âDuty can also be pleasure, Lady Alyssa...â
When politician Benedict Tawny set out to save Lady Alyssa from a nefarious plot, he never expected to find himself trapped in a compromising situation with the alluring lady! Now duty demands he propose...and claim her as his bride!
Tainted by his illegitimacy, Ben knows he canât give Alyssa the life of luxury she deserves. But if he can convince her to succumb to the undeniable heat between them, their convenient marriage might just lead to the love of a lifetime!
Hadleyâs Hellions
Four friends united by power, privilege and the daring pursuit of passion!
From being disreputable rogues at Oxford to becoming masters of the political game, Giles Hadley, David Tanner Smith, Christopher Lattimar and Benedict Tawny live by their own set of unconventional rules.
But as the struggle for power heats up so too do the lives of these daring friends. They face unexpected challenges to their long-held beliefs and rigid self-control when they meet four gorgeous independent women with defiant streaks of their ownâ¦
Read Giles Hadleyâs story in
Forbidden Nights with the Viscount
Read David Tanner Smithâs story in
Stolen Encounters with the Duchess
Already available
Read Benedict Tawnyâs story in
Convenient Proposal to the Lady
Available now!
And watch for the final Hadleyâs Hellions story, coming soon!
Author Note
For modern women itâs almost impossible to imagine the limited choices faced by women of the past. A well-born girl was expected to marry, ladies did not work and, like gentlemen, couldnât indulge in anything as vulgar as earning money. So what do you do if producing art is what you were born for? Lady Alyssa struggles to fit into a world that neither interests her nor appreciates her talent. It will take an uncommon man to see the brilliance in this rough-hewn gemâ¦
Itâs also hard for our modern world, with its acceptance of out-of-wedlock births, to imagine the life-long stigma carried by a Regency-era individual born outside of marriage. Though well-born bastards, if recognised by their noble fathers, often did lead prosperous lives, they must always have felt a hunger to understand why, and a struggle to believe themselves equal to their peers.
Although Ben Tawny knows what heâs worked to achieve makes him exceptional, there are always mockers around to remind him that he wasnât born a gentleman. When a quest to save a girl from his motherâs fate lands him in a marriage of convenience he must face all those demonsâincluding a strong aversion to falling in love.
I hope you will enjoy Ben and Alyssaâs journey to love and fulfilment.
JULIA JUSTISS wrote her first ideas for Nancy Drew stories in her third-grade notebook, and has been writing ever since. After publishing poetry in college she turned to novels. Her Regency historical romances have won or been placed in contests by the Romance Writers of America, RT Book Reviews, National Readersâ Choice and the Daphne du Maurier Award. She lives with her husband in Texas. For news and contests visit juliajustiss.com.
Books by Julia Justiss
Mills & Boon Historical Romance
Hadleyâs Hellions
Forbidden Nights with the Viscount
Stolen Encounters with the Duchess Convenient Proposal to the Lady
The Wellingfords
The Wedding Gamble
The Proper Wife A Most Unconventional Match Regency Candlelit Christmas âChristmas Wedding Wishâ From Waif to Gentlemanâs Wife Societyâs Most Disreputable Gentleman
Ransleigh Rogues
The Rake to Ruin Her
The Rake to Redeem Her The Rake to Rescue Her The Rake to Reveal Her
Silk & Scandal
The Smuggler and the Society Bride
Visit the Author Profile page
at millsandboon.co.uk for more titles.
To the Birding Brothertons of Daingerfield, TX, whose guide to local birds and enthusiasm in sharing their expertise on all things avian are the inspiration for my heroine Alyssa.
Chapter One
The things one does to soothe oneâs conscience.
With that rueful thought, Benedict Tawny led his horse stealthily along the grassy verge of the drive curving through a pretty wood to Dornton Manor, early-morning October sunlight just beginning to dapple the few leaves overhead. A gust of wind tugged loose his hat and he jumped to catch it.
If his fellow Hellions could see him now! he thought with a grin, jamming the cap back on his head. Not that he was the delight of his tailor, but in his worn jacket, serviceable breeches and scuffed boots, he hardly looked like a respectable Member of Parliament, one of the leaders of the Reform movement and a rising force in government. Surprising how easily heâd fallen back into the role of intelligence-gatherer heâd performed for the army in India.