RAKES OF THE CARIBBEAN
Sun, sand and sizzling seduction
Notorious rogues Ren Dryden and Kitt Sherard used to cut a swathe through the ton, but they were too wild to be satisfied with London seasons and prim debutantes.
Now theyâve ventured to the sultry Caribbean to seek their fortunesâ¦and women strong enough to tame them!
Ren meets his match in spirited Emma Ward. Relish their seductive battle of wits in
PLAYING THE RAKEâS GAME Already available
Kitt has never met a woman as unconventional as Bryn Rutherford. Enjoy their scorching chemistry in
BREAKING THE RAKEâS RULES Available now
And look out for the Mills & Boon>® Historical Undone! eBook CRAVING THE RAKEâS TOUCH Already available
You wonât want to miss this sizzling new series from Bronwyn Scott!
AUTHOR NOTE
I hope youâre enjoying the Rakes of the Caribbean mini-series, featuring my sexy new heroes Ren Dryden and Kitt Sherard. Kittâs story is set against the riskier side of life in a British colony in the nineteenth century. Not nearly as regulated as life in England, the Caribbean offers plenty of room for adventure and rule-breakingâtwo things Kitt is very good at. You might have met him first in Renâs storyâPLAYING THE RAKEâS GAME.
I always like to learn a little something when I read, so let me share the historical setting for Kittâs story. It is an economical one. Up until 1836 English pounds were not allowed for import to the Caribbean, so most debts and purchases were paid for in barter and trade (usually rum or sugar), or with Spanish and Dutch currencies. In June of 1836 a charter was granted to establish a British bank in Barbados. Iâve placed the fictional Rutherford as the envoy charged with carrying out that commission and organising a board of directors. It is true that the bank would have been a joint stock bank, which means it was an investment bank. History shows that the bank in Barbados soon led to the establishment of a network of British banks through the Eastern Caribbean.
Stay tuned at my blog or website for more Bronwyn Scott updates:
www.bronwynswriting.blogspot.com and www.bronwynnscott.com
BRONWYN SCOTT is a communications instructor at Pierce College in the United States, and is the proud mother of three wonderful children (one boy and two girls). When sheâs not teaching or writing she enjoys playing the piano, travellingâespecially to Florence, Italyâand studying history and foreign languages.
Readers can stay in touch on Bronwynâs website, www.bronwynnscott.com, or at her blog, www.bronwynswriting.blogspot.comâshe loves to hear from readers.
For Flo, my awesome editor, who really massaged this book into excellence and took time to make it a meaningful story with a strong life lesson: you canât outrun your past, so you might as well embrace it. Thanks to Flo, Kitt Sherard does it in style.
And thanks to my agent, Scott Eagan, at Greyhaus Literary Agency, who also had to put up with all my rewrites. There were lots of fits and starts and you were kind enough, patient enough to argue with me about all of them. It is much appreciated.
Chapter One
The CaribbeanâJune 1836
âProtect the rum!â Kitt Sherard raced forward on the beach to throw himself between the oncoming attackers and the newly unloaded cargo of precious barrels. âItâs a trap!â A pistol flashed in one hand, his knife in the other as the words left his mouth, the cry carrying down the line to be taken up by his men. âProtect the rum! Protect the rum!â He felt his men surge behind him, his first mate, Will Passemore, at his right, digging his bare feet into the sand, ready to take on the thick of the fighting.
Anger fuelled Kitt, pumping through his body over the betrayal. This was supposed to have been a standard trade done in the light of broad day; rum for farming supplies. The afternoon sun beating down on them was proof enough of that, but somewhere, something had gone wrong. There was no time to sort through it at present.
Cries echoed throughout the deserted cove as the first of the attackers emerged from the pack. Kitt took aim at the manâs shoulder and fired, hoping the draw of first blood would cause the bandits to retreat. He meant business when rum was on the line, especially when that rum belonged to a friend, but he never liked to take a life.
The man clutched his arm and fell back, only to be overrun by his fellow outlaws. So much for deterrence. âGet ready, this means war,â Kitt muttered under his breath. âThese bastards wonât go easily.â