Temperance hardly heard the duchess as she gazed unseeingly at the carved legs of the desk, finally allowing herself to believe Jack was alive.
Joyful excitement suddenly bloomed in her heart. She would see Jack again. She would!
New energy surged through her. She leaped to her feetâ
And stumbled with shock as she registered what else the duchess had said.
âYour son?â
âYes, heâs my son.â
âB-butâ¦â
âSometimes he calls himself Jack Bow,â said the duchess. â
But his full name is John Beaufleur, second Duke of Kilverdale.â
Praise for Claire Thornton
THE DEFIANT MISTRESS
âIf you are looking for something decidedly out of the ordinary, this novel is worth checking out.
âAll About Romance
âSweeps readers from Cromwellâs London to France, Italy and backâ¦colorful backdrop, varied settings and vivid details.â
âRomantic Times BOOKreviews
RAVENâS HONOR
âClaire Thornton has written an exciting historical unlike anything Iâve read this past yearâ¦. I highly recommend this intoxicating love story.â
âRomance Junkies
GIFFORDâS LADY
âClaire Thornton is truly gifted in creating stories that are so unusualâwith charismatic characters, intriguing plots and subtle humor. Her hero steps off the page and into your heart with his bravery and sensibilities.â
âRomance Junkies
â[Abigail] and Gif share a wonderfully tender and intimate love scene thatâs one of the best I have read this yearâ¦. Itâs a standout.â
âAll About Romance
The stories in the CITY OF FLAMES trilogy take place during the reign of Charles II. This was an era of great color, drama and variety. The king scandalized some of his subjects with his many mistresses, but his reign also saw the emergence of modern banking among the London goldsmiths. Actresses appeared for the first time in London theaters, while members of the Royal Society met every week to witness scientific experiments.
Athena Fairchild, Colonel Jakob Balston and the Duke of Kilverdale are cousins, but theyâve led very different lives. Athena grew up in England, Jakob in Sweden, and Kilverdale spent his childhood exiled in France as a result of the war between Charles I and Parliament.
The cousinsâ romances take place in various locations, but London is at the heart of the CITY OF FLAMES trilogy. The cousins all meet the one they love in the cityâalthough Athenaâs happiness is destroyed almost before it begins.
Athenaâs story, The Defiant Mistress begins in May 1666 in Venice and the events span the rest of the summer. Jakobâs story, The Abducted Heiress, and Kilverdaleâs story, The Vagabond Duchess, both begin in London at the start of September 1666. In the early hours of the morning of 2 September, a fire in Pudding Lane will burn out of controlâ¦.
While I was writing these books I fell in love with the characters and their world. I hope you enjoy reading their stories as much as I enjoyed writing them.
Prologue
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 Nineteen
Epilogue
The Palace of Whitehall, London, April 1666
A French youth sang a love song. A group of courtiers played basset around a large table, gambling huge sums with fashionable disregard for the consequences. The King lounged at his ease, amused by the clever, cynical conversation of his noble companions.
The Earl of Swiftbourne stood aloof from the clamour around him. He was nearly half a century too old to be part of the circle of witty young men who entertained the king, and too hard-headed to risk his fortune at the gambling table. He owed his status at court to the fact heâd been one of the men, along with the Duke of Albemarle, whoâd helped Charles regain his throne. Swiftbourne was well aware royal gratitude could be fickle, but he was adept at navigating the hazards associated with power. For the time being, he was confident his position was secure.
A few feet away from Swiftbourne, an aristocratic rogue was trying to seduce one of the ladies of the court. From the tone of her responses, Swiftbourne judged the rogue was close to success. He ignored the couple as he focussed on the group around the King. His grandson, John Beaufleur, the Duke of Kilverdale, was among them.
Kilverdale was just short of twenty-six and in the prime of his youth and power. He looked every inch the courtier in his periwig, silk brocade coat and Venetian lace, but he also had the manners and intelligence necessary to hold his own in the Court of Charles II. It was an environment where little was sacred and noble poets could shred the reputation of a rival with a few anonymously circulated verses.
Kilverdale had been the target of such satires in the past, but now he was doing nothing more scandalous than asking the Kingâs permission to leave the country.