THE ELUSIVE EARL
by Maddison Michaels
Chapter One
1856—London, England
Miss Penderley was in trouble again. Of course she was. He should have known that was the case as soon as he’d received the summons from Sir Walter.
Daniel Wolcott, the Earl of Thornton, leaned back against the blue-brocade-covered armchair and regarded the man seated across the expanse of the desk. “She managed to become accidentally engaged to not one but two men and at the same time? Whilst in Italy, of all places. Do I have that correct?”
Sir Walter Penderley sighed heartily. “Yes, apparently so. Though, I do not know the exact details, my boy. Unfortunately, my wife’s letter was rather absent of important information. Apart from disclosing of my niece’s accidental betrothals, all she added was that help would be needed to delicately untangle Brianna from the predicament.”
Daniel swore softly. For over ten years, Sir Walter Penderley had been in charge of the intelligence department for the War Office, and for twenty years before that, a spy himself. Looking at him, though, with his easy smile, gray hair, and jovial girth, he would be the last man you would expect to have such authority and power on behalf of the British Empire. But he was excellent at his job. Just not so excellent at keeping his niece under control. “No offense, Sir Walter, but wherever trouble is, Miss Penderley is sure to be at its very center.”
“Yes, my niece has a tendency to get herself into some rather unusual predicaments,” Sir Walter agreed.
“Putting it rather mildly?”
“Possibly,” Sir Walter conceded. “But I must implore you to travel to Naples and extract her from the situation, Thornton. My wife and daughter are there with her, but I feel, considering the circumstances, a man needs to be there to assist. I would go myself if it wasn’t for this nasty Frantleigh investigation, but time is of the essence. You know what Italian men are like; they are particularly hot- headed when it comes to affairs of the heart. And I don’t wish for Brianna to try to intervene between the two and get hurt, or worse, married.”
“She should be married. Someone needs to control her impulsive ways.” The woman was far too headstrong and used to running headfirst into situations without properly considering her actions beforehand. She should have married years ago, and then perhaps, whoever the poor chap was could have had her well in hand before now.
But then Daniel shook his head. Who was he fooling? Miss Penderley was like a bright, burning flame, and one he doubted any man could control. He suddenly felt sorry for her unfortunate fiancés. They obviously had no idea what they were getting themselves into, becoming engaged to the chit.
“Are you offering, dear boy?” There was a look of eagerness on the old man’s face that alarmed him.
“Good God, no,” Daniel exclaimed. The thought of marrying Miss Penderley, and the ensuing mayhem it would cause to his well-ordered life, sent a chill down his spine. He wouldn’t wish that hoyden on anyone. “Any man who ends up stuc—ah, married to your niece would be in for a life of constant chaos, with her rash and headstrong nature. No disrespect, Sir Walter, but that is certainly not my idea of a suitable marriage. Besides, you know I have no particular wish to marry until I absolutely must.”
Sir Walter looked at him appraisingly for a moment. “You are not your father, my boy.”
The mention of his father had him stiffening up reflexively. No, he was not his father, and he damn well wasn’t going to end up like him either—a rake and a wastrel who had broken his mother’s heart time and time again, until eventually, he’d broken her spirit and been the catalyst for her death. A man Daniel had spent the better part of twenty years doing his hardest to never emulate, particularly as the man’s blood flowed in his veins. Hence why Daniel adhered to a well-ordered regime, at least in his personal life. There was no way in hell he was going to lead such a chaotic life as his parents had, nor would he take part in such a disastrously tempestuous relationship.
“It’s a moot point in any event.” Sir Walter slumped slightly in his chair. “She wouldn’t have you.”
“Wouldn’t have me?” For some reason, the man’s words rankled. He did, after all, have to spend the majority of his time at balls and assemblies fending off determined mothers from foisting their darlings on him. His sister enjoyed reminding him that he was considered quite the catch, thanks to his title and fortune—and much to his annoyance. But here Sir Walter was, saying the irrepressible Miss Penderley wouldn’t have him?
“No. She dislikes your ‘stuffy ways’—her words, not mine—as much as you abhor her rather free-spirited nature.” “Well, at least in that, we are agreed,” Daniel allowed. But still, the fact that she thought him to be stuffy annoyed him. Clearly, she didn’t know about the occasional clandestine missions he assisted Sir Walter with. She wouldn’t think him stuffy then. Although, why he was allowing Miss Penderley to affect him while she was over a thousand miles away was a mystery.
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Brianna Penderley has a knack for getting into precarious situations, especially when it comes to her love for archaeology. In the heart of Naples, her terrible Italian has her accidentally becoming engaged to two men at the same time. Of course, Daniel Wolcott—the Earl of Thornton and the only man ever able to vex her—shows up to rescue her.Daniel has spent the majority of his life exercising rigid control over his emotions, determined never to become the rake his father was. But when he goes to aid his mentor’s danger-prone niece once again, he finds himself struggling to control his attraction to a woman who is his complete opposite.
When their situation goes from bad to worse, Daniel and Brianna find themselves swept up into a perilous adventure, and they must work together to set things right. Now, if they can just avoid killing each other in the process.
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1 comments:
Thank you for sharing your book with us Maddison!
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