The word sliced through the air like a saber. Katherine
snatched her hand away and retreated to her corner, her
face blurring in the shadows. “Forgive me,” she said. Her
voice cracked and her cool façade trembled. “I meant no
disrespect.”
“Perhaps not.” He knew he’d wounded her with his rebuke,
but it couldn’t be helped. “However, I did not seek your
company in order to discuss those who are no longer with
us—not my father, not Crossby, and certainly not my
brother.”
Silence settled over them for a while, the churning of
wheels and plodding of hooves carrying them onward toward
their destination until Katherine finally took a deep
breath and said, “Then perhaps I may inquire if you’ve
seen your sister since your return? I know she’s missed
you terribly during your absence.”
“Regrettably, I haven’t managed to make time to visit her
yet, though I plan to do so soon. I’m happy to hear that
the two of you remain in touch, though.”
“She has always been a good friend. I have fond memories
of us playing together when we were little.”
“You certainly kept me on my toes, both of you,” Lucien
said. He shook his head. “Do you remember when you both
got your heads trapped inside the soup terrines that one
time? I can’t imagine what you were thinking!”
“We were pretending they were bonnets,” Katherine said.
Lucien frowned. “Bonnets indeed. I don’t understand your
reasoning, when I’m sure you both had more bonnets than
you knew what to do with at that age.”
“Well, it wouldn’t have been as much fun with real
bonnets,” she said. “Surely you can see that.”
With a sigh, Lucien chose to accept that some things just
defied logic.
There was a break in the conversation, a noticeable
pause, then Katherine suddenly said, “Lucien, I cannot
help but feel as though there’s something you’re not
telling me. As if you’re deliberately trying to distract
me with amusing conversation about our childhood
exploits. But I still have questions that need answering.
It makes no sense that you would want to go back to the
Continent so soon after returning from the war. Tell me,
why did you really leave England again?”
Clenching his jaw, Lucien swallowed with difficulty and
tried to block out the roar of blood in his ears. He’d
long since erected a wall around his emotions, a wall
that he couldn’t allow to fail him now when he needed it
the most. “Very well . . . I believe my parents felt that
since you had decided to tie the knot, I ought to do so
as well—especially after what happened to my brother. I
had duties, they said, responsibilities to face . . . an
heir to produce. Frankly, the last thing I wanted after
everything that happened was to find myself leg-shackled
to some Society miss when I scarcely felt capable of
getting out of bed in the morning. It all led to a rather
nasty row, which in turn resulted in my very abrupt
departure. To be blunt, I took the cowardly way out and
fled.”
It was of course a half truth, partly because he’d rather
cut off a limb than admit to her what his real reason had
been—heartache. Gavin, the brother he’d always admired
and looked up to, had longed to go to France and fight
against Napoleon, but his position as heir apparent had
prevented him from doing so. Ironically, he’d died in his
bed instead, consumed by fever. Lucien would never forget
the scene that had greeted him after returning from
Waterloo; his brother’s trembling body glistening with
sweat, his parents clutching each other for comfort. It
had been devastating.
Sitting at his brother’s bedside, Lucien had held Gavin’s
hand while he’d drifted off to sleep for the last time,
his final words being, “You know you love her. Now go and
make her yours . . . be happy.”
Lucien had sobbed at length thereafter, not only because
of his loss but also because his brother would never know
that he’d asked him to do the impossible. Unbeknownst to
Gavin, Katherine had married Crossby the week before and
had departed on her wedding trip before Lucien had
returned home. Lucien had never confessed his feelings
for her to anyone, but when Gavin had guessed the truth,
Lucien hadn’t denied it.
A heavy silence descended upon them, one Katherine
finally broke by saying, “I’m sorry, Lucien. I had no
idea. Your mother never mentioned the argument, although
I don’t suppose she would have, come to think of it.
She’s always been very private.” A beat passed, and she
hesitantly continued with, “Did you and your father ever
manage to reconcile before—”
“No,” he said, his tone reflecting the anger he felt at
himself for acting as rashly as he had, but his heart had
been broken and he’d lacked the maturity to accept the
responsibilities being thrust upon his shoulders—
responsibilities that never should have been his in the
first place.
Every time he thought of his father, he was filled with
undeniable guilt. He hadn’t anticipated his sire’s early
demise and had always thought he’d return to England
soon, share a glass of brandy with him and apologize for
acting like a spoilt child. Fate, coupled with his
father’s weak heart, had prevented him from doing so.
“I’m sorry,” Katherine whispered as she reached across
the space between them and slowly placed her gloved hand
over his once more, in much the same manner as one might
approach a frightened child.
It was little comfort, but he appreciated the gesture
nonetheless, allowing himself to revel in the sweet agony
her closeness offered. If his absence from England had
taught him anything at all, it was that no matter how far
he ran, he’d never escape the torment of his own
emotions. Better, then, to accept them, no matter the
consequences. “Thank you,” he said, watching her quietly
as she withdrew her hand from his, “but it is I who
should apologize to you for not returning sooner. Until I
arrived home, I’d no idea that you were also in mourning.
Mama failed to mention it when she wrote to me about
Papa. She implored me to return quickly so I could resume
my duties.” He held her gaze. “It’s been a busy two
weeks, though I must admit I am relieved that you
accepted my offer of escorting you to the Kingsboroughs’
this evening. I had expected you to turn me down.”
She chuckled. It was the first sign of amusement she’d
shown since his arrival on her doorstep just one hour
earlier—their first meeting in four years and with only a
brief note sent to her earlier in the day, informing her
of his plans to come and collect her. His own estate was
close to Cresthaven, so it was only logical that they
journey to Kingsborough Hall together, though truth be
told, he’d wanted this opportunity for them to talk
privately before entering the ballroom. Even so, he was
fortunate that she hadn’t tossed him out on his ear for
his audacity.
“Don’t think for a second that I didn’t consider it,” she
said. “However, I must admit that curiosity got the
better of me. I decided that it was high time you gave me
an explanation. That, and I’ve never been very good at
holding grudges. As neighbors, things might get awkward
between us unless we decide to put the past behind us and
move on with our lives.”
This was promising.
“That said, I do hope you realize that I expect you to
earn my forgiveness. I shall have to think of something
particularly distasteful . . . like taking me shopping at
the modiste’s.”
Or perhaps not.
He frowned as he imagined himself in a ghastly little
shop filled with fabrics and chattering women. Egads!
She must have known what he was thinking, for she offered
him a wry little smile and said, “You left, Lucien,
without as much as a note to offer me an explanation. I
must confess that my feelings were crushed as a result.
Surely you didn’t believe you could simply waltz back
into my life without the slightest repercussion after you
so thoughtlessly abandoned me.”
Her tone was sweet, as if in jest, but there was an
undercurrent of pain behind it that occasionally shone
through. Lucien frowned. “You had Crossby,” he told her
simply. Lord, would this conversation ever end? It felt
as if they were going round in circles without resolving
anything.
“Nevertheless.”
And there it was—the duty he’d had to wait for her to
return from her wedding trip and wish her well, to tell
her that he was leaving England again and to say good-bye
to her properly. Instead, he’d buried his brother long
before his time. After the funeral and an admittedly
large quantity of brandy to dull his senses, he’d argued
with his father. The following day, he’d departed for
France, eager to put as much distance between himself,
the title he’d never wanted, and the woman who’d
unwittingly torn his heart from his chest.
Well, he was back now, and however unprepared Kate might
be for his advances, he intended to do whatever he had to
do in order to win her. Focusing on his faults wasn’t
helping, though. It was time for a change of topic. “I
must say I’m surprised to discover that your brother-in-
law hasn’t arrived to claim his inheritance yet.”
“Yes . . . I’m not sure what’s keeping him, other than a
reluctance to take on the responsibility of running his
brother’s estate. He’s very young, after all, and
probably believes he has better things to do.”
“I can well imagine,” Lucien said. He’d met Mr. Lionel
Langdon only a handful of times, but it had been enough
for him to form a rather negative opinion of the youth—an
unruly fellow who’d proven a poor influence on others on
more than one occasion. Langdon’s older brother had not
kept a very tight leash on him, either because he’d felt
that Lionel would eventually settle down on his own or
because he simply hadn’t cared. Lucien didn’t know what
the reason had been, though he suspected it had been the
latter.
“It’s just as well, really, since I’m happy to remain at
Cresthaven a while longer.Especially since I would
otherwise have to share the dowager house with my mother-
in-law until other arrangements are made. She and I never
did get along very well.”
“I can’t imagine why,” Lucien muttered. In spite of the
darkness, he knew that Katherine was scowling at him. He
decided to lift her spirits a bit. “But Mr. Langdon, or
rather the new Lord Crossby, isn’t married as far as I
know. I’m sure he’ll allow you to remain at the manor.”
“Perhaps, though I must confess I’m not entirely sure I
wouldn’t prefer his mother.”
Lucien couldn’t help but laugh. “I never thought I’d
admit to missing the intrigues of the ton, but I find
myself looking forward to watching you take on the
dowager viscountess and an irresponsible heir with great
anticipation. I wonder who will win.”
“You’re a beast,” she said, but there was a lighter tone
to her voice than there had been earlier.
“Frankly, my money’s on you. You’re tougher than you
look.”
It sounded as if she responded with “You’ve no idea,” but
he couldn’t be sure as she quickly followed the remark
with, “In any event, my aunt has offered me a position as
her companion, so I doubt I’ll have to worry about my
living arrangements much longer.”
Lucien frowned. He’d have to dissuade her from throwing
her life away on such an endeavor, but before he had a
chance to comment the carriage came to a swaying stop. A
moment later the door was opened by a footman, and Lucien
climbed out. He turned to offer Katherine his hand.
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