Dr Devereux's Proposal. Margaret McDonagh

       Welcome to Penhally Bay!

      Nestled on the rugged Cornish coast is the picturesque town of Penhally. With sandy beaches, breathtaking landscapes and a warm, bustling community—it is the lucky tourist who stumbles upon this little haven.

      But now Mills & Boon^® Medical™ Romance is giving readers the unique opportunity to visit this fi ctional coastal town through our brand-new twelve-book continuity… You are welcomed to a town where the fi shing boats bob up and down in the bay, surfers wait expectantly for the waves, friendly faces line the cobbled streets and romance flutters on the Cornish sea breeze…

      We introduce you to Penhally Bay Surgery, where you can meet the team led by caring and commanding Dr Nick Tremayne. Each book will bring you an emotional, tempting romance—from Mediterranean heroes to a sheikh with a guarded heart. There’s royal scandal that leads to marriage for a baby’s sake, and handsome playboys are tamed by their blushing brides! Top-notch city surgeons win adoring smiles from the community, and little miracle babies will warm your hearts. But that’s not all…

      With Penhally Bay you get double the reading pleasure… as each book also follows the life of damaged hero Dr Nick Tremayne. His story will pierce your heart—a tale of lost love and the torment of forbidden romance. Dr Nick’s unquestionable, unrelenting skill would leave any patient happy in the knowledge that she’s in safe hands, and is a testament to the ability and dedication of all the staff at Penhally Bay Surgery. Come in and meet them for yourself…

      Margaret McDonagh says of herself: ‘I began losing myself in the magical world of books from a very young age, and I always knew that I had to write, pursuing the dream for over twenty years, often with cussed stubbornness in the face of rejection letters! Despite having numerous romance novellas, short stories and serials published, the news that my first “proper book” had been accepted by Harlequin Mills & Boon for their Medical™ Romance line brought indescribable joy! Having a passion for learning makes researching an involving pleasure, and I love developing new characters, getting to know them, setting them challenges to overcome. The hardest part is saying goodbye to them, because they become so real to me. And I always fall in love with my heroes! Writing and reading books, keeping in touch with friends, watching sport and meeting the demands of my four-legged companions keeps me well occupied. I hope you enjoy reading this book as much as I loved writing it.’

      www.margaretmcdonagh.com

      margaret. [email protected]

      With special thanks…

      To those who helped with my research on retinitis

      pigmentosa…your courage is humbling

      www.brps.org. uk…

      and on Duchenne muscular dystrophy

      www. muscular-dystrophy.org

      To my fellow Medical Romance authors

      involved in this exciting series

      And to the wonderful editorial team who conceived the

      Penhally project—thank you for believing in me.

       Dear Reader

      It was an honour to be involved in the wonderful Brides of Penhally Bay project, but I felt the weight of responsibility when I was asked to write Book 12 and bring this series to a close. Or is it just the end of the beginning? Who knows? As you will see, some threads are left hanging, so maybe one day we will be able to return to this delightful Cornish town and the folk who live there.

      DR DEVEREUX’S PROPOSAL was fun to write, but also emotional. Both sexy French doctor Gabriel and caring physiotherapist Lauren have issues from their pasts which make them question whether anyone can love them. They also have to face some tough decisions about their futures. Instant attraction flares into an intense affair, but will their love be strong enough to hold them together when the time comes to face the truth? Can they confide in each other and find the answers together? Will knowledge of the past make them stronger and set them free…or will fears for what lies ahead tear them apart? I hope you will enjoy their journey.

      2008 has been the year to celebrate the centenary of Mills & Boon, the home of romance. Thank you for being part of it. Here’s to the next 100 years of reading pleasure!

      Happy reading

       Margaret

      www.margaretmcdonagh.com

       BRIDES OF PENHALLY BAY

      Bachelor doctors become husbands and fathers— in a place where hearts are made whole.

      At Christmas we met pregnant doctor Lucy Tremayne when she was reunited with the man she loves Christmas Eve Baby by Caroline Anderson

      Then in January we snuggled up for some much needed winter warmth with gorgeous Italian doctor Marco Avanti The Italian’s New-Year Marriage Wish by Sarah Morgan

      February saw Adam and Maggie on a 24-hour rescue mission where romance blossomed as the sun started to set The Doctor’s Bride By Sunrise by Josie Metcalfe

      Single dad Jack Tremayne found a mother for his little boy—and a bride for himself in March The Surgeon’s Fatherhood Surprise by Jennifer Taylor

      A princess arrived in Penhally when HRH Melinda Fortesque came to the Bay in April The Doctor’s Royal Love-Child by Kate Hardy

      In May Edward Tremayne found the woman of his dreams Nurse Bride, Bayside Wedding by Gill Sanderson

      Hunky Penhally Bay Chief Inspector Lachlan D’Ancey found love in June Single Dad Seeks a Wife by Melanie Milburne

      The temperature really hotted up in July, when devastatingly handsome Dr Oliver Fawkner arrived in the Bay… Virgin Midwife, Playboy Doctor by Margaret McDonagh

      In August, Francesca and Mike tried one last time for the baby they’d always longed for… Their Miracle Baby by Caroline Anderson

      September brought sexy Sheikh Zayed from his desert kingdom to the beaches of Penhally Sheikh Surgeon Claims His Bride by Josie Metcalfe

      We snuggled up with dishy Dr Tom Cornish in October A Baby for Eve by Maggie Kingsley

      And this month French doctor Gabriel sweeps into the Bay! Dr Devereux’s Proposal by Margaret McDonagh

       A collection to treasure for ever!

      DR DEVEREUX’S PROPOSAL

      BY

      MARGARET McDONAGH

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      CHAPTER ONE

      ‘QUE L’ENFER?’ Shocked by the sight that greeted him as his destination came into view, Dr Gabriel Devereux drew his car to a halt at the side of the cliff road and stepped out. ‘Mon Dieu!’

      What had happened to the small Cornish town of Penhally Bay? His one previous visit had been in the summer when he had spent a weekend looking around and finalising details for his year-long contract to work as a GP in the local practice. Penhally had recently been twinned with St Ouen-sur-Mer in Normandy, France, where he had been filling in for the last ten months at his friend François Amiot’s busy medical clinic.

      As part of the twinning process, people from different occupations and ways of life were crossing the Channel, exchanging jobs and skills, building