Series: Once Upon A Widow #5
Publication date: March 9th, 2021
Synopsis:
A seductive Welsh earl on the brink of ruin. A wealthy cit in search of a hero.
Miss Evelina Franklin reads too many romance novels. She's certain a handsome duke--or dashing highwayman--is in her future. In the meantime, Evie entertains herself with the admirers vying for her fortune.
The Earl of Brecken needs cash. His late father left their Welsh estate in ruin, and his mother will not let him rest until it is restored to its former glory. Notorious for his seductive charm, he searches the ballrooms for a wealthy heiress. His choices are dismal until he meets Miss Franklin. Guileless and gorgeous with an enormous dowry, she seems the answer to his prayers. Until his conscience makes an unexpected appearance.
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Excerpt
How the devil had he gone from a spy for His Majesty's government to a sacrificial lamb? He hated this place, with its lemonade and thin, delicate finger sandwiches that would never fill a man's stomach. Yet, here he stood in breeches instead of his usual trousers, on parade for all the simpering mamas and the silly, bird-witted girls. A cluster of females giggled under the musicians' balcony, casting glances about the room and settling on him. I feel like a new hat in a shop window, he thought as he leaned against one of Almack's white plaster pillars.
His mother had been correct, though. The patronesses had sent a voucher upon request. The infamous marriage mart now greeted him with enthusiasm. One visit to these infamous halls, and he was ready to sign on for the next war. Perhaps he'd start one. In the meantime, he shared the misery of several female wallflowers trying to blend into the woodwork. Madoc squinted at a tall blonde in a sea-green dress, attempting to hide behind a flimsy plant. He chuckled at her effort. Until she was joined by another petite lady with soft brown curls.
His heart jolted.
It was the skating goddess from Hyde Park. He'd put her out of his mind since his last trip to Town. She was dressed in a pale pink silk, with capped sleeves giving way to creamy shoulders and a hint of cleavage. Her caramel hair was swept up, paste gems twinkling from the light of the wall sconce. Wispy ringlets framed her heart-shaped face.
Simply exquisite, he thought as she took the long-legged blonde by the hand and pulled her away from the wall. Madoc realized the other woman had also been one of the party on the Serpentine. As if sensing his attention, she turned to look over her shoulder and caught his eye. Madoc held his breath. Those toffee-color orbs held him in a trance. The sounds around him muffled, and everything around him moved slower as they drank each other in. It could have been a moment or five.
He stepped forward, eager to make her acquaintance, then stopped. Don't be a green-boy. You've never been introduced, he scolded himself. In that fleeting moment, she disappeared. Blast!
Bestselling and award-winning author Aubrey Wynne is an elementary teacher by trade, champion of children and animals by conscience, and author by night. She resides in the Midwest with her husband, dogs, horses, mule, and barn cats. Obsessions include wine, history, travel, trail riding, and all things Christmas. Her Chicago Christmas series has received the Golden Quill, Aspen Gold, Heart of Excellence, and the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence and twice nominated as a Rone finalist by InD'tale Magazine.
Aubrey's first love is medieval romance but after dipping her toe in the Regency period in 2018 with the Wicked Earls' Club, she was smitten. This inspired her spin-off series Once Upon a Widow and the Scottish Regency series A MacNaughton Castle Romance with Dragonblade Novels.
