Her Valentine's Secret (A Georgian Romance Book 2)

by Beverley Oakley

  He put his head close against hers. “Tonight seems very unreal.” His voices sounded intense. “But you have taken a bold risk in coming with me, and you have saved my life, I think, Lisette.”

  “Then…that makes us even?”

  “That’s not what I meant.”

  “Oh?” A thrill of anticipation skimmed through her her as he landed a kiss on her mouth, adding, “I’ve never been more impressed by a woman, and I think I’m falling in love with you.”

  “And, as I have already told you, I have been in love with you since I was thirteen.” She could say that with every confidence, she now realized.

  “Except for the seven years you were with James.”

  Lisette laughed softly. “James ensured my love lay dormant when he encased my heart with ice with his lies. Tonight is the first time since…since he sent my parents to the guillotine that I’ve truly felt again.”

  The carriage was slowing, a cry of seabirds and the strong smell of brine borne upon the wind.

  “I feel it too, Lisette!” There was a note of delighted rapture in his tone she’d not heard before. “Now, give me your locket!”

  She’d been about to respond with a corroborating cry of joy but instead she just opened her mouth, torn between objecting and obeying. Lucien wanted her to give him his locket? Now that she was alone and entirely at his mercy, he wanted what she’d intended to guard with her life? Had she been mistaken? Was this the moment he was about to reveal his true colors? Had James been right all along?

  Before Lisette could bring herself to obey, Lucien had tugged the gold oval from her bodice and was sliding a fingernail along its edge to open the catch. She felt unable to move; frozen with terror as much as with the deepest disappointment.

  “There!” He sent her a look of satisfaction as he released her dearest treasure. “Now your parents are together again, just as they should have been for all these years.”

  With a great sense of wonder, Lisette held up the locket, both ovals now filled with the respective miniature of her mother and father.

  Lucien brushed her cheek with his fingertips, smiling. “You have everything you need to get what you are due. If you wish to return to Paris and visit the Banque de France with James, you are free to do so, Lisette. All the necessary information is written on the backs of both minatures. But I am here for as long as you need and want me.”

  The carriage had now drawn up at the docks, and Lucien pointed out of the window at a looming, ghostly hulk that clanked and rustled as it knocked against the quay. “That’s the boat that will take you on the morning tide after I’ve bespoken you a chamber at The Black Swan.”

  The thought that Lucien might not be in her life after tonight left a gaping hole in Lisette’s heart. She stared at his kind, handsome face and stroked his strong determined chin and it was as if some of his bravery seeped into her veins. Yes, she could do this alone but how much more wonderful it would be if Lucien were with her.

  “Please, come with me.”

  Lucien gazed at her as if she’d just conferred upon him the greatest honor in all Christendom. He gripped her hand and brought it up to his lips, closing his eyes as he kissed it, murmuring, “It’ll be a new beginning for us.”

  “A new beginning,” Lisette repeated softly, reaching across the small space to twine her hands behind his neck. “Now kiss me properly.”

  With a soft laugh, he drew her onto his lap and cupped her face.

  “Is this properly?” he asked, touching his lips to hers.

  She wriggled with pleasure, laughing her first carefree laugh as the carriage lurched forward, causing them both to fall upon the seat, Lucien on top of her.

  Wrapped in his arms, she breathed in the scent of him; bergamot and musk, sweat and honor.

  “It’s a very good beginning,” she whispered against his soft, gentle mouth while heat slowly suffused her body.

  “And only the beginning,” he returned before deepening the kiss while their carriage transported them towards the final leg of the night’s long and exciting journey.

  THE END

  For more mystery and intrigue in England in the years prior to the French Revolution, read Wicked Wager. It’s ‘Dangerous Liaisons’ with an unexpected twist and a Happy Ever After.

  Wicked Wager - Book 2

  Can innocence survive the machinations of a malevolent society beauty and a charismatic rake?

  Two weeks before her nuptials to her cold, harsh cousin, virtuous Celeste Rosington finds herself in the arms of notorious libertine, Lord Peregrine.

  The unexpected encounter is, at first, shocking, but as his charm weaves its magic, becomes a welcome distraction from her troubles. Isn’t she already the subject of whispers due to her involvement in the mysterious disappearance of a wealthy plantation magnate - a role, orchestrated by her demanding husband-to-be?

  A role in which Celeste failed spectacularly.

  Nevertheless, Celeste has no intention of sacrificing all of her scruples for a man she knows is only toying with her. One kiss from handsome, charismatic Viscount Peregrine will surely be enough to give her the strength to fulfil her marital obligations?

  But what if one kiss is not enough?

  With her reputation in the balance, Celeste soon finds herself navigating the treacherous waters of envy, intrigue and deadly secrets, unaware she’s a pawn in a wicked wager between a ruthless society beauty and delicious, dissolute Lord Peregrine.

  Could Peregrine really be a party to such perfidious plans? Will his reckless charm be the final undoing of a young woman once respected for her virtue and piety?

  Or will Peregrine discover that true love is more powerful than greed and ambition in time to save Celeste from the terrible fate that otherwise awaits her?

  *Wicked Wager was previously published by Harlequin Escape under the name Beverley Eikli. This exciting, fast-paced Georgian romance with mystery and intrigue has since been revised.

  Here's what the readers say:

  “Cloaked in mystery and dark agendas Wicked Wager…is a wonderful expedition into intrigue and romance! Nothing is as it seems in this book and as the story evolved clues and romance built.” ~ Jenerated Reviews.

  “The author knows how to weave a web full of mystery and suspense, and I had a great time relating to the heroine. Wicked Wager isn't the typical historical romance, it's very complex and intense.” ~ Amazon Reader

  “A great novel about a lord who is bored and likes playing games, especially when there are women involved. The game playing is fun and the romantic aspect …is great.” ~ Amazon Reader

  “A powerful page-turner with a compelling romance, a gripping 'edge of the seat' mystery and characters that held me spellbound.” ~ Amazon Reader

  "Full of mystery, intrigue, and romance. This book is set aside from all others. Totally immersible and hadn't realised I had finished it until I turned the last page. What a book!!"~ Kindle Reader

  Read Wicked Wager here

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  She was in it to secure the succession. He was in it for the pleasure. Falling in love was not part of the arrangement…

  Daughters of Sin

  Her Gilded Prison is the first of my 5-book Daughters of Sin Regency Romance series about two nobly born sisters and their illegitimate half-sisters - a governess and an actress - as they compete for love while bringing to justice a handsome, dangerous villain.

  And you can get it for free when you sign up to my newsletter.

  But, that’s not all.

  You’ll also be the first to know of my chocolate koala and paperback contests, my new releases, free books and specials.

  Yes! Please send me my FREE book!

  Also by Beverley Oakley

  The Daughters of Sin series follows the intertwining lives and sibling rivalry of Lord Partington’s two nobly born - and two illegitimate - daughters as they compete for love during several London Seasons.

  With Hetty and Araminta both falling
for men on opposing sides of a dastardly plot that is being investigated by Stephen Cranbourne, now a secret agent in the Foreign Office, there’s lashings of skullduggery and intrigue bound up in the central romance.

  What Readers are Saying About the Series:

  “…lies, misdeeds, treachery, and romance. What an impressive story! Ms. Oakley has a unique way of telling her stories, bringing unknown heroes/ heroines into the spotlight, as they navigate a world of espionage, and intrigue, all while trying to survive and find their HEA. Magnificent and mesmerizing!” ~ Amazon reader

  “Full of secrets, murders, intrigues and you feel you know the characters and want to strangle some of them, especially Araminta!!! I have since read all in the series and can’t wait for Book 5... This is a series I will read again and again.” ~ Amazon reader

  Below is the order of the books:

  Book 1: Her Gilded Prison

  Book 2: Dangerous Gentlemen

  Book 3: The Mysterious Governess

  Book 4: Beyond Rubies

  Book 5: Lady Unveiled: The Cuckold Conspiracy

  Get Her Gilded Prison - Book 1 - for FREE or get the entire box set here.

  Here’s a bit about them:

  She was determined to secure the succession, he was in it for the pleasure. Falling in love was not part of the arrangement. *** When dashing twenty-five-year-old Stephen Cranbourne arrives at the estate he will one day inherit, it’s expected he will make a match with his beautiful second cousin, Araminta. But while proud, fiery Araminta and her shy, plain sister, Hetty, parade their very different charms before him, it’s their mother, Sybil, a lonely and discarded wife, who evokes first his sympathy and then stokes his lustful fires.

  Shy, plain Hetty was the wallflower beneath his notice…until a terrible mistake has one dangerous, delicious rake believing she's the "fair Cyprian" ordered for his pleasure. *** Shy, self-effacing Henrietta knows her place—in her dazzling older sister’s shadow. She’s a little brown peahen to Araminta’s bird of paradise. But when Hetty mistakenly becomes embroiled in the Regency underworld, the innocent debutante finds herself shockingly compromised by the dashing, dangerous Sir Aubrey, the very gentleman her heart desires. And the man Araminta has in her cold, calculating sights. Branded an enemy of the Crown, bitter over the loss of his wife, Sir Aubrey wants only to lose himself in the warm, willing body of the young “prostitute” Hetty. As he tutors her in the art of lovemaking, Aubrey is pleased to find Hetty not only an ardent student, but a bright, witty and charming companion. Despite a spoiled Araminta plotting for a marriage offer and a powerful political enemy damaging his reputation, Aubrey may suffer the greatest betrayal at the hands of the little “concubine” who’s managed to breach the stony exterior of his heart.

  Lissa Hazlett lives life in the shadows. The beautiful, illegitimate daughter of Viscount Partington earns her living as an overworked governess while her vain and spoiled half sister, Araminta, enjoys London’s social whirl as its most feted debutante. When Lissa’s rare talent as a portraitist brings her unexpectedly into the bosom of society – and into the midst of a scandal involving Araminta and suspected English traitor Lord Debenham – she finds an unlikely ally: charming and besotted Ralph Tunley, Lord Debenham’s underpaid, enterprising secretary.

  Fame. Fortune. And finally a marriage proposal! Book 4 of the Daughters of Sin series introduces Miss Kitty La Bijou, celebrated London actress, mistress to handsome Lord Nash and the unacknowledged illegitimate daughter of Viscount Partington. Having escaped her humble beginnings, Kitty has found fame, fortune and love, but the respectability she craves eludes her. When she stumbles across Araminta, her legitimate half-sister, on the verge of giving birth just seven months after marrying dangerous Viscount Debenham, Kitty realises respectability is no guarantee of character or happiness. But helping Araminta has unwittingly embroiled Kitty in a scandalous deception involving a ruthless brothel madam, a priceless ruby necklace and the future heir to a dazzling fortune. And when Kitty finally receives an offer of marriage she must choose. Respectability or love?

  Kitty has the love of the man of her dreams but as London’s most acclaimed actress and a member of the demimondaine, she accepts she can never be kind and handsome Lord Silverton’s lawful wedded wife. When Kitty comes to the aid of shy, accident-prone and kind-hearted Octavia Mandelton, her sense of justice leads to her making the most difficult decision of her life: Give up the man she loves for the sake of honour. For Octavia is still betrothed to Lord Silverton who’d rescued Kitty in dramatic circumstances only weeks before. Cast adrift, Kitty joins forces with her sister, Lissa, a talented artist posing as a governess in order to bring to justice a dangerous spy, villainous Lord Debenham. Complicating matters is the fact Debenham is married to their half-sister, vain and beautiful Araminta. However, Araminta has a dark secret which only Kitty knows and which she realizes she is duty-bound to expose if she’s to achieve justice and win happiness for deserving Lissa and Lissa’s enterprising sweetheart, Ralph Tunley, long-suffering secretary to Lord Debenham. All seems set for a happy ending when Kitty tumbles into mortal danger. A danger from which only a truly honorable man can save her. A man like Silverton who must now make the hardest choice of his life if he’s to live with his conscience.

  Buy the complete series as a Box set and save.

  Four very different sisters compete for love during an exciting London season: a celebrated actress with a heart of gold, a shy yet daring wallflower, and the artistic, illegitimate daughter of a nobleman. Caught up in a high-stakes game of intrigue and deceit orchestrated by their sister, the ton's reigning beauty, each must play their part to bring a dangerous traitor to justice while finding a man deserving of their love and special talents.

  About the Author

  Beverley was seventeen when she bundled up her first 500+ page romance and sent it to a publisher. Rejection followed swiftly. Drowning one’s heroine on the last page, she was informed, was not in line with the expectations of romance readers.

  So Beverley became a journalist.

  After a whirlwind romance with a handsome Norwegian bush pilot she met in Botswana's beautiful Okavango Delta, Beverley discovered what real romance was all about, saved her heroine from a watery grave in her next manuscript and published her first romance in 2009.

  Since then, she’s written more than twenty sizzling historical romances laced with mystery and intrigue under the name Beverley Oakley.

  She also writes psychological historical mysteries, and Colonial-Africa-set romantic suspense, as Beverley Eikli.

  With an inspiring view of a Gothic nineteenth-century insane asylum across the road, Beverley lives north of Melbourne with her gorgeous husband, two lovely daughters and a rambunctious Rhodesian Ridgeback called Mombo, named after the safari lodge where she and her husband met.

  You can read more at www.beverleyoakley.com

  www.beverleyoakley.com/

  beverley.oakley@gmail.com