The servant brought her cloak and Xavier took it from him.
He stepped towards Phillipa and placed it around her shoulders, so close she felt the warmth of his body. The touch of his hands on her shoulders caused a frisson of sensation down her back.
She disliked being so affected by Xavier Campion. It made her think of how sheâd felt dancing with him. The thrill of coming close to him, of touching him.
The servant opened the door and the cool evening air revived her.
Phillipa crossed over the threshold with Xavier right behind her. âI do not need an escort.â
He fell in step with her. âNevertheless, I need to do this.â
She scoffed. âDo not be absurd. You can have the company of any woman you like. One of the gentlemen told me so.â
His step slowed for a moment. âPhillipa, if any danger should befall you on this walk home I would never forgive myself for not preventing it.â
He sounded so serious.
âSo dramatic, Xavier. I am not your responsibility.â
His voice turned low. âAt this moment you are.â
Welcome to
Diane Gastonâs
Identities concealed, desires revealed â¦
This is your invitation to Regency societyâs most exclusive gaming establishment.
Leave your inhibitions at the door, don your disguise and indulge your desires!
Club proprietor Rhys, the most renowned gambler in London, finally meets his match in
A REPUTATION FOR NOTORIETY
Already available
And now Rhysâs friend Xavier, the most devilish rogue in town, prefers to gamble with ladiesâ hearts in
A MARRIAGE OF NOTORIETY
As a psychiatric social worker, Diane Gaston spent years helping others create real-life happy endings. Now Diane crafts fictional ones, writing the kind of historical romance sheâs always loved to read. The youngest of three daughters of a US Army Colonel, Diane moved frequently during her childhood, even living for a year in Japan. It continues to amaze her that her own son and daughter grew up in one house in Northern Virginia. Diane still lives in that house, with her husband and three very ordinary housecats. Visit Dianeâs website at http://dianegaston.com
Previous novels by the same author:
THE MYSTERIOUS MISS M
THE WAGERING WIDOW A REPUTABLE RAKE INNOCENCE AND IMPROPRIETY A TWELFTH NIGHT TALE (in A Regency Christmas anthology) THE VANISHING VISCOUNTESS SCANDALISING THE TON JUSTINE AND THE NOBLE VISCOUNTâ (in Regency Summer Scandals) GALLANT OFFICER, FORBIDDEN LADY* CHIVALROUS CAPTAIN, REBEL MISTRESS* VALIANT SOLDIER, BEAUTIFUL ENEMY* A NOT SO RESPECTABLE GENTLEMAN?â BORN TO SCANDAL A REPUTATION FOR NOTORIETY**
â linked by character
*Three Soldiers mini-series
*The Masquerade Club
and in Mills & Boon>® HistoricalUndone! eBooks:
THE UNLACING OF MISS LEIGH
THE LIBERATION OF MISS FINCH
Did you know that some of these novels are also available as eBooks?
Visit www.millsandboon.co.uk
The timeless theme of the fairytale Beauty and the Beast often reappears in romance novels, as well as in Disney movies, Phantom of the Opera, King Kong and more. Do we ever tire of this story? Iâve written it before, in my Mills & Boon>® Historical Undone! eBook THE UNLACING OF MISS LEIGH (my Phantom of the Opera story), and now in A MARRIAGE OF NOTORIETY. I dare say I will write it again.
Part of the appeal of the Beauty and the Beast theme is its messageâgenuine beauty is what one has on the inside, not the way one appears on the outside. How many of us look in the mirror and forget this as we examine every flaw? How often do we gaze at models in magazines or celebrities on the red carpet and feel like garden gnomes in comparison? And how much do all of us want to be loved for who we are, not the way we appear?
I enjoyed exploring this issue once more, and giving my hero and heroine their own chance to discover that beauty isnât just skin-deep.
For my new daughter-in-law Beth, beautiful on the inside and the outside,
and a wonderful addition to our family.
Prologue
London, Spring 1814
âMr Xavier Campion,â Lady Devineâs butler intoned in a baritone voice.
âAdonis is here!â gasped one of the young ladies standing near Phillipa Westleigh. The others shared furtive smiles.
Phillipa knew precisely who her friends would see when their gazes slipped towards the doorway. A young man tall and perfectly formed, with broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and muscled limbs. His hair would be as dark as the ebony keys on a pianoforte and longer than fashionable, but an excellent frame for his lean face, strong brow, sensitive mouth.
The young ladies had been tittering about him the whole evening. Would he come to the ball? Could they contrive an introduction? Heâd been the main topic of conversation since theyâd discovered him at the opera the night before. âHe is an Adonis!â one had proclaimed and the name stuck.