One good proposition deserves another…
Heiress Augusta Meredith can’t help herself—she stirs up gossip wherever she goes. A stranger to Bath society, she pretends to be a charming young widow, until sardonic, darkly handsome Joss Everett arrives from London and uncovers her charade.
Augusta persuades Joss to keep her secret in exchange for a secret of his own. Weaving their way through the treacherous pitfalls of a polite world only too eager to expose and condemn them, they begin to see that being true to themselves is not so bad…as long as they’re true to each other…
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Learn more about Theresa at theresaromain.com.
Theresa offers an excerpt from SECRETS OF A SCNADLOUS HEIRESS ...
Theresa offers an excerpt from SECRETS OF A SCNADLOUS HEIRESS ...
She tilted her head, setting the loose curl free again. “Are you doing what you wish?”
Doing what he wished? No, of course he wasn’t.
Right now he wished he could make her smile as she had when giving away her gloves. He wished he could dispense with his conscience and plead for her to take him as a lover. He wished he could pluck the pins from her sunset hair and send it tumbling over her naked skin, wished he could stop kissing her only to make her cry out in pleasure.
But always, in the face of a wish, came prosaic reality. A scarred wooden table, a plate of mutton and potatoes, a wedge of cheese. An adequate fire and a roof over one’s head. Such a reality was perfectly acceptable, even if it didn’t hold the luster of a gemlike fantasy.
“I try to wish,” he said in a calm voice, “for what I know I might attain. For respectable employment for a reasonable wage. For a reasonable employer.”
This brought a faint smile to her features, but the expression fell away in another instant. “That seems a very small dream.”
“What on earth do you mean by that? It’s a very suitable dream.”
“But it’s not really a dream, is it? It’s what you have now, just shuffled about a bit.”
Again, he folded his arms. She lifted her hands, placating. “As you say, it’s perfectly suitable. And if you insist that it’s exactly what you want, then I suppose it is a dream, after all.”
Of course it wasn’t a dream. It was good sense. It was practicality. “I don’t know what else I ought to wish for. This is my life. I am a man of business for a nobleman.” Remembering Chatfield’s words, he added, “I am not in bodily danger, nor in mortal peril. It could be far worse.”
“It could be. But if you want it to be better...”
“Not everyone is fortunate enough to be able to buy happiness.”
“No one is fortunate enough for that.” She turned over her fork and scratched the tines into the surface of the table. “That’s not what I meant. I know happiness can’t be bought, or I would have bought it.”
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Doing what he wished? No, of course he wasn’t.
Right now he wished he could make her smile as she had when giving away her gloves. He wished he could dispense with his conscience and plead for her to take him as a lover. He wished he could pluck the pins from her sunset hair and send it tumbling over her naked skin, wished he could stop kissing her only to make her cry out in pleasure.
But always, in the face of a wish, came prosaic reality. A scarred wooden table, a plate of mutton and potatoes, a wedge of cheese. An adequate fire and a roof over one’s head. Such a reality was perfectly acceptable, even if it didn’t hold the luster of a gemlike fantasy.
“I try to wish,” he said in a calm voice, “for what I know I might attain. For respectable employment for a reasonable wage. For a reasonable employer.”
This brought a faint smile to her features, but the expression fell away in another instant. “That seems a very small dream.”
“What on earth do you mean by that? It’s a very suitable dream.”
“But it’s not really a dream, is it? It’s what you have now, just shuffled about a bit.”
Again, he folded his arms. She lifted her hands, placating. “As you say, it’s perfectly suitable. And if you insist that it’s exactly what you want, then I suppose it is a dream, after all.”
Of course it wasn’t a dream. It was good sense. It was practicality. “I don’t know what else I ought to wish for. This is my life. I am a man of business for a nobleman.” Remembering Chatfield’s words, he added, “I am not in bodily danger, nor in mortal peril. It could be far worse.”
“It could be. But if you want it to be better...”
“Not everyone is fortunate enough to be able to buy happiness.”
“No one is fortunate enough for that.” She turned over her fork and scratched the tines into the surface of the table. “That’s not what I meant. I know happiness can’t be bought, or I would have bought it.”
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The book sounds great. As for the new year, I am looking forward to writing a novel and traveling!
ReplyDeleteLinda, how fun! Best of luck to you with both.
DeleteNew books of course :)
ReplyDeleteAlways a favorite of mine too, catslady. :)
DeleteThis book sounds good, thanks for a chance to win!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Danielle--good luck!
DeleteKim, thank you for hosting today! I'm looking forward to meeting my baby niece for the first time this weekend. :)
ReplyDeleteI am looking forward to many life changes this year. Thank you for the chance to win! :) I love the cover. Red is an eye catcher.
ReplyDeleteJPEEZY, isn't that a great cover? The cover artist is so talented.
DeleteI love your books, Theresa! I own them all, some of them in multiple copies!
ReplyDeleteLilMissMolly, that's so great! Wow, thank you very much.
DeleteI've read all of Theresa's books, and enjoyed every single one of them. I love the cover art of " Secrets of a Scandalous Heiress".
ReplyDeleteDiane, that's really lovely. Thank you. And I agree about the cover art of SOASH. The same artist did the covers for the whole Matchmaker trilogy, and I think they're all gorgeous.
DeleteI don't know why I can't access Rafflecopter. It just says "beaming the giveaway up" when I click on the link. Sob, sob, sob.......................
DeleteLove Theresa's writing!
ReplyDeleteI love Theresa and her books.
ReplyDeleteTheresa, I love your writing! What I'm most looking forward to is reading all the new romances & spending time with my family :-)
ReplyDeleteLove your books... and your daughter is so cute too. I love reading your books AND about her! :)
ReplyDeleteThis author is new to me. Love the cover; good luck with the book.
ReplyDeleteLook forward to spending time with friends and family and reading upcoming books.
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