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“The woman,” the earl said softly.
“I beg your pardon?” the Frenchman replied.
“You may wager the woman,” Dare said.
“Mrs. Carstairs?” Bonnet asked, his voice astounded. “But this is England, my lord. Not…” The Frenchman’s voice faltered, as if he could not think of a location where one might wager a human being.
“Indeed, it is,” Dare agreed. With one finger he touched the enormous pile of notes on the table between them. “And these are the coins of the realm. Quite a lot of them, as a matter of fact. I’ll wager them all, Mr. Bonnet, on one game. All of this for the woman.”
Bonnet’s eyes had followed the movement of the earl’s hand as it reached out and touched the money. And then they rose again, considering his opponent’s face. “One game?”
“Winner take all,” Dare said softly. “And the only stake you must put up is Mrs. Carstairs.”
Dear Reader,
Much of the beauty of romance novels is that most are written by women for women, and feature strong and passionate heroines. We have some stellar authors this month who bring to life those intrepid women we love as they engage in relationships with the men we also love!
We are very proud of Gayle Wilson, who has won awards for several of her Harlequin Historicals novels, as well as her contemporary romances for Harlequin Intrigue. Known for her gripping and original stories, Gayle’s latest book, My Lady’s Dare, is no exception. This Regency-set tale will grab you and not let go as the Earl of Dare becomes fascinated by another man’s mistress, Elizabeth Carstairs. Nothing is as it seems in this dangerous game of espionage that turns into an even more dangerous game of love!
In Bandera’s Bride, the talented Mary McBride gives her Southern belle heroine some serious chutzpah when, pregnant and alone, she travels to Texas to propose marriage to her pen pal of six years, a half-breed who’s been signing his partner’s name! And don’t miss Susan Amarillas’s new Western, Molly’s Hero, a story of forbidden love between a—married?—female rancher and the handsome railroad builder who desperately needs her land.
Jacqueline Navin rounds out the month with The Viking’s Heart, the sensational story of a fierce Viking who vows to save a proud noblewoman from a loveless arranged marriage.
Enjoy! And come back again next month for four more choices of the best in historical romance.
Sincerely,
Tracy Farrell,
Senior Editor
My Lady’s Dare
Gayle Wilson
Available from Harlequin Historicals and GAYLE WILSON
The Heart’s Desire #211
The Heart’s Wager #263
The Gambler’s Heart #299
Raven’s Vow #349
His Secret Duchess #393
Honor’s Bride #432
Lady Sarah’s Son #483
My Lady’s Dare #516
Other works include:
Harlequin Intrigue
Echoes in the Dark #344
Only a Whisper #376
The Redemption of Deke Summers #414
Heart of the Night #442
*Ransom My Heart #461
*Whisper My Love #466
*Remember My Touch #469
Never Let Her Go #490
**The Bride’s Protector #509
**The Stranger She Knew #513
**Her Baby, His Secret #517
†Each Precious Hour #541
**Her Private Bodyguard #561
For my cousin Elizabeth—the pretty one
Contents
Prologue
Paris, 1813
The edge of the blade sliced through the skin of the Earl of Dare’s neck as its point thudded into the scarred wood at his back. Only a reflexive jerk of his head to the side had prevented the tip from piercing his throat instead of the door behind him.
With a lightning shift of balance, Dare thrust his own sword forward and into the chest of the man whose blade was momentarily useless, its tip embedded in the wood. When Dare pulled back his arm, the hiss of escaping air and the gush of blood that followed told him this fight was at an end.
The dying man slumped against him, and the earl supported the body with his sword hand while he sought for the latch of the door behind him with his other. Just as he found it, a cry went up from the courtyard in front of the house where he was hiding.
He didn’t know how the French had found him. It made no difference