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This is an introductory novella to the Never Series - Never Doubt a Duke, Book One, coming soon!
A match made in heaven. If he was sure of anything, it was this!
Love can be found in the strangest of places…Lord Jason Glazebrook has no plans to settle down. He will not inherit for several years, and worse, he is at odds with his brother, Charles, Duke of Shewsbury, who believes him capable of a dangerous, dishonorable act.
To escape the tension at home, Jason spends many hours at his club, the Lyon’s Den in Whitehall. When the unscrupulous matchmaker, Mrs. Bessie Dove-Lyon introduces him to a debutante, Miss Beverly Crabtree, Jason considers the beautiful young lady perfect for a dalliance, and invites her to ride with him in Hyde Park.
When he discovers Beverly is a gently reared girl, he is determined not to see her again. But he cannot forget her and allows Dove-Lyon to draw him back into her net.
Despite his brother’s warning, Jason refuses to relinquish the lovely Miss Crabtree’s company. He senses she is in trouble and wants to help. And much more. He has never met a woman he wanted for his own…until he met Beverly.
But so much stands in their way.
It is only a matter of time before shame and disgrace befall the Crabtree family. While her worried mother seeks a wealthy suitor for her, Beverly tries to deny her feelings for Jason. The noble Shewsburys will never accept her as his wife.
Jason’s plan may be a possible way out of her troubles. With few options left to her, and the lure of spending days in his company, Beverly is determined to take the chance.
Their journey into the countryside to mend a family rift might bring closure, or it could go horribly wrong.
(Note: This is an introductory novella to the Never Series - Never Doubt a Duke, Book One, coming soon!)
The Lyon's Den Connected World
Read an Excerpt!
On a perfect spring day, Hyde Park looked
inviting. Miss George, the chaperone her mother had employed because she
couldn’t always be with her, seemed a sour old thing, and even more so when on
horseback. She rode doggedly beside Beverly through the park gates.
“We shall wait here.”
Beverly’s excited intake of breath drew in the scents of sun-warmed grasses and
flowers. She searched the riders trotting their mounts down Rotten Row, and the
carriages circling the South Carriage Drive. Some had reined in to engage in
conversation, and laughter floated on the breeze. It thrilled her, and she
longed to be part of it. And why shouldn’t she be? An earl had called her a
diamond of the first water, but his offer was not for marriage and had not
pleased her mother.
“It is past five o’clock,
Miss Beverly.”
Beverly thought she caught a gleam of
satisfaction in the woman’s eyes.
“Nevertheless,” she said
in a firm tone. “We shall wait.”
Another ten minutes
passed. The horses grew restive. Her chaperone was staring at the watch she
wore on the bodice of her riding habit.
“I say, Miss Crabtree!”
Beverly turned to see
Lord Jason riding toward them on a glossy chestnut. His hat was tilted at a
jaunty angle, his strong thighs encased in riding breeches, his highly polished
boots gleaming in the sunlight. Her heart beat faster when he pulled up beside
them.
“I do apologize for being
tardy,” he said with a grin. “Just arrived back in London from the country.”
“Please don’t give it a
moment’s thought, my lord,” Beverly said. “We were a little late ourselves.”
Miss George cleared her
throat.
“My lord, I should like
to introduce you to Miss George.” Beverly gestured to the woman who hovered
like a dark cloud a few paces away.
“How d’you do?”
Glazebrook barely glanced at her, his gaze settling on Beverly. “Shall we ride down
the Row?”
“Oh yes, I have been so
looking forward to it,” she said.
She edged her horse in
beside his lordship’s, and they rode side by side while Miss George fell in
behind them.
“Did you enjoy your stay
in the country, my lord?”
“Merely a brief trip to
visit my mother.”
His mother. A dowager
duchess and no doubt formidable. Beverly was almost glad she would never meet
her. She admired his profile with a sidelong glance. “So very nice to escape
the city for a little while.”
He merely nodded in
reply. A man as sophisticated as Lord Jason would prefer the entertainments the
city could offer, she was sure.
“I am growing to like
London more. It is all very new to me,” she said. “It offers far more
excitement than the country.” She pushed to the back of her mind how much she
enjoyed the peacefulness of her home. The slow-flowing river, ducks, and the
basket of newborn kittens near the kitchen fire. The wide blue sky and the
fresh air. The absolute quiet of the countryside allowed her to think and to
dream. How could one do that in London? It was so busy and cramped.
“The days and nights can
drag by in the country.” Lord Jason Glazebrook raised his hat to two ladies
riding past whose sharp gazes scrutinized Beverly.
Beverly watched them.
They were beautifully dressed in sober tones with wide-brimmed black hats at a
carefree angle on their heads. She grew concerned that her outfit might be a
trifle gaudy. Perhaps she should change her hat and remove the gold epaulets
from her jacket.
“Shall we canter?” Lord
Jason asked.
“Oh, yes, let’s!”
A quick glance behind her
revealed Miss George, a determined expression on her face, fall farther behind.
When the way ahead was blocked by a group of riders paused in conversation,
Lord Jason veered away through the trees. With a laugh, Beverly urged her horse
to follow him.
Suddenly, a small brown
dog darted out in front of her horse. Her mount snorted and reared as the
hound, dodging the slashing hooves, continued to jump about and bark.
Lord Jason rode to her
aid, but before he could reach her, Beverly’s horse bolted. The mare galloped
away from Rotten Row through the trees. Her hat fell over her eyes as she
fought to stay in the saddle. Branches rushed by, and one caught at her sleeve.
She managed to push her
hat back and found she was headed for a narrow path leading through a thicket.
Lord Jason was suddenly
beside her. He leaned over and grabbed her horse’s bridle. “Whoa!”
Her mare, responding to
his commanding tone, slowed, then halted just before they entered the path
where Beverly would surely have been unseated.
Heaving for breath and
her hands shaking from pulling hard on the reins, she clung on to the pommel as
Lord Jason led the horses along a wider path. They emerged into the sunlight.
Before her, swans sailed majestically over the breeze-ruffled waters of the
Serpentine.
His lordship dismounted
and held up his arms to assist her down. Eager to dismount, she leaned forward.
Warm hands took hold of her waist as he set her on her feet. “Are you hurt,
Miss Crabtree?”
“No, a little ashamed
that I couldn’t control the horse.” Her knees shook, and Lord Jason was obliged
to grip her waist again to steady her, which didn’t help her much. Breathless
at his proximity, she stepped back. She pushed a loose curl away from her eyes
and settled her hat on her head.
“These hacks! Pity you
cannot have a decent mount.” He gave a dismissive nod toward her horse, now
placidly chewing a mouthful of grass. “Planned to tip you off in that thicket,
I’ll bet. I congratulate you, Miss Crabtree. A remarkable piece of riding to
remain in the saddle.” He turned to secure the reins of both horses to a bush.
“Riding side-saddle is challenging enough without dealing with a runaway
horse.”
“I’m afraid I did little.
I could only hang on. But I am in awe of your fine riding, my lord. The
masterly way you took control. Why the horse responded without a murmur! I am
most grateful. Heaven knows what might have happened if it had been allowed to
have its head.”
The concerned expression
in his blue eyes made her dislike intensely Mrs. Dove-Lyon’s instruction to
play her cards carefully.
She
glanced around. Where was Miss George? She couldn’t help but hope the chaperone
had lost her way, temporarily, of course. But she felt unsure how to proceed
now that she was alone with his lordship. She would have liked to cast herself
against his broad chest and tell all. But her first consideration must be for
her mother, although the pull of attraction Beverly felt for this man was most
unsettling.
“I
confess to being a little uneasy about mounting the horse again.”
“Have
no fear, I will stay close by. But take a moment to rest and gain your breath
before we go on.”
“Yes.
I will, thank you. It’s so beautiful here.” She leaned back against the knobby
trunk of an oak and gazed at the delightful scene before them.
“I
can’t imagine why you have not married, Miss Crabtree” he said in a husky tone.
“There must be eager swains aplenty to be found at the Brighton Assembly.”
She
thought of the assemblies she’d attended. Mostly husbands of her mother’s
friends, and older gentlemen danced with her and the green youths who trod on
her toes. “Perhaps you haven’t been to a Brighton Assembly,” she said with a
smile. “Most young gentlemen prefer London.”
He
smiled. “That is true.”
What
did Lord Jason think of her? He seemed far too smart to be taken in by Mrs.
Dove-Lyon. Why had he invited her to ride with him?
“I
am sorry your father is ill.” He moved close to her.
Forced
to glance up at him, she found his eyes were a deeper blue than the lake and
held an intense expression. Was he about to kiss her? She wet her lips
nervously. Should he take liberties with her, would she have the strength to
push him away? There was no one here to witness it. And where would a kiss lead
them? To greater liberties? While she would like very much for him to kiss her,
she would hate him to think her fast. An even more distressing possibility
occurred to her. Had he an affair in mind?
“You
have the most delightful mouth, Miss Crabtree.” He propped a hand against the
tree trunk and leaned toward her, but made no further advance.
Was
he waiting for a sign that she might welcome his advances? Her pulse thudded.
She caught herself about to lean toward him and raised her chin.
“I
believe you wish to lead me astray, Lord Jason,” she said, adopting a prim
tone.
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