The Secret of Love (Rakes & Rebels: The Raveneau Family Book 3)

by Cynthia Wright

  “Quite dangerous.” Leaning closer, Mouette whispered, “But it’s not necessary to alert the constable, unless sinful good looks are a crime.”

  * * *

  Upstairs, Mouette and Charles were settled into their rooms and Isabella hurried through her bath. It wouldn’t do to be late to her own wedding!

  “I must admit, this is a very comfortable house,” said Mouette, upon returning to Isabella’s bedchamber. “I hadn’t expected to find an oasis of civilization in the wilds of Cornwall.”

  “I have written you many times that Cornwall is a magical place. You might like it here!” She held her breath as Lowenna laced her stays. Across the room, her old friend was surveying her with a critical eye.

  “Perhaps you can do without your spectacles today,” Mouette suggested in an undertone.

  Isabella had been looking out the window at that moment, down over the sloping hillside that led to the chapel where she would soon be married. Suddenly, she gave a little cry of delight.

  “There he is! You see, if I left off my spectacles, I wouldn’t have seen the man I am about to wed.”

  Mouette joined her, craning her neck. “Did you mention his name? I don’t remember now. We’ve been so busy since I arrived!”

  Just then Gabriel, who was walking with his parents toward the medieval stone chapel, turned and looked up at Isabella’s window. Clad in fawn trousers and topboots, a tan-striped waistcoat, and a flawlessly-tailored midnight-blue tailcoat, Gabriel’s face lit up with the smile of a man in love. His chestnut hair shone in the sunshine, and his cravat was white as snow against the line of his tanned jaw.

  “Cherie, were you worried that I had forgotten our wedding?” he called, extending a hand up to her. “Come down into my arms, where you belong.”

  Mouette gaped in disbelief. “Why, I believe that is Gabriel St. Briac! The man you dreamed of from afar for years!”

  “Yes,” Isabella said, feeling pleased with herself. “He loves me. Has there ever been a more fortunate bride?”

  “You little minx! Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I was about to, when your coachman interrupted us.” She laughed. “Besides, I thought you would already have guessed. Did I not tell you the night I first saw Gabriel that I meant to marry him one day?”

  * * *

  Gabriel stood near the altar in the small 14th-century chapel, gazing out at the guests who had assembled to witness his wedding to Isabella.

  Pink and white roses clambered over the windows with their foot-deep slate lintels, and their perfume mingled with the scents of aged stone and history. Before the guests arrived, Sebastian had confided that the chapel was built as a private oratory, for the use of the Trevarre family and their servants, but after the Reformation, it had fallen into disuse and, later, decay. It had taken the vision of Julia Trevarre to faithfully restore the structure.

  It was the perfect place for Isabella’s wedding: a link to her conflicted past with her family, but also a source of healing. Scanning the guests for familiar faces, Gabriel’s gaze settled on his parents, who now declared they adored Cornwall and wanted to begin a new life together there. He saw Eustache and Lowenna, dressed in their finest clothes and sitting close together. Martin and Helivet and some of the other men from the crew of Deux Frères were visible near the back of the chapel. Julia, lovely in pale yellow, was in the front with Keswick, who whispered to Cassandra, Lucas, and another little boy Gabriel didn’t recognize. Tristan and Sarah, Lord and Lady Senwyck, were there with their newborn baby boy, and even Mr. and Mrs. Snuggs had put on their Sunday best and taken seats with Primmie near the door.

  The only person missing was his cursed brother, Justin, who had promised to stand up with him today.

  Yet, why should he be surprised? Justin was wild and unmanageable. When Gabriel had asked their mother, she confirmed that Justin had come to them in Polruan, but hadn’t been seen since putting them in their carriage.

  He probably met a lovely village maiden and is undressing her at this moment.

  A tall woman wearing a butterfly cap began to pluck a harp positioned in a corner of the chapel. Gabriel saw Mouette Raveneau walking toward him. Thank God she had come after all.

  Then, as his bride came into view on Sebastian’s arm, Gabriel forgot all else.

  His heart clenched with emotion as Isabella drew closer, a vision in a simple gown of white muslin and ivory silk. He loved everything about her, from her crown of wildflowers to her brave, intelligent countenance, to the delicate spectacles that enhanced her clear green eyes. Whether holding a paintbrush or conversing animatedly or responding passionately to his lovemaking, she was the woman of his dreams.

  As the pastor began to speak, Sebastian put Isabella’s small hand in his.

  In that sacred moment, Gabriel became increasingly aware of a rustling noise. Glancing back over one shoulder, he saw Justin approaching, freshly bathed and shaved, and wearing an impeccably-tailored suit of clothing.

  “I am here,” his brother whispered with a roguish smile. “Just in time.”

  Usually, Gabriel would have wanted to murder him, but today he was determined not to respond. He nodded at the pastor, but before the old man could resume his speech, Mouette made a sound of horrified shock.

  “You!” she gasped, eyes wide. “It’s—you! The man on the road!”

  She was pointing at Justin.

  “Indeed, it is I.” He arched a wicked brow. “We meet again, mademoiselle.”

  Mouette blushed so deeply that Gabriel thought his brother might have bedded her after leaving Polruan. Before she could splutter a reply, Julia rose to her feet.

  “Perhaps this conversation would be better saved for another time?” she said firmly. “M’sieur St. Briac, will you sit on one side of me—and Lady Brandreth, next to my husband?”

  Moments later, with Justin and Mouette safely out of the way, Gabriel and Isabella were free to concentrate on each other. He gazed into her eyes, repeating the vows that were read to him, but it was not until the pastor had pronounced them were husband and wife that Gabriel feel free to say what was in his heart.

  “I am the most fortunate man alive.”

  “I was about to say that I am the most fortunate woman,” Isabella whispered as he brought her into the shelter of his embrace. “Please, kiss me.”

  “Ah, Madame St. Briac, I have been longing to do that very thing.”

  The ancient chapel, high on the hillside above the River Fowey, came alive again with the spirit of love as Gabriel and Isabella sealed their marriage vows with an unabashedly passionate kiss.

  The End

  ~ Thank You ~

  Thank you so much for reading THE SECRET OF LOVE! I am honored that you’ve chosen my book and I sincerely hope you enjoyed it.

  If you’d like to stay in touch, I invite you to join my newsletter. It’s where I share news about my new releases, special sales, giveaways, and personal news. You can sign up here: www.cynthiawrightauthor.com!

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  And something new is happening on Facebook! My most Devoted Readers are invited to join a special new “Cynthia Wright’s Rakes & Readers Group” on Facebook. You’ll be the first to see my coziest posts, be included in special previews and giveaways, and have a chance to interact with others who enjoy reading my books. I hope you’ll come by now and join us—just click HERE.

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  If you enjoyed reading this book, please consider posting a REVIEW, which will help other readers make a choice!

  THE SECRET OF LOVE is Book 3 in

  Rakes & Rebels: The Raveneau Family:

  1 – SILVER STORM (André & Devon)

&nbs
p; 2 – SMUGGLER’S MOON (Sebastian & Julia)

  3 – THE SECRET OF LOVE (Gabriel & Isabella)

  4 – SURRENDER THE STARS (Ryan & Lindsay)

  ~ coming in August, 2017: HIS MAKE-BELIEVE BRIDE (Justin & Mouette)

  5 – HIS RECKLESS BARGAIN (Nathan & Adrienne)

  6 – TEMPEST (Adam & Cathy)

  The Raveneau Family series intertwines with

  Rakes & Rebels: The Beauvisage Family:

  1 – HEART OF FRAGILE STARS: a novella prequel to CAROLINE (Jean-Philippe & Antonia)

  2 – CAROLINE (Alec & Caro)

  3 – TOUCH THE SUN (Lion & Meagan)

  4 – SPRING FIRES (Nicholai & Lisette)

  5 – HER DANGEROUS VISCOUNT (Grey & Natalya)

  You can see an intertwining list of both series at the end of this book.

  I’m excited to tell you that an audiobook of THE SECRET OF LOVE is available and I know that you will love Tim Campbell’s inspired performance as much as I do. I think you’ll agree that Tim’s interpretation of Gabriel St. Briac is truly swoon-worthy!

  The next book in Rakes & Rebels: The Raveneau Family series is SURRENDER THE STARS. Set six years after THE SECRET OF LOVE, it stars Raveneau daughter, Lindsay—and provides a reunion with Mouette, who is the heroine’s sister. You can read a bonus excerpt of SURRENDER THE STARS after the Author’s Note. I think you’ll enjoy this “disguise and deception” romance set in Regency London, as André and Devon Raveneau attempt to deal with daughter Lindsay’s romantic awakening.

  If you would like to read YOU AND NO OTHER, the story of Gabriel St. Briac’s ancestors, Thomas and Aimée, you can read more about this romp through Renaissance France HERE. And of course, SMUGGLER’S MOON is Julia and Sebastian’s story, where readers witness Izzie & Gabriel’s first meeting.

  If you haven’t yet read SILVER STORM, the book that started it all, you can read the FREE book now! And you can read Nicholai and Lisette’s passionate romance in the Beauvisage Family title SPRING FIRES, set in 1793 Philadelphia and London.

  Once again, my heartfelt thanks for your support, interest, and encouragement for my books. I welcome your comments and suggestions, and I hope that you’ll write to me at Cynthia@CynthiaWrightAuthor.com. I promise to reply!

  Warmest wishes,

  ~ Cynthia

  ~ Author’s Note ~

  THE SECRET OF LOVE, like most of my books, incorporates many of my interests and passions.

  I first traveled to St. Malo, France, in 1980, with my friend Margo Jacobsen. It was just one stop on a three-week road trip through the Loire Valley and much of northern France. The book that came out of that trip was YOU AND NO OTHER, but I always knew St. Malo would become a setting in a book one day. It’s wonderful to finally feature it—35 years later—in THE SECRET OF LOVE! In 2013, I returned with my husband to St. Malo and spent several days inside the walls of the ancient city, soaking up the history and atmosphere (including the story of the real-life corsair Surcouf). I hope that you feel some of that magic as you read THE SECRET OF LOVE.

  I have long been interested in the subject of stolen masterpieces of art. I’ve read several books about the art looted during World War II, but even more fascinating to me is the fact that even more art treasures were stolen as Napoleon conquered the countries of Europe. When my husband and I visited the Louvre again in 2013, I discovered that this famous museum was originally stocked with masterpieces plundered by Napoleon’s army and his real-life henchmen, Wicar and Denon.

  Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun is another fascinating real person. Her own adventures, at the French court and later, moving across Europe after the Revolution, are more colorful than fiction. I hope you’ve enjoyed spending time with Madame Le Brun in THE SECRET OF LOVE!

  If you visit Paris today, you can go “Under Paris” and tour the catacombs, but it was a wilder place in 1808, when THE SECRET OF LOVE was set. It wasn’t until 1814 that an effort began to organize the millions of human bones that had been dumped into the tunnels when the overflowing cemeteries of Paris were emptied.

  You can see “Behind the Book” images of all the real-life people and places in THE SECRET OF LOVE on my Pinterest Board. I think you’ll enjoy it!

  I am also thrilled to tell you that THE SECRET OF LOVE is available as an audiobook! SECRET is performed by the gifted artist Tim Campbell and I think it’s my best audiobook yet!

  You can find it, and my other six audio titles, HERE.

  I am so excited to now be working on the story of Justin St. Briac and Mouette Raveneau! If you have read SURRENDER THE STARS, which is set six years after SECRET, you know that Mouette is still married in that book, and in her thirties, and HIS MAKE-BELIEVE BRIDE is set later. Justin and Mouette’s romance will be my first story with an older couple. I won’t tell you more now, except to say that I am more excited about this relationship than I’ve ever felt at the start of a book!

  Just ahead, you’ll find an excerpt of SURRENDER THE STARS, Book 4 in Rakes & Rebels: The Raveneau Family series. It’s the enchanting story of André and Devon Raveneau’s younger daughter, Lindsay—all grown up in 1814—and Ryan Coleraine, who masquerades as the absent Nathan Raveneau as the family goes to London to spy for America. Mouette is back, too, deeper than ever into her role in London society.

  I am so grateful to you for reading my books and staying in touch with me. I would love to hear from you at Cynthia@ CynthiaWrightAuthor.com and I promise to write back.

  Until next time—warmest wishes and happy reading!

  ~ Cynthia

  I hope you’ll enjoy this special preview of

  Surrender the Stars

  Rakes & Rebels: The Raveneau Family, Book 4

  Summing up the Prologue:

  Spring, 1814, during the War of 1812: André and Devon Raveneau live on the Connecticut coast with their bluestocking daughter, Lindsay. One of André’s ships is captained by Ryan Coleraine, a rakish Irishman. The book’s prologue finds the elder Raveneaus in Philadelphia, meeting with old friends (from Caroline and Touch the Sun) who persuade the Raveneau family to travel to London on a mission for the president, with Coleraine masquerading as their son Nathan who is in the West Indies. Part One opens in Connecticut, where Ryan Coleraine’s ship, the Chimera, has just docked.

  ~ ~ ~

  Take heed of loving me.

  —John Donne (1572-1631)

  Chapter 1

  Pettipauge, Connecticut

  April 7, 1814

  Descending the Chimera’s gangplank, Ryan Coleraine set foot on American soil for the first time in one hundred days and smiled. Behind him, the privateer he commanded swayed at anchor alongside other proud ships lining the Point. Painted pale yellow, with a blue stripe between the wales, the sleek brigantine basked in the spring sunlight as sailors scurried over her decks and up the ratlines, unloading cargo and securing the lines.

  “Are you off to the Griswold Inn for a drink, Captain?” inquired Drew, the Chimera’s first mate, as he set a crate of rum on the wharf.

  Coleraine gazed distractedly out over the glittering Connecticut River. “Not just yet. I have to report to Captain Raveneau on the success of our voyage.” He gave the young man a smile. “When you and the others are finished here, come along to the Gris and I’ll buy you all a round.”

  “Thank you, sir! I can taste it already!”

  Ryan’s progress up Main Street was slow as various residents of Pettipauge stopped to welcome him home. The greeting jarred a bit, for Coleraine was there so little that he’d never felt this was his home. He was more at ease on board the Chimera, surrounded by a sweep of ocean, than here on this street lined with clean white houses and shops, budding oaks, and rows of sunny daffodils.

  Young women turned to stare as the privateer captain passed by, but he was too preoccupied to notice. At thirty-one, Ryan Coleraine was shockingly attractive. Tall, lean, and strong, he was blessed with shining, crisp black hair that curled against the back of his neck, brilliant blue eyes, chiseled
features that were somehow accentuated by his closely trimmed beard, and a devastating smile. Today he wore a white shirt, a simple, snowy cravat, a charcoal-gray waistcoat and breeches that skimmed his long, hard thighs, and black knee boots. In his left hand, he casually carried a midnight-blue coat.

  Approaching the Raveneau house, he considered what he wished to say to the man who had been his mentor since his arrival in Pettipauge nine years ago. Ryan had worked long and hard, earning Raveneau’s trust and saving his money. Now he was ready to strike out on his own. He wanted to buy the Chimera, which he had designed and christened himself. How would Raveneau react?

  The large Georgian house owned by the Raveneau family had been built on the right side of Main Street within sight of the ship-lined Point. Painted a warm, light yellow, in contrast to its white neighbors, the home seemed to exude contentment. Square boxwood hedges marked the boundaries of the corner yard, while budding elms arched before beds of jewel-like crocus and narcissus. Ryan thought that the house’s windows made the inviting picture complete: green shutters framed open sashes and clean, fluttering curtains. It was hard for him to believe that when Raveneau was Coleraine’s age, he, too, had called the sea his home and had been a confirmed rogue and womanizer.

  Able Barker, the family’s tall, rawboned butler, answered Ryan’s knock at the door and informed him that the Raveneaus were away in Philadelphia and that he wasn’t certain when they’d return. Then, seeing the younger man’s disappointment, he added, “I’ll wager that Miss Lindsay would know. Why don’t you stop by the schoolhouse and ask her?”