Never Judge a Lady by Her Cover
The Rules of Scoundrels # 4
By: Sarah MacLean
Released November 25th, 2014
Avon Romance
By day, she is Lady Georgiana, sister to a duke, ruined before her first season in the worst kind of scandal. But the truth is far more shocking-in London’s darkest corners, she is Chase, the mysterious, unknown founder of the city’s most legendary gaming hell. For years, her double identity has gone undiscovered...until now.
Brilliant, driven, handsome-as-sin Duncan West is intrigued by the beautiful, ruined woman who is somehow connected to a world of darkness and sin. He knows she is more than she seems and he vows to uncover all of Georgiana’s secrets, laying bare her past, threatening her present, and risking all she holds dear...including her heart.
Brilliant, driven, handsome-as-sin Duncan West is intrigued by the beautiful, ruined woman who is somehow connected to a world of darkness and sin. He knows she is more than she seems and he vows to uncover all of Georgiana’s secrets, laying bare her past, threatening her present, and risking all she holds dear...including her heart.
She resisted the urge to groan, refusing to turn toward the familiar voice of the Duke of Lamont. “I thought you did not care for Society.”
“Nonsense. I quite like Society, and even if I didn’t, I wouldn’t have missed Lady Georgiana’s first ball.” She scowled, and he added, “Careful, or the rest of London will question your decision to dismiss a duke.”
The duke, widely known as Temple, was her business partner, co-owner of The Fallen Angel, and immensely irritating when he wished to be. She finally turned to face him, pasting a bright smile on her face. “Are you here to gloat?”
“I believe you meant to finish that question with ‘Your Grace,’” he prompted.
She narrowed her gaze. “I assure you, I meant no such thing.”
“If you’re going to land yourself an aristocratic match, you had better practice your titular acumen.”
“I would rather practice my acumen in other areas.” Her cheeks were beginning to ache from the expression.
His dark brows rose. “For example?”
“Exacting revenge on supercilious aristocrats who take pleasure in my pain.”
He nodded, all seriousness. “Not a skill that is precisely feminine.”
“I’m out of practice with femininity.”
“Surely not.” A smile flashed, white teeth against his olive skin, and she resisted the urge to wipe it from his face. She muttered an invective under her breath, and he snickered. “Neither is that very feminine.”
“When we get back to the club—”
He cut her off. “Your transformation is remarkable, I will say. I barely recognized you.”
“That was the idea.”
“How did you do it?”
“Less paint.” Georgiana’s public persona was most often in disguise as Anna, the madam of The Fallen Angel. Anna did not spare the maquillage, the extravagant wigs, or the heaving bosom. “Men see what they wish to see.”
“Mmm,” he said, clearly disliking the words. “What in hell are you wearing?”
Her fingers itched, begging to smooth skirts. “A dress.”
Sarah MacLean grew up in Rhode Island, obsessed with historical romance and bemoaning the fact that she was born far too late for her own season. Her love of all things historical helped to earn her degrees from Smith College and Harvard University before she finally set pen to paper and wrote her first book.
Sarah now lives in New York City with her husband, baby daughter, their dog, and a ridiculously large collection of romance novels. She loves to hear from readers. Please visit her at www.macleanspace.com
Sarah now lives in New York City with her husband, baby daughter, their dog, and a ridiculously large collection of romance novels. She loves to hear from readers. Please visit her at www.macleanspace.com
3 comments:
Thank you for hosting today!
And I also loved this excerpt! I love the banter between Georgiana and Duncan. The banter is one of my fave parts in historical romances. I think the conversations I hear in movies and on TV and even in live performances by couples I know are uninteresting, nearly illiterate as to content, and very profane. So I read historical romances to get lively conversation "fixes." :-) Thanks so much for the post. jdh2690@gmail.com
Keep them guessing and play hard to get!
Love the sound of your scoundrel book!
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