Donna Hatch is the author of the
best-selling “Rogue Hearts Series,” and a winner of writing awards such as The
Golden Quill and the International Digital Award.
A hopeless romantic and
adventurer at heart, she discovered her writing passion at the tender age of 8
and has been listening to those voices ever since. She has become a
sought-after workshop presenter, and also juggles freelance editing, multiple
volunteer positions, and most of all, her six children (seven, counting her
husband).
A native of Arizona who recently transplanted to the Pacific
Northwest, she and her husband of over twenty years are living proof that there
really is a happily ever after.
When charming rake Tristan Barrett sweeps Lady Elizabeth off her
feet, stealing both her heart and a kiss in a secluded garden, her brother
challenges Tristan to a duel. The only way to save her brother and Tristan from
harm—not to mention preserve her reputation—is to get married.
But her father, the Duke of Pemberton, refuses to allow his
daughter to marry anyone but a titled lord. The duke demands that Elizabeth
marry Tristan’s older brother, Richard, the Earl of Averston. Now Elizabeth
must give up Tristan to marry a man who despises her, a man who loves another,
a man she’ll never love.
Richard fears Elizabeth is as untrustworthy as his
mother, who ran off with another man. However, to protect his brother from a
duel and their family name from further scandal, he agrees to the wedding,
certain his new bride will betray him. Yet when Elizabeth turns his house
upside down and worms her way into his reluctant heart, Richard suspects he
can’t live without his new countess. Will she stay with him or is it too
little, too late?
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Snippet:
Richard
stopped pacing. “I’ll speak to Pemberton in the morning before matters get
further out of hand.”
Tristan
finally looked up. “What do you mean?”
“I
hope to convince him to intercede.”
“No.”
Tristan straightened, and a determined glint entered his eyes. “If Martindale
wishes to issue the challenge, I will accept.”
“Don’t
be an idiot. This is no time for misplaced heroism.”
“This
is my problem. I’ll duel him.”
“Absolutely
not. I don’t mean to stand by and watch you get shot, or stabbed by a rapier.
Even though you deserve it.”
Tristan
arose and stood remarkably erect considering the amount of brandy he’d just
consumed. “You will not interfere. You’ve done that my entire life and I refuse
to allow you to do it again. I can look after myself.”
“You
aren’t responsible enough to look after yourself. This incident is further
proof.”
“I’m
not a child. I am fully capable of fighting—and winning—a duel. Stop meddling
in my affairs.”
Meddling?
Interfere? A dark and ugly force took hold of Richard. He cursed. How could his
own brother turn on him? He’d looked after his brother all his life, bloodying
noses of boys who bullied Tristan, taking the blame—and often the whippings—for
Tristan’s pranks, and protecting his younger brother from himself. That Tristan
viewed his protection as meddling twisted in Richard’s gut.
Richard
made a sharp gesture. “Fine. Fight your duel. Get yourself killed. I’ll be rid
of the headache of pulling you out of a new scrape every week.” Despite his
angry words, the thought of his only brother facing such danger left him cold.
Dark panic welled up.
Tristan’s
eyes took on that cocky, invincible gleam Richard knew all too well. “I’m the
best fencer in Angelo’s and I shoot better than the Duke of Suttenberg. I’ll
win.”
“Then
what? Are you prepared to kill her
brother?”
Tristan’s
gaze wavered and he wetted his lips. “Neither of us would risk being caught
dueling. If we simply fight to first blood, the authorities will never know,
and no one will die.”
“Do
you have any idea how many minor wounds can turn fatal? Father’s wound wasn’t
much worse than what one might receive from first blood.”
Tristan
strode to the dark windows. After resting his hand on the panes a moment, he
turned back, his shoulders squared. “I refuse to live in fear of what might be.
Do not speak to the duke, do not speak to the marquis, do not intervene in any
way. I mean to see this through.”
At
least Tristan was taking this seriously. For a change. A part of Richard
admired the pup’s willingness to take the consequences of his actions. But this
was not the time. The stakes were too high.
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