Bought: The Penniless Lady. Deborah Hale

      

       Her lips grazed over his brow, relishing the warm smoothness of his skin. She inhaled a deep draught of his spicy, smoky scent. Her well-honed sense of discretion warned her that she should not linger so close to Hadrian, but her body was slow to respond. The unexpected thrill of those sensations held her captive there, hovering over him.

      Before caution had a chance to intervene, his kisses swept along the sensitive flesh just below her jaw, moving over her chin and finally upward to meet her approaching lips.

      This kiss had a deliciously familiar feel, but it held a subtle thrill of novelty, too. She sensed a tender restraint on his part, which appealed not only to her physical desires but also to her wary heart.

      Her heart had good reason to be wary, painful memories reminded her—all the more because she had allowed herself to feel something for her husband. But that could be more than enough to scorch her if she risked playing with fire.

      Abruptly she drew back, ignoring the protest of her pleasure-deprived senses.

      Hadrian caught her hand. ‘Don’t go.’

      Bought: The Penniless Lady

      Deborah Hale

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      In the process of tracing her Canadian family to their origins in eighteenth-century Britain, DEBORAH HALE learned a great deal about the period and uncovered plenty of true-life inspiration for her historical romance novels! Deborah lives with her very own hero and their four fast-growing children in Nova Scotia—a province steeped in history and romance!

      Deborah invites you to become better acquainted with her by visiting her personal website, www.deborahhale.com, or chatting with her in the Harlequin/Mills & Boon online communities.

       Novels by Deborah Hale:

      A GENTLEMAN OF SUBSTANCE

      THE WEDDING WAGER

      MY LORD PROTECTOR

      CARPETBAGGER’S WIFE

      THE ELUSIVE BRIDE

      BORDER BRIDE

      LADY LYTE’S LITTLE SECRET

      THE BRIDE SHIP

      A WINTER NIGHT’S TALE (part of A Regency Christmas)

      MARRIED: THE VIRGIN WIDOW^*

      Look for the final story in Deborah Hale’s

       Gentlemen of Fortune

      WANTED: MAIL-ORDER MISTRESS

      Coming September 2010

      This book is dedicated with love to my nephews, Ian, Andrew, Bradley, Ben, Dane and Sean, and my nieces, Melissa, Amanda and Kate. I wish you all the success and happiness in the world!

      Author Note

      Welcome to the second book of my new series, Gentlemen of Fortune, about the self-made men of Vindicara Trading Company! While I love reading and writing about dashing aristocrats, I’ve always had a fascination with the man who makes his own fortune and charts his own destiny. Such men make great romance heroes because they have large, definite objectives and intense motivation to succeed. They will fight for what they want and refuse to let anything or anyone get in the way of achieving their goals—even when it comes to love.

      Ford Barrett, Hadrian Northmore and Simon Grimshaw all left Britain for various reasons, going halfway around the world to make their fortunes. Now, although they have money, power and success, they discover those things mean nothing without a special person to share them. As destiny throws three unique women into their paths, these driven men discover that achieving material success is easy compared to the challenge of forging a close, passionate relationship that will last a lifetime.

      BOUGHT: THE PENNILESS LADY is the story of Hadrian Northmore, who overcomes terrible tragedy to make his mark in the world. Returning to England to launch his brother’s political career, he discovers that Julian was killed in a duel, leaving behind a young son. Desperate to claim this last remnant of his family and fulfil the mission that has driven him to succeed, Hadrian will do anything to gain custody of his nephew. Even if that means wedding Lady Artemis Dearing, whose family he holds responsible for his brother’s death. The reserved spinster reluctantly agrees to a marriage of convenience to provide for the child she loves so dearly. But Artemis soon discovers she and her nephew need more from Hadrian than his fortune. In return, they can give him something far more precious than worldly success—if only he will let them!

      I hope you will enjoy BOUGHT: THE PENNILESS LADY and the stories of the other Gentlemen of Fortune!

      Chapter One

       Sussex, England—April 1824

      The summons Lady Artemis Dearing dreaded had come at last.

      Scooping up her small nephew, she pressed her lips to his silky hair, which was the same honey-golden shade as his late mother’s. If only she could absorb some of his innocent optimism and headstrong courage! She needed both, desperately.

      Oblivious to his aunt’s distress, the child wriggled in her arms, chortling with the simple joy of being alive and loved. For an instant, his sunny spirits made Artemis forget her lingering grief and worries for the future.

      With the tip of her little finger, she traced the shape of his mouth and his dimpled chin, which reminded her so keenly of her brother. It comforted her to know that part of her sister and brother lived on in this dear child. She must not fail him as she had failed them.

      “Please, my lady,” said the housemaid who’d been sent to fetch Artemis, “the master wants you to come straightaway. He’ll only be in a worse humor if you keep him waiting.”

      “Of course, Bessie.” The fragile bubble of happiness inside Artemis collapsed at the mention of Uncle Henry. Having waited fifty years with little hope of inheriting the Bramber title and estate, the new marquis seemed impatient to make up for lost time. “Can you watch Master Lee for me? I daren’t take him with me and if I leave him in his cot, he’ll only cry.”

      Cry indeed. He would scream at the top of his sturdy little lungs. He was still too young to understand that such outbursts were unseemly. The last thing Artemis needed during her interview with her uncle was Lee’s piercing shrieks echoing through the decorous stillness of Bramberley.

      “But, my lady…” Bessie backed away with a regretful grimace “…I’m that far behind with my work already. The master wants the State Apartments aired and dusted, floors scrubbed and windows washed. How am I to get that done on top of all my other duties when I’m being sent to run messages and pressed into service as a nursemaid?”

      Artemis stifled a flicker of vexation. A few months ago, none of the servants would have dared refuse an order from the mistress of the house. Since her brother’s death, so much had changed at Bramberley…none of it for the better.

      “Please, Bessie?” Artemis hated to stoop to bargaining, but she had no choice. “I will not be long, I promise. And once Lee is asleep tonight, I will come and help you scrub.”

      “That wouldn’t be fitting, my lady!” The offer seemed to shock Bessie into agreement. “Very well, I’ll take him, but I reckon he’ll cry anyway, being away from you. You’ve got him well spoiled.”

      Perhaps she did indulge the poor child, Artemis admitted privately, but how could she do otherwise for a tiny orphan everyone but she seemed to wish had never been born? How could she keep from clinging to the last person