ďťż
ďťż
Dear Reader,
Things at the school have been quite hectic lately, with my young ladies marrying at a dizzying pace. Poor Lucy Seton, however, one of my favorite graduates, has had a most difficult year ever since that scoundrel Peter Burnes broke her heart by choosing a rich heiress for his betrothed. To keep her mind off the matter, I asked her to step in when one of my less reliable teachers quit without notice. So Lucy will be teaching drawing at the school for now.
I can only hope that keeping her busy will distract her from her troubles. At least now she fully understands what I have been drilling into my students from the beginning: Any man who puts his purse above his heart is not worth the having. It is very important for these young ladies to separate the fawning fortune-hunters from the genuine gentlemen. Young women are so easily swayed by flattery that they can overlook the glint of avarice in a young mans eye.
I do wish Lucy hadnt had to learn this lesson the hard way, however. She is such a passionate young womanI would hate to think that dreadful Burnes has broken her spirit. If anyone deserves to find love, it is young Lucy. Her loyalty to her friendsand to my schoolspeaks to her fine character. I only wish I could find a man good enough for her.
Perhaps I should ask Cousin Michael, my anonymous benefactor, for help in that regard
or perhaps not. His letters have been rather sharp of late. I dont know quite what to make of him.
But one way or the other, I intend to see Lucy Seton happily settled. What sort of friend and instructor would I be if I did not?
Most sincerely yours,
Charlotte Harris
Owner and headmistress
Mrs. Harriss School for Young Ladies
ďťż
Anyone who loves romance must read Sabrina Jeffries!
New York Times
bestselling author Lisa Kleypas
Praise for
New York Times
and
USA Today
bestselling author SABRINA JEFFRIES and her delightfully enticing series THE SCHOOL FOR HEIRESSES
LET SLEEPING ROGUES LIE
Consummate storyteller Jeffries pens another title in the School for Heiresses series that is destined to captivate readers with its sensuality and wonderfully enchanting plot.
Romantic Times
(4˝ stars)
Scandal, gossip, greed, and old enmities spice up the pot in this fast-paced sexy romp that bubbles over with Jeffriess trademark humor and spirit
. Sparkling dialogue, stirring sexual chemistry, and an engrossing story.
Library Journal
BEWARE A SCOTS REVENGE
Irresistible
. Larger-than-life characters, sprightly dialogue, and a steamy romance will draw you into this delicious captive/captor tale.
Romantic Times
(Top Pick)
Expertly entertaining and splendidly sexy.
Booklist
ONLY A DUKE WILL DO
Bringing together a bold heroine and a scarred hero while incorporating political scandal into a tightly woven romance, Jeffries once again proves her mettle as a first-rate Regency author.
Publishers Weekly
Marvelous, powerful, and sensual
. Jeffries fans will devour this treat.
Romantic Times
Politics and passion prove to be a particularly potent combination
. Expertly crafted and delectably sexy.
Booklist
NEVER SEDUCE A SCOUNDREL
Jeffries delivers lively lovers in an entertaining, sensual historical romance.
Booklist
Jeffries carries off this cat-and-mouse game of mutual seduction so cleverly that youll be turning the pages at lightning speed
. Warm, wickedly witty, and brilliantly plotted, this is a must for anyone who just wants a fast, intelligent read.
Romantic Times
ďťż
Also by Sabrina Jeffries
THE SCHOOL FOR HEIRESSES SERIES
Snowy Night with a Stranger
(with Jane Feather and Julia London)
Let Sleeping Rogues Lie
Beware a Scots Revenge
The School for Heiresses
(with Julia London, Liz Carlyle & Renee Bernard)
Only a Duke Will Do
Never Seduce a Scoundrel
THE ROYAL BROTHERHOOD SERIES
One Night with a Prince
To Pleasure a Prince
In the Princes Bed
ďťż
ďťż
Pocket Books
A Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the authors imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright Š 2009 by Deborah Gonzales
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information address Pocket Books Subsidiary Rights Department, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
POCKET and colophon are registered trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
ISBN-13: 978-1-4391-6341-2
ISBN-10: 1-4391-6341-3
Visit us on the World Wide Web:
http://www.SimonandSchuster.com [http://www.SimonandSchuster.com]
ďťż
To my wonderful Puerto Rican sister-in-law,
Erika Martin, who helped me with the Spanish in this book.
Thanks for being such a doll!
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-one
Chapter Twenty-two
Chapter Twenty-three
Chapter Twenty-four
Chapter Twenty-five
Chapter Twenty-six
Chapter Twenty-seven
Epilogue
Authors Note
ďťż
Chapter One
Richmond, Surrey
Late April 1824
Dear Charlotte,
How thoughtless of your drawing instructor to quit just before the Easter term begins! At least you have Miss Seton to help you until you can replace the irresponsible woman. Though I do hope she has grown out of what you called her inability to think before speaking.
Your friend and cousin,
Michael
L
ucinda Seton needed an impressive suitor, and she needed one
now.
A prince would be her first choice, but shed settle for a duke or even a marquess, preferably one who was filthy rich.
Not that she cared about riches, oh no. Expensive phaetons tearing neck-or-nothing through town made her retch, and hothouse roses made her sneeze. Jewels were rather nice, but a lot of trouble to watch out for when strolling with ones maid in the parks.
No, she wanted an impressive suitor for one reason only: to make Peter Burnes eat his words.
Tears stinging her eyes, she paced the bedroom at Mrs. Harriss School for Young Ladies that would be hers for the next few weeks. Fie on that wretch! She jerked a shawl from her half-unpacked trunk. How could she still be crying over him? And how could that heartless blackguard choose some milk-and-water miss over
her?
The memory of their humiliating exchange at last Saturdays ball made her cringe as she tucked her shawl into the chest of drawers. Bad enough that shed foolishly asked him how they stood. But his answer
Given my new position in society, Lucy, I require a more suitable wife. Someone of a settled and responsible disposition, not a hot-blooded hoyden who says the first thing that pops into her head.
