A Marriage Of Rogues
He made a dangerous wager…and won himself a wifeGambling hells are Sir Develin Dundrake’s forte. Hunting risk, craving victory, he’s surprised by nothing. Until the woman whose dowry Develin has claimed in a card game proposes the only solution that will rescue her from ruin: a wedding.Wicked Develin isn’t made for matrimony, but all Lady Theodora Markham demands is a convenient arrangement. He must avoid falling for his wife’s sensual charms – there are secrets hidden behind her beguiling gaze – yet neither can resist surrendering to the passion their marriage bed promises!
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He made a dangerous wager...and won himself a wife
Gambling hells are Sir Develin Dundrake’s forte. Hunting risk, craving victory, he’s surprised by nothing. Until the woman whose dowry Develin has claimed in a card game proposes the only solution that will rescue her from ruin: a wedding.
Wicked Develin isn’t made for matrimony, but all Lady Theodora Markham demands is a convenient arrangement. He must avoid falling for his wife’s sensual charms—there are secrets hidden behind her beguiling gaze—yet neither can resist surrendering to the passion their marriage bed promises!
“Why isn’t your father here?”
“He’s sailed for Canada. He left a letter explaining why he’d taken the remainder of our funds and sailed for Halifax.”
“Good God, he left you with nothing?” Dev exclaimed, appalled.
Lady Theodora’s resolute expression returned and she straightened her slender shoulders.
“He left me my name and my pride, Sir Develin, and the hope of his eventual return. Be that as it may, I didn’t come here to discuss my father’s recent actions. I have a business proposition.”
A business proposition? That was as unexpected as her arrival.
“A goodly portion of the sum you won from my father was intended to be my dowry,” she went on briskly, giving him no chance to interrupt with either comments or a question. “I propose that since, you’ve got my dowry, you now take the bride.”
Dev had had the wind knocked out of him once before. He felt exactly the same way now. “What did you say?”
I’m often asked where I get my ideas. In the case of A Marriage of Rogues, another question might be, how long have you had this idea?
The answer is years. Literally. Years.
In fact it’s been so long I don’t remember when I first got the notion of a heroine confronting a hero and saying—basically—‘You won my dowry…now you get the bride.’
Why did it take so long for this idea to grow into a book? I did write one version—an unsuccessful novella. I put it away and wrote other stories. However, this idea just would not go away, and I was delighted to get the chance to try again—this time with a full book in mind.
Then ‘Life’ happened—in the form of not one but two major medical crises in the family. Two starts went out the window, and I thought the story was doomed never to see the light of day. However, thanks to very understanding editors, I was given time to weather the crises and begin again. In the end I think the story is all the better for the time and effort required to bring it to fruition.
I hope you enjoy Dev and Thea’s romance. They’ve waited a long time to have their happy ending!
Award-winning author MARGARET MOORE has written over fifty romance novels and novellas for Mills & Boon, Avon Books and HarperCollins Children’s Books. Her stories have been set in the Dark Ages and medieval Britain, Restoration, Regency and Victorian England and pre–Civil War Massachusetts. Margaret lives in Ontario, Canada, with her husband and two cats. She can be found online at margaretmoore.com, margaretmoore.blogspot.com and @MargMooreAuthor on Twitter.
Books by Margaret Moore
Mills & Boon Historical Romance
The Knights’ Prizes
Castle of the Wolf
Bride for a Knight Scoundrel of Dunborough
Stand-Alone Novels
The Overlord’s Bride
Bride of Lochbarr The Duke’s Desire The Notorious Knight Knave’s Honour Highland Rogue, London Miss Highland Heiress In the King’s Service A Marriage of Rogues
Mills & Boon Historical Undone! eBook
The Welsh Lord’s Mistress
Visit the Author Profile page
at millsandboon.co.uk for more titles.
Dedicated to the newest members of our family. They’re already enriching our lives in so many ways.
Contents
Cumbria, Northern England, 1814
Muttering an oath, Sir Develin Dundrake rose abruptly from the desk in the study of his country house. Crossing the oak-paneled room to the French doors leading to the terrace, he watched in amazement as a lone female marched along the pebble path toward Dundrake Hall. Judging by her ugly ensemble and determined air, the woman had to be some local busybody bent on asking for a charitable contribution. Why else would such a creature venture forth on this cool, misty autumn morning? And did she not know better than to approach the manor house from the garden?
Whoever she was and whatever she wanted, he was in no mood to be harassed by an overbearing female, however noble her cause. He already gave a considerable sum to several charities of his own choosing and he hadn’t had a decent night’s sleep in days.
He looked out again to see where she was—and nearly jumped out of his skin. She stood just outside the French doors looking into the study like Banquo’s ghost.
