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Prim, plain, desperately virtuous Lady Mary Fairchild stared at the seductive gentleman and wondered — did he remember the elements of the night they met? Surely not. In the ten years since, she had abandoned her youthful impetuousness and transformed herself into a housekeeper — disguising her beauty beneath a servant's dour clothing determined to conquer the passions of the past.
But Sebastian Durant, Viscount Whitfield, did recognize her as a Fairchild, one of his family's bitter enemies. When he demanded her help recovering a stolen diary, she dared not refuse him. When he proposed they masquerade as a betrothed couple, loyalty forced her to agree. And when the restraint between them shattered and pleasure became an obsession, Mary had to trust a powerful man who could send her to the gallows ... or love her through eternity.
"What letter?" Mary asked.
"The blackmail letter." Lady Valery dusted her fingers together as if the mere mention made them feel dirty.
"Does your housekeeper know anything about that" Lord Whitfield doubted Mary in every way. He'd made it clear before; he showed it now with that nasty half smile and his skeptical tone of voice.
"I have free access to everything here!" Mary wanted to convince him of her innocence in this matter, at least. "Why would I have stolen a diary when I could have had jewels?"
"The diary is worth more than the crown jewels." He stood, and Mary shrank back. He observed and found her guilty, she was sure, but he did no more than remove his jacket. Such informality was his right, of course. This was his godmother's home, and he remained decently covered by a double-breasted waistcoat. His white shirtsleeves covered his arms, but somewhere during the journey he'd untied his cravat, which hung in limp strands around his neck. Slowly he pulled it away and tossed it over an ottoman with his jacket.
Mary's fingers itched to pick up his apparel and hang it on a hook, but she subdued her housekeeperly instincts.
He sat once more, sideways in the chair, and hooked one knee over the wooden arm.
To Mary, schooled to rigidity, his sprawl bespoke a lack of respect, almost...intimacy. She glanced at Lady Valery, but Lady Valery seemed affectionately amused at his discourtesy.
"There's to be a house party at Fairchild Manor," he said.
She took a long breath and with a courtesy born of desperation, said, "There is always a house party at Fairchild Manor."
"I haven't been invited," he said.
"Do you think I have?"
"Of course not. The Fairchilds don't know where you are." He observed her closely. "I wonder why."
Panic writhed in the pit of her stomach. She'd trained herself to listen when the occasional guests visited, and never had she heard the name of Guinevere Mary Fairchild mentioned as a fugitive from justice. But this man seemed to be demanding that she revive Mary's vanished spirit, and with it, the specter of disgrace, imprisonment, and death. She scarcely unclenched her jaw as she replied, "I can be no help to you. When my father died, we begged my grandfather for help and he refused us. There's no reason for the family to welcome us now."
"Us?"
Funny. She was usually more discreet. "Hadden and me. My brother and me."
"So Charlie had an heir."
He made a statement, but it sounded as if he were musing, or worse, remembering, and she didn't want that. Not if he truly didn't remember that night. "As I said, the Fairchilds would not welcome me."
Clearly he realized her discomfort, but this was a man who liked to have the upper hand. He relaxed back into the upholstered Chippendale chair.
She comprehended his scheme. Thinking her uncowed by the threat of arrest, he threatened her with himself. Beneath the thin white linen of his shirt, she could see a thatch of dark hair over a well-muscled chest, and his shoulders resembled a prize-fighter's more than a nobleman's. His hands, she'd already noted, and his face ... well, she'd seen executioners less austere.
Yes, he was threatening her.
"I can't help you."
"But you must, my dear. Half of the town has been invited, including some very powerful men. I have no doubt the exchange of diary for money will occur during the party."
Mary winced.
"I'll use you as a distraction while I search for the diary, and that distraction will be a pervasive one."
Oh, she would be a distraction, all right. Especially if one of the nobles at the house party recognized her.
"I assure you, I've anticipated every possible obstacle."
"Every obstacle?"
"You see" -- he leaned forward, his eyes as gray and cold as the night fog she feared -- "you are going to be my betrothed."
Copyright © 1997 by Christina Dodd. Reproduced in arrangement with Avon Books and the author. All rights reserved.
Anonymous
Posted September 11, 2010
If you like romance novels with plenty of sexual tension, suspense, humor, hot sex, and scenes that make your heart squeeze a bit, then I would recommend this book. My only quibble was that the Guinevere vs. Mary thing got a little old. Otherwise, great read!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted December 12, 2006
I love Christina Dodd's work, but this one, uhh, I feel like the characters didn't really connect. I really did not feel the love connection between Sebastian and Mary. I think there should be more chemistry between them. Also, the identity thing for Mary wasn't working as she slips into one persona over another. Sebastian was just not gentlemenly enough for me.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted November 13, 2006
I LOVE Christina Dodd, however this was not one of my favorites. Even though the story was original, it lacked something that I just can't put my finger on.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.This is a very nice read when looking for a light story. Enough plot to keep you interested.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted April 28, 2013
I am never disappointed by Dodds books!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Janie_tx
Posted December 26, 2012
Good Story
It was good story and I truly enjoyed it. It was romantic with suspense, intrigue, mystery, and sexual attractions. Mary hiding in Scotland from a crime she commited with her brother Hadden. When the author inferred that Hadden had some type of gift, by reading the stones he threw on the table, I thought nothing of it but later in England when Ian tells Hadden he see auras but why sprinkle that in the story if nothing came of it. That was the only thing I did not understand the purpose since it played no major roll. I would read this book again.
Anonymous
Posted July 30, 2012
I was shocked by the forcible sex--otherwise known as rape--in this book. After this, the heroine inexplicably comes to love the hero, who, above and beyond this scene, has brow-beaten and coerced her. Forget even romance, where is the love in this book? He's a boor and worse, his godmother is a septegenerian nymphomanic who let the heroine work as her housekeeper for TEN YEARS before deciding to do something for her, and the heroine gives most of her fortune away to the family that abused her. Does this prove her goodness or her idiocy?
The villiany is ridiculous but forgivable in a romance novel. As well, the brother's budding friendship with his cousin was promising. There's really nothing else I can give this book.
Anonymous
Posted July 17, 2011
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Posted December 18, 2009
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Posted May 7, 2012
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Posted November 15, 2012
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Posted June 17, 2011
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Posted July 27, 2011
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Posted November 18, 2011
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Posted June 9, 2011
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Posted May 11, 2012
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Posted September 13, 2012
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Posted August 1, 2011
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Posted October 7, 2012
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Posted June 22, 2011
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Overview
Prim, plain, desperately virtuous Lady Mary Fairchild stared at the seductive gentleman and wondered — did he remember the elements of the night they met? Surely not. In the ten years since, she had abandoned her youthful impetuousness and transformed herself into a housekeeper — disguising her beauty beneath a servant's dour clothing determined to conquer the passions of the past.
But Sebastian Durant, Viscount Whitfield, did recognize her as a Fairchild, one of his family's ...