Miss Foster's Folly

by Alice Gaines

Overview

Manhattan, 1886

Juliet Foster has just become the wealthiest spinster in town. Her domineering and thoroughly unpleasant father has died and left her millions. She's free to be her own woman and seek a life of adventure.

David Winslow, Marquess of Derrington, is in search of a wife who can break the Winslow Curse. Every second-generation heir inherits a restless, defiant nature that can only be tamed by a mate as independent and rebellious as himself.

Miss Juliet Foster is perfect—and eager for seduction. But when he wants more than a few nights of passion, Juliet runs like the devil's on her heels. Can the marquess convince her that marriage isn't a trap, but the greatest freedom of all?

89,000 words

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781426890147
Publisher:	Carina Press
Publication date:	06/01/2010
Sold by:	HARLEQUIN
Format:	eBook
Pages:	384
Sales rank:	468,343
File size:	675 KB

About the Author

Alice Gaines likes her romance sizzling. Although she reads—and writes—all kinds of stories, she most enjoys working in the Victorian era. Besides spinning tales in her head, Alice's passions include vegetable gardening, the San Francisco 49ers, and America's Test Kitchen.

Alice has a Ph.D. in psychology from the University of California at Berkeley and lives in Oakland, California with her collection of neglected orchids and her pet corn snake, Casper.

Read an Excerpt

Manhattan Island, New York, 1886

The day Juliet Foster became insanely wealthy broke bright and clear. Juliet stared with longing out the window at the sunlight bringing the first warmth of spring to Central Park. The Almighty might have planned the weather to honor her dear, departed father. More likely, God didn't think about Gerard Foster one way or the other. No matter. Juliet's father had never paid much attention to God, either.

Gerard's children had assembled in the lavishly appointed office of his lawyer. Juliet's brother and sister and their spouses perched on their chairs, seeming to hover over Mr. Simms as he put on his reading glasses and opened the will. Juliet braced herself; unlike the others, she knew what was coming.

Mr. Simms cleared his throat. "I hope I've expressed my deep condolences at the loss of your father."

"Thank you." Her sister, Ophelia lifted her handkerchief to her mouth and managed a discreet sob into the linen. Very convincing unless you'd witnessed her make the exact same noise dozens over times of the years.

"He was a very great man, my dear," Mr. Simms said. "All of Manhattan admired him."

Indeed. They'd all discover how much that very night at the party Gerard's partners had planned in his honor. Society might think a celebration so soon after the man's death in poor taste, but Papa had no doubt ordered the thing to demonstrate that even in death, he was still in charge.

"Not only a titan of industry, but a great philanthropist," Mr. Simms went on. "The Foster Museum, the Foster Conservatory. The Foster Sanitarium…he even cared for the poor and infirm."

As long as he didn't have to actually meet any of the poor and infirm. Papa had left monuments to his name all over the city the way his prize bulldogs left surprises on the sidewalk outside of their mansion on the park.

"But I don't have to sing his praises to you kind people," Mr. Simms said. "We shall not see his like again for a very long time, if ever."

"Mr. Simms," her brother Richard said. "I hate to seem…"

The lawyer wrinkled his brow in confusion.

"We have preparations," Richard went on. "If you don't mind...the will?"

Mr. Simms' expression cleared. "Ah, yes."

The man shuffled the papers for a moment and then began to read. "'I, Gerard Howard Foster, being of sound mind do here on this twenty-fifth of November, 1885 declare this to be my last will and testament for all matters—'"

"Yes, of course," Ophelia said. "I don't think we need that part."

Mr. Simms glanced at Richard. "Should I skip it?"

"If you don't mind," Richard answered.

The lawyer looked to Juliet.

"Whatever my brother and sister want," she said. Nothing either of them could say or do would change the important contents of the will.