The Viscount's Frozen Heart
Thawed by his housekeeper’s kiss…Luke Winterley, Viscount Farenze, is duty-bound to fulfil his beloved aunt’s last request – even though it concerns bewitching housekeeper Chloe Wheaton. Years ago they fell in love, but the battle between duty and desire drove them apart.Now, embittered by a loveless marriage, Luke wonders if the ice around his long-buried emotions can ever thaw.A marriage between a housekeeper and a viscount should be impossible – but maybe the warmth of Chloe’s touch can bring a new beginning for them both…
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A YEAR OF SCANDAL
A gentleman for every season
At the mercy of a ghostly matchmaker, four gentlemen must perform a shocking task. But claiming their inheritance might just lead them to the women who will steal their hearts!
Donât miss this wonderful new quartet by Mills & Boon>® Historical Romance author
Elizabeth Beacon!
First out:
THE VISCOUNTâS FROZEN HEART Available August 2014
Welcome to THE VISCOUNTâS FROZEN HEART, the first book in my new quartet of novels A Year of Scandal. Each book is set during a different season of the year. THE VISCOUNTâS FROZEN HEART starts the series off in January, with a new beginning for dark and brooding Luke and the most unlikely housekeeper he has ever met.
Each book should stand alone, but I would love you to meet the rest of my heroes and heroines as A Year of Scandal unfolds. Thank you for being my tolerant, loyal readers. This book is dedicated to all of you. I really hope you enjoy it.
ELIZABETH BEACON lives in the beautiful English West Country, and is finally putting her insatiable curiosity about the past to good use. Over the years Elizabeth has worked in her familyâs horticultural business, become a mature student, qualified as an English teacher, worked as a secretary and, briefly, tried to be a civil servant. She is now happily ensconced behind her computer, when not trying to exhaust her bouncy rescue dog with as many walks as the Inexhaustible Lurcher can finagle. Elizabeth canât bring herself to call researching the wonderfully diverse, scandalous Regency period and creating charismatic heroes and feisty heroines work, and she is waiting for someone to find out how much fun she is having and tell her to stop it.
Previous novels by the same author:
AN INNOCENT COURTESAN
HOUSEMAID HEIRESS A LESS THAN PERFECT LADY CAPTAIN LANGTHORNEâS PROPOSAL REBELLIOUS RAKE, INNOCENT GOVERNESS THE RAKE OF HOLLOWHURST CASTLE ONE FINAL SEASON (part of Courtship & Candlelight) A MOST UNLADYLIKE ADVENTURE GOVERNESS UNDER THE MISTLETOE (part of Candlelit Christmas Kisses) THE DUCHESS HUNT THE SCARRED EARL THE BLACK SHEEPâS RETURN
Did you know that some of these novels are also available as eBooks? Visit www.millsandboon.co.uk
Contents
Author Note
Luke Winterley, Viscount Farenze, turned to help his daughter down from the carriage and watched Eve eye the fine house nestled into the rolling Wiltshire hillside like a jewel bedded on winter-pale green velvet.
âIf only I had remembered Farenze Lodge was this beautiful Iâd have teased you to bring me here a long time ago, Papa. I do recall Aunt Virginia giving me a sugarplum after I fell down the steps and cut my knee as a little tot, but thatâs about all,â she said and he had to smother a pang of guilt as he handed Eveâs small but formidable maid from the carriage before answering, since he had kept Eve away so he wouldnât have to spend any more time here than necessary.
âNo wonder that event stuck in your memory, but, yes, it is a very fine house,â Luke said with the second look the Palladian villaâs neat elegance always deserved.
He had to brace himself for the empty feel of it without the last Viscountess Farenze here to make it a home, though. It was his duty to see Eve didnât feel the loss of her great-great-aunt even more acutely here, despite his own sorrow and frustration, and the less anyone knew about that second, rough-edged emotion and how hard it always bit him under this roof, the better.
âIt doesnât seem anywhere near as vast to me now as it did back then,â Eve said, as determined to be cheerful for him as he was for her.
âNo, it was built as a home, for all its grace and classical proportions,â he replied rather absently. It was currently home to a full complement of grieving staff and one very inconvenient housekeeper.
The mere thought of Mrs Chloe Wheaton waiting inside this serenely lovely house made him want to groan out loud, but somehow he kept silent and smothered another pang of guilt that he was about to make her homeless. He couldnât live under the same roof as Chloe Wheaton, yet still he felt this urgent need to see her again, if only to find out if she was as bitterly overwound by ten years of avoiding each other as he was.
âVirginia and Virgil liked their comfort, although Iâm sure she would have done her best to love Darkmere if he really wanted to live there. Luckily he was always far happier in the home they made together here,â he told his daughter.
Somehow he must distract himself from Mrs Chloe Wheatonâs presence here one more time, or he would end up wanting her almost beyond reason again. She was a widow with a young daughter. He had no right to long for her with this nagging, nonsensical ache whenever they were in the same county, let alone the same house.
