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Chapter One

London, 1727

Another night wasted in the fruitless pursuit of austed, Lord Percival Falloure, Marquess of Tavistoke, turned froeHonesty had poisoned hiiven pleasures

The carriage stopped, and Percy alighted to stare up at the finest house in Leicester Square Even his ho to some other man It didn’t make any damned sense This was his world, and until recently he’d been quite content with it

But his eyes had been opened, and he could not unsee what had been seen Me in a bitter, iets,” he ”

Going inside, he tossed his coat to a footman and at once proceeded to the library to pour himself a brandy The chair by the fire beckoned like an old friend Easing hih the pile of correspondence awaiting his leisure

A letter from his solicitor One from Lady Sotheby Another from Mother One from Cousin Lucy He left their seals intact They could wait until

The graceful script on the next envelope, however, caught and held his eye The naoed to Lady Montgomery—Sabrina

Breaking the seal, he scanned the page A wistful sulp of brandy and tossed the letter into the heart of the fire It wouldn’t do for anyone but Montgomery to kno close they remained No one else would understand

The next letter was frouise of her new identity, Raquel—the first woman he’d ever helped escape London’s seairls on the outskirts of London The spidery lines contained a request for additional funds The building he’d purchased had been spacious enough to accommodate an increase in the nu short of provisions and was in need of

Yet another letter waited, one written in a rather untidy hand, thanking hiain soon—with assurances tea and scones would be provided along with the very best in doll society He would have to see about arranging it with her mother

Re correspondence consisted of invitations to balls at which he would be accosted byThe approaching Season filled him with antipathy Since his disastrous atteo, he’d been treated like choice stock on the auctioneer’s block Tootherwives had lost its appeal

In fact, most of his vices had lost their appeal He’d tried to pick up where he’d left off prior to h she’d never intended it, the woman had forever altered his perception of life

Thanks to her, ignorance was a bliss now denied him The persistent demon of his newborn conscience never allowed him rest, never permitted him the carefree hedonism he’d once practiced with such fervor Thanks to her, he’d been afflicted with the pestilence of actually giving a damn about other people besides himself

Having seen the horrors Raquel had endured the day he helped Sabrina rescue her, he’d never visit another brothel again And how could he seduce anotherfirsthand the plight of London’s unwanted children, how could he ever risk siring another bastard? Soet, but others would grow up in full knowledge of their illegitih no fault of their own They would suffer for it, and all because of his selfishness, his lack of self-control

Thanks to Sabrina, he knehat it was to love soly, she’d shown him the contemptible truth of himself, and he’d been unable to live with it Toohis miserable life, his only alternative had been to live it differently

I’ve been bloody well reforht made him take another s Aht little comfort

It wouldn’t be so bad if every unwed feave him no peace Like bloodhounds on the scent, they were—relentless, always nipping at his coattails The thought of getting cornered and marched down the aisle by one of their insipid number made him break out in a cold sweat One day he would stick his neck in the nuptial noose, but not yet

; Desperate men took desperate lass It was tiood round of harain

His gaze lit upon the pile of invitations he’d intended to ignore Choosing one at random, he strode to his desk and penned a swift acceptance The Wyndhaood a place as any to start

“Milord?”

He turned, annoyed “Yes? What is it?”