An Independent Woman
Only one person ever treated Juliana Holcott with anything other than disdain–Nicholas Barre, the orphaned heir to the estate where she spent her childhood. And when wild, rebellious Nick left home, Juliana was left to fend for herself.Forced to seek employment as a lady's companion, Juliana has resigned herself to a life of lonely independence…until Nick's innocent attentions at a ball cause her to lose her position, and he offers her the only recompense he can–a marriage of convenience.It now falls to Juliana to prove to Nick that he is capable of the love they both so richly deserve. But when a guest at their wedding turns up dead, they must pursue a more urgent quarry–a murderer.Will one man's greed and bloodlust ruin their chance at happiness…or will love conquer all?
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Praise for the novels of Candace Camp
“…entertaining, well-written Victorian romantic mystery.”
—The Best Reviews on An Unexpected Pleasure
“This one has it all: smooth writing, an intelligent story, engaging characters, and sexual tension that positively sizzles.”
—All About Romance on Swept Away
“Camp brings the dark Victorian world to life. Her strong characters and perfect pacing keep you turning the pages of this chilling mystery.”
—Romantic Times BOOKclub on Winterset
“From its delicious beginning to its satisfying ending, [Mesmerized] offers a double helping of romance.”
—Booklist
“Camp shows the ability of love to help people overcome something out of the ordinary.”
—Romantic Times BOOKclub on Mesmerized
“A smart, fun-filled romp.”
—Publishers Weekly on Impetuous
“One of Camp’s best.”
—Publishers Weekly on Indiscreet
“Candace Camp is renowned as a storyteller who touches the hearts of her readers time and time again.”
—Romantic Times BOOKclub on Impulse
“…will leave you breathless with laughter and eagerly anticipating the next mishap.”
—Affair de Coeur on Suddenly
CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER ONE
JULIANA HAD NOT EXPECTED to see him again.
She had heard that Nicholas had come into the title and returned to England, which had surprised her. All her life, she had thought that it was Nicholas’s uncle who was the heir, not him. Certainly, no one had ever treated him like the future earl. She had assumed that their paths would never cross. After all, he was an earl now, and wealthy, and she was a paid companion to a woman who moved only on the edges of that rarefied circle of society to which he belonged.
There had been an instant, when she had first heard the murmurs of Nicholas’s return from America and his sudden elevation into the inner sanctum of polite society, that she had thought with an upsurge of an almost painful excitement that she would see him once more. Time, and an application of reason, had led her to realize that was unlikely.
Even though they had once been close, it had been many years ago. If he even thought of her, it would be only as a dim memory from his past, a person from a time and place he doubtless recalled with little fondness. Her time at Lychwood Hall had been unhappy, but his had been even bleaker. Juliana suspected that he had done his best to put the past behind him. He would not seek her out. Only a foolish romantic would hope that he would.
And there was little chance that they would accidentally run into each other. Her employer, Mrs. Thrall, however much she might like to think she was a member of the upper echelon of London society, was in reality a very small fish swimming in the outer, eddying rings of that pond. The family was at best acceptable country gentry come to the city, and it was only the undeniable beauty of Clementine, Mrs. Thrall’s daughter, that got them any sort of notice.
Tonight, however, the Thralls had received an invitation to Lady Sherbourne’s ball, a huge crush of an affair, so large that it pulled in many lesser members of Society. Juliana understood that it was only the sheer numbers of invitees that had made it possible for them to be here. Mrs. Thrall, of course, did not. She had been crowing for the past week about Lady Sherbourne having taken them under her wing.
Because of the size of the party, Juliana had harbored a small flicker of hope, barely acknowledged, that Lord Barre would appear. But she had not really believed it, deep down. After all, from the gossip she had managed to glean, sitting quietly listening to Clementine and her giggling friends, Nicholas rarely attended any party. His reclusive-ness, of course, simply added to his mystique.
But there he was. Juliana looked up from her perusal of Clementine sweeping around the floor in the arms of one of her many admirers, and there, standing at the top of the wide staircase leading down into the ballroom, was Nicholas Barre.
Her heart skittered in her chest, and for an instant, she felt as if she could not breathe. He was handsome, more handsome even than she remembered—filled out now into a man, with broad shoulders that needed no extra padding from his tailor, and long, muscled legs. He stood, looking out coolly over the mass of people below him, confidence, even a certain arrogance, stamped on his features. His hair was thick and a trifle shaggy, jet-black in color and falling carelessly beside his face. His eyes appeared as black as his hair, accented by the straight slashes of his black brows.
He did not look like other men. Not even the black formal coat and snowy white shirt could camouflage the hint of wildness that clung to him. Wherever he went, Juliana thought, he must immediately be the center of attention. She wondered if he was aware of that.
